Endurance

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Endurance

February 17, 2018 by Betty Hayes Albright

Birch trees catch my eye

deep in the trough of winter

white bark withstanding.

Partial of an original watercolor by my grandmother,

Lilly Bjornstad. (She painted this when she was about 100. She lived to 108.)

(re-post)

39 Responses

on February 17, 2018 at 3:53 pm | Reply slpmartin

Used to love to see the birch trees when I lived in New Hampshire…especially with a blanket of snow.

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- on February 18, 2018 at 1:15 pm | Reply Betty Hayes Albright
  
  Sorry you don’t have them where you are, Charlie. They’re one of my favorite trees here in the Northwest. 🙂
  
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on February 17, 2018 at 3:54 pm | Reply Sharon Bonin-Pratt

Your beautiful poem reminds me of Michigan winters. So gorgeous like this, white against white, sounds magnified and bell-like.

As for your grandmother’s painting – I[‘m astonished at her deft composition and skill with brushes and paint. Love the low horizon behind the birch trees. I hope I’m still painting at 100. (I hope I’m still painting next year!)

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- on February 17, 2018 at 4:27 pm | Reply rivrvlogr
  
  I moved from Western New York to Missouri six years ago. I’m used to seeing birches. My wife is not, especially here in Missouri. We went to Michigan last September, and the birches left quite an impression on her.
  
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- on February 18, 2018 at 1:20 pm | Reply Betty Hayes Albright
  
  Thank you, Sharon! My grandma didn’t start painting until her late 80’s, when she was living in a retirement home. A hidden talent no one knew she had, including her. (Sadly I didn’t inherit her gift. 😊)
  
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  - on February 18, 2018 at 3:39 pm | Reply Sharon Bonin-Pratt
    
    You haven’t been taught, Betty.
    
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    - on February 18, 2018 at 4:24 pm | Reply Betty Hayes Albright
      
      You’re right, Sharon. My main interest was always writing. Wish now I had done both. (Did a lot of pencil sketching in highschool but that’s it.)
      
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on February 17, 2018 at 4:23 pm | Reply rivrvlogr

Your haiku is beautiful, as is the painting.

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- on February 18, 2018 at 1:38 pm | Reply Betty Hayes Albright
  
  Thank you very much, Ken.
  
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on February 17, 2018 at 5:45 pm | Reply Bela Johnson

I do miss the birches. ❤

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- on February 18, 2018 at 1:39 pm | Reply Betty Hayes Albright
  
  I would too, Bela. ❤️
  
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on February 17, 2018 at 7:34 pm | Reply ebbtide

beautiful! I’ve always loved birch trees ❤

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- on February 18, 2018 at 1:43 pm | Reply Betty Hayes Albright
  
  Thank you, me too! Especially in summer when their leaves “shiver” in the breeze. 💕
  
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on February 17, 2018 at 8:16 pm | Reply Renee Espriu

Quite the artist, your grandmother. Do you have other pieces that she did. Beautiful art and poem to go with.

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- on February 18, 2018 at 1:46 pm | Reply Betty Hayes Albright
  
  Thanks, Renee! Yes, I have a few of her paintings around, including another with birches. This one is my favorite. 🙂
  
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on February 18, 2018 at 1:18 am | Reply wordwool

Remarkable!

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- on February 18, 2018 at 1:51 pm | Reply Betty Hayes Albright
  
  Thank you!
  (Something weird – your gravatar is showing up as my own. Another WP glitch I presume. Can you see it, or is it just on my computer?)
  
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on February 18, 2018 at 11:12 am | Reply willowdot21

Absolutely beautiful 💜

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- on February 18, 2018 at 1:47 pm | Reply Betty Hayes Albright
  
  Thank you so much, Willow. 💙
  
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  - on February 18, 2018 at 1:54 pm | Reply willowdot21
    
    💜💜💜
    
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on February 18, 2018 at 2:44 pm | Reply creekrose

Incredible, painting deep into the winter years, your grandmother sounds an inspired lady lifelong learner! Beautiful picture and haiku Betty ❤

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- on February 18, 2018 at 4:20 pm | Reply Betty Hayes Albright
  
  Thank you! My grandmother was pretty amazing. Always learning new things, along with her knitting and sewing projects. Plus she baked the most delicious Norwegian goodies. Oh, and she was fluent in both Norwegian and English and then taught herself to read Spanish just for fun. When she was 100 the queen of Norway came to Seattle and my grandma was chosen to present roses to her, and then got to chat with her later. Interesting life she had, yet always so humble. (Sorry, I didn’t mean to go on and on… 😊 )
  
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  - on February 19, 2018 at 11:46 am | Reply creekrose
    
    Enjoyed this immensely, she sounds like she was quite a venerable elder! Thanks for sharing 🙂
    
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    - on February 19, 2018 at 3:34 pm | Reply Betty Hayes Albright
      
      Thank YOU for reading it all. 🙂
      
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on February 18, 2018 at 6:59 pm | Reply Audrey Dawn - Oldest Daughter Redheaded Sister

They glow amongst the others. So pretty. Wonderful, Betty

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- on February 19, 2018 at 10:35 am | Reply Betty Hayes Albright
  
  Thank you, Audrey. 😊
  
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on February 19, 2018 at 3:50 am | Reply InfiniteZip

I’ve always held a certain fondness for white birch trees, and 108 yrs, wow, good genes there 🙂 peace and love, K

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- on February 19, 2018 at 10:56 am | Reply Betty Hayes Albright
  
  Thank you, Kim! Peace and love back to you. ☮️💕
  
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on February 19, 2018 at 4:31 am | Reply OwnShadow

Haven’t spotted this haiku before. Always one of my favourite trees, the birch. You capture their fascination so well and I love the ironic use of ‘withstanding’. Amazing to learn your grandmother found a talent so late in life. What a great gesture to display it to the world.

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- on February 19, 2018 at 11:02 am | Reply Betty Hayes Albright
  
  Thank you very much! I’ve always loved birch trees too. Glad you liked the use of “withstanding”. 🙂
  
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on February 20, 2018 at 4:10 am | Reply Ben Naga

Wow! Quite an achievement, to be painting at 100 at all never mind so impressively. Her granddaughter has talents of her own.

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- on February 20, 2018 at 6:26 pm | Reply Betty Hayes Albright
  
  She actually was still painting at 106 but gave it up when her eyesight became bad.
  Thank you, Ben, for your kind words. 😊
  
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on February 22, 2018 at 7:21 am | Reply Baydreamer

Your lovely words remind me of a cluster of three birch trees we had in the front of my childhood home, evoking great memories (although, without snow). 🙂
Sorry for my delayed comment, Betty, I’ve been real sick from stomach flu. So, hope all is well with you. 💗

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- on February 22, 2018 at 4:20 pm | Reply Betty Hayes Albright
  
  Lauren, I’m really sorry to hear you’ve been sick. Was missing you and starting to worry. Hope you’re much better now.
  Thank you for the kind words – glad my post brought back good memories. Take good care of yourself! ❤️
  
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  - on February 22, 2018 at 6:27 pm | Reply Baydreamer
    
    Thanks, Betty-much better now, thank goodness. 🙂 Have a great weekend! 💕
    
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    - on February 23, 2018 at 6:12 pm | Reply Betty Hayes Albright
      
      Lauren, I meant to reply – you have a great weekend also! Stay well now. ❤️💕
      
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on February 24, 2018 at 1:46 pm | Reply merrildsmith

Birch trees were catching my eye the other day in Philadelphia. How wonderful that your grandmother was still painting when she was 100! My mom is still painting at 95, but she is almost blind, so she kind of does it by feel now.

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- on February 24, 2018 at 2:16 pm | Reply Betty Hayes Albright
  
  That’s also amazing for 95! Sorry she is going blind. That’s why my grandmother had to stop at about 106 – failing eyesight.
  Thank you so much for stopping by, BTW. It’s about time we met here, since we seem to have many poet friends in common.
  
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  - on February 24, 2018 at 3:21 pm | Reply merrildsmith
    
    106–wow! Yes, the blogosphere. 🙂
    
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