Roses to brighten a dull day

It's been wet, dreary, and bone-chilling cold today. I know, if I lived in Bismarck I would think 47 degrees was spring, but I don't--I live in Texas, and I'm spoiled by the warm days we've had. Today was the first day all winter that I've gotten out my warm winter coat. And it felt good.
A good friend and I exchange "Flowers of the Month" gifts at Christmas--it's a program sponsored by the local AAUW I believe whereby we go to the designated florist and show our certificate each month and get a small bouquet or plant. It also gives us a good chance for lunch and a catch-up visit. Today, to our delight, the flowers were the small roses pictured above. The florist said they were the last shipment of their Valentine's order, though I think--and hope--she said they had just come in. We'll see how long they last, but they are nice tight buds today. We also used the occasion to have hearty bowls of soup at the local deli--Jean had split pea and I had bean and barley. And catch up we did.
Then this evening Betty, my weekly dinner pal, and I ate at the Cat City Grill--I had lobster bites and she had blackened scallops and shrimp in a cherry sauce. We split tempura asparagus. Lot of batter but it was all soooo good. We considered dessert but discarded the idea. And once again, we had a good visit and lots of laughs.
Tonight they say we're supposed to have fierce storms in the early morning--just about the time Jacob goes to school--but I don't think it will be so cold. That's the thing about Texas weather--you can stand it because it rarely lasts long. And friends and flowers can help you through the dreariest of days.