Flowers

I love flowers; all kinds. I wish I was a better gardener. I like a manicured landscape. Ours is still a work in progress.

I live in what used to be my grandmother's house. She died in 2001 at age 91. Most of the flowers and other landscaping I have were planted by her. Come spring, the blooming begins. By mid February, the daffodils start coming up. I've counted at least 6 different varieties. By the first of May, the irises begin blooming and continue until after Mother's Day.

The dogwood trees bloom around Easter and the kids are always photographed in front of the white one in the front yard, chronicling their growth through the years.

We've had to lose a couple of bushes; an azalea and a giant, oak leaf hydrangea. That was sad, but I still have one of the hydrangeas in the front yard. It is huge and beautiful and continues to thrive even with amateur gardeners whacking on it.

Then there are the forsythia bushes and the ivy (which I am currently trying to transplant), and other shrubs that I don't know the names of.

By summer, day lilies and tiger lilies (I guess that's what they are) are blooming. Orange is not my favorite color, but I've come to enjoy them, mostly because she planted them. The day lilies were all but gone when I discovered them and moved them. (Ronnie had mowed them down with the weedeater for about five years.)

I have dug up bulbs and moved them all around the yard. It is very gratifying to see the flowers still thriving after all these years. It seems that moving them gives them a boost or something. They seem to like new surroundings. Of course, it is economical to use the same bulbs instead of buying new ones, but there is also an element of keeping her memory alive by keeping her flowers. It is impossible to look out the kitchen window at the blooms without thinking of her.

It seems a bit metaphorical to me. Ma Carroll lived through times that people had to be tough just to survive. The Great Depression, 9 kids, losing her husband too soon; to name just a few. We've also had our character building time. The hardest few years of my life ended with my 2 boys being diagnosed with autism, my own diagnosis of fibromyalgia, and my husband losing his job at his first pastorate. It was hard and it was bad; really, really bad. When I look back on it, I'm still amazed that we survived. Two words - grace and mercy.

It was during that very difficult time that we moved into Ma's house. It was small, but it was a safe haven. We've since added on a master suite, painted, pulled up old carpet to reveal hardwood floors, etc. I'm happy with my house, my yard, and my flowers. It feels like home.

Me, Ma, the flowers; we're from tough stock. We persevere.

I think Ma would be happy that I'm here. And while I know she would want me to be at home and do whatever I wanted, I think she would be pleased to see me enjoying and preserving her flowers.

Camp Canezy

We just wrapped up the 7th annual Camp Canezy. Canezy is a combination of Cathy + Jeanne + Suzy - me and my sisters.

It began as Cathy's idea. As the camping veteran, she had a camper and had taken her kids when they were younger. I came up with the name. It has continually evolved and grown every year. So much so, that we now have visitors who want to come to camp if only to participate for a day or an evening.

Each year has its own theme and we decorate t-shirts, have a talent show, go on nature hikes, do crafts, go to the pool, play "campo" (a form of bingo) with prizes, and have s'mores. Since our acquisition of a dvd projector several years ago, we have added nightly movies with popcorn.

(This year's theme was "Camp Rock" which provided much inspiration to campers and counselors, alike.)

We started out in a pop-up camper, but quickly outgrew that. We tried tents, but that wasn't very fun. (no fun for me, anyway) We now rent cabins. I've been told that it isn't really camping. Maybe not, but we never said it was camping; it's Camp Canezy. It's not about the camping; it's about the memories, the laughter, and the time together. Sometimes, I think it's as much about the three sisters as it is about the kids. Although, the kids have a large time and come home with all sorts of goodies.

We all lead hectic, busy lives. We send quick emails and even shorter text messages. We get together at holidays, but that sometimes becomes about getting everybody fed. Camp provides a unique opportunity to spend extended time together. (with lots of blackmail picture possibilities)

I hope it will continue to grow and be a part of our family for a long time. My kids talk about it to others as if everybody's family does this and people ought to know exactly what they are talking about. Maybe people will learn what it's about and consider a family camp of their own. If they do, I've got lots of ideas. :)