Friday, January 14, 2022

Friday Favourites: Amaryllis, Snowdrops, Books and a Robot

 


The Amaryllis (unnamed) that I planted a number of weeks ago has grown so tall that one morning Tim found her lying down. So I've tied her up to the stairs and she has rewarded me with this beautiful first flower. The gradations of colour are so pretty, and there are more blooms to follow.


Now that the snow has melted from my garden I went looking for signs of life. Wispy crocus leaves, clumps of bluebells stems, and the first sign of snowdrops cheered me immensely. January is not yet half over and already I'm pining for warmer, brighter days. 


A small flower bed belonging to our neighbour adjoins our front garden and when I went for a walk today I was astounded to see it filled with snowdrops. Perhaps it receives more sun than my bed. I'm so glad I can enjoy her snowdrops while mine dally along. Such a hopeful sign. 



"Snowdrops. Theirs is a fragile but hardy celebration...in the very teeth of winter." 
Louise Beebe Wilder



This week's reading. I have not yet begun Three Hours in Paris by Cara Black, but I hope to this weekend. Mary Lawson's Crow Lake is a sad, but beautiful story of sibling love and understanding (and misunderstanding) set in Northern Ontario. I highly recommend it. A Cruel Deception is another book featuring Bess Crawford, a WWI nurse who solves mysteries in addition to caring for patients. 


Young Iris is interested in robots these days, so together we created this fun toy. She loves that the head wobbles when she shakes him. She drew the line for the mouth, and it was very straight, and Iris decided that he didn't look very happy. So Nana drew little upward lines at the corners and that was much better. The robot made little "bee-bo, bee-bo" noises that indicated his contentment. 

These days are grey and dull outside, but with little ones to play with, good books to read, and plenty of things to do, they pass quite happily. How is your January progressing?


24 comments:

  1. That's a beautiful amaryllis. I went looking for snowdrops yesterday but nary a one. I usually find some before my birthday which is next week. They are amazing. I read Three Hours in Paris and enjoyed it. Of course. I'm reading Anything is Possible by Elizabeth Strout. I loved the Olive books. I will put reserves in for the Crow Lake and A Cruel Deception. I'm reading a lot these days.

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  2. Seeing the Snowdrops must be refreshing. No sign of spring life around here yet.

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  3. Darn it- Just lost my comment. Anyway- Great picture of that amaryllis! It's gorgeous. And going right along with the FLOWER theme you have a little IRIS right there. I love the robot and I bet she is a lot of fun to have around. I love that age!
    I hope you have a wonderful weekend. xo Diana

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  4. Beautiful Snowdrops and equally lovely Amaryllis. I wonder if it is Appleblossom.

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  5. Hi Lorrie~ I love Amaryllis, and yours is just beautiful, I love the soft pink! I didn't buy one this year, but my husband told me that there is one in the basement that I put there last year, so I might try to bring it back to life. Your first glimpses of green are so encouraging! I know spring is right around the corner, but it seems like it will never get warm again. I have so much to do when spring comes, so I need to get my planner out and start planning! Iris looks very happy with her robot, what a beautiful little grand! Enjoy your week-end.

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  6. Pretty amaryllis. Reminds me of one I had with apple in the name. Looking on web, apple blossom.
    Very creative toy!

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  7. We are far from spring flowers with another storm this weekend. With spring flowers and Iris, you are doing well!

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  8. Very pretty Amaryllis. Love the robot! January is lovely down here in Florida.

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  9. Your amaryllis is ambitious, climbing so tall, and it is beautiful! I marvel at blooming things in January whether inside (like your amaryllis) or outside (like those snowdrops!). It is quite cold here this morning and I can't imagine blooms for a while. Love the little robot that you and Iris made together!

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  10. January is a difficult month for me, cold and uninviting. Garden and much walking have to wait for warmer days.
    Snowdrops flower at differing times, I have an early variety (among others) that has been flowering since Christmas. It always turns up for the festive season.
    I have already bought between 8 and 10 books in January for my Kindle reader. All reduced from BookBuB. If you choose carefully you can get very good fiction and non-fiction. Thrillers too, of course; I need to feed my frivolous side.

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  11. Lorrie, your Amaryllis is beautiful. It reminds me of one I love named Apple Blossom. We are to have a big snowstorm tomorrow, so no snowdrops for us yet. It has been extremely cold, so the tea kettle has been busy. Have a great weekend and week ahead.

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  12. Beautiful photos. That Amaryllis is lovely. Smiling with Iris because of that Robot! Fun times. Love the little curled up smile. You captured the happy brightness of her smile in her eye!

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  13. It is zipping by, with too many distractions.... Which are not letting me enjoy Jan. hibernation.

    📕 🌲 🔥 📕

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  14. love the Amaryllis especially this colour. We don’t have signs of Spring yet, no Snowdrops.
    I love Iris’s robot!

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  15. How is my January going? It is half gone and will soon be February before I know it!! My days are fairly busy, and time gets away from me. I have started paper piecing a string quilt using accumulated fabric scraps from many past quilting projects. We are expecting another snow tomorrow here in the mountains of Virginia with predicted accumulations of 9-12 inches--maybe more. Your little Iris is growing up; I know you enjoy her so very much. Grandchildren are such a blessing.

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  16. It's so nice to see signs of Spring, even on blogs. It will be some time before flowers come up where I live. Aw, sweet photo of Iris and her robot friend. It's fun peeking at other's book stacks. The mystery sounds like a good one, I'm going to look it up.

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  17. Spring bulbs are such a joy .... here we are in the midst of summer and gathering produce from the vegie garden!

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  18. You have captured the beauty of the snowdrops so well. I am jotting down your book recommendations. I can just imagine the fun you had with Iris in creating that sweet little robot.

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  19. Dear Lorrie,
    I always think of snowdrops as the harbingers of Spring. Mine are still fast asleep under a blanket of deep snow.

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  20. Such a lovely post.
    So nice to see your photographs of the Amaryllis, Snowdrops and adorable Iris with her robot.
    Wishing you a good week ahead.

    All the best Jan

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  21. Oooh, maybe Iris' interest will spark an interest in a career in robotics engineering!

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  22. That could be Charming or Apple Blossom, both beautiful amaryllis! I have a second bulb ready to open buds (there are four again which means a big heavy top) however this one is much shorter than the white one - now almost over - and has no leaves so hopefully will not fall over!
    Iris is always so photogenic - love photos of her.
    Mary x

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  23. The snowdrops must be a happy surprise during dreary January. Look at cute little Iris enjoying her homemade toy. Your scrappy quilt, apple pie, and pho soup are wonderful creations from your home. I love January as it’s a relaxing, cozy time.

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