Every year hundreds of gardeners, landscape engineers and contractors converge on the Sonoma County Fair Flower Show, or "Hall of Flowers" to display their artistic talents to the masses.  The night before the fair opens, awards are presented to top landscape designers with much wine and champagne.  It's really an excuse for my mother to gather my brother and I around her, drink wine, eat delicate hors d'oeuvres, and view great floral landscapes, while returning to behaving like the annoying children we were when we were 13 and 10.

Technically, my older brother was my date.

What does that tell you about our lives?



Hello world.  Pictured above is my older brother Mike.  I love and adore him more than words can say.  I think it is always difficult for the older sibling to understand the love and admiration that comes with an annoyingly funny, ever-so-talkative, amazing younger, yet modest, redhead sister.  I am the bane of his existence.  I am pretty sure I have ruined him for all the women he will ever (or has dated - or may) marry.  But then, I grew up around very strong, capable men ... so maybe they ruined me too.

Or maybe we just search for the love that we felt growing up in a house filled with classical music, martinis, boy scouts, camping, hiking, extensive travel and delicious Sunday dinners.  My friend Laura, who was with me when my father died, still says, "Do you have any idea how lucky you were?"  Yes Laura, I do.  Just look at my brother Mike...

He's still that handsome guy who drives that cool corvette. 



Who has fun, interesting friends he will never let me date.  (See above).  Either the guy isn't good enough or I am too big of a pain in the ass ...

or could it be a little of both?

We don't talk much about the years when our father was dying of cancer.  My brother took over as head of the family.  What a thing for a 21 year old boy to take on.  Sometimes I try to bring it up in my light-hearted, ever-so-funny way, but there is nothing in those days of yesteryear that my brother wants to relive or discuss  I cannot blame him; at the young age of 20 he held our father in the shower so he could bathe while cancer destroyed our dad.  What it must have been like to see our father so weak, a proud man who had to turn to his teenage son for help.  They kept all this from me so that I could live a so-called "normal" high school life.  Our father was slowly dying, there was no way to make that "normal".

If I try to tell my brother that he was my hero through that time, he stiffens and becomes uncomfortable with the pain that comes with being the man who carried his mother's family through death and the years that followed.  He teases that we ruined him for all future women because we are so strong and independent.  Little does he realize the part he played in making us THAT strong.

He's a pretty cool guy.  Ladies... he's single...

Then, there is our mom...

 

She's the one standing.  Can you believe she is 80?  Aunt Marge is sitting there to her left (our right).  My Aunt Marge gave me my first, and only pair of Pavlova ballet point shoes.  I don't think she ever missed one of my ballet performances.  Neither did my mother for that matter.

As I watch them through the camera lens I realize how lucky I am to be surrounded by so much love.  No one wanted to mess with my digital camera or YES you'd have a photo of me too.  I think I looked pretty cute tonight. 

I have no idea who's landscapes won - we were all laughing and talking while the awards were presented, but then, I'd rather show you my garden, which consists of a fun, youthful mother, her step-sister, my brother and Brian (who could not attend because you have to be 21).  Thank God Brian is not 21 yet, or I'd really have to be thinking about getting a life...

But then ... maybe I already have a wonderful life...

Until next time-

C

http://www.aweekinthelifeofaredhead.com