Yep that is me. I had my son take this the other day when I was at work. This girl retires this year.

Paula great to see a picture to the name. Thank you for organizing the alphabet again this year. This event helps me get through the winter. Retirement is a good thing. Though I buy more hostas now and start more gardens.

This is me at a trip in Kentucky

Can't thank you enough for hosting the alphabet again this year Paula. Always a bright spot on cold wintry days. Your picture reminds me a little of the factory I retired from after 43 years, enjoy your retirement!

Beth, small world - I'm also from Michigan and we travel to Kentucky every year.

# Go away little squirrel

Really like the "Hosta faces". This is me on a typical sunny day doing the brain work.

It is nice to put a face with the name. This is me with two of the three littles. I love watching my grandkids but it does limit gardening a bit....you can’t work til your back gives out cause they are there bright and early Monday morning, ready to play!

My last social evening in 2020 with my High school friend and my sister. I am in the middle with the pink scarf. We were at a minor hockey fund raising event in Febuary to raise money for a tournament that we had to cancel .

Sandra

Nice pictures of everyone ....... except mikegag ===>> maybe you feel like superman, but come on, show your handsome face to us. Old_dirt, for some reason I thought you were a she....lol

This is me on my anniversary 8/5/19, 29 years. I was “all dolled up” for the fancy restaurant we went to.. Probably last time I was dressed up nice for anything. My husband and I were already pulling back from social activities because we knew COVID was coming.

debra

I love all of your friendly faces 😀..

I got it!..the heads are hidden but you can't fool me..I know what those animals are..Lol!!!..
thank you Paula for the alphabet and your fun jokes..they add fun to all of our days..🙂

I'll look for a decent pic to post later..I need to get ready for my great niece's zoom wedding in 2 hours!!..it's sad that her big day can't be the wedding of her dreams 😪..only 12 people at the venue and everyone else on zoom..I'm watching with my husband, Dad, sister, brother-in-law and great niece..
some pics of the flowers as they decorated yesterday..

Paula love the goats. So great seeing you again! Wonderful to see some new faces here.

What happened to the monkey photo?🐒

debra

The monkey is in the Hosta 2020 Thank You post from Paula. So cute!

Always fun to see the faces behind the screen names. This is picture taken a few years ago of me and my wife Elsie in our sunnywood garden. Bill

Peren, thanks for that pointer——I always seem to be the confused one.....Iol

Too many jokes to keep track of! 😆

Great to see you all! DH and I were visiting our son and his family last week and someone took this photo... I’ve cropped out most of my granddaughter because they don’t like to have her on social media.

well here's a pic from yesterday..taken before the zoom wedding..to find a good pic of myself it would be 30 years old Lol..

Ann

Nicholsworth, you and your husband are a handsome couple!

mbug, for some reason I thought you also were female. Haha! Have no idea why........it’s funny the images I get from names and conversations!

debra

Good to see you all! What a nice looking group of people who garden. Although, I always picture all of us, including myself, as being in our 30s and 40s, which I am not. How does time go by so fast? I'm not big on putting my pic on the internet but will join in.

At first I was just going to put this up. If I was a cat I'd want to be a pretty one like this one....

...But here I am with my 89-year-old mother when I visited family in California in Dec. 2019. She passed away about 10 weeks later from Covid 19 complications before the doctors or any of us knew what was going on. Doctors couldn't figure out why her oxygen levels were so low, why the antibiotics weren't bringing her fever down, and said if she had pneumonia, it wasn't like any they'd seen before. I believe she was one of the early covid victims that wasn't counted as such.

A small tribute (no service for her when covid hell broke loose)....She was a good mom with a lively spirit. She didn't like gardening, not one little bit, but she indulged me rattling on about my gardens. She always made sure we had a cat as part of our family, which gave me my love for them. She loved to crochet, made lots of afghans because the cats liked them so much.

debra..thank you!..you know what occurred to me after I posted that picture?..my plants are clipped neater than my hair!..

I haven't always been right about who's male or female Lol..my user name could easily confuse someone..

Sandyslopes, what a difficult story to share about your mom’s passing..... I am so sorry you lost her in this manner, not knowing what was going on. Then not being able to have a proper burial. It’s heartbreaking. I am glad you have such fond memories of her......she sounds like a lovely lady.

nicholsworth, I knew you were a woman because I remember seeing the video you linked on a post about not being able to cut a problematic tree. the news station came to talk to you about it when the council refused your request to remove it. You were surprised that they videotaped you.

debra

ps hopefully I am NOT confused about this. :-)

sandyslopes I am so sorry about your mom. It does not matter how old we or they are when they pass, it is just hard losing a parent. Sounds like she was a lovely person indulging both you and the cats.

I am not big on my pic being on the internet either. I don't do social media except for GW but I feel among friends here. Glad you posted yourself!

What a year it has been. Sandyslopes, I am truly sorry for your loss. I suspect you are right about COVID. Thank you for sharing with us her dislike of gardening and love of cats.

This is me on a hot August day during a water break while gardening. I take so many garden pics, and thought to turn the camera around as a lark.

Not many recent pictures to share, but I will look. I think I am going to go gray all the way when I can go to a hairdresser. Why not!

Sandyslopes, my dad is 91 and still an active gardener in his own way. But it has always been in his own way. My mother was in Garden club for years!!! But her favorite thing to do in a garden is direct my dad or me. "Put the tulips there, turn the bush around, etc." By they made me a gardener even when I rented.

windymess, I DID talk to you at the Hosta sale last year! I have gotten my second vaccine and ready to shop in KC.

I love seeing the pictures of everyone, and the gardens!! I am working on my fountain garden, We are still debating what to finish off the pool edges, We just got the fountain working the tube that enables the frog to spray the little boy was seriously clogged. But tiny brushes and the air compressor cleared the clog to our delight. Rain tomorrow so covered the hole with plastic. I spotted my next hosta garden. It requires a lot of grass digging, arrragh! And a conference with grass tender husband, I need to make sure the gardens make for easy mowing. :)

Utog, cute photo!

debra

sandyslopes..I'm sorry to hear about your mother..it's an experience that breaks your heart 💔..I don't think (?) I've mentioned this..but your bravery has given me courage..my mother (87) died on November 14 2020..my parents celebrated their 67th anniversary March 11 2020..Covid was brand new..quarantine not in full effect yet..we had a small party..family only..in hindsight this day means everything to all of us..my mother fell at home in the night and fractured her shoulder on Oct 10 2020..she refused surgery..she had typical health problems for her age..she declined after the fall..wouldn't eat..eventually she was in hospice at home..we cared for her 24/7 until the end..the nurses came only for monitoring..I'm so proud of the outstanding care we gave her..the hospice nurses would say "she looks great..keep doing what you're doing"..now my 90 yr old father is alone..but he's doing well..he has a sense of peace since he no longer worries about my mother's pain..15 years ago my parents and both sisters built homes on 3 adjacent lots..I was invited to move too!..but I already lived here and didn't want to move..we had a brief family only graveside service..😪
this zoom wedding was emotional but beautiful..the hosta forum group has been good therapy for me..

debra..on a lighter note.."hopefully I am NOT confused about this"..well..actually it was newhostalady that had a tree that wasn't approved for removal and was on the news..Lol..an understandable oops..'newhostalady' and 'nicholsworth' ARE similar..both long and start with an 'n'..!!!

utog..your hat makes me think of the South!..just perfect for you..

this was the wedding on zoom at my parents house..behind the TV was a large frame with multiple photos..in the center above the TV is a photo of my Mom and Madeline (the bride) taken about 9 years ago..so of course I cried..

thank you all for "listening"..

the weather was beautiful this weekend..the wait for our hostas is coming to an end..

sandyslopes..I'm back to say..I think both of us were blessed to have our Moms as long as we did..💕

Just wanted to express my sympathies to everyone who has lost a lived one. It is very hard in this virtual world to make a real connection but I am sending you all a hard hug via the internet.

nw there are no words that can make your loss easier to bear but I am so sorry. Sending virtual hugs to you. I am glad you shared with us. We will always miss our loved ones but the wonderful memories endure.

oursteelers and peren..thank you both for your support and virtual hugs..the wedding in our family Sat made me emotional..but in a good way..when we talked about her we smiled..when I saw sandyslopes post I decided to "confess"..I'm glad that I did..

my mother had several watering cans..I now have one of them 💕..

Much Thanks for hosting Paula. Definitely the highlight of my winter.

Late to the party. Here's my immediate family the last time we were together in Christmas, 2018.

My deepest sympathies to all of you who have lost a loved one. It's always so hard to let go of a loved one, let alone at this time when it's so difficult to gather and observe all the "normal" rituals that would have accompanied your loss. For those who lost loved ones before we realized how lethal the covid virus was and how to try and combat it, it must have been so difficult. I keep small reminders of my mother in the kitchen and in my gardening tool collection, her utensils always bring back so many happy memories of her cooking and working in the garden. My children questioned why I kept some beat up bread pans and a watering can but they bring me comfort.

Nicholsworth, thank you for correcting me....... I new it was too good to be true that I would be correct about that info........ Lol

Also I will add that I lost a very dear aunt right before Christmas.....She did not die from COVID but I was not able to attend the service. I was waiting for surgery and could not take a chance of getting sick with anything. I’ll attend the burial when the time is right.

debra

n2hostas - I'm glad you're ready to come shop the sale again this year! We don't have a definite date yet, but I think it will be 5/22. Please do come say 'hi' if you stop by!

To all of you who have lost loved ones this year - I'm so sorry. It's definitely been a mess! I'll not say more. And to Steve - your family hasn't been all together since 2018? Wow, I'm sorry to hear that too. We've been getting together, but taking extra precautions, and so far so good.

thank you everyone for your condolences..my mother didn't have Covid but the quarantine affected our family just like everyone else's..

debra..no biggie!!...it's hard to keep the locations, gardens, hostas, dogs, cats and people straight!!..Lol..

Well, I lied. My son is living in Seattle, so we don't get together often. We buried my brother in August of 2019 and my mom in January 2020 (before Covid restrictions) and were all together for both of those.

We have been doing a family zoom call almost every Sunday night for the past 6 months. And even decorated Christmas cookies together over zoom.

Thank you all for your sympathies. I hesitated but hit that submit button, anyway. I know it was a hard and stressful year for many of us.

Laurie, you are always so kind.

utog, you look pretty good for being on a gardening break. I usually have streaks of dirt somewhere on my face.

n2hostas, nice story of your gardening parents. Made me smile.

nicholsworth, I'm so sorry to hear about your mom. You're right we did have both our moms for a good long time with lots of good memories. I'm glad you shared with us. .......While a zoom wedding isn't ideal, it is responsible right now. I skipped a niece's in person wedding during the height of the pandemic.

miles, it is a comfort to have some reminders of them.

steve, sorry to hear about both of your losses. Your brother and your mother, that's so hard.

sunnywood it was particularly poignant to see you with Elsie.

nw I know you will cherish that very special watering can. You have your memories but now you have something to physically hold on to as well.

miles I can so relate. Some of my most prized possessions are kitchen implements my mom & I used together, especially a glass rolling pin that I used with my DD when she was little. I have kept my dads electric razor for over 40 years. As a little girl I was always fascinated with it. These simple mementos mean the most.

Debra & Steve my thoughts and deepest condolences are with you both. Life is so hard sometimes. Debra it must have been very hard on you not being able to attend the service. Steve I empathize with your back to back losses. You have had a rough go of it.

sandyslopes sorry you had to attend your nieces wedding via Zoom. I did the same for my nieces wedding in Va. Yes, we did the responsible thing. Easy decision for me since the border was closed.

This has been one nasty extended year. I think we all need a hug!

all of us have experienced losses..some more recently than others..like sandyslopes "I hesitated but hit that submit button"..it felt a little like I was keeping a secret..opening up and then reading your thoughtful comments has been very comforting..sending all of you a big virtual hug..

only this group would look at this pic Lol..a Plantaginea pip taken today..this is usually one of the first I notice..I think it's been nibbled..most are not up yet..