Mike Bock has been a friend for over half a century now! We worked together on our college newspaper, The Asbury Collegian. Mike was editor and I was an associate editor. Sheila was later editor her senior year.
About once a year Mike makes a visit of several days and we always enjoy those days -- word games, walks, and solving the issues of the day, usually concerning education or politics.
Mike often shows up with unusual gifts. We grow dahlias and cannas he has brought from his garden. I have several prized political items in my collection that he found at some junk shop or roadside garage sale. At Arrowhead I use the hand-carved wooden owl, cricket, and frog whistles and noisemakers he gave us. And the Esther Price candies are delectable -- He used to send a box of those to my Mother every year as well.
After his last visit we received a note from him inside a box of bulbs from his garden. This time they are Casa Blanca Lillies and he sent them as a memorial for us to plant in honor of my youngest sister, Beth, who died recently. What a wonderful gift. How we will enjoy those flowers and what sweet memories they will elicit.
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| If I can successfully plant and care for these we will have a display of glorious Casa Blanca Lilies next summer. |
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| On December 19, 1954 Mother held newborn Beth up to the hospital window so her siblings, including an excited seven-year-old me, could see her. |
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| This cute little girl comes first to mind when I think of Beth. She was eleven when I went off to College. |
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| Beth had a beautiful voice. When Sheila and I planned our wedding, we asked Beth to sing three songs! One of them was Bridge Over Troubled Water. Our daughter Lillian sang that at Beth's memorial service. |
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| This picture from the internet illustrates how tall and showy these lilies are. |
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