A Lifetime in Trees

HAT HAPPENED TO FALL?

We can never completely put away our shorts in fall and this one is no exception.  Today the storm Eta is bringing us lots of humidity and moisture, rain...drizzle, thunder, downpour we had it all today.. 

I was trying to get the new ceiling in the van, a new headliner...I was able to glue up some of the pieces...meaning I attached the fabric to the frames for the drivers compartment..NOW I have to wait for the good weather to return because I need to have the doors open and it to be cool to work in the van.  Im not going to video the process...I may take some stills it's just too much to try and edit that so I will put together a video of stills maybe of it...Im up in the air about exactly how it will be installed it's such a puzzle fact finding mission. 

I did some sewing had to piece the U shaped trim piece that will mount over the cabin ceiling when it's installed...it goes behind the sun visors so you have an idea of the area Im talking about.  It came out good so hope to mount it without any glitches.  Also covered the luan piece I made to fit as the new ceiling.

This is a photo my sis sent me, she put this memorial on her table to remember Mom's passing.  The 3 Douglas Fir Cones represent us, her 3 children...and that scarf under it was one of Mom's treasures for years and years. 

Mom, 1924-2019

Last night I watched the live stream of the Hospice Memorial Event...My Mom was remembered, and I saw 4 other people I knew who had passed in 2020..One was my 8th grade Science Teacher I really liked him..and one was my wayward friend's brother.  He was still a young man but he had diabetes and I don't think he tried to manage it very well.  He had an amputation about 6 or 7 years ago..became permanently disabled since his job had been driving a truck for the city.  That was sad to see.  She has lost her mother and a brother now.  Very sad, I attended her Mother's funeral, a few years back. 

It was a very touching memorial service...and My sisters got to watch too since it was live streamed.  Each person who attended in person got a tree to plant in honor of their loved one..My Mom memorialized herself, she planted many trees here on this piece of land we live on and they stand in her honor every single day..

One tree I have threatened to cut down, the Magnolia that sheds huge leaves year round..it makes a mess..but it's there, 50 ft tall or more her friend Bennie Mae Johnson gave her that she brought it to work, Mom brought it home and planted it in the front yard...Bennie Mae is buried at the AME church on Pickett Thomas Rd...and the squirrels have buried many of the seeds so now there's baby magnolias all out in the woods of our place. 

There is her Maple tree.  

Remember her best friend who passed, Nettie, she gave mom that little maple sapling many years ago dug it out of her yard, and now it's a mature Maple.  It puts on a beautiful fall display every year.  And it provided a nice branch for a windchime I made.

 There's all the Cedar trees we planted along the front of her yard, in fact we planted so many we ended up sawing a few down they blocked the view....and the Cyprus down the driveway and in the back yard all big trees now...

Alongside the fence is a huge Camelia bush that is now a tree it's in full bloom currently and the American Dogwood we transplanted from the edge of the woods into her backyard its almost fully grown now and blooms in Spring and feeds birds all fall long with berries. 

There is a Water Oak in the front yard she brought from a rental house where my sister lived in town way back in 1978.  Mom was staying with my sister while we were getting her house ready for her to move into...she transplanted that Oak, its now HUGE 60 ft tall Im sure.  

Out in the field , the old the horse pasture, she planted a Mimosa, her friend Pat had given her that one, the deer kept trying to kill it but now it's growing and doing pretty good...Pat is in a crypt almost directly across from Mom, she passed away several years back.. 

She had a huge White Pine tree it died and we had to cut it down about 3 yrs ago.  She brought that one back from a trip we made to NC to attend a horse race.  My husband was a fence judge for Steeplechase Racing,  she went along with us that time.  She pulled it out of the ground and brought it home in her purse. Pine Beetles got it. 

I know the history of every tree and shrub and flower she planted for the most part, it is part of her legacy and her history here on this old  homestead. 
There is the Rhododendrons we brought back from the Blue Ridge Mountains, her Rose of Sharon, the Pampas Grass, Grandma's White Irises, The Orange spotted Tiger Lily and a fussy Peonie that rarely blooms anymore, the Azaleas, the day Lilies, the Daffodils...I know the history of each one.  I know where she first planted them and then if they didn't do well she would move them.  It's a history I should write down somewhere..a permanent place. 

Her beloved African Violet died just after she did, she lovingly tended  it for half a lifetime.  It knew, that plant shared her bedroom  for 40 or so years. She raised and lowered the blind daily giving it the light it loved.  She got it from my dad's half sister Katie,  along with a succulent that I am now the care taker of.  My Aunt Katie is buried in the family plot in TN.  

So many of the potted plants I have are from cuttings Mom and I shared with each other..she loved plants and nature and she nurtured and raised a forest of trees...

So many little bits of her love of nature still here hopefully standing for years to come..Many of the deeds we do, outlive us for many centuries and get passed down through generations...hopefully the seeds we sow are done in love and are all good ones..

My Mom passed away one year ago today as you read this Nov 12.  If tears were diamonds I would be a wealthy woman, and so would my sisters.  We have many wonderful memories of our Mom she was such a joy...And we Loved her truly.
Forever and beyond Mom...forever and beyond.