Oh, Happy Day!

After 10 rough and rocky days of recuperation in the hospital following his colon cancer surgery, my dad is doing much better. My mother just called me from the hospital and said his doctor came by this morning and said that he can probably go home this Wednesday, which is what we've been longing to hear. I want to write more about the story of Daddy's miraculous surgery (you can click on the link to read about it), and the remarkable surgeon God sent to save his life ... but for now, I'm just rejoicing and being thankful for God's Grace and the truly awesome power of all the prayers that were said for my dad throughout this difficult time. Yesterday afternoon, after seeing Daddy feeling so much better, my husband and I drove out to our land to see if the Jonquils were blooming. Here are a few pictures I captured while we were there ... They are just beginning to bloom, and I picked a bouquet and took them to Mama and Daddy for his room. We have a few clumps of Narcissus, too. Although I loved seeing the flowers, the best part of our outing was stopping by to see this little guy and his sister, Avery Grace ... Maddox Riggs, 5 months old That picture is more beautiful to me than all the Jonquils in the world.

The Jonquils are Blooming!

Recently, I wrote a post called The Joy of Jonquils which featured a story about our being surprised to find thousands of Jonquils sprouting up on some land we bought last summer. I had no idea the flowers were there and I was absolutely thrilled to see them.

This past weekend, my parents and my husband and I went out to our land to put up a Martin house, and this is the sight that welcomed us ...

The Jonquils are blooming — and what a sight they are!

In places, they are so thick they look like meadows of yellow blossoms.

They are even growing on the banks of the little creek that runs through our property.

I can't wait for these to bloom!

There were so many, we couldn't avoid driving over them, and it pained me to step on them while we were putting up the Martin house.

We have tentatively laid out the driveway, and were amazed to see that the majority of the flowers will be lining the drive, and won't have to be moved. It looks as if they were planted with that in mind.

I think these beautiful flowers are some of the best lagniappe I've ever received, and I know I'm going to cherish and enjoy them for many years to come.

We're looking forward to enjoying the wildlife, too ... and this cute little guy was happily foraging amongst the leaves when we drove up, and stayed around long enough for me to capture his picture.

I probably won't think he's so cute when he's "foraging" amongst my flower beds after we move into our house, but for now, I'll just enjoy his visits.

The Joy of Jonquils

I wandered lonely as a cloud That floats on high o'er vales and hills, When all at once I saw a crowd, A host, of golden [jonquils]; Beside the lake, beneath the trees, Fluttering and dancing in the breeze. — William Wordsworth

Last summer, we bought a five-acre lot on a lake in Madison County, Mississippi, and are planning to build a house on it. At the time we bought the lot, it looked like this ...

During the late fall and winter, we were busy with other things, and didn't make too many trips to the land. So, you can imagine my surprise last weekend when we drove up and saw this ...

Those are yellow Jonquils, and there are thousands of them covering our lot. Literally, everywhere I looked and everywhere I stepped, there were little clumps of flowers and bulbs poking through the leaves ...

I even saw a clump of Narcissus and, needless to say, I was thrilled!

Years ago, the land where our lot is located was part of Cameron Plantation, one of the largest plantations around, so I can't help but think that there may have been a home site there back in those days.

I plan to check the Madison County chancery clerk's records to trace the land ownership back to the days of the plantation in hopes of learning about its history. My imagination runs away with me, conjuring up visions of a Scarlett O'Hara strolling in her gardens gathering Jonquils for an early Spring bouquet.

And even though our house is not going to look like Tara, I know we are going to spend many happy years in it ... and I will always wonder about the house that may have been there before, and the people who lived in it.

And every Spring, I will smile and silently thank the southern lady or gentleman who planted those first Jonquil bulbs so long ago.