MOM'S GERANIUM

A little over a year ago, I lost one of my best friends.  My mom.  She lived a long life, well into her 80s - but it's still hard and I miss her every day.  Now, memories of her play in my mind.  Daily, I see or do things that trigger thoughts of mom, and that's a wonderful thing.

The fall before she died, she and I were clearing out her garden pots and getting things ready for winter.  There was one huge geranium in a pot that she was ready to toss, but I suggested that I take it home and nurse it through the winter, with plans to return it to her in the spring.  

I spend a lot of time in my art room, especially in the winter.  It's also the room that gets the best light for plants.    So, here it is, in full bloom, last January!  I felt like I had a little bit of mom with me while I painted through this especially dark, cold, Wisconsin winter.   

Now, it's out in my garden storing up energy to get it through the winter to come.  And it is BEAUTIFUL!  I've even rooted multiple cuttings, not wanting to take a chance of losing this plant.  

You can see just a bit of it off on the center of the left side of this photo - one of the first plants to be seen as you enter the garden from the front of our house.  

 And last, but not least, I chose Mom's geranium as my model for drawing today, after adding watercolor . . .

and before.

Looking forward to many, many years of remembering mom through her beautiful geranium.