Welcome to JOYFUL REFLECTIONS. Also welcome to MARCH!!!! My header picture this month is a photo I took of the pretty Crocus blooms in our yard... The Crocuses and Daffodils are the first signs of spring here in Tennessee. I am definitely ready for SPRING...

Monday, April 19, 2021

SPRING in our YARD 2021

Dear Friends,  Welcome to SPRING 2021 in Tennessee..  I have already published a post showing our blooms in EARLY Spring in our yard (Crocus, Hyacinths, Daffodils, Periwinkle,  Forsythia)... SO--now it's time to show you MORE blooms!!!!!

Above is the BLEEDING HEARTS bush that friend,  Marcia,  gave me many years ago...

 

The TULIPS bloomed.   As I've said many times,  the deer (and chipmunks/squirrels) LOVE the tulips --so we quit replacing them a couple of years ago.  Luckily, a few of them have survived,  thanks to the Daffodils we planted next to them. (Deer don't like Daffodils!)


This is my favorite TULIP this year.... Isn't she beautiful?


One of my favorite blooming trees in Spring is the RED BUD tree.... 


AND--another all-time favorite is our PINK DOGWOOD.


Looking up at the Pink Dogwood from below;  I love the BLUE SKY up there!!


Standing in our upper side yard,  I took this picture of the deck --showing the beginning of all of our LILIES.... Oh how I love our LILIES...


Here's a close-up of some of the Lily Containers on our deck!!!!!   Looking good!!! We still are having to cover them (with those black plastic bags) during Freeze and Frost warnings....I'm not sure when warm weather will get here to STAY!!!!!!


The big RED BUD and white DOGWOOD in our yard (4/15/21);  One of my favorite Spring Photos this year!!!


Our FIRST Blooming IRIS of the season:  Double Your Fun is her name!!!! 


NO --it's not snow on that tree!!!!! That is a photo I took while standing UNDER our big White DOGWOOD tree.


 
Another set of beauties in our yard now are all of our AZALEAS  (which are just beginning to bloom)... I love the hot pink color of this one!


Here's one more AZALEA for you today.... I love this design --so I took a close-up picture for you to see the details also!

WELL--enough for today!!! I hope you enjoyed seeing more of Spring from the Cumberland Plateau of Tennessee!!!!  If I ever get time in my life,  I'll share more of the different varieties of DAFFODILS we had this Spring.  They have bloomed off and on for about 2 months this year and have been exquisite!!!

WELL---it is not over!!!!!!  Next to come: Irises, ROSES, Lilies and DayLilies!!!!!!!  Yeah!!!

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UPDATE on my Heart Problem copied from my Facebook Post on April 8:  "Praise God!  Good news from my doctor this morning after a month of waiting.  After an Echocardiogram (March 1st),  I was first told that they saw "something they didn't like". Later they diagnosed me with a  CARDIAC MASS... Well--as you can imagine,  that 'mass' word scared the budooky out of me!!!!  I then had an MRI (March 30).  After that,  my doctor did some research from my old medical records --only to find out that I have had this 'growth' on my right Atrium since at least 2018 when I was diagnosed with A Fib.  They are continuing to research more--but  wanted to give me 'peace-of-mind' finally... NO MALIGNANCY!!!!!   Yeah Rah!   As you know, I have a lot of faith --and have tried to stay positive throughout this month-long ordeal...  I told my kids this morning that they aren't gonna get rid of me yet!!!!!!!  HA HA!!!!!   THANK YOU for your thoughts and prayers!!!!   Life goes on!!!"

Hugs,

Betsy💝💛💚💕

 


 

Monday, April 5, 2021

EASTER 2021


Dear Friends,   Hope you had a wonderful Easter Weekend.  Easter is one of my all-time favorite days.  Jesus Christ is RISEN.   Alleluia!   This year,  George and I drove to Nashville to have Easter Dinner with his daughter, Kelly.  

This was a combination Easter and Birthday Dinner (since we didn't get to see Kelly on George's actual birthday, 3/9).   Kelly fixed an amazing dinner  (Lamb Chops,  Home-made AuGratin Potatoes,  and Fruit).  Delicious!

But the awesome part was the special dessert,  a Carrot "Bunny" Cake,  that Kelly made...  Carrot Cake is George's favorite cake ---so having it as part of a Bunny Cake was AWESOME.... Can you see the beaming smile on his face in the picture above?


Don't you just love George's Bunny Cake!!!!!!! Kelly did a great job,  didn't she?



I love this picture of George and his beautiful daughter, Kelly.  We had a fabulous visit and a great Easter.


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Great Granddaughter,  Vivian Lee--age 3



Great Granddaughter Veronica Mae,  Age 1  (will be two in May)

I just HAD to include another Easter Joy!!!!!   Seeing Easter Pictures of my two beautiful Great Granddaughters  makes me so HAPPY.....   Aren't they just adorable?

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WELL my friends,  on another note,  I need your thoughts and prayers, as I continue to struggle with a possible problem with my heart.... I had an Echocardiogram on March 1st --and then a Cardiac MRI on March 30..... Still no results --as of now, April 5th.... The waiting and lack of communication has been the hardest part.   I do have a lot of FAITH --and know that God will take care of me.  AND--since I'm basically a positive person (at least I TRY to be--most of the time--ha),  I am assuming that nothing major is wrong, since IF there was a real problem,  they would have done something much more quickly.   SO--I'll continue to wait!!!!!    Thanks for your prayers.  I need them!

Hugs,

Betsy💝💛💚💕