Great idea, Sandy.
My gardening mentor found me! We had just moved into our home when the next door neighbor, Pauline Isabelle Reid Loeffler, came over to introduce herself. My life simply wouldn't have been as grand as it has been without her. I would weed for her as she told me (and taught me) what she was doing and why she was doing it. I learned so much from her and she became my "other mother" when my own wonderful mom died three years later.
Here is her photo, taken the day Jack and I got married. She was 90 at the time. What a role model she was in so many ways.
She continued to garden until arthritis made it impossible for her to be on her knees but then managed to find tools to help her as she stood up to dig out the weeds, "Never pull, Arlene, you must dig them out". By then I was back working and could only give her some time at night and on weekends. She didn't stop until she was 95 and only died at 102.
She will always be the real PIRL while I'm just pirl.
