Four red trumpets on the amaryllis add Christmas cheer at the table.
We got home after dark last night, lugging our suitcases and Disney souvenirs into the chilly house. When I switched on the light over the dining table, the blazing amaryllis greeted my eyes. Ka-pow! I called to David and the kids, and they all came to look and exclaim over it. What a great “welcome home” the amaryllis gave us.

In the sunlight on the porch, it’s easier to see the satiny texture of the petals. They shine like Christmas ornaments. Four trumpet-shaped flowers are fully open atop the straight, green stalk. I don’t know how long they’ve been open—we’ve been away for six days—but with a sight like this to greet me I can’t greatly regret missing the unfurling.

Rye grass softens the pot and adds greenery and texture. It’s like having a bit of spring in a pot.
Our pre-Christmas vacation at Disney World was wonderful. I was surprised by how much fun an adult could have at the parks (we visited Magic Kingdom twice, Epcot, and Animal Kingdom), and of course the kids loved it. Like Austin when we left, Orlando was warm and sunny; high temperatures ranged from 76 to 80 degrees, and the nights were only a bit cooler. Palm trees, bromeliads, and plumbago grew lushly throughout the Disney parks, and pools and small lakes everywhere reminded one of Florida’s usually hot, humid subtropical climate.
Every park was decked out for the holidays with huge Christmas trees, swags of greenery, and other decorations, but it did not feel Christmasy to us. It was like being in a time warp for a few days. We didn’t read the paper or watch the TV news; we had no internet connection. We existed in a make-believe world for those six days. It was actually kind of hard to come home to real life—I’ve got to clean the house, buy groceries, cook several dishes and desserts for Christmas Day, wash clothes—but Austin nevertheless looked beautiful to us as we drove home from the airport yesterday evening. Downtown’s buildings shone in the fading light and reflected on Town Lake, the capitol gleamed white against the darkening sky, the Trail of Lights at Zilker Park was aglow, and the cooler temperatures put us in the holiday spirit. And then there was that amaryllis.
Ah, home.