Christmas Cactus

This stunning blossom is on a Christmas Cactus that was my mother's.

She had this plant for a few years and it never bloomed...

that is, until 2007 - the year she died.

I brought the plant home with me and it bloomed again in 2008.

This week it began to bloom again and it makes me so happy to see it.

Christmas Cactus are not easy bloomers.

It takes some care to get them to bloom

This schedule can help your plant live a long life:

January - Flowering.
February to March - Resting (55 degrees, infrequent watering).
April to May - Water thoroughly when potting mix begins to dry out.
June to August - Place outdoors in a shady spot.
September to October - Plant prepares to flower. Reduce length daylight hours. Keep on the dry side and cool (55 to 60 degrees F) until flower buds form. Then increase water and temperature.
November to December - Flowering. Water normally. Temperature no less than 55 degrees F.

HAPPY PINK SATURDAY TO YOU ALL!

Pretty Boy

This is my maternal grandfather with his Pretty Boy.


I would love for you to read the story with the picture. Just click on the picture to enlarge it.


Want to see more family photos? You are in luck!
These ladies are sharing their photos today. Take a look! I know you will enjoy them! Don't forget to let them know you were there.


ANGELA

KIM

CLAUDIE

JEANNE

MONTEE

MALISA

TERESA

SHERRIE

DAWN

KAREN

LORETTA

MARY

ANN

CAROLYN

LORI

JOY
DIANE


Each Friday a group of bloggers gets together to post their family photos. Would you like to join us for that? We would love to have you! Email me if you would like to participate.

~Little Piggy Dressed In Pink~

Pig
The pig is bigger
Than we had thought
And not so pink,
Fringed with white
Hairs that look
Gray, because while
They say a pig is clean,
It is not always; still,
We like this cheerful,
Rich, soft-bellied beast -
It wants to be comfortable,
And does not care much
How the thing is managed.
-Valerie Worth-




My little piggy creamer is all gussied up in a pink bow.



HAPPY PINK SATURDAY TO YOU ALL!

~Like mother, like daughter~

You must know my granddaughter by now. Do you remember Kathryn...the one who loves to pretend, dressing up like Snow White, Dorothy from Kansas, a fairy ... the one who loves to fantasize about being someone else? But, like most little girls, what Kathryn really wants, is to be like her mommy.

And thou shalt in thy daughter see,
This picture, once, resembled thee.
~Ambrose Philips

More and more, as Kathryn grows older, she does become more like her beautiful mother, my daughter, in every way.
These pictures were made almost three years ago. Kathryn is six now and on her way to being a lovely young lady that our family will be most proud of.

A daughter is the happy memories of the past, the joyful moments of the present, and the hope and promise of the future.
~Author Unknown



Several of our friends are sharing family photos today. They are inviting you to see what they've posted and I know you won't be disappointed if you visit them. Oh! and please leave a comment. These ladies would love for you to stop by and say "Hello".


KAREN

LORETTA

MARY

ANN

CAROLYN

JOY

DIANE

KIM

CLAUDIE

JEANNE

MONTEE

MALISA

TERESA

SHERRIE

~Scenes From A Snowy Day~

Happy, Happy Pink Saturday!

This is a very special Pink Saturday for me. I get to show you lovely gifts I received from two equally lovely ladies.

A few days ago, I received a package from DONNA at PARTY WISHES. She hosted a giveaway and she drew my comment to win! What did I win? A tea party for one!

My tea party included this gorgeous teacup set embellished with pink roses and trimmed in a raspberry pink and gold and chocolate chip scone mix...


a 'flower' filled with "Poinset-Tea" and a bag of pastel sugars.


I baked the scones (delicious!) and brewed a cup of tea...dropped in a pretty pink sugar heart and enjoyed my very own tea party!

My thanks to you, Donna, for your generous and beautiful gift!

The "just because" gift I received yesterday is from CLAUDIE at TICKLED PINK. What could be in this cute little gift bag?!

Well, first, let me show you this
adorable Parisian-flavored card.

...and just look at the inside of it! Claudie, were you playing fashion designer with my card?
In that cute pink bag with the green bow was this...

A box of Pink Champagne Truffles!!
I just cannot tell you how excited I was to see these. All I could do was let out a squeal of delight! They are a light pink - the picture is a little off.


...and look what Claudie sent for me to wipe the pink-colored cocoa from my sweetened lips...a set of hankerchiefs with my initial on them.I haven't eaten one of the truffles yet. I'll have one with a glass of wine or champagne, a good book and some alone time.

I think probably the only thing sweeter than these pink truffles will be, is my sweet Claudie. Thank you and I love you girl!


HAPPY PINK SATURDAY TO YOU ALL!

~At the Grave~

I am posting pictures today of a gravesite in Boone County, West Virginia - that of my great-grandfather who died in July of 1926. I find these photos interesting because they show the sadness and empty emotions of those by the grave.

In this photo are my great aunt and uncle, my Sicilian foster uncle who lived with our family for over fifty years, my grandmother holding her youngest boy who died a couple years later, cousins of my father, my father's twin brother, my grandfather and a great aunt. The two children on the far left are twins born to my grandparents. Remember that she had three sets of twins.

The children seem to realize the somberness of this occasion even though they don't understand what it's all about at their tender ages.

It has been said, by aunts and uncles, that

my great-grandfather died of a broken heart.

He died just three months after the passing of my great-grandmother.

Heirlooms by Amy Grant

"Up in the attic,
Down on my knees.
Lifetimes of boxes,
Timeless to me.
Letters and photographs,
Yellowed with years,
Some bringing laughter,
Some bringing tears.
Time never changes,
The memories, the faces
Of loved ones, who bring to me,
All that I come from,
And all that I live for,
And all that Im going to be.
My precious family
Is more than an heirloom to me."

There are other family photos posted by my friends today.

They would welcome you visits and comments about their photos.

Click on each name below and

you will most certainly enjoy their family pictures.

KAREN

LORETTA

MARY

ANN

CAROLYN

JOY

DIANE

JEANNE

MONTEE

KIM

MALISA

TERESA

SHERRIE

Around the House...Pieces of Pink

The key to our nest on a pink tassel

A homey pillow on a pink flowered settee


Pink glass in our Rose Room
My mother's cameo trinket box
A rosebud vase
A Southern Belle trinket holder

Pink buds from the lady's garden




HAPPY PINK SATURDAY TO YOU ALL

and

THANK YOU FOR HOSTING, BEVERLY!

~That's what little girls are made of?~

OOOOH! What's that?

Look! It's a yucky buggy!

See what I found, Granddaddy!!

The was one of Kathryn's first encounters with a 'bug'.
She spotted this grasshopper on the outside of our door and was fasicinated. I love the last of these pictures where she is telling her Granddaddy what she's found.


Kathryn is six years old now and a girlier girl would be hard to find. However, when it comes to insects and worms and such, she is still fascinated and is usually on the hunt for them when she is outside.

I remember waiting to pick her up at her school last year.
I watched her class outside for playtime.
All, but one little girl, were running and playing...that was Kathryn. She was off by herself, eyes to the ground, searching for bugs.

She has held a hissing Madagascar cockroach

(I shuddered as I typed that!)

and snatched flies in flight.
Once she finds a worm or caterpillar,

she will carry it around, studying it intently.

Do you think we have a little entomologist in the making?

I wonder what photos my friends are showing today.
Let's go see!


CLAUDIE
MARY
KIM
VANESSA
DAWN
MALISA
MONTEE
DIANE
TERESA
CAROLYN
JOY
JEANNE
SHERRIE
ANN
ANGELA

~Winter Visitors~

We just filled out feeders this past weekend.

Our feathered friends were most happy to see that happen.

As we were putting out a feast for them, the birds flocked to the nearby trees, chirping and spreading the word to others.

They could barely wait for us to return to our own nest so they would feel safe enough to descend upon the seed.

Once we went inside, this little guy so happily sang for us - loudly!
He expressed his gratitude with melody.

As always Red Head hogged this feeder.

Christmas Eve day we had a yard full of deer.

Most were lounging in the sun that warmed the clearing.

Older ones were roaming the woods and making a meal of the ivy that covers a lot of our back property. I couldn't capture them with my camera. They were mostly camouflaged by the wooded area.

This little beauty was munching on a tree.

A young one.

Coming into the clearing.

I think they heard me.

Part of the herd relaxing and grooming.

Just hanging out.