Surprises

Surprises come in all shapes and sizes. Some are good and some are bad and some fall in between. A good surprise comes around this time every year when the temperature begins to drop a bit. Spots of dark pink or red spring up all over the yard in the most unexpected places. I don't know the scientific name for these unusual looking flowers, but surprise lily seems to fit perfectly. They surprise me by coming up when all else seems to be fading out, and I never seem to be expecting them, they just start showing up. They also surprise me in where they appear. I never remember planting them in that particular spot, they just pop up at will. They are strange looking plants, just stems sticking out of the ground with a bloom on top, but so pretty to look at.

This flower is yet another one that brings to mind memories of happy times past. I am not the only one in the family to notice when the lilies begin to bloom. When Shannon was just a little one, she would appear at the back door with a fist full of surprise lilies for mommy. She usually managed to pick every one in the yard but I could never be upset. One look at that sweet face and her little hand clutching the stems and holding them out to me is enough to melt any mother's heart. I still have that picture in my mind any time I see the lilies bloom.
The cool weather has been such a welcome relief from the heat of the summer. Dear Husband and I are taking a few days off and heading for a cabin in the Ozarks. I hope the cool weather continues as I am looking forward to coffee on the cabin porch on a cool autumn morning on top of the mountain. Does anything sound better that that? Hope all your surprises this week are good ones!