I wiped away the weeds & foam. / I fetched my sea-born treasures home... Ralph Waldo Emerson







Sunday, May 8, 2011

Mothers Day


This was my mother's favorite painting [below], by her favorite artist...a postcard copy of it was tucked under the glass top of her dressing table for as long as I can remember....

Vase of Roses
Vincent van Gogh 1890

I suppose she knew it was white roses....but she always thought of this as apple green wall, apple green vase and apple blossoms. So perfect for May and Mothers Day.
Both my parents loved springtime and took great joy in watching their yard and woods come into bloom.


My dad was especially fond of the urban plantings of Bradford pear trees, like these in my town by the sea....



All the towns and villages here plant these wonderful trees.

at the end of this small street is the open Atlantic Ocean!

What a joy to see the gnarled black limbs suddenly burst into white sudsy mounds, like snowfall in May---only better.



And yes...at the end of *this* little block is
also the Atlantic Ocean and miles of white sand beach


When each of their children were born, my dad planted a dogwood tree for my mother on the next Mothers Day as a special gift, a living remembrance, of each birth. A pink dogwood for my older brother, white for me. And each time they moved to a new house (hand built by my dad with my mom at his side, handing him the hammer, getting him a beer, cleaning up the mess. OMG, the mess...) he'd plant two dogwoods for her on the first Mothers Day in their new home.


I was always impressed that it was a day he showed his pride and reverence for the mother of his kids...it was always more their day to celebrate, though as I grew up I sent cards and bottles of Paris perfume, perhaps a new shared journal or a treasured book....

dunes with wild apple tree or shadblow
And all these years later I like to picture the dogwoods in bloom, back in Ohio and Illinois and on Cape Cod. Alone now...but still standing strong. I hope.




love

             lizzy


gone to the beach....










PS I was thrilled to see pink dogwood blossoms for Mothers Day, on my favorite blog, 52 Flea. Her photos are exceptional! Here's the link, take a look! (Laura lets her pix tell her stories, she doesn't ramble on like I do! So I know you'll enjoy!)

love

lizzy