"memory is a way of holding onto the things we love,
the things you are,
the things you never want to lose"
~from the television show, the Wonder Years~
But i remember New Jersey in a much different way. We lived in a small town in upstate. Homes were on at least one acre and most have much more land. The main road is still two lanes that wind thru the beautiful wooded landscape. All the roads are lined with imported Belgium bricks.
We used to joke that "you could throw a rock and hit a relative". There were many of us there. I always feel sorry for newcomers...they had a very hard time breaking into our community...we were a very tight knit with very deep roots.
My grandfather and his brother build their homes in the early 1900's and farmed the land. I remember playing in the fields and swimming in the river as a child. I remember the beautiful gladiolus that my grandmother grew and sold along the roadside. I remember the home with its hand cut wooden floors, the cellar with the coal furnace, the clothes drying on the line outside. I remember my grandmother, always in a dress, sitting in the shade of the big maple tree cooling off in the heat of the summer. There was so many good memories there.
When my grandmother passed and we left New Jersey,
i brought a small memory back with me....
her Lily of the Valley.
Today i have them planted in my backyard, under my maple tree. Each spring when they bloom, all these memories and more come flooding back.
Today i am going to link my post with Kat Eye Studio... photo heart connection. She challenges us to review our photos from the prior month and find the one that captures our heart. These Lily of the Valley certainly captures mine!
Be sure to click here to see everyone's photo heart connection.
Until next time...
nancyjean
What a lovely image of the Lily of the Valley to go with your post! It sounds like you had a wonderful childhood in New Jersey -- no wonder you want to hang on to those memories.
ReplyDeleteWhat wonderful memories and how lovely that they bloom just like the Lily of the Valley each spring. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful post and such special memories.
ReplyDeleteHow nice! Thanks for giving me a new view of NJ. I am sorry to say I am one of those people you refer to. I enjoyed reading about your life. I grew up on land that was once part of my great-granparents farm, with cousins, aunts and uncles for neighbors. I actually now live in the house I grew up in, but many of the relatives have moved on and now our neighbors are "just" neighbors and not family. I know many women who have plantings they have taken with them when they move. It is comforting and special. Your photo and editing is lovely.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful image and editing. Lily of the valley are one of my favourites and I loved reading your evocative words too. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteLove the image and the way you edited it, and I love reading your words, nice sentiments and nice photo-heart connection
ReplyDeleteMy grandmother had a fondness for lilies of the valley as well, and we lived in upstate NY, not so different from what you describe. I miss the landscape and way of life. Thank you for sharing such nice memories and your beautiful photograph. - Susan
ReplyDeletei've never been to new jersey... so learning that you have lilies of the valley has peaked my interest in paying your state a visit.
ReplyDeletelove-ly photo.
How lovely to have brought your grandmother's lily-of-the-valley with you when you left New Jersey. Every time this flower blooms, your fond memories of her and of life gone by come flooding back. How fortunate you are to have had such a happy childhood... and how sad that newcomers to your part of the world had such a hard time.
ReplyDeleteWhen I moved to live in the United States for two years, I felt so grateful that I was welcomed into this new country by so many people and I felt at home immediately. Maybe it depends where you move to and how open-minded the people are there?
Beautiful image... love the story!
ReplyDeleteFunny how objects or smells can bring back a flood of memories. I enjoyed all the many memories that the lily of the valley evoke for you. You are very fortunate to have grown up in that situation with so much history, heritage, and close relatives surrounding you. Thanks for sharing the beautiful image and your story!
ReplyDeleteWat a beautiful photo from a beautiful and simple flower, I just take my own nosegay from my moms home to put by my fathers picture at my place, its a great remember for me to, thanks for sharing your story. I love it.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely photograph and a story of family connections -- no wonder this photo connects to your heart!
ReplyDeleteThe commenter will not allow me to fill in my WordPress.org url (frustrating!) so I am adding the link here for my Photo Heart connection. Hope you'll take a peek.
http://www.seededearth.com/2012/05/04/aprils-photo-heart-connection-photo-an-unusual-choice/
Your image is beautiful...so delicate looking! I love your story that's connected to the photo!
ReplyDeleteOh, I love this Photo-Heart Connection. Thank you for painting this beautiful picture of New Jersey, and your connection to it that still exists through the flowers of your back yard. Lovely image and sentiment. Thank you so much for joining in. I apologize for my delay in coming to visit. I hope you will join in again for May, only a week away!
ReplyDelete