it's blooming

A friend posted some pictures on Facebook of the blossoms on her Rose of Sharon bush. Very pretty. That reminded me of an event from my childhood.  My brother must have been about 10 when he pulled this prank on our mom.  She was very disappointed that summer because her Rose of Sharon bush hadn't bloomed.  One afternoon my brother ran into the house shouting "Mom, mom, your bush is blooming.  She ran outside with him and sure enough there were pink blooms all over the bush.  After her first excitement she realized that these blooms looked very familiar and took a closer look.  Turns out my enterprising brother had used toothpicks to fasten Hollyhock blooms all over that Rose of Sharon bush.  It did look pretty, briefly and Mom was actually pretty amused.