Re: [gardeners] Weekend report

George Shirley (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Sat, 16 Aug 2003 12:15:01 -0500

pennyx1@juno.com wrote:
> George, your recent report on  your visit to dughter's new home in
> Tomball tickles my memory bank -- except that I am sure that Jim
> and I never quite accomplished all the work that you did!  
> 
> Zoe must be very precious to you -- I can well remember my 1st
> grandson's reply as he was helping me prune and dig out the weeds at 
> my daughter's house.. What would you like Grandma to bring next
> week, so we can plant something for you to grow..? Not a moment's
> hesitation till he said,  strawberries and mashed potatoes. He was
> very busy pulling my leg, aged 5. 

Yup, Miss Zoe is our first greatgrandchild, daughter of our eldest 
grandson. She looks exactly like Josh did at that age only with a much 
better temperament. She can certainly throw a fit though. We see her 
about every two to three months so she's still a little uncertain of us 
but by Sunday she was warming up nicely. Miz Anne is closer to her as 
she likes to draw and paint and that's what the artist grannie helps her 
with. We're Grannie Annie and Granpa George to all the grands and the 
great, helps keep us straight with all the various other grandparents. 
Zoe is growing beans in a paper cup on the windowsill of their apartment 
and gives us email reports via her Dad as to how they are growing.


> I'm sure I told you that annecdote a long time ago -- but the best
> part was that I did bring Alpine strawberry plants and some spuds
> with eyes, and we planted them. He watered them, he pulled the
> weeds -- and 4 years later the strawberries were still growing
> there! 

Our children gardened with us and the daughter still does where she can. 
Our son turned out to be fond of houseplants and, in college, his 
apartment looked like a jungle. His wife makes him hang his plants on 
the patio and around the backyard as they would interfere with her 
decorating. I don't say that in a bad way, she's a very good interior 
decorator, makes good money as a make-up artist, and knows a lot about 
antiques, just doesn't care for plants in the house while the children 
are small.

Middle grandson, now twenty, has a few plants in his apartment but I 
fear they will die as he works 14-16 hours a day and is planning to 
attend junior college this fall if the grants and scholarships fall in 
line. Eldest grandson drives for UPS and makes a lot of money and 
they're saving for a house. Guess they are growing up okay although we 
dispaired of them for awhile.

Eldest granddaughter is a junior in high school and is taking a few 
"concurrent" classes. As I understand it she satisfies her requirements 
for high school and garners hours for her freshman year in college. She 
takes the classes at Tomball College, a community college just down the 
road from their home. The high school is about the same distance in the 
other direction so Megan stays busy. I had never heard of such a thing 
and no one around Louisiana has either but sounds like a good deal. Meg 
is a straight A student anyway so she will make it.

> He lives down in South Carolina now, and we don't get to see him
> anymore. Real sadness ...  Make sure that you visit with Zoe just
> as often as you can manage, so the bonds of the early days remain
> with you, George. 
> 
> Penny, NY -- finally getting the power back on...!!
> 

The wallpaper on this computer is a picture of me holding Zoe when she 
was only two days old. Our family is our life.

George