Hi Cindee,

No one deserves an award more than our sweet Maria!

I just love Jungle Bells and Tootie too. What a good idea to plant the bulb in the Smiley Face Cup.

Cheers!

Purfect Pic and award presentation,Tootie.Cindee I can see by the look in Tooties eyes that she's using Cat to Human telepathy on you to get the photo right! I completely agree with you and Blanca that Maria is a real Gem....a true blessing to all. Peace,Mark

Totally agree, Maria so deserves this award. We love you Maria!!

If we could all gather to present an award, it would be to Maria! She has been instrumental in so much of what we all do with bulbs! She's my mentor, and I watch what she does, knowing that my results will be good. She even got me interested in researching a medium that worked in my climate! I hope she realizes just how valuable her contributions are!

Unfortunately, my Jungle Bells aborted its first scape, but there is still time... it may decide to send up another. I'm caring for it, watching it closely.

Wonderful photos, Cindee! I adore Tootie! And I do like that cup the bulb is planted in! I remember those when they were new... and now they're vintage!

Jodi, the cup is special. It came with a small boquet of flowers for Dennis when he was in the hospital. It was from a guy we both used to work with who had retired to Michigan. No one was more surprised to hear from him than us! He called me every day when Dennis was in the hosp and then called Dennis to checked up on him every week after he had gotten home and was taking on Chemo. It was the smallest boquet that packed the most feeling. I smile every time I see the cup and we are reminded of what a real friend we have.

Most awesome... and now it's in service growing something from another friend! I keep looking at the flea markets for cups like that one... haven't seen one yet, though. I wonder how hard it would be to have Larry drill a drainage hole in a cup like that? I'd love to put a small bulb in something decorative like that. It's so cute!

And how is Dennis, by the way? And yourself? I thought of you when I got my new catalogs in the mail, and I saw the little green scooter! They've made some small improvements, I see.

Great story, Cindee! I hope all is well your way! :-)

A cutie-pa-TOOTIE!!! At last we get a picture of her! Gorgeous blooms - thanks for sharing!!

Hey Cindee, Tootie is setting so purdy for you to take an photo of her & the gorgeous flower. WHAT A GIRL!!!!
I don't know Maria but she sounds like a wonderful person.
Congrats for recieving awsome award!!!!
Jan

Anna, I call my big girl Tootie-Pa-Tootie all the time!! Jan, Toots has the look of "I cannot believe you are actually taking my picture, you nerd!!" She is pretty great looking for 15 years old!

Jodi, we're both doing well, thanks. I am having some discomfort in my 1st hip, so I am going back to see my Doc on Monday. We did get some ugly news from Dennis's older sis. She has breast cancer! Almost a year to the DATE of Dennis's-she will have a mastectomy in March, just 2 days before Den's surgery anniversary. Since you asked, I have been really mopey, tired of bad news and inability to find a job. But I do have my friends Jan and Barb just across the river, and hope to invite them over for lunch next week so I can foist off tomato plants on them! Thanks for asking and sorry for unloading!

Jungle bells, now there is a cheerful face! I also can't wait to see what the 3 budded Cocktail that Maria sent with Jungle, does. It's buds are really fat..
{{gwi:375282}}From Amaryllis 2008-09

and here's some other up and coming bloomers.
Magic Green with red tints in leaves and buds
{{gwi:387091}}From Amaryllis 2008-09

The Ever Popular Exotic Star is sporting a couple buds
{{gwi:387093}}From Amaryllis 2008-09

and Donau is making a come back.
{{gwi:387094}}From Amaryllis 2008-09

Added to all this, I hope I can get my camera working again tomorrow. The circle bed out front that I planted with Red Lions, Apple BLossom and Minerva 2.49 discounted bulbs last year is sporting 3 flowers and another 9 buds coming up. I really hope to get the whole circle in bloom at one time, it looks really neat under the tree there. A Red Lion and an Apple Blossom are open and I believe a Minerva is starting to open...hopefully the mix will be a knockout! Love you guys, thanks for letting me breathe! HEY where's our Saint Maria???

oh and here is another sweet face....Dennis's granddaughter Christiana had her first ski lesson last week and her Mom told us the whole family is driving down in March to spend a couple weeks with us again...FINALLY something to smile about! {{gwi:387095}}From Photos for Dennis

Oh my goodness! I'm gone for a few days and come back here with an award! I need to be gone here more often...lol!

You guys are just awesome. Geeezzz...I really don't know what to say....

Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart! :-)

As I always say, "We are ONLY blessed for one reason...to share"! May it be a bulb, a seed, a pollen, a picture, information, a smile, a hug...

I love you all!!!

Hey Cindee...Those hippies are looking great!!! You go girl!

My Dear Cindee... I'm so sorry to hear about the bad news... I hope everything is ok with your hip, and I shall renew my prayer efforts for your family. My Mom had a double mastectomy when I was still quite young, so I know the survival rate is very high. Don't worry, a job will come along... without dark clouds and rain, there can be no rainbow, no sunshine, and no spring flowers... have faith, Cindee, things will look up. :-)

Look at that moon in Christiana's ski photo! I'll bet that's the same one I was trying to photograph not very long ago. That's very weird to think about, that while I was down here trying to get a decent photo, Dennis' family was not too far north of me, aiming a camera at that same full moon... in fact, I got photos, I just didn't think they came out good enough to post.

I have a bud on my Exotic Star, too, plus a few other from last year... yours all look very happy! I can't wait to see the blooms! I'm very interested to see the whole flower bed in bloom, too! There's something to be said for the common varieties, especially in a group setting!

I wish I had some words of wisdom to share with you... or something that would put a smile on your face. You have the silent support of friends all over the world, and everything will work out as it should. Better days are on the way, Cindee! Trust me... I get handed a lot of lemons. I'm an expert at making lemonade! :-)

My Aunt is a breast cancer survivor. Keep your chin up:-) Leaps and bounds are being made and there is so much more hope for patients now! I'll keep her in my prayers. Cancer is a scary thing (but at least it is being beaten more and more each day).

Thanks guys. My close friends Jan and Barb have been emailing and calling me today and sharing laffs and jokes too. You can never have too many friends!

Jodi, there is some ski area near Chicago where Dennis took Dawn when she was Christiana's age (6) and she decided to take Christiana to the bunny slope to see if she like it too...the 7th or 8th I believe. Dawn kept calling Christiana "Susy Chapstick"! I love the moon shot too.

Maria...I adore the delicate blooms on this Jungle Bells..thanks for sharing all your beautiful flowers with me. Love ya babe

Cindee, I love kitties, and your sweetie-faced kitty is a winner in my book. She can sit on my lap and purr any ole time. Was just down in your vacinity last week. Wish I had more time. Would love to have been able to look up some of our mutual friends. I was in Venice and Port Charlotte, then went back up to Belleview where my friend has a house. My wish for you is that good Karma surrounds you and your loved ones.

Maria, congrats on your award. Nobody is more deserving. I've learned loads from you, my friend.
Kitty

Cindee, Jodi and Chaz...Last fall, you guys went on a hippie moratorium because of your own personal reasons. Me and the other forum members are sorrounded by flowers and you guys had none. I just CANNOT take that!!! So off went those Jungle Bells bulb, hoping they'd give you flowers. Well, apparently, the ones that went up north, decided to sleep. Geezzz,,, thank's a lot Jungle Bells...lol!

Cindee
Picture No, 27 of 2008-09 is lovely, Any ID?.
ARIF

Hi! Cindeea, very pretty pictures!
Prayer's for you and your family!
There is hope, try to keep faith
when all else fails! I lost my
Mom to breast cancer in 99, but
I am a breast cancer survior, 7
years now! God Bless you!
Susan

Cindee nice Tootie pic and I agree with the Maria Award!

Maria, Jungle Bells is a lovely bulb, and I know it'll bloom next year for me. I think the stress of coming so far to be in the States, and then arriving here in winter might have just been too much for the poor little guy. But the bulb is healthy, and the leaves are growing nicely... given time, it'll be gorgeous! There's actually still a chance another scape might show... only the first one aborted. You just never know!

Cindee, I never learned to ski, but my brothers used to go to some of the more local places... there are a few north of us, I know. "Suzy Chapstick" looks really cute in that picture, and I hope she has loads of fun! Speaking of the moon, are you aware that there is a comet heading through our solar system as we speak?! It will be closest to earth on February 24th, visible in the south western sky at about 3:00 am... link below! From what I read, you can see it without a telescope!

Here is a link that might be useful: Comet Lulin

(Arif) my friend...do you mean this beauty?
{{gwi:382656}}From Amaryllis 2008-09

This plant belongs to my friend Jan over in Cape Coral. We are hoping SOMEONE can give us an ID. We posted it awhile back and had a few suggestions but none really come near. The other planter she has is an orange variety, this is more red. They seem to be some Old Heirlooms. They were with her house when she bought it. I think they have helped her get into Amaryllis. If your expert eye can make us any suggestions we would love it!