I watched a film the other day called ‘The Vow’ about a woman who had been in a coma and had woken up but had lost part of her memory so she couldn’t remember being married or her husband. The film focused on the attempts he made to help her to remember which included revisiting many of the places they’d been to whilst together and unfortunately none of them did.
The film got me thinking and I did a little research into memory, how it works and how it can be stimulated. It’s a complicated process, completely different to how a computer memory works according to some, for instead of storing information our brains use a series of stimuli gained from our senses to remind us of what we are ‘remembering’.
It covers simple things such as when we see a collection of marks on a piece of paper our brain follows the process like this…

It’s information, so it’s there to tell me something.

The marks look like letters so they must form words

The arrangement of the letters match with words I know

I can link them all up to read the message

I can understand the message being given by those marks

It’s the same when we meet someone again, our brain matches the face to all the faces we’ve seen in the past and if it’s one we’ve been introduced to it will then try to link the visuality of the face to a name.
And again when we taste food that we love or that we hate, memory has a big part to play. In the film, the woman was a vegetarian but because of her memory loss can’t associate the taste of bacon with her former life as a vegetarian.
Some of the most inspiring ones for me are the memories associated with smell and they’re one of the strongest memory joggers. I love the smell of newly made cotton which reminds me of gifts of clothing. Going into a room where onions are frying reminds me of my favourite dish my mum used to make whilst jasmine makes me think of a garden I loved years ago and the people that owned it. There’s perfume or aftershave that lingers on clothes or furniture or in the room that reminds us of our partners too and each time I smell scented stocks, I’m carried back to the summer evenings in my parents’ garden.
Giving flowers isn’t just a visual gift, you can more than double the effect by choosing scented flowers – research has shown that smell is one of the oldest senses and is even used by bacteria to be able to react to their environments.
If you want to create memories or just stir up some from days gone by, don’t just think about that flowers to give, think about what scents those flowers will have. If you’re not sure, the knowledgeable staff at Cosmea Gardens are willing and able to assist in helping you to give the gift of memories as well as flowers.

We’re fast approaching Easter in the UK and a week after it will be Orthodox Easter and this year I get to celebrate both, being in the UK for their Easter weekend before flying back to Cyprus for theirs.
I love Easter, for me it truly signals the end of winter and spring and the start of the countdown to the heady days of summer. Whilst for many, it’s just a time to consume tonnes of hollow chocolate objects and have an excuse for another family dinner, for the more religious it marks the most important festival in the religious calendar.
I’ve often wondered, especially since living in Cyprus, why the Cypriots don’t really do Christmas and save all the celebrations for Eastertide until I looked up a theological essay on the subject.
As far as I can see, the birth of Jesus is relatively unimportant in its significance to the development of Christianity and I can understand why Epiphany is more important as being the first time he is acknowledged as King by the wise men. But it’s Easter and its implication in the ideology of eternal life that is the main festival because it’s when Jesus shows us that it is possible to be raised from death, if only as a soul, and to take our rightful place in heaven. The whole dogma of Christianity hangs on that one event and is summed up succinctly by the Easter morning Greek greeting of ‘Χριστός Ανέστη’ and the reply ‘Ἀληθῶς ἀνέστη’, Christ is risen and the reply, truly he is risen.
On a far more light-hearted note, it’s this time of year when I laugh at the friends who have decided upon a ‘bikini diet’ to prepare themselves for their summer holidays. It usually starts when the clocks go forward only to be rudely interrupted when Easter pops up and they’ve just got to gorge themselves on the chocolate eggs and accompanying individual chocolates not to mention those fondant filled eggs that shall remain nameless.
So what should we get for those people who we know desperately want to look svelte in their swimsuit and not bulgy in a bikini? Nothing fits the bill better than a bouquet of flowers and especially at Easter when spring flowers abound and if you want to go for the traditional, you can send white lilies signifying purity and new birth. As always I find the best flowers come from Cosmea Gardens.  Feel free to use coupon “savethiseaster” on checkout and save 10% with a minimum order of 50Eur excluding shipping. It expires the 16th of April. I’ve never had cause to complain about the quality and condition of the blooms they’ve delivered and their flowers last for weeks; a benefit of them using only the freshest cut flowers in their arrangements. They might be a little more expensive than some but when a gift is important for the message it sends, a couple of euros extra is well worth it for the quality. So this Easter, if you need to send a gift to a horizontally challenged friend or relative, be a thoughtful person and send them flowers that will add considerably to their impressions of you and not their waistline!

March 18th is Mother’s Day across most of the world and despite the commercialism that has taken it over along with Valentine’s Day and Father’s Day, it’s a day when we should do something that shows appreciation of our mothers.
Think of the pain they went through to bring us into the world, women often joke that if men had to endure the pain of childbirth, the human population would have died out long ago. Then there’s the sacrifices made to be there for us, bringing us up, working to feed and clothe us, going without to make sure that we didn’t.
For my mother, the pain and sacrifice was all too real with her developing a condition during pregnancy that was to affect her for the rest of her life and still does today. On many occasions she’s had to suffer painful operations, been confined to bed or a wheelchair for weeks or months and had her life limited by the restrictions placed upon her. I’m sure that if we were to delve more deeply into the lives of our parents we’d find similar, possibly less obvious sacrifices, but sacrifices all the same.
In my last post I told you about the sad event that had overtaken one of the children I teach and my heart will be going out to her this Mother’s Day when the flowers she gave her mum each Mother’s Day during her lifetime will now be placed onto a cold grave. It’s times like this that I realise I’m lucky to still have my mother and it makes me determined to show her whilst I still can, just what she means to me.
So how will your mum be celebrating Mother’s Day?
Many will be alone with sons and daughters far away, the lucky ones will receive a phone call or a gift whilst others may hear nothing and feel forgotten, unappreciated and unloved. I sincerely hope your mother isn’t going to be one of those. If you’re lucky to be spending Mother’s Day with your mum, then don’t think that just being there is enough. Take time to find her a gift she’ll really appreciate as being the way you show how much she means to you but don’t just stop there. Flowers are a wonderful gift but they’re often used as a ‘catch-all’ when the giver can’t think of anything else. On Mother’s Day, flowers should be an additional gift because they don’t last long and weeks after the event has passed, all your mum will have is the very nice memory. For the best flowers, you have got to trust Cosmea Gardens who, for decades, have been sending love and happy thoughts across the miles through the language of flowers. Last year I used them for Mother’s Day and the beautiful flowers they delivered lasted for nearly three weeks.
I’m in Cyprus this year whilst my mum’s in the UK but on the day, she’ll receive a gift that she’s worthy of as well as the customary flowers. Skype will bring us together and let me tell her just how grateful I am for all she’s done for me.

Every once in a while something happens that makes one stop to consider what is really important in life.
Just that happened to my wife and me this last week. We teach a small group of children from home and they are a great bunch of kids, bright and keen to learn. They have parents who are very supportive of them and of the efforts that we make to give them a good education.
Like many countries around the world at this time of year, Cyprus has a bit of a winter cold or flu epidemic going on and all of the children, my wife and myself have succumbed to it to varying extents. What we didn’t know was that one of the mums had a serious illness that was made worse by catching a cold which turned into a chest infection. Initially we received the news that she was in hospital where she was receiving intensive care treatment then, shockingly, were told that she may not pull through and then, disbelievingly, we were told that she had died. After sitting there in total shock for what seemed like an eternity it dawned on us that a little girl of eleven was now left without a mother and her father was without the partner he had shared life with for sixteen years.
We informed the other parents from our little group and all sympathized, offering help in the difficult aftermath of the mum’s death. We and another family have spent the last few days trying to sort out the fallout from the situation and help the family on the road back to some kind of normality.
It has been a difficult journey, not just for the family but also for those that have offered help for, despite all you do, the terrible loss is still there and nothing will change it. What people don’t realize when something like this happens are the other ramifications of the death of a parent. The little girl was very close to and relied on her mum for ‘girlie chats’ and now has no one to take her place. The father is lost in his grief too and can offer little comfort. By far the greatest difficulty they face and I’m sure many others in the same position face is the financial uncertainty. In looking after the mum and paying for medicines, the family have no money. The weather has meant that the father has been unable to work, even if he had felt like it and the family fridge contained just half a liter of milk whilst the freezer had half a bag of oven chips and nothing else.
Thankfully friends have rallied round to offer help and the family are just about surviving.
It’s the funeral tomorrow and we’re sending flowers from CosmeaGardens.com.  Some might say that money is needed by the family, not flowers that will wither and die so we’ve also given an equal amount to help support the family.
A funeral is a celebration of a life as well as saying goodbye and flowers represent the joy of the person’s life and the happiness they gave to others so they are not wasted.
I’m not sure what the future holds for the family, but with the support of friends they will get over the tragedy and maybe a little way down the line when perhaps they’re feeling sad and lonely, flowers from Cosmea Gardens will cheer them up and remind them that they and their troubles are still in the hearts and thoughts of friends.

Didn’t Christmas go quickly? No sooner was I looking forward to the festive season, planning the meals, buying and wrapping the presents than it was all over and we had that period of limbo before New Year.
For the first time this year I’ve experienced what Christmas and New Year means in Cyprus and was surprised to hear more greetings of ‘Happy New Year’ than ‘Happy Christmas’, even before Christmas! Of course Cyprus considers Easter of more importance than Christmas and Epiphany of more importance too in terms of gifts and parties but it made me think of how important the New Year is.
It’s a new beginning, the chance to turn over a new leaf but like Janus, the two headed god who faced the past and the future and after whom January was named, we need to look to the past to tell us what we need to do in the future.
We all make New Year’s resolutions, usually to give up smoking, cut back on the beer and wine or to lose weight but what about focusing on how we live our lives in relation to others rather than the selfish ‘What can we do for ourselves?’
I’ve used this New Year to think of the way I live my life and again, like Janus looking back, I’ve not been too happy with how I’ve lived my life in 2011. I’m hoping that I keep to my goals this year and that when doing the same exercise next year I can look back on 2012 with a little less guilt. Like all things we try to do for the long term it requires willpower but the best boost to willpower is the benefit we get from what we do.
I’ve started this year by listing all the things I felt went badly last year, the friendships taken for granted, people slighted, good deeds left undone and my worst trait, criticism of others. I know to my embarrassment that some of the people I’ve criticised have heard what I’d said and I’ve felt ashamed for what I’ve said. The hardest thing now is to admit fault, admit the deed and try to mend bridges. I think if we all did it, looking at our faults then trying to correct them, no one, including me, would have cause to criticise.
So what’s the best way to start again? I’m a bit of a chicken when it comes to confrontation and prefer to prepare the ground a little first in the hope of softening the blows. So I’m turning to ever effective salve – flowers. Three people initially are going to get flowers from me apologising for my faults and looking forward to a year of renewed, strengthened friendships. I’m glad that Cosmea Gardens can send flowers worldwide as well as sending flowers in Cyprus. Going to a florist could mean more embarrassment so I’m also pleased that Florist delivery is also a whole lot less embarrassing than handing over the flowers yourself and is a nicer touch too. I’m hoping that upon receipt, I get a phone call which will be the start of the mending of the relationships where I can admit fault whilst they’re in a good mood!
So, if you want to make 2012 a better year, don’t just think of yourself, think of others and by sorting out your relationship with them, bring yourself the inner peace that will begin 2012 on a happy note.

I had to return to the UK recently and was shocked at the attitude of several people I met whilst there.

My first encounter was on a train when a young woman was sat underneath a sign asking passengers to be considerate to other people by not playing loud music on MP3 players and to keep their feet off the seats. You’ve guessed it, she was ignoring both pleas.

Next, I saw a petite young woman struggling to heave a large suitcase on the train and position it safely. When it came to her stop I asked if she needed help getting it off the train and found she was unsure whether accepting help would put her in any danger and so refused.

On my return to Cyprus I found someone’s boarding pass they’d dropped on the way to the gate and imagined what they would feel once they realised, probably too late, that they’d lost it and wouldn’t be able to take their flight. I immediately handed it in to an airline desk who said they’d find the person. I was disgusted though by a youth next to me who said he would have gone to the gate and laughed whilst watching the person’s growing panic as they realised their loss.

I know these are only isolated cases and people can’t be generalised about but to me it seemed sad in this season of goodwill to all, that this could happen.

Still there are those that make up for the shortcomings of the human race. We had friends around on Sunday and afterwards received a very thoughtful text from them telling how much they’d enjoyed the day. The text was followed up by a bouquet of flowers from Cosmea Gardens as an apology from the husband for drinking all the wine he had brought with him as a gift!

I don’t know if you’re like me or not but at this time of year it’s always hard to think of what to get for Great Aunt Bertha or cousin Tilly for a Christmas present. Did you know that last year 34% of presents received were classified as ‘unwanted’ generally meaning that the good idea to get Uncle Eric that rotary soup maker wasn’t such a good idea.

Some people go for gift vouchers or cash but that seems too impersonal or shows a lack of thought, so what’s the alternative?

It’s a bit unusual, and personally I’ve thought it a bit unseasonal to do so, but why not send flowers. They last for a good while at this time of year, brighten up drab days and the everlasting message that flowers are sent with love fits in nicely with the season. Last year I sent my aunt a bouquet from Cosmea Gardens; red carnations and gold sprayed bracken and it looked beautiful. The carnations had a slight scent that pervaded the rooms of her house and the colours were in keeping with the season. Each time I spoke to her in the year she brought up that gift. So it shows that if you’re stuck for ideas, give flowers!

Although the weather is noticeably cooler, I can’t believe it’s nearly Christmas, so it’s time for some tips on how to make your home look effortlessly festive.

I love poinsettia plants and although there’s a myriad of colours to choose from these days, I still love the ones with the red bracts. You can spice them up by putting them in a festive looking container or simply get a terracotta pot, paint it green and then when dry, daub some wood glue in patterns such as bells, snowflakes or Christmas trees around it and press on some contrasting glitter. Don’t forget to bung up the drainage hole before putting the plant in it or you’ll have a soggy mess on your table!

If you want to keep the pot plain, then a quick squirt of spray-on glue over the leaves, followed by a dusting of silver glitter gives an instant effect.

If you can get hold of any evergreen foliage, it doesn’t have to be holly or ivy, make up a wreath by intertwining the stems and tie in red or gold ribbon in bows, add small Christmas decorations or small sprayed pine cones – there are hundreds in Cyprus at the moment – then hang it on your door or over a fireplace.

Finally, if you can’t afford one of the really expensive real Christmas trees this year which, to be honest, won’t survive long in the Cypriot climate, buy an Araucaria, otherwise known as a Norfolk Island Pine, which looks exotically similar and which will grace your garden afterwards. A 1.2 metre specimen in a pot can be bought for around 20 euros, less than half the equivalent for a Norwegian Spruce. Check out Cosmea Gardens for their range of festive plants and have a Plant-astic Christmas this year.