Real Magnolia’s flower in the winter here, the trees can become insanely big, not high, but in diameter, wider then a house, like a Southern Bell’s Ball gown. Should have looked it up for you, but the point of this little story is about my Grandmother ( a three year Alabamian (?) a 3rd generation Vermonter, all the other generations were from Scotland.)

When she first moved down here to be with us. (My Uncle, her son moved first, then me, then one brother, parents, Grammy.) She said, “I want to see a Magnolia tree” I told her they bloom in the winter, big white blossoms that last a minute, then look like a football players dirty white socks. My grandmother rolled her eyes. “And in the spring, all the deadly dagger leaves turn brown, just when the world is turning green in the spring, kinda looks like dirty laundry all over spring green grass” Grammy rolled her eyes & shook her head. “I want to yell at people to hurry up & get your yard man over to clean that up….everyone has a yard man, Grammy” Grammy laughed & shook her head. “but the thing is- the trees shed their leaves for over a month, the trees are like a spiteful princess, I mean they flower to catch your eye, then the blossoms turn dirty white to make us frown, then just as the Tulips, Daffodils & Pansies are in their glory, the Magnolia becomes not green with envy, but brown with anger”.

One spring day, my Grammy says, “You were right” “About what?”( I’m never right.) “the Magnolia, I do not like that tree,  the blossoms do look like dirty gym socks.” We laughed so hard.

She passed away. With everyone around who loved her. The Magnolia makes me remember. Grammy & I agreed that the tree was being a jealous, spiteful, spoiled, southern beauty Queen. The blossoms are dirty gym socks.

Now, when I see a Magnolia, I smile & remember, then I cry, because I remember.