Hallson's Get-Together 2009

[renaldo75]

I hope you get a goodnite's sleep, Marlys - you were rambling all over the place and it wasn't even dark yet... Just take the shovel out & dig something.

It will be great to see you again. Even though I'll be over my 3 visits per yr limit w/you. And more than that w/the planning committee meeting Sunday.

[SUEDIA]

Sounds like the weather will really be nice and the temps in the 70's great for hosta gazing and chatting with hosta friends. Marlys so sorry to hear about the deer eating your hosta flowers. You need our newfy she hates deer and really gets mad when she sees them in the pasture. We have to keep her chained or she would be gone on a wild deer chase. Can't wait to see what you finally decide to bring for hosta's to Roxanne's. I remember your Rascal from our visit last year and it was huge and just beautiful. My friend Ruth is coming with me, we are stopping at the Cedar Rapids Farmers market that is downtown first, then we are picking up Jill(Cedarleaf) and then we we be on our way to Roxanne's.
See everyone on Saturday.
Sue

[renaldo75]

I got my selections for the swap figured out last nite. Nothing too fancy. But I like them.

The weather should be wonderful Sat. May even need jackets. Pretty unusual for the end of July. But the sky was amazing last nite. Clearest I've seen all summer - stars were beautiful!!

[JaneG]

I'm getting excited . . . and I won't even be there!!

In all the hustle and bustle to get hostas dug, find pots for Renaldo, and get all the carpooling figured out . . . DON'T FORGET YOUR CAMERAS!!!!! We'll need to see pictures from this event. You Iowans are a hoot!

Have Fun!!

[SUEDIA]

Thanks Jane for reminding me about taking my camera. But someone will have to help me get them resized so I can post them here. My Rhubarb cake is just about ready to take out of the oven. I also need to take a lawn chair. It sounds like it will be nice and cool especially for July. Roxanne you did good picking out the date.
See you at Roxanne's
PS Marlys if you still are on here you better get to bed and get some sleep. Remember you are riding with Reldon
Sue

[renaldo75]

Sue - the scary part is that Marlys is riding with me!! Not the other way around...

Jane - I've got my camera ready. Too much driving after a long day at work, and not enough time to do any cookin' last nite. My contribution for lunch will have to come from Hy-Vee.

Should be fun!! This is always one of the highlights of my hosta year. Can't wait to see everyone again!! I have a sweatshirt in the van in case of snow.

[Linda P]

Will see everyone soon! My day yesterday was too hectic to do any cooking, but I'll throw together a salad.
Got my hosta selections potted up, probably not what I would have chosen if I'd had a little more time to go through things, but not bad.
Camera is ready, now I just have to remember to pick it up.
Marlys, I just don't know why everyone always picks on you.....

Linda P

[barbara]

If I were any closer, I would have been there Looking forward to pix. I am sure you all had a great time. Rox rocks

[LucyGoose]

Please make sure I get to go next year, God willing!!!!! You guys are a hoot!!

[Marlys]

Do you all know there are 48 Sum & Substance sports?
Can you name them without using a resource reference?
That was the 'team-effort' hosta game at Roxanne's today.
What a hoot!
Did we ever get them all listed?
There was suppose to be a prize awarded but how do you split one prize between a whole yard full of hosta-holics? Someone got out the new Zilis book but we decided not to look.

Reldon won the prize for another game: Rox had a list of several hosta names and the idea was to circle the ones that were in the tope ten in a 1988 (I think it was) Popularity Poll. Every single person who played circled H 'August Moon' but it wasn't on the list. Reldon won a green garden gnome that actually resembled him somehow. I think Sue took pictures of them together. He also won a fun wind chimes. They jingled all the way home.

I was so surpirsed! I won the easiest game / 'Name the Hosta' from just its leaf. There were only 5 on the list. I got the best prize too IMHO a hosta / not just any hosta either but a streaked hosta and not just any streaked hosta either but a streaked H 'Blue Umbrellas'. I haven't learned the name yet. I was so excited I jumped up & down like a little kid! Thanx! Roxanne!

Talk about 'GOOD FOOD'!!! My tummy is still aching and I didn't need any supper. Roxanne really did it up right! Thanx!!! again - Roxanne! What a great day with wonderful hosta friends. There were lots of 'Hosta Hugs' between friends. It was so good to see old Hosta Friends again & meet new Hosta Friends.

AND - Reldon survived dragging me along for the ride. He talked all the way there. I couldn't get a word in edge-way. And I only left my umbrella & my camera in his van to go with my red hat he still has in his custody from last month. I can't believe I left my camera behind. I hope I can go without it for a whole week until our ROHS mtg next week / Sunday.

The hosta swap was fun too but I'll let someone else tell that story.

Roxanne's hostas were wonderful to view & her day lilies & asiatic lilies were showing off just for us. And that red Bee Balm was fabulous. I took pictures but where are they? In my camera in Reldon's van. And even worst I had accidently left my camera chip at home so only had that limited internal memory to use. Bad camera day for me. Plenty of others were snapping shots tho.

It was a very good day! Thanx! everyone.

MM

[Chris_W]

Sounds like Roxanne outdid herself on this one. Sure sounds like fun. I had considered making the drive, but this year the nursery hasn't slowed down one bit so there is really no way I could leave here. The only time that we slowed down was while the convention was going on in Lansing - everyone was too busy there

Looking forward to whatever pictures you managed Marlys. It sounded like great fun

[Roxanne]

I'd like to thank everyone who came here yesterday. What a nice crowd!! I never did count heads, but I'd guess at about 40 people. There was 53 Hostas in the swap!

The day went off without a hitch, and it made all the work I went to preparing for it worthwhile.
Thank You to all the folks who brought me "presents"... you know who you are. I really appreciated every one of them. My Mom even brought me a present...but my B-Day is next week, so that's why.

I didn't take alot of pictures, but here's a few:

Thanks again everyone!!

[renaldo75]

Yes - Roxanne sure outdid herself!! Great food from everyone else too.

And a wonderful day!! I never did count how many people were there. More than usual anyway. But she's in an area of eastern IA that's close to 4 of the larger Iowa cities. So a lot closer to a lot of people into hostas. And Rox knows a lot of hosta people.

I sure did have a great time!! Marlys hit most of the high points. It was good to see Jimmy & Lois again. Once a year at these is about all I see them. And I Jo & Sue. Jo's little girl had a fun day I think. She was just a baby at the 1st one. Such a cutie!!

I do seem to be collecting Marlys' belongings. I didn't notice the umbrella until after I'd gotten gas in Newton and she was long gone by then. Didn't realize the camera was still there until she called asking about it... She'll just have to survive a week without it.

[Linda P]

Thanks, Roxanne, for hosting a great party. The plant exchange was fun, as always. I was hoping to get my hands on that Boomerang hosta, but Marlys picked before I did!
My numbers were really high, one of them was 56 and there were only 53 plants, if that gives you an idea how my luck runs, but there were still good plants to be had!
I went off without a jacket, but Reldon had an extra one in his van...even had a stocking cap and gloves in the pockets if I had needed them!
The food was great, and it was so much fun to hang out with hosta people again.
We also stopped in at the gardens of Steve and Deb (whitewater) and had a nice time walking around their gardens too. They have some really nice looking seedlings, and I was intrigued by the beaded nametags that Deb makes for the hostas. Steve sent me home with a couple of brugs to add to my collection of one.
So, who's going to host next year?
Linda P

[Hosta12_Ia]

Emmy and I had a great time. I hope she didn't get on anyone's last good nerve. (Other than her Mom's ). We left at 7:00 a.m. to hit the Cedar Rapids farmer's market. It was alot bigger than what I had imagined. Met up with Sue and Ruth at the market and then picked up Jill and Em and I follwed them to Roxanne's.

Roxanne has some amazing hostas. I was in awe as I pulled up. It's always so much fun to see wonderful gardens, see old friends and meet new ones, and the food, as ususal, was delicious. Reldon behaved reasonably well (for him). Marlys was a little quiet (for her). Love you guys. Just gotta pick on you.

We got back to Cedar Rapids and I just had to stop at Michael's, so we didn't get home until 10:00 p.m. Emmy didn't fall asleep until we were almost home. Sheesh, I thought she would be worn out. But nooooo, just Mom was.

Thanks, Roxanne for hosting. You really did outdo yourself!

[renaldo75]

Jo, your little girl was very well-behaved. Don't think I can say the same about her mom 100% of the time though...

Linda - I will volunteer to have it next year in Ankeny where my hostas will be. Sometime after the conventions. This weekend seemed to work pretty well, but I'm not gonna commit totally to it yet.

[LucyGoose]

Oh man, you guys seemed to really have a great day for this, too.....I was talking to Chris on the phone today, and I swear....I am coming next year.....didn't I say that last year?? I want to meet that Marlys.... I need to meet the hosta people from out there!! I will be waiting for other pictures!!

[SUEDIA]

Thanks Rox for the wonderful food, great hostas, and I love Mikoda. You really went to alot of work to have us all over to your place. The chicken and BBQ pork were so good, as was all the other food that was brought in. Your hosta's are the cream of the crop. I saw alot of hosta's that I didn't know the names of, but I am always looking and learning from all of you wonderful hosta friends. The swap was wonderful. Thanks, Jim Swartz for giving up your ticket, I finally replaced my June. I bought a tagged June, but Marlys told me that it was Remember Me that is doing very well. She has to come over to my house every couple of years and straighten me out on some of my hosta's. It was a wonderful talking hosta's all day long and nobody thought you were nutty.
Jo, Emmy is such a great kid, I sure wish I had her energy. Thanks for the hosta's.
It was great having Ruth and Jill along with me.
Reldon sure hope you decide to have the get together in Ankeny nex year, I don't think we want to get to know your current next door neighbor.
I will try to post a couple of pictures as soon as I figure out how to post them.
Sue

[Trudy]

Looks and sounds like you all had a great hosta day. Always good to see hosta friends and spectacular hosta gardens like Roxanne has.

Enjoy seeing everyone's photos of the fun times!

Hat's off to Roxanne for all the hard work she did to make the party a great success

Sorry we had to miss, maybe another year.

[renaldo75]

Sue - I will definitely host next year. I just need to wait a while before I choose the date.

Lucy - I don't know if you're ready to meet 'that Marlys' yet.....