Magnolia

I bought a magnolia stellata on Thursday and it was delivered this morning. A gorgeous tree in memory of my gorgeous Nanny Dolly who died last Spring. When Nanny Dolly died my daughter summed up our loss "we have lost the life and soul of the party". My Nan was hilarious and outrageous and loved by us all. I've always loved magnolias, but they became more meaningful to me last year when I was surrounded by the magnificent trees in full bloom at a time when I was thinking and remembering so intensely in my grief. On the day of her funeral the sun shone. It was a bright warm April day. The grounds of the crematorium were beautiful, with huge established magnolias amongst the well manicured but still natural looking woodland and gardens. I had always loved the more classic waxy tulip-looking magnolias. But somehow the stellata reminds me of my nan. Maybe it's the un-uniformness of the white flowers, perhaps they remind me of her at times unruly hair.

Whatever, my magnolia made me smile a lot today :)