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[Lisa Kae Van Meter Perry <lisakvperry AT gmail.com>]

On Sun, Apr 12, 2009 at 10:22 PM, Gene GeRue <genegerue AT ruralize.com> wrote:

>
> On Apr 12, 2009, at 6:39 PM, Robert Walton wrote:
>
> > I hope everyone is making sure to spend some time on flowers.
>
> Flowers are the dessert of the gardening meal.
>
> Mother had a stroke about a month ago and now speaks mostly from
> vascular dementia. She is a lifelong gardener and the flowers give her
> great pleasure even in her present condition.
>
> Plant flowers.


Rob and Gene,

First, Gene, I am sorry for what you and your Mother are going through.

Second, I love flowers. Some days I think about becoming a flower farmer.
Heck, some are edible. ;)

My last grandparent, my favorite Grandma (though you aren't supposed to have
favorites), passed at 4:30 pm. She was a hairdresser for 45 years. She
suffered from Alzheimers for over three years and had recently declined. She
would have been 91 next month. Tonight was bittersweet.

She moved to a nursing home in 2006 when her house was sold (she beat the
national nursing home averages by one year!)and her possessions were
divided. It had seemed like she had passed at times though she was still
living. I wear some of her costume jewelery occasionally and today, Easter
Sunday, we put her vintage spring-themed tablecloth on the table a few hours
before she passed and I reminded my family that it was Grandma's tablecloth
and to be careful to not spill anything on it. Frankly, it's been weird
using some of your Grandma's belongings when she's still around. A good
weird, but weird nevertheless. Now a trip to IN is in order later this week.

Back to the subject matter. For me personally, if I can't have flowers in my
life, well, it might not be worth living. It's a strong statement but it's
how I feel.

My Grandma loved peonies, but I'll order what is in season for her wake &
funeral. Maybe I can bring a bouquet of hyacinths--ours still look good.

Lisa