Mother's Day, you can't surprise me

Is it really almost Mom's Day again? These days, it barely seems as though a week has passed, let alone a whole year. I must confess, I've been so busy lately that special occasions have been getting away from me.

Back in January, I actually made a special trip to the store to get a birthday card for my mom, but I got so caught up in everyday events that I completely forgot to get it in the mail. There wasn't even time for a quick order to 1800flowers by the time I remembered, so I had to settle for an old-fashioned phone call on her birthday. I didn't even realize Easter was coming this year until a couple of days before it arrived. What am I going to forget next?

Well, I'm ready this time. Mother's Day is coming, and I have the 1800flowers website open right now. I can order something for Mom way ahead of time and no matter how busy I get, the folks at 1800flowers won't forget to deliver those flowers on whatever date I specify.

Now, if I could just think of some way to make up for that forgotten anniversary.

Valentine's Day flowers

Oh, Valentine's Day. Once I beheld you with horror and disgust . . . but what a difference a fiance makes. This Valentine's Day is a first and a last: my first as a fiancee, my last as anything but a wife.

Because V-Day is quickly approaching and because a certain wedding date is as well (although not as quickly as I might hope), I find myself contemplating the ins and outs of flowers. I never had a favorite flower, but now I have to think about bouquets and centerpieces and wreaths and boutienniers (did I even spell that right?).

Roses are a romantic staple, of course. Then there are calla lilies, cherry blossoms, hydrangeas, orchids, irises . . . the list goes on and on. Would it be completely wrong of me to carry a bunch of illegally picked wildflowers down the aisle? Maybe a solitary daisy or sunflower? A bundle of colorful leaves, even? The opportunities are endless!

A Parco San Marco Wedding?

I'm engaged, and the search for a wedding venue is getting a little tiresome . . . mainly because I'm so limited in where I can have it. After about an hour of searching for a dream venue in my moderately sized hometown, I decided to pretend I could have the wedding anywhere in the world. One of the Web sites I stumbled on was for an Italian Spa Hotel called Parco San Marco. I've never been to Europe, but this resort exemplifies what I see as being the most enjoyable aspects of an Italian vacation, and I couldn't help but imagine what it might be like to have a destination wedding there.

My bridesmaids and I could enjoy all the benefits of a Lake Lugano Vacation and experience total relaxation on the big day. We could alternate between lounging on the private beach and swimming in the pool. After all that sunbathing, we could get massages at the resort spa and get beauty treatments before we start doing our hair and makeup for the ceremony. After all that, there's no way we'll be too tired to dance the night away at the reception.

The groom and his men can spend their day playing Lake Como Golf. There are 13 golf courses near the resort, and they are some of the best in Europe. The resort's partner, Golfclub Menaggio & Cadenabbia, follows the British tradition of golfclubs and is only 10 minutes away from the resort. If that's not enough to keep them busy while the girls get pretty, they can go kayaking, water-skiing, diving, or do any number of things in beautiful Lake Lugano.

Well, back to the real world. Now, what's the closest thing to an Italian resort in Central Florida?