THE day to Honor Mom!

One day? I guess one is better than none 🙂

Because I don’t have any of my chillun’s to do anything with, or make me breakfast in bed or even pick a dandelion, I thought I’d sit down here and share with you a few thoughts…and my flowers.

Before I became a full-time harvester’s wife and mom, I had a garden. If you don’t remember the story or if you’ve never read any previous posts, I stayed home with Jamie and Jenna for a few summers before we decided to do the harvest as a family. Jim went on the summer run with my Grandpa, Grandma, Mom and Dad (and two brothers). I HATED seeing everyone leave for the summer and I remember some days just dying for some adult conversation. I look back on it now and am glad I had that time-just me and the girls.

Jamie was 2 and Jenna was a month old when we followed the harvesters as far south as Lebanon, KS to wave goodbye. My Great Grandma lived there so I used that as the excuse to follow them. I got to PRETEND I was part of the crew for a little while anyway. It was a very difficult drive back home as I watched those combines in my rearview mirror. When it became just me and the girls, I would plant my garden. I loved working in there – a great stress relief and I enjoyed watching everything grow. I would mix flowers and vegetables together to create a different sort of garden. Who said they had to be separate?

After I became a harvester again, the only thing left of my gardening days was whatever perennials were planted and whatever could reseed itself. I usually leave in the spring with the gardens looking beautiful and come back in the fall to a HUGE mess. The weeds figure out no one is going to get rid of them any time soon so they have a heyday. There were a few years while Jim’s Dad was alive he would go to my gardens and pull weeds. He didn’t know just how much I appreciated that act and how much it helped!! He’d even take a bucket of water along with him (we shut the water off) to give the buckeye tree a drink. I wish he could see that tree now!

So, when I look at my garden, I see the years that it took to reach the beauty it shows off today. My yard is definitely a part of me. If we were to ever leave that yard, it would break my heart!

This is my “memory garden”. My Grandpa (my mom’s dad) helped me build it. The dark yellow iris was from my Great Grandma (from Lebanon). When she gave it to me, she told me that when it bloomed, I could always think of her…and I do. The poppies and tiger lilies came from my Harvest Grandma and Grandpa’s yard, as well as the limestone fence post.