Goodbye Ma Baird

A dear friend of the tea room died yesterday. Ma Baird. She was at least
87, I'm embarrassed but I don't know for sure. Her daughter was Diane Re. The
wonderful English garden bench, under the pussy willow tree, was placed there
in honor of Diane by her life long friend Linda Cleveland. Diane started
bringing Ma Baird to the tea room the first year I was open. How I loved
her. She was about 4'11 and packed with a sense of humor that far surpassed
her tiny size. When she came in she lit the place up. Her smile was spread
across her face and it cheered everyone who saw her. She LOVED tea, antique
dishes, people, telling stories and food. It all came together when she was
here. Linda Cleveland and her delightful grandaughters brought her after
Diane died. I remember last year on her birthday I wanted to do something
special for her. My mother had just died and I was feeling especially
sentimental. I bought her a little ' tea for one pot ' with it's own cup
underneath, some flowers, and a little tea book. She was so thrilled, she
went around and showed everyone! She said "and they're ALL for ME!"

Take the time to nurture these dear little treasures we are given. I get teary eyed
every time I see them come into the tea room with daughters and
granddaughters. You know, I never thought of my mother as 'dear' when she
was alive. I loved her tremendously, thought she was very intelligent, a
great Christian, kind, hard working, and all that, but I just didn't think
of her as 'dear'. The longer she's gone, the 'dearer' I think she was. Funny
isn't it?

Ma Baird had quite an exciting time when she left her home for the last
time this winter. I'll tell this as closely as I can, but some of the facts
may be a little wrong. Memory going you know. (mine, not hers) She had a
heart attack, called the ambulance to come get her. It was terribly icy and
she lived down at the bottom of a long steep driveway. The ambulance came
down, got her and was going to go up the hill. She said they had better go a
certain way, they ignored her and got stuck. They called another ambulance.
It came down, they transfered her and took a run at the hill. Somehow, they
started sliding down and slid right into her house, going right into the
living room. That was the last time she left home. She was in a nursing home
till yesterday, when she peacefully left for her heavenly Fathers home. Good
bye Ma Baird. I surely will miss your bright face shining in the tea room.