Welcome to JOYFUL REFLECTIONS. Also welcome to September!!!! After a trip to Biltmore, I'll share with you a gorgeous COLEUS collection. Don't you love the colors?

Sunday, September 1, 2024

Biltmore WATER LILIES 8/24

 Dear Blog Friends,   George and I took a little trip to Biltmore in August... One thing I love in August,  is going to the Water Lilies Garden.    (Of course I had to include the fishies.).  Here's some pictures from August 27, 2024.  









Here's a couple more pictures of us at Biltmore (August 26-27, 2024)....



Hope you all enjoy one of my favorite months.  I'm so ready for some FALL!!!!


Hugs, 

Betsy



Friday, August 9, 2024


 

Hello Friends,  Here's one to make you smile on a Friday morning!!!! Meet one of my all-time favorite ROSES in our yard: DOUBLE DELIGHT... Isn't she gorgeous????? Have a great Friday!!! (taken on 8/9/24)

HUGS,

BETSY

Monday, August 5, 2024

MADE IT TO 82!!!!

Mark, Robin, ME, George, Dawn, Jeff

 Good morning on my 82nd Birthday,  Blog Friends.... Can you believe that I made it to age 82?????  Wow!!!   My mother lived 'til she was 91---so I'm hoping I'll live that long!!!

Life has been good --and I'm still hobbling along!! ha.... My family is the love of my life--and we were all together to celebrate on Saturday!!!  They are my JOY!!!

Today (on the 'official' day),   I'm being spoiled by my sweet hubby..  He made me some homemade bread for breakfast... YUM.    Then --he's taking me out to dinner tonight for some STEAK.... 

What a great Birthday I'm having.   I'm SO SO SO Blessed in so many ways.

Love to all of you and God's Blessings.

BETSY

Thursday, August 1, 2024

 Good Morning Blog Friends,   How are you?   George and I are still moving along even though we move much slower!!!  I had a bad fall on July 3--but even though the wounds are still with me,  I am doing much better now!!!!  My Neuropathy problems keep getting worse --and I keep forgetting (most the time)  to carry my cane with me when I'm in an un-level place in our yard!  Duh!

We are not traveling as much anymore --but we did have a wonderful 3 days at Pisgah Inn along the Blue Ridge Parkway in JUNE to celebrate our anniversary.  

We usually travel on my Birthday (August 5) ---but this year (instead of a trip),  I wanted a new sofa for our Living Room....  We love it!!  SO---Life is GOOD for us!!!  Hope all of you are doing fine!

Today I'll share some of our LILIES which bloomed on the deck this summer.   Hope you enjoy seeing them...  We've had a pretty good year with our flowers:  Daffodils, Irises, Day Lilies,  Lilies and Roses.  We used to have a lot more variety --but the deer (and our old age) has changed our thinking!!! HA!

Pearl Melanie Lilies



Rosella's Dream Lilies 



Golden Splendor Trumpet Lilies 



Frisco Lilies



Muscadet Lilies 



Garden Party Lilies



Stargazer Lilies



Dizzy Lilies

Do you have a favorite out of this group????  Every time a new one would bloom,  it was my favorite.  BUT--Stargazer this year was GORGEOUS.

Catch me up on your life... I miss you all!!!

Hugs,

BETSY


Saturday, June 1, 2024

2024 DAYLILIES in our Yard

Good Morning Friends,  Can you believe it is JUNE already???  The older I get,  the more time seems to fly!!!!!! Last month,  I posted our IRISES ---so this month I'm featuring some of our Day Lilies blooming in our yard...  Hope you enjoy them.  The yellow ones always bring a smile to my face!!!!

Early Bird Cardinal


Butterscotch Ruffles


Tiger Time


Charles Johnston


Dad Adams Day Lily  (George's Dad gave this one to us many years ago.  It is very special to both of us!)


Black-Eyed Stella


Lullaby Baby


Yellow Bouquet

I'm sure there will be more to come!!!!  The Lilies are also beginning to bloom.   Don't you just LOVE Spring and Summer!!!   Seeing these blooms is good for the soul!!!!!

Have an awesome JUNE.

HUGS,

Betsy

 

Saturday, May 18, 2024

MORE IRISES 2024

 Dear Blog Friends,   Our IRISES in the yard this year have been truly fantastic.  We have had 51 different varieties --and all of them had many stalks/blooms...  Truly Awesome.    Here are some more of my favorite Irises for 2024.... 


World Premier  4/23/24



Autumn Circus 4/23/24



Picasso Moon4/24/24




Garden Grace 4/24/24/




Laura Jean 4/24/24




Second Fiddle 4/27/24




Goodnight Kiss 4/28/24




Broadway 4/29/24 (a favorite new Iris this year)




Another favorite new Iris this year:  Daughter of Stars (4/29/24)




Orange Harvest 5/2/24  (an every year favorite.) 




Another every year favorite:  Bountiful Harvest 5/4/24




Tennessee VOL   5/6/24.  (favorite since I love the TN VOLS)


WELL--enough Irises for today!!!!!  The Irises are leaving us now--but hopefully some of the re-bloomers will bloom again in Fall. 

Hope you are safe and well.  We've had our share of storms here --but so far, nothing serious...  It has been many years since we've had THIS much rain!   BUT --after seeing what happened in Houston this week,  I do NOT need to complain about 'just' rain here!!!

Hugs,
Betsy


Wednesday, April 24, 2024

IRISES 2024

 Dear Blog Friends,   It's been too long!!!!  Can't believe that the last time I wrote a Blog Post was on Feb. 1st...   SORRY!!! George and I are still plugging along!!!!  Since I last wrote,  here are some of the things we have done:  Went to Mt. Nebo,  Arkansas in February;   Went to Florida to spend several days with George's Family in March;  Spent some time at Biltmore (to see the Tulips) in April;   In April, we spent a weekend  in Townsend, TN (Cades Cove) -- with my family to spread more of my son Bert's ashes on the day that he died one year ago (April 21).  

On the 29th of April,  we will spend a day at Fall Creek Falls,  and in June--we hope to spend our 23rd Wedding Anniversary at the Pisgah Inn, North Carolina...

SO--as you can tell,  even though we don't travel as much as we used to,  we are still putting one front in front of the other!!! We keep on pushing on, and won't allow my neuropathy problem keeping me from walking much these days,  or George's horrible back problem limiting his walking and working in the yard.  We definitely won't give up!!! George turned 82 in March and I will turn 82 in August.

Today's post will feature some of the beautiful Irises blooming in our yard this month.  Hope you enjoy them.  They always make me smile!!!!

Double Your Fun Iris

Blatant Iris

Concertina Iris

Foxy Lady Iris

Color Watch Iris

Lemon Duet Iris

Slapstick Iris

Summertime Beauty Iris

Can you pick a favorite out of this group?  Mine is SLAPSTICK Iris!

Hope all of you are well and staying healthy and happy!!!...  Miss you!

Love to all,

BETSY and GEORGE


Thursday, February 1, 2024

 Dear Friends,  Welcome to February!!!    January was a very very cold, snowy, rainy, foggy month this year here in Tennessee.   I love snow --but told George that we have had enough... Now I'm ready for Spring!!!!! (I WISH!!! ha ha)

Here are a few pictures of our 8 1/2 inch snow that stayed around and kept us inside for over a week. All of the pictures are  in and around our yard.  All were on January 15 --with the last two being taken on Jan 16 and 17.














The sun finally came out on Jan. 17 ---but it was bitter cold!!! 

Friends that live north of us are used to a lot of SNOW.  Here in Tennessee,  we aren't... As pretty as it was (makes the earth seem so clean and peaceful) ---we were truly stuck at home for over a week.  Our community tries to scrape the snow off of some of the roads --but layers of ice formed and kept us from going up and down our big hill.   

Hope all of you are doing well.   I am sorry that I don't blog much anymore (and have lost many good friends because of it).  But at age 81,  my life has slowed down.   The only social media program I participate in now is Facebook which I love.  Many of my Blog Friends are on Facebook so I can keep up with them that way!!!!! 

Again I say,  make February the Month of LOVE----and let's keep it going very month!

Love to all,

BETSY and GEORGE