I saw a fun feature over on Book Journey, and decided to join in today…Snapshot Saturday is hosted by At Home with Books, and is just what it sounds like–inviting people to share their snapshots on Saturdays!

Because it’s almost spring and it’s sunny outside my window and it’s Valentine’s Day next week, I thought I’d post some flower photos.  My favorite flowers are daffodils.  As you probably know about me, I want everything in my life to have a story (within reason) and my favorite flowers are not an exception.

It began once upon a time when I went to England on a school trip during April–which turned out to be some of the best ten days of my life, and has instilled in me a love of London I will probably never get over.  Before we left, our teacher promised there would be daffodils.  I was doubtful–but there were, all over the parks.  So ever after, daffodils made me think of London.

A few years later, I wrote a sequel to The Phantom of the Opera.  Red roses are a big symbol of the Phantom and Christine, at least in Webber’s musical.  But my story is about after Christine left, and the Phantom’s growing relationship with cheerful blond Meg Giry, so it didn’t take long before daffodils became a symbol for Meg in my novel.  I have a quote, as the Phantom is trying to figure out his life: “He was also thinking about flowers.  Namely, that roses were very beautiful in a dark and passionate sort of way, but that daffodils, with their own sunshiney, bright cheerfulness, were maybe equally beautiful.  Perhaps there were even those who would prefer daffodils to roses.  For one thing, roses had thorns and you could be hurt if you weren’t very careful, while daffodils wouldn’t make you bleed if you held them wrong.”

I love daffodils.  All that sunshiney bright cheerfulness.  The way they smell, all fresh and spring-like.  I love the way they pop up in the most random corners in city streets.  During college I used to go out of my way by a block walking to class to walk past two clumps of daffodils.  And…you just can’t say “daffy-down-dillys” without smiling.  Try it.  🙂