How Fun...here's my "Merry Christmas Elvas" and the link to my slide show. Enjoy-Merry Christmas!

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Here is a link that might be useful: Cindee's Christmas

Great gifts you two...big, luscious flowers on Christmas Morning! I am afraid I do not have any this year. I did, however, receive a copy of Veronica Read's book I can peruse over with a hot cup of tea on a rainy afternoon.

Those pictures are adorable jodik, of your family; especially the ones of the little guy checking out that box! Thanks for posting; it is a real family group you have there.

Cindee - That was a wonderful slideshow! Thank you so much for sharing! You look all happy and healthy, and it's obvious you and Dennis had a great Christmas! I love your new scooter! I need one of those! Hehe! And Elvas... oh my! What a wonder that one is! Elvas has moved up my wish list by several notches!

Hopflower - You're so lucky! You got THE book for Christmas! I simply must allocate some bulb money for that book... everyone says it's the best title for Hippi lovers!

I almost forgot to mention... I gave as gifts to my daughter and both daughters-in-law, hippeastrum bulbs! I got 3 kits, took out the bulbs and re-potted using clay pots and better medium... and gave them each a different variety! I'm trying to enable all 3 of the girls! Kim got a Vera, Kendyl got a Red Lion, and Kellie got a Piquant! And of course, I offered my services in case any of them require culture information or help... who knows? I may have created 3 little hippi monsters! One can only hope... ;-)

thanks Jodi, The Scoot has been on my wish list for ages. Dennis was afraid I would disappear over the slope! However, he surprised me and put it together for me this morning. It came from Gardener's Supply. It is incredibly sturdy. The seat swivels and adjusts up an down so no more aching back from digging and weeding. It has a tray underneath for tools and a basket in the back. It also has a front steering mechanism. The gold chain was a very very special gift. Dennis got me my Diamond heart for our second Christmas (8 - 9 years ago??) The orig chain kept breaking. This was a very thoughtful and loving gift that I will cherish Forever!

The Elvas sure is a surprise. By it's huge bulb, I expected the blooms to be quite large, like Pink Diamond or San Remo perhaps. It is delicately small and I am finding I am more attracted to the frillier dainty bulbs lately. It sure is a winner in my book!

Another Christmas surprise? 2 of my San Remo pods popped open. They are drying on the patio, and full of viable seeds (hopefully as they feel fat now with seeds evident under the chaff) I will share these with everyone. Xuan, you must get me your Vietnam address so i can send these and others I have sprouting.

Where is everyone's Christmas photos?

Cindee - the scoot sounds really cool, and I'm certain it'll be a big help to you when gardening... I'm definitely buying a knee pad this coming spring! Kneeling to plant seedlings and other plants just kills my knees! The heart pendant is gorgeous, and the chain is just lovely! Who says romance is dead?! Larry got me a sterling silver ring with an amethyst flanked by two little blue topazes... I just love it! It's very dainty and the stones are small... not gaudy at all... I have short fingers, so big rings don't look good on me!

You know... I could say that I like larger flowers, or smaller flowers better... but the truth is, I love them all! Isn't it funny how the newest to open seems to be the favorite?!! I even love the ones I have that were mislabeled! I do have true favorites, but I like every one that blooms, and I have yet to see an ugly amaryllis!

I knew what I was getting but I Love it even more then a surprise! I got Nordic walking poles, and we actually got enough snow to make it look Christmassy outside! That has only happened on about 3 Christmases I remember in the Pacific Northwest! Perfect snow as it is not cold enough to freeze on the street. But I was able to go out for a walk in the blowing snow with my nordik poles and man, are they great! They take the pressure off of knees and hips and redistribute it through the upper arms. I walked about twice as far as I usually can and enjoyed every minutes of it!

We have our youngest 3 kids home for Christmas. This is the first time in a year our autistic daughter has been able to come home, but she is doing well, compared with some of the past years. I think we will even be able to make it into an overnight stay so papa does not have to spend 3 hours driving her home and coming back in the dark! Little sister is so excited...she is signing on her first condo on New Years Eve day, and sorting out the things in her bedroom so that I will get it for a sewing room/guest room. Our youngest son is enjoying having the girls around but still being able to to what he likes, sleeping at the moment I think. Papa Bear is playing on his computer that we got a month ago when he needed it so he did not have to wait for it today...it is all set up and he can play with his programs. Our oldest son is spending the day with his fiance and step daughter to be, and their friends. And we will call our daughter in Maine soon. THis is about as low stress as a holiday gets around here...I like it!

Today I am still enjoying and totally enchanted with Pink Surprise. What a lovely big frilly flower and ever day it just gets better! Soon the second stalk will be opening. I also have 2 Faro's and 2 Exoticas opening. And those prescious dark red varieties are shooting buds up tall, so I may have some of them by the end of the week.

Most fun gift besides my Nordic poles was from my youngest daughter, who is an interior designer, bringing her color sample box and helping me choose new colors for my study. We ended up with nice desert sandstone colors called Emberglow and Peppery. Now if she just offered to paint it for me :-/...It will look terrifics with Apricot Sensation, or Faro or.....blooming!

Lizalily - your Christmas sounds wonderful, with most of the family home... and I'm glad that "Santa" was good to you all! The Nordik poles sound very interesting, and if they help your knees, all the better! And snow for Christmas! How lovely! We had icy cold temperatures, but most of the snow is melted... and now that Christmas is almost over, I'm so happy to have all my bulbs, many in bud, to care for... and after the first of the year, I start looking forward to spring and counting the days until I can get out there and work in the gardens!

Having amaryllis bulbs blooming in succession from fall through most of winter really helps keep the winter blahs from setting in... we are a lucky bunch to have these lovely flowers to enjoy!

OK here's a different twist. Tootie, the Naughty Christmas Kitty decided ribbons were meant for her to play with. I spent a fun 1/2 hour with her antics. She actually yelled at me in one pic!
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Good night all, a blessed new year awaits you!

Those are cute, Cindee! Tootie has a beautiful coat of fur! Nice coloring! In bulldogs, we call that "brindle"... Emma is a gorgeous tri-colored brindle bulldog! I would love to have a fur coat of that color, but not if it were dog fur!

Yes it was a pleasant Xmas had by all of us,some with flowers, some with family and pets.
A lovely cross section of Photos.
Mine does not need an introduction.
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It gets prettier every time I see it... thank you, Jetak! Papilio has to be my all time favorite!