Mildred Kerr is the oldest member of our group. She attended our meetings faithfully and participated avidly for many years until circumstances prevented it. She remains active in her retirement home. Her poetry is published in their newsletter, she entertains with her organ playing, and her sketches are frequently displayed in their art spaces.
Mildred was married for over 60 years to her childhood sweetheart, Donald, who died this May, and I wondered how Mildred would survive without him. Well, I received mail from her this morning, thanking me (us) for the card I sent and including a couple of poems. What amazed me was a notation in the program from Donald's service that she had crafted a sand/cement sculpture which she donated to her church in memory of her husband. She is quite a character. She tells me that, God willing, she will be 90 in October.
I wish you all could have known her.
Some of Us
Dennis Sullivan, Beverly Osborne, Tom Corrado, Edie Abrams, Art Willis, Alan Casline (all seated); Paul Amidon, Mike Burke, Tim Verhaegen, Mark O'Brien, Barbara Vink, Philomena Moriarty
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I know her and Love her as well.
ReplyDeletePerhaps we could arrange a group visit?
Markle.
You said, "I wish you all could have known her." She's not dead. Drag her to group one night. I bet she'd love it.
ReplyDeleteTim's idea of bringing her to a regular group meeting is a good one if she feels up to it and transportation can be arranged. If Thursday evening is not good for her, we could schedule an extra meeting with a day and time to accommodate her (maybe a Saturday).
ReplyDeleteIf she can't travel at all, another option would be to arrange a poetry reading at the nursing home by members of our group. We could read a few poems each for her and any other interested residents, then visit informally afterward.
Both ideas might be good, but July and August are probably not the best times. Better September or October, when our summer vacationers have gotten back to their regular routines and are more likely to be in town.
Someone who knows her could suggest both ideas to her, see which she thinks is best. If her health becomes problematic, we could speed up the planning. If the nursing home agrees, a poetry reading could be set up without much work.
Talk it up. One idea often leads to another.
Paul
hey barb (and v'ville poets)...you sure have a might spiffy blog here...wish you were out here in chicago area to help me pretty mine up...
ReplyDeletecharlie
www.charlierossiter.blogspot.com
Hey, CR, thanks. When are you coming this direction?
ReplyDeletebv