More than ten years ago, when Cecilia came here to visit and we were all in a state of crisis over Zach, Beth and Cecilia created a special "Cecilia garden" in the rocks outside my door. They found rocks and painted them with the names of everyone in Cecilia's "village," and pets played a big part. (Beth made sure of this, I suspect.)Since then, the rock-painting became a yearly ritual, as new family members were added. And pets that had died got moved to the back section of the garden for "lost pets," a special cemetery looked over by an angel.
With Momma and Daddy sick last fall and the long, relentless winter, I never put the garden to bed and gathered up the stones. And when Cecilia came this spring, she and Kate had only one day here, so no new rocks got painted nor those pets who had passed into the world of pet spirits (including beloved Desi) grieved. Somehow it just made me too sad to do it alone.
Enter our family heroine: Bethy. She arrived on Sunday with a van full of flowers, mulch and soil and set to work.
Now the garden has been restored, and new rocks will be added in time. The tradition lives on. Thanks, Bethy! You rock. (No pun intended.)
9 comments:
How very sweet of Beth to take care of this beautiful memorial garden:) What an uplifting feeling this must bring when gazed upon. I had no idea this little area was in your yard. It has been a while since I was there! I love the concept :)
I have always liked that garden. I watched Beth do it, if that counts for anything. The tragic thing about the garden is the mortality rate of Cecilia's pets is alarming. In New Hampshire you have pets being trampled by moose, attacked by Fisher Cats and succumbing to the sheer unrelenting cold. We were trying to decide which of the fish and cats were still with us and which had moved to the great beyond.
For a few of them we just moved them reeeeallly close to the angel of death in the garden to hedge our bets.
Nature is nasty up there in the North, I see. I prefer the little garden to your images, Mitch! ;}
Beth suggested that we put people we no longer care for in the cemetery section, then carelessly tossed Mitch's rock and a couple of other village members into the land of the lost. It wasn't, I hope, intentional, but I rescued them and put them back in the garden. We need new rocks for Cecilia's newest nephew Amitai, my sweet Fiona, and soon one for Mitch and Laurie's baby. I will paint them before summer comes and goes and hope that no more critters die and end up in the lost pets section. However, I hear that Cecilia will soon have chickens, and I know from experience that coyotes roam New England -- and there's not much a coyote likes more than chicken and eggs for dinner.
But surely the rooster (or Cecilia!) will usher them into their hen house at night!! (Chickens!! Yea, Cecilia! A girl after my own heart!:)
I also have to remark that Beth looks incredibly skinny in this picture. I thought I was looking at a high school era picture. She should market the "less than one bag of gummy bears a day" diet to the masses.
Aww, you're the best bro ever, Mitchy. And here i was feeling rather dumpy. I have been down to less that one bag o' bears per week lately. I did eat a double cheeseburger and fries from Five guys today - yummy!
I have a serious plant addiction. The other night, I was up with insomnia all night long and before I realized it I had ordered $150 worth of plants that I have no space for. But they're so pretty...
You need my two acres, sweetie. You can plant to your heart's content. That's IF you can dig through the rock and tree roots and heavy silica/clay soil to plant anything. Come on up soon, and we'll make a "Bethy garden," okay?
It is kind of funny,
I had no idea there was a crisis going on at all.
I thought it was just something to do.
For me this has always been just part of my childhood.
Okay, just to clear the air, there are four pets still living.
Pudge (Pudgable as her rock says), Louisa, Casey, and Schroder. Sadly, all others have moved to the lost pet section.
I love Amitai, he definatly needs a rock.
Okay, sleepy.
goodnight.
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