Amaryllis..you are not too smart!

My meanderings take me a lot further down "Memory Lane" than actual footage on the hillside.  More oft than not, I come across something that causes a flood of memories to fill the mind.  I am thoroughly happy to say that most if not all of these memories are happy ones.  Perhaps this is one of those sure signs of aging or perhaps I cannot shake the upbringing that I had as a wee one on the farm.   There was always a lot happening back on that farm contrary to the current popular belief that farm life is relaxed and "laid back".  Far from it...life was not easy nor was it "laid back".  Sure we had a lot of fun just being kids but we also did a lot of work.  Nowadays it would be called "child abuse" but back then it was called "doing our chores".  None of us considered it to be wrong, abusive nor mistreatment in any way.  It was just life.  I had to laugh when my oldest son, Mark, set up this blog thing.  The whole thing was his idea and he presented me with the format all preset.  All I had to do was write...hmmm..fine..I would write.  What amused me was that one line under the title..."Living the simple life on the Mississippi Gulf Coast"!  Ha!  The merely brings up connotations that I am a "lady of leisure"!  Again..far from it.  I rise at dawn and set to work early.  The yard and garden require daily attendance.  The housework, canning, laundry and cooking cannot be left undone.  Later, if and when I have time, I work on art pieces or crafts.  Finally...I write!

But now I have wandered completely off course from my meanderings.  Today, I came across a lovely Amaryllis in bloom.  This is the first one for this season and I was tickled pink!  This particular Amaryllis is no special hybrid but just one of the throwbacks to a time long ago.  Pop always raised hundreds of the flowers.  He took special care of his bulbs..they were his pride and joy.  I had many before Hurricane Katrina washed them to parts unknown but now I have just a few.  Mark and Joanna (son and daughter-in-law) did give me some of the hybrids a few years ago. Hopefully, they will bloom again this year.  But this one was just what Pop called his "Old Place" lilies.  I am supposing that his mom grew them as well.  I recall how the driveway on the farm made a huge circle..no, more of a teardrop shape..on the west side of the house.  It was in the "V" of this teardrop that Pop had a huge flower garden filled with Amaryllis bulbs.  Every spring, the bed would be a vast array of colors.  The blooms would all bob their heads in the gentle breezes and be one gigantic blob of reds, oranges, pinks and whites.  Pop was always partial to the whites while Mom loved the dark reds.  Me?  I love them all!

A few of the Amaryllis from Mark and Joanna.  These have not bloomed this year,  yet.

There is a legend about how the Amaryllis got its name.  It seems that mythology says that a young maiden named Amaryllis was deeply in love with a handsome shepherd (or gardener depending on who is telling the tale!) named Alteo.  Though Amaryllis was quite lovely, the young man was more interested in plants and flowers than courtship. (hmmm?)  He made the statement that only the maiden that could bring him a new flower would receive his love. Amaryllis visited an oracle to get a bit of advice.  The oracle told her to pierce her heart with a golden arrow every evening and then walk the trail to his house. She was to do this for thirty days in a row.  (Well, that right there would have done it for me...nope, not piercing my heart with any arrow..golden or not!)  Still, Amaryllis did what she was told and, of course, left a trail of blood behind her on the the trail. (Obviously, contrary to medical knowledge, piercing one's heart with a golden arrow will not lead to instant death!  And..you can still make a hike to see your beloved after doing so!) Ok..back to the story!  On the last day, she pierced her heart, started to bleed and left on that hike.  No sooner had she started down the trail than she found lovely flowers that had never been seen before!  She grabbed up armloads and toted them to Alteo.  He was amazed!  He had never seen such beauty..oh, and Amaryllis suddenly did not seem so bad either!  They were married and the new flower was named after the girl..Amaryllis..of course.  Aww...such a lovely tale!  Ha!!! I think not!  Sounds to me like that guy was a jerk and Amaryllis did not have a lot of sense in that pretty little head!  But at least our flower had a name!  Amaryllis..one showy flower!