Yesterday, my husband had a list of errands - buy some mulch for the garden, run to the grocery store for a few things, and stop at the craft store to pick up some supplies for his latest project. Sometimes when he goes on these marathon adventures, he brings me back little surprises - a bunch of fresh flowers, my favorite oatmeal raisin cookies. (He's a good man!) Yesterday, he came home with bags of gladiola bulbs. He had carefully chosen bulbs in my favorite colors. The bulbs immediately brought back vivid memories of my grandmother.
She was a gardener. Every year she would plant gladiolas - hundreds of them! We live in a climate that requires that the bulbs be dug up every fall, stored for the winter, and planted again in late spring. I remember being so eager to help her. For some reason, I am not exactly sure why, my grandma would soak the bulbs in concentrated Lysol before planting them. I imagine it was to keep bugs away but I regret never asking her why. She would dig the holes and I would pull each bulb out of the bucket of Lysol and place it in the ground. She would cover it with dirt and we would move onto the next one. These are such happy memories for me - spending time with my grandmother in the warm days of late spring digging in the dirt and burying promises of tall, beautiful flowers. I can not begin to describe how that smell of Lysol transports me to the garden and my memories of planting gladiolas with my grandmother.
Sometimes special words or phrases take us back to another time long ago. Often, pictures can help us relive a special moment in our lives. But the smell of Lysol will always bring me back to the little me crouching next to my grandma planting those beautiful gladiolas.
I am anxious to get my gladiola bulbs in the ground. I need to wait a few weeks to be sure the weather will stay warm enough. As I place each bulb in the ground, I will think of those special moments with my grandmother. I will watch and wait patiently until late summer, when they will bring me the beautiful spikes of colors and memories. Wonderful memories.
I am participating in the
March Slice of Life Challenge.
Each day we post our thoughts.
Thank you, Two Writing Teachers!
Day 15 - Gladiolas and Memories
