" I Promised You A Rose Garden."

She was alone now but at least she had her garden to occupy her time and memories. She stood at the moment at her kitchen window looking out at her backyard and the rose's that mostly dominated her joy in life since Harvey's death a couple of years ago. Had it been that long she thought with a deep sadness she had thought might be less but she knew better. Lose never grows easier with the days and years that go by nor does it really become somewhat easier to bear. What was easier to bear was that at least she would see him again; it was a hope anyway she held unto but she wasn't so sure it was healthy.

Evelyn sipped her English Breakfast tea, took notice of the bird feeder needing to be refilled. Harvey usually took care of the bird feeders because he had build most of them that dotted here and there the backyard landscape he also took a hand in creating. He could name each bird that landed and ate heartily of the seeds and it was quite impressive how at times he didn't even have to see the bird but hear it's twitting somewhere beyond their backyard enclosed patio area as they ate breakfast. Evelyn would simply nod and smile and agree even though she was not quite convinced he wasn't making it up. But if anything, Harvey Knutsen, World War Two veteran of the 3rd Armored Division who had stormed the beaches of Normandy into Germany and came back home when his duty was done. He came home and started on their life together as he promised her when she was still the young seventeen year old girl she was way back when they were young and full of potential. Off and on the backyard was created and recreated and started over again because she was never quite satisfied with it's layout or even with where he build the greenhouse that still stood in the place it had occupied when he refused to move it anymore. She didn't like where it was near the old oak tree; one good storm would bring that tree down on her greenhouse and she knew it. That was some thirty years ago and so far that tree hadn't moved and even give the impression that the green house was doomed. Harvey of course didn't mind expanding it here and there but it's central location was not going to change. So, Evelyn thought with a comment on falling objects she would stop asking for him to move it.

The tending of her garden was her prime joy during the Minnesota months that allowed such an activity as gardening. But mostly it was her roses's she cared about in that garden Harvey helped put into motion and created to make her happy. She could spend hours in her yard walking about and tenderly and patiently tending to her many roses's and taking occasional side trips to other plants she had to take care. From the window she took note of the greenhouse again and really wished Harvey had moved it but now that wish was mute as Harvey was gone. She missed him and his own garden projects that in the end added to her enjoyment of the last refuge of a long day for the two of them. There was something soothing, almost therapeutic, about garden work. The smell of the garden was always changing, swirling with scents and smells of plants and an occasional aroma of the next door neighbor's activities. The rich deep smell of the soil she always liked; she was a farm girl after all from Iowa. The feel of soil and the feel of working with it always made her feel part of something important; Harvey would laugh at her for her remarks on gardening. The act of pruning and clipping and planting even she simply found pleasurable that Harvey would laugh about. He would comment that it sounded more like she was making love to the earth than simply creating a garden to enjoy. She would blush at his comments but it wasn't too far off.

From the window she thought of other memories like their daughter's wedding in the backyard; the grand kids would be visiting next week. They weren't as careful in the backyard as she wished but then again they were kids and kids are never careful when full of life and being simply children. Yes, Mary and the wild bunch of three daughter's and her son would be arriving for her coming birthday next week. It was such a wonderful wedding to a great guy who loved Evelyn's only daughter very much but was killed in the early years of Vietnam. Mary simply refused to get remarried and took on the responsibility of raising the kids alone; well, she had three brother's always around and ready to help. They saw her still as their little sister and sometimes treated her as such; Mary put up with it with a smile and a comment.

She sipped her tea again, took notice that most of the snow had mostly melted from the back yard and took comfort that eventually she would be gardening again like she always did. A more unpleasant thought came to her as she knew the other reason Mary was coming for a visit. She didn't like the fact that her kids were pressuring her that the house and garden may be becoming too much for her. They even had been hinting at that she was forgetting stuff and her mind wasn't as sharp as usual. They meant well of course but they were wrong. Harvey had promised her a rose garden of her own and he had given her one with every day he was married to her. They may have felt they were trying to do the right thing but this was her house and she had no intention of being moved out of it. It was going to be her eighty-second birthday next week and she had no intention of leaving to go live in a stuff dull retirement home. No, she would make her thoughts known to her children, she was not going anywhere and would rather die peacefully in her own home and haunt the garden but she had no intention of leaving her beloved garden. They were have to remove her by force. Harvey had promised her a rose garden and he had kept his promise.

She sipped her tea at the kitchen window; the little girl watching had given up trying to convince her parent's she was seeing the old lady at the window and went back to bed.