Monday, September 7, 2009

The Fruits of Mom's Labor


It's only fitting that I should do this post on Labor Day. Those of you who know my mother know the kind of energy she has (and that we wish we had) and how she puts it to good use. She worked for 35 years as a hairdresser, all of it full-time. Since she owned her own shop, located at our house, she was always available to me as a mother.

Once she retired, she didn't let the grass grow under her feet. She learned to play golf and played it well. She rode GOBA (Great Ohio Bicycle Adventure), which is a seven-day ride, fifty miles each day. She also devoted more time to her gardening, which she's enjoyed all her life, and became a Master Gardener. She's done flowers for weddings, even catered a wedding reception, and is a certified floral judge.

This past week, her local newspaper featured her in their special insert, because of her public service, namely with the Children's Garden in Smiley Park in her hometown of Van Wert, Ohio. If you've ever been to the gardens, you may have seen her working there and you know it is a labor of love.


I've scanned the article from The Van Wert Times-Bulletin, so you can read it here. Usually a mother is proud of her kids or grandkids and wants to brag about them to others. Obversely, I'm proud of my mom, so I hope you'll allow me to brag about her.


Click on each photo to bring up a larger, readable version.





If you're ever in the area, you really should stop and see the Children's Garden, which is located in Smiley Park, across from the Van Wert airport, on West Leeson Avenue. If you happen to see my mom working there, say hello. She'd love that.


18 comments:

Lisa at Greenbow said...

The next time we go north I will try to remember to stop and see the childrens garden. It is no wonder that you are such a hard worker and are so creative. You get that honestly.

Sweet Home and Garden Carolina said...

Like Mother, like daughter :-) Your Mother is terrific, Kylee and a great role model for you to follow. No wonder you're so proud of her.

It's wonderful to see such close relations between mother and daughter.

BTW you two look more like sisters than daughter and mother.

Louise Hartwig said...

What can I say? So nice of you. If I could write a blog, I could tell the world how proud I am of you. Love you Mom

Diana said...

Kylee -- what a great tribute to your Mom. I'm so glad we got to meet you both in Chicago. Her Children's Garden project sounds amazing. You both have so much to be proud of.

Robin's Nesting Place said...

Well deserved boast. Your mom is a special woman and the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

Janet, The Queen of Seaford said...

Wonderful tribute to your mom Kylee! What an interesting woman.

Anonymous said...

Congrats.

Meeting your mom at Spring Fling was one of the things that made it so much fun for me. Just the amount of energy that she gave off made me realize I don't do nearly enough and need to work harder.

Andy said...

Great article, but I thought it unfortunate there wasn't an online version. Thanks for making an online version for me Kylee.

AK

Pam/Digging said...

Your mom is so great, Kylee. Congrats to her on the good publicity and even more for a job well done!

Helen/patientgardener said...

You must be really proud of her

Unknown said...

Wonderful article! Glad to see that your Mom is getting some well-deserved recognition for her efforts. :)

Teresa O said...

Hi Kylee,

I had the pleasure of meeting your mother at the garden walk. What a terrific lady. I'm curious... is your mom a flower show judge for OAGC or the Garden Club of Ohio?

A touching post, beautifully written.

Rose said...

Somehow,I'm not surprised by your mother's achievements, Kylee. I was impressed by her energy and friendliness when I met her at Spring Fling. She is an amazing woman, and I can see why you are so proud of her. She's a great role model for all of us!

Kylee Baumle said...

Thank you, Everyone, for your nice comments about my mom (and me, too). She finds it hard to understand why everyone thinks she has so much energy. She thinks it's normal to be like that. LOL. I told her if it wasn't extraordinary, people wouldn't comment on it all the time, and believe me, she hears that a LOT. We tease her by telling her she needs to be on Ritalin. ;-)

Bren Haas said...

Great article... THIS is where you get all your creativity! I love the photo of you and your Mom. It is priceless!

Tatyana@MySecretGarden said...

Kylee, give your Mom a hug from me, will you?

Unknown said...

This post made me teary...how lovely to be able to share this with your Mum and to share your love with all of us. Have I told you lately that I <3 you, my friend?

Anonymous said...

That is AWESOME! What an incredible lady and example and this is a beautiful tribute!

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