In Memoriam

Today, November 4, was the birthday of my beloved Aunt Rina.  She passed away about 8 years ago, while I was living in Norco.

Aunt Rina was one of the people in my life who understood and encouraged my love of horses, for her own daughter Lynda (my cousin) was also bitten by the horse bug at an early age.

"Auntie" would take us horseback riding when they visited our family every Christmas when I was growing up.  My own mother was afraid of horses, but Aunt Rina and my father would take the three of us and my cousin Lynda riding at Cactus Stable every year that I can remember in my early childhood.

The last time I saw my aunt, she gave me a cutting from one of her geraniums.  (She had a green thumb and her property was covered with flowers and shrubs) I stuck it in the ground as she told me, and it grew into a huge plant in the yard of my Lakewood, California, home.  Shortly after that, I took ten cuttings from that plant and stuck them in the ground when I moved to Norco.  They also thrived.

The day she died, one of those ten plants burst into bloom out of season (the others were flower-less).

Unfortunately, the cutting I took from that plant did not survive the winter when I moved to my current home in Star Valley, Arizona.

But I think of my aunt frequently, especially if I see a red geranium blooming.

Thanks for the memories, Auntie.  And happy birthday.