I found myself taking a copy of my book, “Life With A Hole In It” down from the shelf just now. I have 2 copies and one of them is from a late friend of mine, Patrice Dickey. She died of cancer quite a few years ago and she was only in her fifties. My life has been so strange. She lived in Decatur, Georgia, and said I should move there. And then she died.

Her sister had an estate sale held in Patrice’s house in Decatur. She had made a beautiful backyard garden while in treatment for breast cancer. She didn’t tell me she had cancer until it recurred. At the end, she went into a nursing home and died soon after. I had a dream about her that was so real I could have believed I had really seen her on the other side.

But back to the book. I found it on a bookcase where her books were for sale. I bought a few things to treasure and we all took home a box of her book to share with friends who might want a copy. She was full of life and at her old-time funeral held in a small church, people rejoiced at having known her. I feel sad just typing this.

Patrice had highlighted passages from LWAHII that she liked. Now I open the book up and read some things she had highlighted.

“Although I was born to the spiritual path, I was now spending time in the dirt, the deep brown stuff from which we all spring. I was learning to walk the walk. And I wore gardening gloves and a brimmed hat so no one would see the tears in my eyes. I was a persistent gardener. Nothing else would do.” And she had highlighted that last sentence.

I signed her book, To Patrice, a fellow gardener. And many of us miss her. She had written a book before I did. It was called “Back to the Garden.”

For whatever reason I picked it up to read today, I am inspired to share the quotes from the book that Patrice had highlighted. They remain fresh (Let me know if they don’t.)

Another quote from the book: “Nevertheless I travel on through snow and sleet and splat. I offer you this collection of words as leftovers from my banquet of life. Nuke them until your heart is warm and the throw the container in the trash. Waste nothing, use everything. If snow is pelting your roof, just know that somewhere, people are shoveling rain, not expecting it to come in that form.”

Tomorrow I will share more quotes from my book that Patrice had highlighted.

Love,
Vicki