Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Love of flowers - mom loved flowers and plants of all types but her favorites were pansies, daises, and African violets. There is not a spot in her yard that wasn't planted with flowers or flowering shrubs at some point in time. Her gardens moved and changed all the time. I don't think there are many varieties of flowers she didn't grow. In the house were her African violets, every color you could imagine. Give her a leaf and she'd produce a plant. On the route from Syracuse to CT is a large greenhouse that specializes in African violets. We have made several stops there over the years but the first stop is the most memorable. We walked in the door and she was so excited that she just couldn't decide which row to start in first. By the time she finished the first two rows she had her container full and there were at least 25 more rows to go. I had to keep taking plants back as she would find something she liked better. Well over two hours later we finally checked out with over 25 plants between the two of us. At the register area a man was picking leaves off plants and tossing them in the trash as they were packing up for a special show in Albany. Well to mom that was a crime and she asked the man if she could have some of them. He looked at her, smiled and said usually we don't do this and they are not prime leaves but because your love of violets is so obvious I will give you some. He proceeded to fill a big bag for her. You'd think he had just given her a bag of expensive jewelry. Do I have flowers and plants all over the place - just ask my husband when he is helping we weed the perennial gardens or has to move 3-4 foot tall plants out of his whirlpool tub where they live in the winter. In my house there is hardly a window where there isn't a plant growing.
Love of Birds- there hasn't been a time when I have spotted or heard a new bird that I haven't called mom excitedly to talk about it. When a flock of painted buntings landed in my yard in SC she was excited as I was. When I called to tell her woody woodpecker was in a tree in the backyard yard in Washington State or wood ducks were in the tops of tall tree in upstate NY and that turkeys sleep in trees, she never accused me of sneaking a nip from the sherry bottle like my own family did but just told me all she knew about them, if she had ever seen them and if so, what circumstances. Sometimes the stories went on forever. For you non-birders woody woodpecker is actually the Pileated woodpecker and the ducks that land in trees are wood ducks - and she knew that turkeys do sleep in trees.
Love of Sewing- mom loved to sew and always wished she had more time to spend on it. I can remember when she took a tailoring class and made her own winter coat out of real wool. She was so proud of that full length coat and it was beautiful. It lasted for years and years. She has made beautiful wool plaid suits and dresses for herself and others. She knew the proper way to match plaids and finish seams. Sometimes her perfectionism kept her up to the wee hours of the night but she wanted to get it right. Today every time I sew or knit I can hear her saying it is better to take it apart and do it right, no matter how long it takes, then to leave those mistakes in. Yes mom, I will continue to do it right.
Love of Chocolate - I can't think of a chocolate she didn't like or a time when you would visit that there wasn't something tucked away for when she wanted or needed it. She loved and enjoyed her chocolate right up to her last few days.
One year for Christmas I gave her a 5 - lb bar of Nestlé's pure milk chocolate from the Nestlé plant near our home in central NY. Now that bar was over an inch thick and about a foot and a half long. You couldn't just break or bite a small piece off, you had to stab it with large knife or fork tine when you wanted a piece. I asked her one day how she was enjoying it and she laughed and told me she kept it in the bottom of her bureau drawer upstairs so that she wouldn't make herself sick on it. She laughed again and said of course the tools to cut it are right there and the trip up the stairs and back to get a piece negated the calories of the chocolate and . . . . That bar was gone by the end of the month - all 5 lbs of it. Are there any children or grandchildren here who don't like chocolate?
And lastly -
Love of giving - Mom worked a full time job and had four very active children. She didn't always have the time to volunteer at events but worked behind the scenes making things. I can't fathom the number of apple pies, cakes, toll house squares and cookies that she has baked for the church, schools and gifts.
She would knit baby sweaters for church bazaars and those sweaters were in addition to the sweaters, hats, and mittens she has made for her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. She completed her last project, a beautiful hooded sweater for her newest great grandchild, Lyra, who was born last October. Yes there were a few mistakes but at age 92 she was able to live with it so she could get it completed before she was born.
She loved to give to her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. It was pure joy for her. Along with the usual grandma and grandpa toys, Christmas and birthday gifts were school clothes, shoes, winter coats, school supplies, book money etc., etc., etc.
Most of all she gave of herself - gave to all of us. I doubt there is a person here that she has not given something to - whether it was materialistic or just her love and support. She would do anything for anybody. She gave us all - herself.
There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about and miss you Mom.
