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| Red Flame Dahlia |
Fourteen years ago, my mom got up on that Glad getting up hour- and it's so strange, it was at 5am, the hour she got up every morning. I remember the mornings at home - at 5am, you could hear "Nothing Could be Finer than to Be in Carolina" floating all through the house.
But June Cleaver she was not. Her roast beef was to die for - and no one has been able to duplicate it. She left no written record. But her meat loaf. We groaned every time she proudly served it. Only my dad who would eat anything but tofu hot dogs would eat it.
She could be cantankerous and funny and thoughtful. And when she left us on that glad getting up hour, it was as if the light went out of our daily gathering at our favorite watering hole.
Here's what I learned from this smart talking, chain smoking woman named Ginger who smoked Virginia Slims just for the irony of it.
The 10 Rules of Ginger:
1. Think about it - everybody, every side has a point and our job is to understand it.
2. Get up! You can get a half day's work done by 10 am.
3. Cheesecake Is Green. And delicious. (When my brother took me to my first upscale restaurant, I first tried to take the dessert off the dessert tray. Why would they bring it around, if they didn't want you to eat it? So I ordered cheesecake, and when it came, it was yellow. Who Ever heard of yellow cheesecake? It's puky compared to my mom's beautiful pistachio cheesecake with graham cracker crust. Then my brother who's older told me the most amazing fact. Cheesecake isn't green. Who knew. But it should be.)
4. Smoke 'em while you got 'em. Ah, but that's what got her way too soon.
5. When your sister asks you to babysit her grandchildren and says they need to stay up for a later nap to stay on schedule, grin and say yes. But the minute she drives away, rock them to sleep.
6. Put groceries on someone else's porch, especially if the kids are in need. But don't tell anyone you did it.
7. Don't make a pet out of a bull! They get BIG!
8. Nehru jackets are for Moms! Especially maroon ones!
9. And when They tell you women shouldn't speak up in Church or run for office that's when you need to question them and stand up.
10. Hold my hand. I need you!
Red Flame Dahlia is available as an 11x14" archival print.. Click to see what's available or Send me a message with questions.
"Everyone has inside of him a piece of good news. The good news is that you don't know how great you can be! How much you can love! What you can accomplish! And what your potential is!" - Anne Frank
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