A Rose of Sharon completes the Circle of Life on Cape Cod.
We're new in our little neighborhood, having moved to our little Dancing Brook ranch in Brookhaven (that’s in South Yarmouth, on Cape Cod) only three years ago. We haven’t met a lot of folks in the neighborhood, this being New England and all, although we have tried.
One of the people we did meet I'll call "Laurie". She’s an older woman (I’m pretty sure she said she’s in her late eighties) who accomplishes more in a day than most people do in a week and is always looking for new and interesting things to try. She’s an avid gardener like myself, although Father Time has ordered her to reduce her hours a bit.
I met Laurie on what started as a walk around the block. It was a glorious Mid-September day – all the fall flowers in bloom, everything was still a healthy green. She was driving down our little street like a bat out of hell, nearly running me down as I stood on the side of the road, admiring her plantings. She pulled into her driveway and jumped out of the car, oblivious to my existence, headed to her front door.
“Your gardens look wonderful” I called out, and she stopped short, turned around and gave me a great big smile. “Why thank you. My dear husband planted most of it years ago …” she started, and I was off on a whirlwind tour of her gardens, her new gazebo, the grape arbors and then the house, her wood carvings, needlework, oil paintings and afghans, all accompanied with the story of her life.
She had seen my gardens when she flew by my house, so as we were neighbors and fellow gardeners, we got into detail about her plantings (she apologized that she couldn't remember any of the plant names, but she knew who planted them and when). As we walked she pointed out plants here and there and noted which child, grandchild or friend they were being grown for.
My gardens, being new, are still a little bare in spots and kind of a work in progress, so I'm always on the lookout for fellow gardeners with attractive perennials they might like to share. As we walked she pointed out a little twig growing amidst a crop of day lilies. “That one is for you” she said. “When is the best time to move it?”
It was a little baby Rose of Sharon, and around here the best time to move one is in the spring, so she made a note (she said she couldn’t remember much without writing it down), and we continued rummaging through the artifacts of her eighty plus years in this world and over thirty in her little retirement ranch in South Yarmouth on Cape Cod.
The winter of ’09 kicked in shortly thereafter. I have to say it was the worst winter I ever faced in my life. The weather was nasty, but that’s to be expected. The national news was horribly depressing, our family economics were treacherous, my physical condition was deteriorating and it seemed it would never, ever end.
That horrible winter took its toll on our little street too - our neighbor across the street underwent chemo, the woman in the house next to his was hospitalized and never returned home (she went into assisted living in Harwich) and we suddenly lost a neighbor two houses down. There are only ten houses on out little street, and just six live here year round.
I thought about Laurie a few times over the winter – I didn’t see her little white car bombing around the neighborhood and I was concerned. She was such a spirited, fascinating person, anachronistic to be sure, a living reminder of a time rapidly passing away, but a time I saw as superior in many ways to what was happening around me. I wondered if she would remember the little tree, or if the little thing would make it through the winter.
Spring is here in South Yarmouth on old Cape Cod - it's actually been pretty nice (which is rare here). The daffodils are in bloom, tulips are up and lilacs ready to go (they generally don't come out till Memorial Day!!). Our family finances have stabilized somewhat, the news, though grim, is shot with rays of optimism, and I'm recovering from back surgery and feel 100% better.
I can't work in my gardens yet (Doctor's orders, rigidly enforced by the Mrs.), but I can walk around and look at all the new life, and plan what I'm going to do when I'm able. I was walking through the front gardens when up the street strode an old woman, big, floppy straw sun hat on her head, carrying a big plastic bucket of dirt, in it a little tiny Rose of Sharon.
"I think it will be OK" said Laurie, putting her bucket on the garden bench. "I think it will be OK."
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On Steve Gregory's web site [Mom's House on the Cape] you'll find Cape Cod Resources for Aging, Assisted Living, Elder Law, Estate Planning and Real Estate. On his Facebook Page you'll find current information on assisted living, elder law, real estate etc., plus Mom's Recipe Box and Dad's Tool Box. Check it out.
For all your Cape Cod Real Estate needs, call or text Steve at 508.241.3547
TAGS:dancing brook,south yarmouth,cape cod,gardens,rose of sharon
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