I am fascinated by all plants that have a bulb, or storage, for sustenance... this plant doesn't bloom, but it has a lovely bulbous trunk that is used to store moisture to sustain itself through periods of intense drought... I only know that it grows somewhere in Mexico, or thereabouts, and is actually quite a large tree when grown in optimal conditions...

I give you Beaucarnea Recurvata... The Ponytail Palm!

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Cindee, may you be Blessed with the strength and patience to get through your ordeal, and end triumphant, walking and running like an Olympic marathon runner! I hope all is well, and I look forward to reading your vivacious posts, as I'm sure we all do! We all miss you terribly, so please hurry and get well!!

a Butterfly, for you Cindee. She bloomed for me last year [06] and now, she is all leaves lol! Hope your recovering and able to get around a little bit!
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Here are a couple of splendiferous Dahlias for you Cindee:
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Im not a regular here, but i do visit ocassionally. Heres my 'get-well-soon' pictures:

Dahlia Berger's Record and a couple of mandarin oranges eh?
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Or how about some Brugmansia Frosty Pink?
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Lets burn a candle for your recovery ..
What, you say this is not a candle ???
It is a WHAT ???
That doesn't look like a candle does it ?
Well check for yourself then:

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More Pink! LOL, this impatiens seeded itself in a pot of christmas cactus 4 years ago. I stops blooming in the summer, kind of dies back a bit and begins flowering now through our spring. Enjoy it with me! I'm very short on hippi photos!!!

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I will borrow one of my Hungarian friend's photo now, since I was working the whole night, day, then night again, so I had no opportunity to take a new photo for you.

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A simple, elegant, calming Apple Blossom from Amaryl.

Cindeea,
I allways plant dill in my garden to attract these pretty caterpillars because...

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They turn into these beautiful butterflies!

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Hope your feeling better and have been taking advantage your PT sessions! They should have you up and about by now.

Wow. They only eat dill? I will plant some, and you can send me caterpillars!

Merry Christmas:

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Soultan,
I don't know if they only eat dill, but the only time I have seen the eggs or caterpillars they are on dill plants! Let's find out if shipping something like these to you is legal first!!! LOL, I'd hate to wipe out a dill crop somewhere!
Cindee, I'm so happy to see your other post. Good to have you back!

The one and only flower in my garden and most probably the last this year. This I offer to you my dearest Cindee...Welcome HOME!

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Cindee, no longer 'while away' but happily returned !
so my last pic-a-day for now.
Exotic striped ( according to label ) looks into your eyes and says 'hello' too; reflecting the blue from a clear sky:

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and experimenting with close-up, this pic tells you:
All roads lead to Rome ( they say )- but you: choose your own road ( and the best-one ) !!

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Welcome Home, Cindee! It's wonderful to have you back, and in such good spirits, too! I'm so happy that everything went according to plan, and I can't wait to hear you say that you're walking and running without help, and without pain!!

A bouquet of Vivaldi, just for you!

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A small word of advice, and I only say it because I care... any medication you may be taking will make you feel like you can do more than you know you should... please take it easy, and realize that your body has just been through a lot of trauma... it will take time to do all the things you want to do... patience is a virtue! :-)

Ah, just one more ( I took some time to experiment a bit with a picture )- besides, tomorrow I'll not be able to post
( after that, very busy for some time )
Here's the result, I hope you like it.

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For you, Cindee...

A handme down from my grandmother (blooms spring, summer and fall):

and also from my grandmother:

Please do GET WELL SOON! We miss YOU!

Soultan,

Have you ever done a google search for Persimmon recipes? Yummy!

My little boy and I have already eaten the fruit from our tree, but I think it is time to take the neighbor's offer of harvesting some of theirs because they are just falling to the ground. There are enough left to experiment with some of those recipes. Do you want to share your recipe?

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Gotta get a ladder out, though! Their tree is huge!

Yummy!

elizabeth, e-mail me. I have tried the Persimmon Spice Cake. Very delicious. I offer it a la mode with whipped cream and Ice Cream. Wow. Very interesting. soultan-@freemail.hu . Send me an e-mail and I will send you the recipe! It worked out pretty fine for me and everyone around me seems to love it, even though I baked it way longer than I should have, because I was not sure if it was good or not already.

I don't have a new pic today either, so I will borrow from the Hungarians again:

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Cat's Lemon & Lime

CINDEE!!!!!
I wanted to be part of this group cheering you on because you amaze me with your positive, upbeat attitude so I bought a Amaryllis at Walmart by that wonderful hybridizer Clear Ance and it is finally in bloom.
I will be calling you on the phone soon!
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Barb,

Please do let us know how Cindee is doing and tell her that we really do miss her!

Soultan,

Thanks, Thanks, Thanks for the recipe. It does sound YUMMY! I'll use pecans. There are plenty of those still to be picked up in the yard. AND raisens! Lots of raisens...

I'm a fruity kind of person, in case you didn't gather.

I'll let you know how it turns out, but first I have to convert those temperatures. Even though I teach math, I am terrible at metric conversions. I cheat and do this online.

LAS! Have a wonderful week!!!!

Yes. Do the conversion online.
It is interesting that the measurements in European way... It was hard for me first too, but I just found out that my postage scale had gramms in it, so that was not a problem. I only had to convert 180C to 365F.
I'm really interested how your cake turns out. Don't worry about trying to get it dry. It is good gooey. :o)

I found this forum at the beginning of the year, while recovering from a car accident. Because of all the members' beautiful pictures, I purchased my first Hippies online. Just a little "giving back" with my black & white pic--Papilio (Butterfly)

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Cindee - Hope your phys therapy and healing go quickly.
Kat

It is in the middle of the night again, so I have to borrow for the Hungarians again.

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biopite's amaryllis
and what not

Barbcoleus - I bought some from the same hybridizer! I always thought his name was Clearance Rack, though! LOL! Actually, this is my White Dazzler that's not!

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Luckily, I like Minerva immensely as a variety... my very first bulb was a Minerva, and she's been a faithful bloomer for over seven years...

We miss you greatly, Cindee! Concentrate on getting well, and we'll keep the forum warmed up for you! Warmest wishes for a wonderful Holiday Season to you and your family... and God Bless...

I'm sure we're being repetitive... we just can't wait to welcome you back into the fold... :-)

Hey Cindee,
I'm sure you're going to be up and running in the weeks to come. Here's an African Violet that I have that just started blooming recently. Hope you enjoy. =)

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I am watching this doggie tonight, so I will share her picture with you. Tiffany - Tiffy:

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Tiffy is adorable! What type of terrier is she? Cairn?

And those AVs are just beautiful, Paxfleur! My one, and only, AV is recovering from an operation to cure long-neck, but it's looking good... I hope it blooms again soon... it's really pretty when in full flower! Every single leaf I tried to root died... I have no idea what went wrong. I've never been able to get babies out of leaf cuttings...

OH MY GOD! After printing out this thread, all the magnificient photos and well wishes, I am wiping tears from my eyes! I kept thinking of all of you through my ordeal, and wishing you were all closer. And then, here you all were, all along, day-by-day, bringing me home! God bless you all. Your friendships warm my heart so it could just burst at any moment! There are so many things I want to say to each of you. The photos of Amaryllis, orchids, snow storms, sun rises, and family and pets. WOW you all knock my sox off!!

Why is this woman smiling brighter than her Pink Diamond blossoms? Because you all put that smile on her face. God love you ALL!!

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My harvest today
A small pineapple (who brought the rum??) Yellow pear and one Brianna tomato.
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I just got off the phone with Cindee and she is her usual positive upbeat self. She feels great she says, never a complaint and says hello to all.

Yorkshire Terrier. Tiny little jumpy girl.

Now I'm the one wiping tears away... tears of happiness, that you're doing so well, and that we could do this little thing for you, and make you so happy! Just to see your smile has made me feel good! God Bless you, Cindee! You're a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day! :-)

Look at those yellow pears! Didn't I tell you it would be a producer?!! You just wait... you're going to have so many yellow pear tomatoes, you're not going to be able to give them all away! Better start searching for recipes using yellow pears!! :-)

I love pineapples! I've tried starting plants from the leafy tops of grocery store pineapples more times than I care to mention, and always, I get no roots but lots of rot! What am I doing wrong?!

It's so nice to see you smiling Cindeea, I know recovery is not easy or very pleasant. Continued wishes and prayers for a speedy recovery.

Jodi, regarding the pineapples. instead of cutting the top off, grab it firmly and twist the green off in one strong twist. Then remove the lower 8 leaves of so until you see a couple of levels of rings, you may see little buds, these are future roots, you may even see the beginning of roots. let it dry for a day, then either put it in soil or water, I just start mine in potting soil. If it's warm they root pretty quickly. And they really don't need a large pot, I started mine in little 2 inch starter pots this past summer, they are now in 4 inch pots and doing well.

Let me show you a very very nice Mambo that Pantuffle just got as a gift.

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Thanks for the tips, Chaz! Now I have 2 excuses to go get a pineapple! 1. They're delicious! 2. I want to start a pineapple plant! Hehe!

Nice Mambo, Soultan!

Okay. This is my hillside garden behind the Amaryllis bed.

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Ooo Soultan that hillside is so neat! Is that where you will plant the cassia. It will look wonderful there especially with all the sulphur butterflies darting in and out of the shadows. It is so neat and managed! I envisioned a wild sprawling area. That is just lovely!

I am keeping the cassia seeds and will plant them under the infinity pool and the front lawn, so when we look down, we see all the flower ocean, and when we look up to the house from down the street, we see all the beautiful flowers.
This is on the side of the house going uphill. There is not much space for large flowers there, and it is quite dark when the trees leaf up again.

It's a very nice looking garden area, Soultan! I do like it! And I see the amaryllis leaves in the foreground!

I wish I lived in a year 'round gardening zone! If it weren't for all my indoor gardening efforts, I'd be rather depressed right now!

How about kiseditke's White Nymph?

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Hey, Cindee!

It is so great to see your face and know that you are making progress. Life will soon be GRAND for you again!

This pic is from last spring and is one of several clumps of Apple Blossoms. Hopefully, this will give hope to those that think perhaps they will not bloom again. The mother of these died, but they have continued to multiply, and I enjoy their beauty every year.

Thinking of you...

(((((Liz))))) back at you, my friend. It is so good to be back. I am making great progress. Den takes me out each day for a little walk and a drive. My spirits are as tall as the Christmas tree in Rockefeller center! I am so happy to be alive, growing amaryllis and sharing Christmas cheer with all my freinds. God Bless!

Is it okay to steal free Christmas Cards and post it here?

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But is it stealing if it is free anyway? Where are my morals and where is the answer?

Soultan, that is delightful! It isn't stealing, it's "SHARING"!

Merry Christmas all. I am off to West Palm tomorrow to visit with my Manhattan cousin for the day and enjoy some Christmas Eve spririts with her.

Bless you all, may your bells be jingling!

HO HO HO

Bumping for Cindee!

Go Girl!!!!!!!!

LOL!!!! WOW this seems like eons ago! Thanks Liz. How fun to re-read.

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Trendsetter
11/14/08

And what a trend setter it is! Gorgeous, Soultan! The photo and the subject are simply lovely!

Hey Guys:

WOW...all I can say is WOW. You are all an incredible bunch. Just having read through this entire thread from beginning to end warms my heart inside and confirms my faith in humanity. Chaz told me you guys were a good bunch and while I've gotten that sense before, I REALLY feel it now. With all the support you've given Cindea...no wonder she healed as quickly as she did! My apologies for missing all of this Cindeea...for I would have sent you lots of pics of blooms....sooo ...while I'm kinda late...I'm still gonna send some anyway....well...cause I can :-). I'm very blessed and honored to be a part of a group of people that not only share my passion for Hippies...but care as deeply as they do for one another.

My apologies in advance if the pics are a tad large *blush*.

Thanks so much,

Gerard.

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OH WOW!!! Soultan, that is sooo sweet! I cannot believe you guys are getting flowers already...that's ok, I'll be teasing you all well into March and April with mine still blooming this year!!

Gee, Gerard, how sweet of you! Thanks so much! It's amazing to think that a whole year ago I was preparing for my first hip. Now I have TWO new ones and my only concerns are setting off the security alarms at the airport next week when we go to Chicago! lol

Gerard, your photography is breathtaking, thanks so much for sharing. I hope you will join us permanently, I can always use another sweet guy to tease and share hugs with! lol

Hey Cindee...

You are most welcome. I try to keep up with the forum as best as I can, but like others, I do get busy and caught up in other things. I always look forward to coming back and posting when I can.

It's good to know you're doing well after having both hips done. I'm sure the fast healing was due to your positive attitude. Of course having everyone post here the way they did really helped things along too. It's amazing what that does. You never really feel alone despite the fact everyone is scattered around the world :-).

Cheers,

G.

Gerard, it's this wonderful, precious group of people that keeps me coming back every day! Gardeners are nurturing by nature, but these people are above and beyond! I'm incredibly thankful that I stumbled in here one day to ask a question... because they not only answered me, they welcomed me into the fold and have warmed my heart ever since!

From me to you, this is your official "welcome"! I hope you stick around! We share much more than just hippeastrum blooms and gardening tips... we share our lives and families, our pets and homes, and all the other beautiful things we enjoy growing and nurturing!

Thank you for sharing your photography! The flowers are wonderful!

If you only knew how painful and depressing winters used to be for me... well, that's in the past now... I look forward to winter these days... because I get to share it with this unique group of caring individuals, and their talents with bulbs and digital photography!

Welcome! Pull up a keyboard and join us!