Field Flowers and Birds for Tracy Onchuck
The basket on Tracy's grave
Inspiration Station Challenge Photo Prompt (Sept.2024)
my mother's homeplace
a close up of the home place (not quite as clear)
my brother-in-law Captain Richard Bernarde (USMC)
my sister Marlene Young Bernarde
my maternal grandmother (she died when I was about 3 (I think)
my mother's younger brother Carl - he died in outdoor swing accident at age 2 or 3
my mother's younger brother Carl died in an outdoor swing accident when he was 2 or 3
my mom and dad, Jack and Geneva Evitt Young
my mom and dad's first two babies, one was stillborn and the other one died at six weeks.
For my sweet niece Tracy who died at 2, I wanted to create an arrangement of field flowers and I could just imagine how she would have giggled if we walked upon it and startled the birds into taking flight.
My earliest memories included a pilgrimage on the forth Sunday morning in August to the Evitt (our family) cemetery. Although later when we moved to South Carolina my mother would buy flowers for her loved ones, I have wonderful memories of watching her cut, shape and dip crepe paper flowers in wax. She gathered the wreath bases that were being thrown away when the cemetery was cleaned by all the family who gathered to do this before each decoration day (4th Sunday in August). In addition to the beautiful flowers she made she gathered fresh greenery from the creek banks and arranged all of this on the wreaths and put on the stands she also collected. She was so talented, her arrangements were simply beautiful. She moved in with my sister in Texas when she was a little over 80 and I took over being responsible to make sure the graves that she had always cared for, continued to be adorned on Evitt Decoration day (4th Sunday morning in August). I started out buying them at a local florist, my brothers and sisters contributed to the costs) When I saw an ad from the local tech school for a floral arranging course lasting 4 consecutive weeks at night I enrolled, and way before stamping and cardmaking my hobby was arranging flowers. I did several weddings including my nieces in Wisconsin. This was in 2000, which was good since I didn't want to loose my tools or the silks I was doing for the wedding venue, I packed it all in my carry on. My checked bags arrived arrived thankfully or I might have had to borrow some clothes for the wedding. This was before 9/11 or who knows I might not have been allowed on the plane with "that" carryon. Anyway after all these years they are still happily married and have 4 super sons (they really are.)
Of course, I have to share the story behind the cemetery. Mothers grandparents lived in the white house and they raised crops in the field in the picture. One day my great great grandmother looked across the field to where the cemetery is now and told her husband that when she passed away she wanted to buried upon that beautiful tree shaded knoll. So a certain portion of land officially became the Evitt Cemetery and nobody seems to know for sure which family member was buried there first.
Thanks for visiting.
PS I was inspired by the field in front of the buildings and at the house at the very back of the prompt photo! One of my favorite things about the
Inspiration Station Challenge Blog, is you can do whatever artistic presentation you would like too, you are not limited! So show us what you make. Smiles, Kathy
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