Grandma Barb
If you’ve read our About page, you know that my mom was the inspiration behind our purplebutterfly logo and name when Mary created the design.
As the 10th anniversary of mom’s passing approaches, I wanted to share a little bit more about Mary’s “Grandma Barb.”
You know she loved purple. She adored her children and grandchildren, and she never turned down a cup of coffee. After a few more tidbits, I’ll share the significance of the purple butterfly.
You probably didn’t know that when she was younger, my mom aspired to be a writer and an actress. She was able to fulfill both goals during her lifetime.
As a writer, she penned a monthly newspaper column entitled “Do You Remember…” for 15+ years. She not only participated in, but led a weekly writing group for several years as well.
Her actress dream was satisfied working through a community education program. Providing classes at various retirement facilities, she accompanied herself on the piano to sing songs from the 30’s and 40’s; performed theatrically through extemporaneous readings and citing current events as well as acted as host for the trivia segment which was part of her class time. She was frequently invited to be a speaker for various club meetings as an offshoot of her newspaper column talking about days gone by.
In other areas of her life, she faithfully watched her soap operas and voted for her favorites on Dancing with the Stars and American Idol.
Sending greeting cards to friends and family was a priority in addition to corresponding through handwritten letters. Her face would light up at the sight of flowers, chocolates, or donuts; and she had a competitive nature when it came to games like Scrabble and Yahtzee.
A fresh coat of nail polish was a must, and she not only made sure her dollar bills were all facing the same way, but she had a collection of ones in a separate envelope that had the banknote series symbol “B”.
She was an Avon representative for many years where she probably enjoyed visiting with her customers more than selling the products. And she was likely her best customer buying as many pieces of jewelry to accessorize with and new fragrances in abundance of what her bathroom counter could hold.
I could go on and on about my mom, as this is just a small glimpse of who she was to all of us. She is missed everyday, and we do our best at keeping her memory alive in everything we do.
This is an excerpt from a blog post I wrote on 11/24/2014:
“Several months ago, I recall Mom and I talking at her kitchen table. I don't even remember now how we got on the subject, but I do remember making a request. I said to her that I would know she was okay up in heaven if she would send me a sign in the form of a purple butterfly.
From the moment I discovered mom was no longer burdened by her earthly confines, I admit I was looking for my purple butterfly.
However, on Wednesday, November 5, as I was out shopping--looking for something to wear to the funeral--I was not thinking about wanting to see a sign. But as I have come to realize, Mom was with me and thinking about me.
I had looked at several different combinations of tops and scarves each producing more and more irritating and condescending comments by the annoying sales clerk. My hubby was patiently standing by for moral support as I was contemplating leaving the store when my miracle occurred.
I glanced down at the jewelry display on my way to the mirror and saw the most extraordinary purple jeweled butterfly scarf clip. My breath caught in my chest, and my husband looked at my expression, as I'm sure the color drained from my face. He immediately asked me if I was okay, and as I struggled to find my voice, I rasped out..."I'll tell you in a minute."
Of course, I bought the butterfly clip AND purchased a top and scarf to match.”
Barbara Wilcox Scafferi
1936 - 2014