The peonies are in bloom. During the days that we have them every year, I think of Rick's grandmother, Classie Lawrence Mercer. She always grew the most beautiful deep red peonies. She nurtured them, divided the plants and shared them with family and friends. We had two plants in our garden in Grand Falls-Windsor. I hated to leave them when we moved. One of our first purchases for our garden in Summerside was a peony.
Classie was an avid gardener, working the soil, growing flowers, tomatoes and a variety of herbs and vegetables. She worked the garden before her husband, Dick, died but she certainly had more time after his death.
Richard E. Mercer was very dependent on Classie for everything. In his later years, he didn't do too much for himself. He found it difficult to walk any distance and his breathing was affected because of tuberculosis he had as a young man. He was one of the lucky ones to survive unlike so many of my ancestors.
I'll never forget the time Dick and Classie were visiting Rick, Claire and I when we lived in Buchans, Newfoundland. I got breakfast, and placed it before Dick on the table. He had juice, toast and a boiled egg. I continued getting breakfast for the rest of us, but noticed that he wasn't eating. I asked if he had everything he needed. He did.
Then Classie came out of the bathroom and noticing the same thing as I did said,
"Oh, let me cut your egg for you, my dear."
I watched, flabbergasted, as she cut the top off the egg and Dick started to eat his breakfast.
So the peonies are in bloom for a few days and Classie is in my thoughts. She was one in a million.
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