Meet Ada Mae, my grandmother. There is an empty place in my heart as Ada Mae did not live to see any of her daughters marry nor did she meet her grandchildren. To be quite clear, I never knew her but there is no doubt in my mind that if she had lived to see grandchildren, she would have had a Grande Garden. There is no doubt in my mind that I get this stuff from her. Blaming her. I am quite sure that if she were alive today, she would show the signs:

• Botanical names fly off the lips but one has to stop to think about which child…

• Normal people dive into restaurants, somehow I know people like Ada Mae would dive into a Garden Center and skip lunch.

• There are always plastic liners, boxes, trays in the car. Always ready for the plants to ride home.

• Covertly empty the car of plants very quickly before your husband could see them, then hide them.

• These people go to a nursery with a set amount of money, buy plants until it is gone, then go home.

• Of this ilk would purchase a plant, research as much as resources allow, and the information is forever catalogued in the memory bank whilst other vital memories decay.

I abhor widow life.  No thank you, a ticket for one please.  Try hurricanes and power outages as a single.  I use phrases like "I have to pull AC maintenance" and just when did that language ever befit me?  YouTube and power tools are my reliable friends.  Match.com... wow.  Add on longterm caregiver for my mother with extreme debilitation.  I am weary.  Depression, always unwelcome, seems to visit. I think, I think, I just got cut off!

I hear Ada Mae speak:

”Really Connie.  Whatever.” 

The cool of an April evening. Porch-time. Grab a cup of tea. Pull up a chair. Widow life is no joke. Ticket for one please. Hurricanes, then I melt down. Match.com ….wow. I quit.

I hear Ada Mae:

“Get your head and heart back in the game. Look around. There are many hurting hearts, can you not see past your own? I never got to see my children married. I never got to hold a grandchild. I never got to hold —- you. You have grandchildren. Be the grandmother I never got to be!”

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Philippians 4:8

Ada Mae goes on: “Really Connie? Whatever.”

Grandchildren. Truly grand. Grande.

True and honorable. This is perfect little kid height.

The Grande Garden is paused for a time. Vonne (Ada Mae’s oldest daughter and my mother) passed away, May 12, 2021. Vonne was a most beautiful and great lady. Visit some of her story below, in the VivaVonne garden. I mourn this loss.

Life is hard. My soul mate is gone. I choke and lose my breath and cry. Some days I cannot stop. I hear Ada Mae, “Celebrate how God has blessed you.”

This year it is dinosaurs. Maybe a fairy garden next? How about a kids’ movie scene? Many Grande Gardens for perhaps many grand babies to come!

A few weeks go by, I am pleasantly astounded at how well the garden grows, despite the grandchildren!

The Grande Garden. Thanks Ada Mae!

Until the next garden….Whatever!

Special thanks go to:

Stokely Garden Express

Charles Phillips Antiques and Architecturals