Mary’s Strawberries

The strawberries have multiplied so much the past few years that my son, James and I are going to build a second bed. 

The day that I heard the news that Mary had died, I was crushed.  I was painting a huge wall mural in the Chapel at the time.  I started writing her name on the wall over and over again and planned my drive to Lethbridge.  I would join the music ministry for her ‘Good-bye’ Mass.

 

After the church service, Pat and I went over to Mary’s house and cleaned up the gardens.  Mary was an amazing gardener!  I’ll never forget what she looked like.  She was so short and spritely, but she would dawn her hat and her gloves and spend hours stooping over her vegetable gardens.  Never have you seen a harvest like the one that would yield from Mary’s garden. 

 

As a reminder of all that she had created in the spring and in the summer, I dug up four of her strawberry plants and a couple of her large irises and planted them in the evening, when I arrived home from Lethbridge.  I remember the mosquitoes were biting like crazy that year, as well!  Thank you, Mary…for being an amazing mother, for your spirituality and for your garden.  You are a part of my own ‘magic’ in the backyard…always will be!