20th February was my mum's birthday. She was born in 1930, so if she had still lived, today would have been her 91st. (She died three months after her 79th.) In my mind, I still associate this day with the first spring tulips, because she often used to get tulips for her birthday. Nowadays I often buy some tulips for myself for this day, and think of her.
We have got out of the cold spell here and it's thawing again. Yesterday, I stayed in all day, as the streets seemed to be covered with a very unpleasant mix of ice and slush (and I couldn't think of any suitable footwear for it). Today, the streets and walkways were almost bare again, though. So after lunch, I decided to try a walk to the florist's shop in town. There were still some tricky spots along the way (like when crossing streets), but not too bad. Mission accomplished: I made it there and back without mishaps, and with a nice bunch of tulips of mixed colours to enjoy for the next week or so.
The photo below is of my grandmother holding my mum when she was only 3 weeks old. And on the table to the left, what do you see? Yes! Tulips!
Zooming in on the tulips for
Sepia Saturday #558 - Letter Z
29 comments:
what a sweet picture of your mom and grandmother.. the tulips are a bright splash of color...
The tulips are beautiful; I love the different colors! And I have always loved your red checked curtains, too. Our Moms were boen only a couple years apart, and died at the same age. Your mom and grandma picture is a rare treasure.
Tulips are great messengers of spring!
The picture of your grandmother and mother as a baby is very beautiful and touching, Actually, it made me well up - in a good way :-)
Thanks Sandra. And yes, the first bunch of tulip to remind one of spring is always special :)
Thanks Ginny. Time to change the kitchen curtains soon... Some time in March, probably - before Easter :)
Thanks Meike. I've probably used it before, because after having taken the trouble to copy it with my camera (again) yesterday, I discovered I already had a neatly edited version of it on my computer (the one used above). (I really should try to get my family photos better organized on the computer... But I keep forgetting from time to time how my thoughts went last time I tried it - and so on!)
Until recently I thought tulips were a rather stiff and formal flower but in recent years I've changed my mind and this year I have planted aver 500. I shall be very interested to see how they do. They won't flower here until April or May depending on the weather.
I am another tulip devotee and plant them every year. Ut is too hot for them to naturalise here, so we put in new bulbs each year. I like the photo of your mother - how lucky you are to have one like that to remind you of her.
Looking forward to photos when the time comes, Graham! :)
Thanks Liz, and welcome. I have quite a lot of photos of my mother from over the years. But the intriguing thing about going back those from her childhood - rather than my own - is of course that those tell me she had a life even before I came into it... ;)
Lovely memories of your mother, and I can see why tulips mean so much to,you.
Tulips should be popping up soon here too. I love that there were tulips in your mom's baby photo and that you continue the tradition of tulips on her birthday.
I used to have two big half-barrels full of tulips in the spring. So lovely and colorful. What a sweet way to remember your Mom! Just be careful on those icy streets!
I've never grown tulips, so am thrilled to see the ones others plant. My son said he gave his wife a lot for valentines, and then planned to plant them. I couldn't give him any advice. Hope he got some from Mr. Google. Loved the photo of your mom as a babe.
Im sure you miss your mum but it's so lovely to have those photos.
The tulip tradition is as sweet as the photo of your grandmother and mother. Tulips won't grow well here, but my grandmother usually had some. I have purchased them now and then, but don't seem to have a handle on the best vase to use. Also - I'm intrigued that you will be changing out your curtains! I hope we will get a peek.
That's a fine way to honor a memory of love. We've had some cold and snow too but a few days ago I noticed that the first flowers are pushing up through the mulch. The tulips know their purpose is to bring joy.
Sue, sometimes things "grow on you" when you think back and try to collect scattered memories!
Wendy, there are no tulips to be seen outdoors here yet (still snow on the ground!). Those we buy at the florists' in February were obviously grown in greenhouses. In the past I think even often imported from the Netherlands.
Thanks La N, it's been thawing properly for several days now, so the main streets and walkways are okay at the moment. In the daytime, anyway. (And at night, I'm not out there...)
Barbara, I've never had a garden of my own, so have never grown tulips either.
Thanks Amy. I do have quite a lot of both photos and other things to remind me of my parents and grandparents.
Kathy, I agree finding the right vase for tulips can be tricky. I sometimes find I have to change vase (to a narrower one) after a few days if I want them to still stand up straight. (They usually last for about a week.)
Oh, and as for the curtains... I change curtains in my kitchen according to Christmas/winter vs Easter/summer season every year. It's quite a common tradition in Sweden, at least for my generation (and our mums did the same) Not buying new ones all that often - just changing the colour scheme.
Mike, we'll have to wait a while yet to see tulips outdoors here, I think. Last year spring was early as the whole winter was unusually mild. But this year we've had a proper cold spell in January-February.
Loving the splash of colors in the flowers, liking the dahlias in your coverpage picture!
Thanks Rosie. Sometimes I change my cover photo according to season, but for some reason I never got round to that this winter. Perhaps because we didn't get proper winter until January... (And I like those dahlias, too!)
Such a moving post and now nice that tulips serve as a remembrance of your mother, down to the pot of tulips on the side table when she was an infant.
Thanks Molly!
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