My Mother's parents lived in a big house on top of the hill surrounded by fruit trees and the irrigation ditches and canals with the Owyhee mountains as the back drop to our parametric view from our Grandparents home. The snake river was just around the corner with Lizard butte equally seen out in the back yard. As a kid this place was fascinating, as a teenager it was inspiring and as an adult it was better in my memories, for once my Grandparents died it was never as green, as perfect as when they lived there.
Growing up with fresh fruit right off the trees, peaches, plums and apples was made fun by seeing how the farm was run. It was wonderful to have extended family so close, to see everyone for the holidays. If my mother and I had a fight I would simply walk up the hill to get away from her, visiting withe Grandma and my aunts. They would offer advice and wisdom so that I would go back home smarter in how I handled my problems.
If I hadn't had those women in my life whenever things got bad then I wouldn't be back in awe of all my big life lessons and how different from my mother I always am.
My mother struggled in getting along with her family many times I observed this often growing up. Yet she really needed them, she would cling to them at times trying to get them to do exactly what she wanted, she was a great cook who always invited everyone over for a birthday party or a special holiday as a kid I loved seeing everyone come together, as an adult I still do!
At least once or twice a year my mother would get us kids ready for a road trip to Portland and her mother would always join us too.
Grandma Norma came from Portland Oregon after marrying Grandpa Ansil. They were newlyweds on the orchard farm in Wilder Idaho that when I was born, their first Grandchild they had successfully made into thriving, producing farm through those years. So I grew up in the riches of the earth with everything mature, everything established. The sprinklers pop up through out the rows of trees and my youngest Aunt Karen who often babysat us would race down in the mud laughing and encouraging us to do the same while we loved to simply play away those summer days!
When my Aunt Karen went off to college, I cried.
She was my bubbly, happy and outgoing Aunt who loved to be goofy, to be playful and to always giggle when hugging me. I had a very strong memory after our road trip to Portland, after we found Karen's college my mom was still driving when Grandma saw her baby daughter walking across the parking lot in front of us, since I was sitting in the backseat it startled me that Grandma flew out of the car as mom had to slam on her brakes, Grandma Norma yelled out "Karen! Karen!" her arms opened wide and the true surprise in Aunt Karen as she spun around running into her mother's arms. I stared on in awe of their embrace and wonder of how much they had missed each other! My own mother snapped "She could of waited till I had parked the car." I laughed on thinking how it was such a sweet greeting to see that I would never ever forget it.
The day before my brother's viewing I had gotten my mom ready to get out of her cottage for the sunny afternoon. I had done up her hair and loaded her wheel chair, for I had been out there on the farm with her every day since he had died. It was time to go into town and be among a small safe amount of society.
I drove her to Caldwell Idaho where Aunt Karen waited for us in her coffee shop. It was truly peaceful to get my mother settled, her sister sat beside her all afternoon. The 3 of us ladies shared a very special time. We talked about Grandma and Grandpa, about the best days of the farm and how many adventures in Portland we always had. We laughed, we got teary eyed and we simply delighted in time together. My mother asked her sister for some really nice jewelry to wear at the funeral, my Aunt half hugged her close as all the pain in this sad time washed through us. I said as we left that this had been exactly what we needed. I had arrived feeling weary and worn out but I left smiling at how it had been the perfect afternoon with us ladies resting over refreshments about to face the next 2 days of such grieving loss. Aunt Karen and My Mother sitting together as my Mom says to her "My Baby Boy has died." they lean into each other and I simply let my tears quietly rolling down my face.
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