Dear Mom,
There are so many treasured moments I’ve had with you…bird watching on the bench in Tanglewood, turning pages for your concerts, setting up the piano studio for recitals, (looking forward to those piano party brownies!) Sewing together with the old singer, to name a few.
I remember those cold, wet Tanglwood tent days and how excited we’d be to go do laundry in Lenox and warm up! Picking flowers for your ikebana arrangements.
You waking me up when Dad got home after an evening concert, canoeing to Fairhaven Bay Island and having breakfast, (because the best breakfast is over a fire!) Sunday waffles – Sour cream and wheat germ for you and Dad. Well done, with butter and syrup for Ellen. Butter and syrup for Paul. Smooth peanut butter and syrup for Fred. Crunchy peanut butter and syrup for me! But you always remembered…because you were and continue to be so thoughtful.
Love,
Dear Betsy,
While it hopefully isn’t news to you that I both admire you and feel a great deal of affection for you, on this milestone birthday it seems only appropriate to elaborate on these feelings!
I am often amazed at not only how MUCH you take on but how you do so SUCCESSFULLY! You should write a book about multi-tasking. You have such a keen desire to see things done well and done completely that I’m sure there are times when you’d secretly rather say, “no, not me, I don’t have the time” but you forge ahead and volunteer to do whatever needs to be done anyway. You were first in line when they handed out energy and initiative, that’s for sure!
You’ve been a great role model of how things go so much more smoothly when everything is done by the book without any shortcuts.
Somehow, as busy as you usually are, you still have time to be a loving wife and good friend to others, stopping to listen when someone needs a little attention.
You never fail to ask how I’m doing and when I know I’ve fallen short in some way you are consistently gracious about it!
I hope to see you stay as active as you wish to be while allowing yourself to take it all a little easier if you want to occasionally stop and smell the roses.
Happy Birthday, Betsy! Jill Crowley
HAPPY 90th BIRTHDAY BETSY!!!
Betsy, We met EARLY in the 1990s (?) . We both had a love of nature photography which brought us many shared experiences and enriched my life forever:
THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES!
you and I driving together, the 1 hour trip north to Greater Lynn Photography Association.
Starting SVNP, the non-competitive nature photography group!
Our foursome trip (Maria Rudsmoser (sp.), Chris
Ridout, you and I) out West; photographing Arches Nat’l Park, Canyon-lands, etc., what fun!!!
Monhigan Island, Bud Titlow, leading.
Us traveling to NC, sharing in Your ‘calling’ to put pictures to Paul Greene’s Plant Book.
Your visit with Bill, to John’s and my Lake Winnipesaukee home.
The many Hampshire Rd., Wayland visits where we were always very warmly welcomed by you and Bill.
…After these years of not seeing you, I still have the pleasure of these wonderful memories and counting you as the most warm and loving of my very brightest of friends.
As Always, your loving friend,
Doreen (Merullo) O’Connor