My favorite Aunt Ruth, and my Mom, Lou, and were the 6th and 7 children born
when their Mother, my Annie Ma was 41 and 43 years old.
The first three girls were in their 20's and the fourth and fifth were 6 and 8 years old
when Ruth (1926) and Lou(1928) were born.
when Ruth (1926) and Lou(1928) were born.
I didn't know the oldest Aunts very well but I heard enough stories about them to know
I come from a long line of silly story tellers.
Aunt Ruth and her family lived about 30 miles from us. We saw them often.
Aunt Ruth gave me my very first nickname, Cil, much to my mom's dismay.
I was (and probably still am) gullible. I believed anything I was told.
Once when I was spending the night at her house, I remember asking her about
some very pretty flowers in her yard. I think the proper name is Day Lily
but she called the orange ones Tiger Lilies. Aunt Ruth could deliver a pile of malarkey with a straight face. She said, well Cil, there is a story behind those very pretty orange flowers.
She paused a bit, causing great anticipation on my part.
According to Gospel of Ruth, anywhere you saw an orange Tiger Lily,
that is the exact spot an Out House use to be located.
I was fascinated by the story. I found great joy and amusement any time I saw
an Orange Tiger Lily. To this day, I still get a great big smile on my face when I spy one
It brings back fond memories of Aunt Ruth and all the fun I had at her house
with my cousin Terry, who was 5 years older.
Apparently there were at least six outhouses in my neighborhood....just on one street.
with my cousin Terry, who was 5 years older.
Apparently there were at least six outhouses in my neighborhood....just on one street.
we LOVE this story.. and we think it must be the truth. I wonder how much blogvillers see tiger lilies now completely different and grin when they see them somewhere ;O) 87% ? or more?
ReplyDeleteThat was a funny story. We get a lot of those flowers growing wild in the hedgerows here.
ReplyDeleteI think my Mom called them tiger lilies too. Fond memories - that's for sure!
ReplyDeleteWe have a huge crop of outhouses right next door!
ReplyDeleteHugs, Teddy
Love your story and the beautiful Tiger Lilies!
ReplyDeleteWe always have called them Tiger lilies. We used to have bunches of them around here. Love your story. Have a super day.
ReplyDeleteHari OM
ReplyDeleteActually, Tiger Lilies are a different genus from Day Lilies. If they are facing upward and have plain petals, they are DLs. If the flowers hang face level or downwards and the petals have black dots (sometimes dashes), they are TLs. Doesn't spoil the 'Gospel of Ruth' though!!! LOL. YAM xx
We had a lot of Tiger Lilies on the Tiny Ten and the truth... they were over places where there had been two outhouses. Our property once had an old school on it!
ReplyDeleteShe sounded like a great trickster.
ReplyDeletestill giggling and my mothers house must have had a dozen outhouses. he he he.. she loved her tiger lilies. these are beautiful in your neighborhood. your poor grandmother, had 3 families. wow...
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like your aunt Ruth was a real treasure. That sure is one tall tale about the lilies.
ReplyDeleteThat is too funny :) Looks like there were a lot of outhouses near you. XO
ReplyDeleteSuch a wonderful memory and a fun one too!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite aunt was Aunt Ruth. I loved her to pieces. She didn't tell these kinds of tales, but I think you had the better deal. I love this and what a firecracker of an aunt you had. So precious.
ReplyDeleteThank you for joining the Happy Tuesday Blog Hop.
Have a fabulous Happy Tuesday, Cecilia. Big hug. ♥
Great story! We have tiger lilies in our yard too, but they're not blooming yet.
ReplyDeleteI hope I leave a lasting impression on my nieces and nephews as a character too! We have tiger lilies all 'round our house, planted by who-knows-who in the wayback. NOT where outhouses were, 'cause they are right up against the house! LOL!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful 'tiger lilies' and lovely photos! Such an intriguing 'family of origin history.'
ReplyDeleteHappy Day to you,
A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)
Well I of course would be asking for scientifical proof about the outhouse story.
ReplyDeleteJust saying...
Toodle pip!
Bouncing Bertie Boffin.
this is too funny !!!!!!! ☺☺☺☺☺☺☺.....it's nice one of the outhouse's was so close to the mailbox; never know when maybe the mailman needed to "use it " ☺☺☺☺☺☺☺
ReplyDeleteI think outhouses, or dunnies as they are known here, just had rhubarb growing around them. Prize-winning rhubarb. I'm not too fond of rhubarb for that reason..lol.
ReplyDeleteMy mother was born 17 years after her next sister, so her two older sisters were my surgate grandmothers. Have fond memories of them.
What a funny story!
ReplyDeleteI totally understand about being gullible :-)
BOL! what a great story!! You have such wonderful family memories
ReplyDeletehugs
Mabel, Hilda & Mom
BOL! Oh, Ma used to be gullible too,butts her brudder cured her of that.....
ReplyDeleteKisses,
Ruby ♥
My family also called them Tiger Lilies. And if you go to very old settlements where the houses are mostly gone, you really can tell where they were from the Tiger Lilies. No joke!
ReplyDelete