Well... it seems you went from a not so great Christmas with poor weather that hampered your family plans and your greenhouse, to a very nice New Year's Eve with more family stopping in to visit! Things always seem to have a way of working out... and it was a good year... I'll agree with that! Welcome to 2009! I did manage to stay awake well past midnight... Larry and I watched a couple of movies together... and before I knew, it was almost 2:00am! My first surprise of the New Year is Star of Holland... which opened, and doesn't look like Star of Holland! It's way too white with not enough red to be the right variety, but I like this one... whatever it is! I'll try to get a few new photos posted for an identification. In the meantime, I hope everyone can begin the New Year with a smile! So far, the day is dawning with bright sunshine... a good sign if ever there was one!

Hello, All! Hope everyone had a nice holiday season! Like Rosey, I managed to suck up all the local germs while visiting my kids and grandkids... the younger of which are walking virus factories interacting daily with all manner of other neighborhood children and schoolmates... and came home with a nasty chest cold/flu combination. The old guy and I are both sick. I'm glad for things like Vick's VapoRub and antibiotics! I'm a believer in modern pharmaceuticals, as long as I know what they contain and how they work, and whether or not there are more side effects than good effects! My grandson was full blown sick while we were there, complete with fever that makes your ears red and hot, a horrid cough from a tight chest with infection, packed sinuses, runny nose, chapped lips, the whole nine yards. It's the kind of sick that makes your skin hurt! You know you need to eat, but you can't stomach anything. We felt so bad for the poor little guy... and now that we have it, we know what a trooper he was! I'm off to a bad start with the new year... my monitor burnt up, I got sick, and to top everything off, I managed to leave my camera behind when we packed up to come home. I think I did, anyway... I can't find it. On the positive side, H. "Minerva" has kindly waited for me, and is just now starting to open her large buds! And nothing died while we were gone, meaning that my orchids hung in there with the watering I gave them before we left for Christmas. I also have a Gloriosa vine growing tall and looking to bloom, I think. I had thought the corm died in the pot, but when I gave it a small drink to moisten the medium a bit, it began to grow! It will be interesting to see if it does bloom, as it's growing in an east facing window. Nice photos, everyone! Josh, that is such a wonderful Catt! Well... trying to get caught up with reading and posting, taking my time through this cold. I sure hope no one else gets it... it's a nasty one! Talk at ya all later!

hi all. hope everyone is well. marsha, as much as i would love to join an iris swap, i am going to pass this go around. aside from weather, just way too much going on with vacation, and yet needing to find a job (again!) and all my extra time i will spend counting my blessings with the new baby! i love iris too and am a little disappointed that i'll miss this one. susan, thanks for your congratulations. she's just beautiful. her name is gianina (gia nina). it's interpretation is "kissed by God". i wasn't so sure about that name when they first came out with it, but she certainly has been kissed by God. she's just amazingly beautiful and smells so good. yesterday i just sat with her and held her against me for hours. it was heaven. her she is again, one week old. be well all, happy blooms. maryanne

I'm not real 'up' on all the treefrog varieties. White-lipped? AbFab photo, whatever it is! 8-] ICA, Sophie ^i^