Prize-Winning Flowers at the County Fair

My ABC Wednesday theme: The Mama and Her Authentic Green Thumbs
. . .and Fingers

For a bunch of years, a long time ago, the Mama raised flowers that won various prizes at the local county fair. However, she never received the praise, glory, or, for that matter, the prizes because the flowers were not hers. They belonged to a female relative of a co-worker of the Mama's. At the time, the Mama was the supervisor of the research technicians at a seed research company. Her authentic green thumbs and fingers made every plant she touched grow happily and abundantly in the fields and the greenhouses. Everyone, from the bosses to the laborers, who worked with her knew it. Of course.

The Mama told me this story about three years ago when I was putting together my first flower arrangement entries for the county fair. (I was amazed she had kept this secret for so many years.) Every spring, the female relative of her co-worker purchased a bunch of flower seedlings and gave them to the co-worker who brought them to the Mama. She placed the seedlings in one of the company greenhouses and tended to the plants' needs, making sure they grew happily and abundantly.  Several months later, the co-worker retrieved the plants and brought them to his female relative who snipped the best blossoms and entered them into the county fair.

The female relative won lots of prizes, according to the Mama. "I never saw any ribbons," said the Mama. "No prize money at all."

You'd think the female relative of the co-worker would have at least given the Mama something.

Maybe this year, the Husband and I can convince the Mama to enter her flowers into the fair. Or, maybe, I'll just do it for her. That way when she wins, it'll be a big surprise.

Every week, I participate at ABC Wednesday, a meme created by Denise Nesbitt 16 rounds ago. Currently, it is being administered by Roger Green at Ramblin' with Roger, with the help of his ABC Wednesday friends.  Today's featured letter is the letter F. Click here to read other F posts.