Friday Show and Tell....Surprise Lilies or Johnny Jumpups........Pine Cone Lilies

It's Friday and Show and Tell over at Kelli's..........












These are the sweetest little red lilies......they pop up almost over night with their happy, red blooms......later the green foliage appears. They are known as Surprise Lilies or in our area Johnny Jumpups.....I have many of these scattered around.........


Many years ago, a friend shared this unusual flower with me........it is a Pine Cone Lily. The bloom begins as a small green pine cone shape. As it matures it grows larger and eventually turns a reddish color. The foliage looks very much like August Lily or Ginger Lily. If you touch the pine cone bloom, it smells like turpentine. It really does........

It is a fantastic conversation piece........children as well as adults are amazed by it.......

Moonflower Plant...........

It's Show and Tell over at Kelli's..........
I'm so sorry I missed posting on Show and Tell last Friday, we were out of town, or I should say out of the country (we live in the country), but that would be misleading, actually we were out of the state......then last night my laptop was not cooperating...My husband 'washed the windows' on it. Now if I could just figure out how to interest him in washing the windows on the house......hmm, any suggestions?




This is a Moonflower bush, not to be confused with the Moonflower Vine. The bush is gorgeous...sometimes with 100 blooms on a single plant. A neighboring gardener friend shared this plant with me..........It has no scent. On the other hand, the Moonflower Vine only blooms at night with the most heavenly scent you can imagine. If the fragrance could be bottled, I would sent each blogging friend a sample........

Snow white blooms........

What I Didn't Do Today........Have been away but home now.......

This is an email I was sent today.....reminded me once when my husband offered to babysit our two girls for the day while I had a day out shopping with a friend......when I arrived back home he said, "I don't know why your days are so hard. The girls were no problem".....Nothing had been done so far as housework...they had played all day....all three of them........

Subject: FW: How was your day....dear?

A man came home from work and found his three children outside,

still in their pajamas, playing in the mud, with empty food boxes and

wrappers strewn all around the front yard.



The door of his wife's car was open, as was the front door to the

house and there was no sign of the dog. Proceeding into the entry, he

found an even bigger mess. A lamp had been knocked over, and the

throw rug

was wadded against one wall.



In the front room the TV was loudly blaring a cartoon channel, and

the family room was strewn with toys and various items of clothing.



In the kitchen, dishes filled the sink, breakfast food was spilled

on the counter, the fridge door was open wide, dog food was spilled on

the floor, a broken glass lay under the table, and a small pile of sand was spread by the back door.



He quickly headed up the stairs, stepping over toys and more piles

of clothes, looking for his wife. He was worried she might be ill, or

that something serious had happened.



He was met with a small trickle of water as it made its way out

the bathroom door. As he peered inside he found wet towels, scummy

soap and more toys strewn over the floor. Miles of toilet paper lay

in a heap and toothpaste had been smeared over the mirror and walls.



As he rushed to the bedroom, he found his wife still curled up in

the bed in her pajamas, reading a novel. She looked up at him,

smiled, and asked how his day went.



He looked at her bewildered and asked, "What happened here today?"



She again smiled and answered, "You know every day when you come

home from work and you ask me what in the world I do all day?"



"Yes," was his incredulous reply.



She answered, "Well, today I didn't do it."

We were in Chattanooga, TN last week....I'm reading blogs as fast as I can but don't have time to comment on each one.......I'll be back on schedule in a day or so, hopefully......

What a Day............

This is one of my very best birthday gifts....Ellie, 7, and John 3, came bearing a gift on my birthday....they had made me a room pomander out of a Magnolia burr that smells delicious and had it packaged so pretty.....I heard a knock on the door and when I opened it John was seated in the wagon pulled by Ellie from next door .....both were smiling from ear to ear.....that does a grandmother's or Mam's (in my case) heart good.......


, Ellie and John's gift.........................
Monday was my birthday and what a day I had. I had saved my cards and gifts and opened them on 'my day.' Edward gave a bouquet of red roses, a scanner for my laptop and a pretty card....
Friends Sandra and Linda Gail gave me the goblets, respectively......they completed sets I had already started.....

Sunday morning, I was given a set of 'Blessing' figurines.....Love, Peace and Joy.....by our Church congregation..........
Cards I received through 'snail mail'.......Melinda and family gave me money..........

Shirley gave me a set of 'Old Country Roses' vases that match my china......


I received a wonderful surprise package from my dear, sweet, friend, Marion, in Wales. It was full of great gifts.....a picturesque 2008 calendar of Welsh scenery, beautifully hand crafted envelopes made by Marion, a lovely fabric 'Betty Bag', a Welsh hand carved wooden 'Lovespoon', a precious pink and green cabbage rose printed Laura Ashley clothespin bag on a wooden hanger and a birthday card with a breath taking scene of Tal-y Llyn.................and not only that...Marion called me on Thursday.....such a surprise..... I was so happy to hear that soft, lilting, English voice..........

Mary Jo gave me this red and ivory pitcher that matches other dishes that I have.......

Amy and family gave me a shepherd's hook and fern..................


My 'Secret Pal' at church gave me this charming rooster lamp.........


To you ,wonderful friends, that came by and left me a sweet birthday comment, you will never know how much each one meant to me and I thank you so very much.........

Friday Show and Tell..........

Well, it's Friday and it is Show and Tell time over at Kelli's.........






Several years ago I was in town and saw a sign 'PORCH SALE'......it looked interesting enough to stop.....after looking through stuff that I had some just like and would like to be rid of, I saw something with beautiful colors, pink, green, yellow and purple...upon closer examination I saw that it was a wooden necklace. Each hibiscus blossom was a different color with green leaves in between....then either end had wooden beans. I asked the price and she told me that it had belonged to her mother. The price was $2.00. Of course, I immediately paid for it...I've often thought, how could she part with it......evidently she wasn't sentimental.

I look forward to getting my jewelry out each spring so that I can wear this necklace. I've had so many compliments on it......it makes me happy to see it and to wear it.....do you have a favorite piece of jewelry?
Summer of 2007

Happy Birthday To Me.......................

Betty age four or five............................

Happy Birthday to Me,

Happy Birthday to Me,

Happy Birthday to Me,

Happy Birthday to Meeeeeeeee!

Today is my birthday and it's been declared a holiday........you may have the day off...the banks are closed, government offices, the post office.....my Mother said it was Labor Day, the day I was born, regardless which day of the week it was on........

I have 66 candles on my birthday cake this year.....a fire hazard so have the fire extinguisher near by.......

I have been so abundantly blessed throughout my life with a loving family, many friends, including all of you, but most of all because my Heavenly Father sent His son, the Lord Jesus Christ to do something for me that I couldn't do for myself........to give me eternal life.........thank you............