Hi everyone,
I hope those who have needed rain have gotten it. We have gotten and are STILL getting it! I can hear it pouring again outside my window as I’m typing this post. We got a gusher last night, were in a tornado watch and it looked like a typhoon when we opened the front door to see it… right after that it started hailing, but we only got the pea sized hail…
UNLIKE my sister, Deb, down in Springfield, Missouri, who got this… baseball sized hail that lasted for 6 minutes. Her video is 3 minutes long but watch it at least until she goes outside and listen to it hitting everything. I have never, and she hadn’t either, seen hail this big before.
Okay let’s get to the dolly part of this post… Linda is sharing pictures of her sweet American Girl Molly doll who actually has a birthday on April 22nd. I remember that because my niece, Molly, Deb’s daughter, has a birthday that same day. Yes, Deb bought Molly her very own Molly doll. :o)
Linda will tell you about her pictures… If you click on the pictures they will enlarge…
Jeanne, Molly had a birthday recently and invited her friends for a party. Molly and Ruthie are helping Betsy pin the tail on the donkey, with a little help from the pups! Susan is playing Drop the Clothespins in the bottle with Sara Susette!
Here is Molly’s table set for her birthday dinner. She had her English tea with cake and ice cream.
(Linda, that cake looks delish!!!)
Well, I looked at Linda’s pictures of her latest trip to the Missouri Botanical Gardens and thought why not show all Linda’s beautiful pictures today… so I hope Molly doesn’t mind sharing the spotlight!
Jeanne, here are some pictures. It took me a while to get them together and to figure out how to do this on a different computer.
I don’t think I can comment right by each picture, so I will try to do it here. It was a bright, sunny day, so some places there were hard to photograph when the sun was in the way.
Love to you, Linda
The first four pictures are of the Japanese Garden. It is a large area of the Garden, and has both fields, ponds and forests. The fifth picture is a path in the English Woodland Garden. The Azaleas were beautiful, but some were past their peak.
Now for some flowers, which were spring flowers and meadow type ones. They were in the midst of changing from spring to summer, so most of the flowers were not what you would see in the summer months. Iris were just opening up at this time, so no pictures of them, although a few were opening.YOu can never see everything bloming all at once when visiting. It just makes you want to go back the next week and see what comes next!.
The first picture is Meadow Rue, and the second is False Indigo, both beautiful when planted in large groups.
Next are the azaleas, some were just opening, and some were past peak, but enough were fully bloomed and just beautiful!
Jeanne, The Garden is having a special exhibit called Patterns in Nature. They have all of these metal, glass, and mirrored sculptures scattered all over the gardens and they have lights inside or around them and have showings at night. Of course, this was daytime, so we didn’t see them lit up, but here is one that I thought was beautiful, even in the day with the sun shining through it. It made a pattern on the ground of colored lights. It was about 12 feet tall.
Linda, you are good at taking pictures for all of us to see! I live 2 hours away from the Botanical Gardens and have NEVER seen them… so thank you for sharing your beautiful pictures with us! It must be wonderful to walk through them so often!
See everyone tomorrow,
Blessings, Jeanne
Jeanne, I looked early to see how the pictures turned out on the blog, and a few are mixed up. The very first picture is actually the English Woodland Garden, not the last of that group. I doubt anyone could tell but just thought I would bring that up. Strolling through those paths just melts away any problems you might have! Good thing we did it before Michael’s fall!
The flower pictures are mixed up too! The azaleas are the first three pictures., which I think most will note. The False Indigo are the yellow flowers, and the Meadow Rue are the white flowers.
I did get pictures of the roses, but they were out in the sun, where they belong, and none of the pictures turned out well enough to send. It really helps to go on an overcast day to get good pictures. Also, I had peony pictures, but again, the sun got in the way of those.
Wow, that hailstorm! We heard about it in the news and heard that the zoo in Springfield had an Emu killed by the hail, plus another injured. Another picture I saw was the parking lot at Walmart, and EVERY SINGLE CAR had the windows broken! We had it bad enough, but not that kind of hail!
Thank you so much for showing my pictures! I hope you are doing better, and that we saved a couple of days for you to heal.
Loved your pics today. How’s your husband’s knee? Any better? Hope so.
Oh just a tad better. He is so stubborn about going to the doctor. We will see how this unfolds. He does get around with a walker and actually goes up and down the steps to the basement, so. I doubt it is broken.
For whatever reason, I don’t remember you all three kitchen appliance pieces. Have you always had all three? Anyway, I still only have a stove. As a child, I had all three. That was way back in the 50’s. The birthday party looks like so much fun. 🙂
I had the stove first, and then the fridge for awhile before getting the sink. The right one never would come up on EBay, or if it did, the price was outrageous. Finally I saw this one and grabbed it before anyone else could, even though I wanted a different one. That was two years ago. At least Molly can now wash dishes in the sink instead of her wash machine!🤣
Haha, loved the washing machine dishwasher idea. Well, two years ago. Time flies, I guess. I too looked but then gave up as everything seemed to be covered with way too much rust for me. Guess I’ll have to start in again. I loved the sink I had as a child because it had a place at the back where you could put water and then when you turned on the faucet, it actually worked. Probably why so many ended up rusted. 🙂
What a great post today, with lots of variety!
Jeanne, I tried to watch the video, but every time I clicked on the little arrow on the picture, the screen went black and all I got were the sound effects. I even signed into the web site, and the same thing happened.
Linda, it looks like the girls had a lot of fun at Molly’s birthday party! Did anyone actually get the tail pinned to the right spot on the donkey?!
I so enjoyed the pictures of the botanical gardens, too, Linda. I’m fond of azaleas, and have a gorgeous fuchsia one that is just starting to bloom. Every year it gets bigger and bigger!! When we were first married, it was quite small, but it’s now, I think, almost 4′ tall and probably close to that in width. I also liked the colors showing thru the lights onto the ground from that one sculpture. It would be wonderful to see all of those things at night, too, although it’s definitely trickier to take nighttime pictures!
I had the same problem Charlotte, just a black screen with sound effects
Charlotte, it looks like Betsy is frozen in time! She is still trying to find the right spot!😌. Soon they will be doing something different, so I sure hope somebody gets the tail pinned in the right place! These two games were a staple at the birthday parties I attended, and I just love doing them over each year!
Thank you so much for the compliments! We always find something different at the Garden everytime we go.
Linda, you are the Queen of photos for us! The birthday party is so like real little girls, you just wish you were there. They look so fun playing the games, and then having the lovely cake.
I always look forward to your beautiful garden photos. You show such lovely places and I really wish I could be walking down those paths. I am so sorry about Michael’s knee and I know you are wishing he would go to the doc. I hope the clean-up is not to hard, glad you didn’t have too much trouble.
Sissy, thank you! Sometimes I wish I was still a little girl going to birthday parties and such, having fun times without all the problems of being an adult. Oh well, I can live through my dolls, so that’s what I do!
Lol Linda, and when we were children we couldn’t wait to be grown up.
Good morning dear ones!
Thank your sister for taking that video. I have never seen anything like this. How violent and the sound was frightening!
Linda, these photos of Molly’s party are so cute! I remember playing those games as a little girl at parties. My mom always had some kind of craft to do, one year we made our own hats out of various paper and ribbon and glue. Then daddy took pictures
I love this party! Remember when we used to dress up to go to birthday parties? and look nice and clean? These two scenes bring back a lot of memories. wonderful pictures, Linda, adorable girls!
These garden scenes are breathtaking! Yes, very soothing. I hope Michael is doing better.
Today we are supposed to get some rain, but we are in Northern Virginia, and when the massive storms move east or north east, the Blue Ridge Mountains kind of chop up some of the anger before it passes us, but refuels as it moves to Washington DC. So we are spared half of the time. The air got cold and chilly breezy yesterday, wow. 60º
Yesterday morning, as I was planning my day of adventures… and chores to look busy, Hubbs reminded me that I needed to fill out the 11 month claims form for the house. Wow, what an annoying job. I can not complain really. Hubbs is preparing my father’s Trust for the accountant. The spreadsheets are dizzying and all of that maaaaaath. Really, hubbs has been working on this, keeping it up to date for over two years!
I worked on that horrible “homePro Claims” spread sheet for many hours yesterday, went around the house in and out and took photos, it was not an enjoyable morning listing
“problems”. I have 35 claims on the list. The painting is terrible in this house. —- I do not want to think about any of that anymore.
I will submit the claim after Rex looks it over and has anything to add. Then I get to submit it and set up an appointment with the claims guy: he comes over and rejects 3/4 of the problems and so it goes.
I should go to the old house and load up my car with some more boxes for the charity in Leesburg. We have about 8 very large pieces of furniture that they are picking up on the 14th of May. So, I am just being useful getting this other stuff (packed boxes of clothes, knick knacks) out of there. I did not do any sewing yesterday! Filling out that claims form killed my brains. I hope all of you have plentiful sunshine today, and gentle breezes.
Here it is another overcast day. I hope all of you have a calm, happy day with lots of satisfying moments to bask in.
Thank you, Rosemary! Yes, I do remember dressing up to go to parties! Fun times! You know, your telling about how you made party hats at one of you birthday parties made me remember when I had a party for my daughter when she was in Kindergarten and she invited all the girls in her class. This was around Valentine’s Day, so we made paper heart crowns and had a wonderful time doing that, and I was able to get back to my art teacher roots! They loved it! Now it seems all they do at parties is eat pizza and bounce on bounce houses!
Hope you get the rain you need!
Sam used to do really elaborate parties for her children when they were growing up. I think the best one was Jono’s. He had an army party. I made camo vests for them all and Sam made grenades from coke bottles. She set up an obstacle course in the garden and they had target shooting with the guns that shoot poly bullets and she made medals for them all. Kai had a flower making party, they used coke bottles again and made and painted flowers which they could put in their hair (she glued hair clips to them).
We had a light rain but it is over and the guy is coming to cut up the tree and taking it away. I will catch y’all later.
Well, now, I’ve lost a post like so many others recently. I had written about Debs great hailstorm pics and Jeanne’s back. Our day at the other house and my forgotten purse on the front porch. I was about to write about Linda’s lovely photos, but wanted to check out the birthday pic again. I did nothing but scroll back up to the photos, as usual. When I scrolled back down, my comment was missing in action. I think there must be some setting that prevents you from returning to your post happening. Not fun at all. Maybe Jeanne, can check it out.
Anyway, now I’m afraid to go back up to see each picture from Linda. All of the garden photos were amazing. I especially, like the woodlands and seeing the azalais. I was trimming back ours yesterday. It amazes me how the elves can get into the garden and maintain the place without being obtrusive. It is so lovely, and thank you Linda and Jeanne for sharing the great photos today.
Joy, don’t be afraid to go back to look. That has happened to me too, ut because of something I must have done, because you CAN go back to look at pictures and not lose what you had written previously.
Thank you anyway!
I have regularly gone back up to see photos and then back to my post. But, today, not so lucky. It appears to be a regular problem with not just with me. No idea why it happens, but it is probably a settings problem.
Goodness… those hail balls!! I’ve never seen hail that large or round! That must have been scary, Deb.
Hope no animals were stuck out in it in that area! Like cows or other creatures outside!
Linda, it’s always fun to see your girls’ pictures. Happy birthday to Molly! Her friends look like they’re having a good time. Little Betsy is so cute. I’m glad you always have her in the pictures. Love the table setting with Molly’s tea set and the other goodies.
The garden pictures are amazing !! Such a beautiful walk – the paths are absolutely breath taking. I’ve never been there but would love to see it sometime when we’re in that area.
Thank you Jeanne, Linda and Deb for the video and photos.
Thank you, Paula! Yes, the girls ARE having a good time, since I see to that! Next up will be a spring concert, then a big picnic in time for the last day of school and Memorial Day! I’m always thinking ahead so that I make sure they all have something suitable to wear.
Yes, Betsy likes to be with the “big” girls!
Yes, the Gardens are a beautiful place to decompress! So peaceful and relaxing, not to mention, beautiful!
Looking forward to seeing your upcoming events with the girls!
Wow, that is some hailstorm. We’ve gotten marble sized and even shooter/ high bounce ball size a number of times, but baseball size would be really scary. I would be so worried for all the poor animals. Glad Deb was safe inside when it started.
I had no doubt Molly would be celebrating her birthday at your house, Linda. I really should acknowledge the others, but since my dolls are renamed/changed I haven’t picked new birthdays for them. I do acknowledge Felicity’s on April 21st and Evangeline’s (Samantha’s), but I move Samantha’s birthday of May 22nd one day forward to May 23rd to coincide with mine!
What a delightful party everyone is having in their patriotic red, white, and blue dresses. I love that the pups are joining in the fun. Her table is lovely and an English tea sounds wonderful.
The garden photos are gorgeous! I love the little rocky stream!! The sculpture is amazing. We used to drive down to the Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens a few times during the year and always to see the butterfly exhibit. Haven’t done that in a number of years now.
Lots of things to connect to this morning. We did get rain yesterday and should have more during the next 10 days. Lawns are beginning to be tinged with green, not at all like those lovely garden pictures.
When I was in kindergarten, we made those big crazy paper hats, decorated wildly, and wore them that day. My teacher, Mrs. Wells, told my mom the rest of the story. She had a doctor’s appointment right after school, so she left school quickly. At the medical center, she noticed that people were looking at her oddly, so she checked her hemline — no drooping slip — and her shoes — no trailing toilet paper. Then she saw her reflection in a glass door. The paper hat weighed almost nothing, and she’d become accustomed to the feeling. Carrying a large, bright paper hat looks nearly as silly as wearing it, but at least people know that you are aware that you have it
I’m glad you’re okay from the bad weather, Jeanne! The hail stones from Springfield look horrible! Poor cars at Walmart! We used to live near there. We had a thunderstorm the other night and there’s some big branches lying around, but nothing serious. Nice to know Molly had a birthday recently. Thanks for sharing all the beautiful pictures, Linda! The pink flowers are really pretty. Have a good day, all!