A Gift of Land

Tony and I were getting older so my we decided to give our two sons five acres of land. The land had the two small greenhouses, a nursery, and barns. We had the land surveyed. Tony got the land with the greenhouses and nursery. John got the clear land along the road. John is not interested in greenhouses or garden work. I asked him if he wanted one greenhouse. He said, “No.”

Tony is like his father. He loves that kind of work. In fact he still runs the greenhouses and nursery, and he does lawn maintenance for a living. When my husband helped Tony, he would give his father a little pin money. It made him feel good to see his father at the greenhouses. They had a chance to chat together. My husband would eat lunch, look at television and fall asleep for an hour or so. I would make a tray with his lunch and take it into the living room. I also did the same for myself. When my husband fell asleep I went into the kitchen quietly and washed clothes and cleaned my vegetables. Tony was on a diet with no salts and no fats. He was allowed fresh vegetables and fruits and one small glass of wine with his meals. It was hard for him because he had always been a good eater and could eat almost anything. He was good about his diet. I didn't mind it because it was good for me also. My husband was feeling better and doing a few things. He took time off so we could visit our relatives. We would go to the movies or to see a show. Tony spent more time home and did little things around the house.

Tony felt much better; he was like himself again. But he had to keep moving, so his son paid him so much an hour to water the plants, transplant tomatoes, peppers, eggplants and other vegetables. He also transplanted many flower plants. This way his son could work on his lawn maintenance earlier. My husband would sell to roadside stands, other greenhouses, and right at the place. His son would pay him ten percent on every large order he sold extra. My husband felt independent. It gave him money for gas for the car, cigars, his wine and dues for the Knights of Columbus, Lions Club, Unico, and to go to the retreat at the Loyola house in Morristown, N.J.