Last Thursday, I was awakened at 5:30 am by a song sparrow, singing his heart out right outside my window, a bit too early for sunrise. Half an hour later, my brother called me to say Mom had passed in her sleep, some time during the previous hour. That bird let me know beyond any doubt that there was no more pain for her, only joy.
She was interred this noon in the cemetary of the small country church where she grew up, near Wausau WI. My brother and his wife drove up for a small graveside service, just the two of them, my uncle, and my great-uncle. We'll have the memorial later, with a graveside prayer for immediate family and then a party with her numerous relatives in that area She was nearly the only one in her extended family to move away other than my cousin Kim, who moved to "far away" Milwaukee.
I'm with my dad, who is up and down as expected but doing pretty well. Glad he has his sweet golden retriever to love on, too!
Although I'm not planning on being able to do much planting this spring, I will be putting in a nice patch of daisies somewhere out back -- Mom's favorite flower. Does anybody have ox-eye daisies (plants or seeds) to share at the spring swap? She used to pick them on her way home with the cows in the evening. And of course we picked them for her every year. I had some volunteers in our little orchard area but haven't seen them in several years. I do have plenty of Montauk Daisy starts and a couple of Shastas.
We lived in Johnstown, NY until I was 4. Still have relatives in Gloversville. It's a beautiful part of New York.
I keep saying I'm going to hire a service to take care of that. Sounds like a good idea. 
luckily I think my daughter will want a couple tomatoes this year. If I can't have grandbabies yet, I may have grand-gardens 
