Decoration Day

I had the fortunate experience of being raised for my first six years by my grandparents. That is how I learned about Decoration Day. They had lost three children by the time I lived with them. So every year toward the end of May my grandma would save a Hi-C can and cut the top all the way off. My grandpa and I would go out and cut fresh flowers usually red, pink, and white peonies and put them in the can filled with water. If the bridal wreath was blooming and it usually was, he would cut long pieces of that too. I thought it was the most beautiful bouquet that I had ever seen, ants and all. It would be my job to hold the can so that the water did not spill on the short trip to the cemetery. At our destination we would walk to the headstone, that I could not read yet, and place the flowers. It was a tradition. Fast forward to now. I have a lot of family there now. Every year I go and plant flowers. This past year the cemetery posted new regulations. No planting. To hard to mow around. Unfortunately they all have a headstone that is shaped like a piece of cheese. It is not flat on top. There is not a floral saddle made that will fit it. I will come up with something though. I won't let it go undecorated at least for a day. My husband and his cousin do what they call the cemetery tour every year at this time. I buy geraniums and they go to the Mengel side of the family and plant them. There are three loved ones in a big cemetery in Hammond plus one. They found a veterans grave that never had a flower on it and they plant one there every year too. My husband even researched the fellow, George Grissom. His mom's in a different place, so they stop and plant there too and the fella next to her that was a vet as well. Well the Greatest Spectacle in Auto Racing is about to start. Be safe and honor a lost soul.