Last week a bud, This Week a Flower

Hello everyone.

January has come to an end, and a new month has just begun. For much of last month, the weather was dull and wet, but some things still made me smile. 

I showed you my Amaryllis last week. A vey small bulb that seemed to hold little in the way of beautiful blooms. I waited and waited and then suddenly, almost overnight two buds appeared. Now the buds have opened to reveal these amazing flowers.

The outside of each flower petal look as though it has been shaded and painted by hand with all those markings; it is so pretty. The reverse side of the petals is a peachy orange with streaks of pink. It has turned out to be quite a stunnung plant and worth the wait. It would be lovely if I could get it to flower again next year.

It was also a week for catching up with family and friends—time to enjoy time together over coffee, cake and meals. 

On Saturday, my niece and her family joined us for the evening, and after we had eaten, we played this game. While Monopoly (The Original version) is familiar to some of you, you may not be aware of this one. 

The game was not a British invention; it originated in the United States and is based on a 1904 patented game by Elizabeth Magie. A UK version was later licensed by Waddingtons. This is the London version, most recognised as the game we either love or hate!

There are now many versions of the game, some based on towns and cities and some based on other concepts. The version we played on Saturday involved hidden keys and money in a coded vault. Guess the correct code, and everything in the vault is yours!

That wasn't the only mystery we had while playing the game. Somehow, D kept moving around the board without landing on any of the properties. In the end, I don't think she landed on any property the entire game. It was truly bizarre and left us all a bit flabbergasted. We are still not sure how she managed this amazing feat!

It was a good game, and there was much laughter—a great evening spent with family.

As the days begin to lengthen and Spring grows ever closer, here's to the new month of February. I hope we all find things to make us smile and bring us joy. Have a lovely week, everyone.

 

B x