Inspirational Green Thumb Award
The winner of this year's Home and Garden Inspirational Green Thumb Award is, Lilo Ducommun. She is a treasured member of Suite101, and quite an inspiration. Here, in her own words, is a little about Lilo. See for your selves why she has received this years award.
I look upon my life as a series of lessons. Born in Germany, I grew up under the Swastika - learned the lesson that nothing is what it seems, that you can get away with a bit if you do it inconspicuously, that you can say "Heil" and not mean it.
Survived the war years in the Eastern part until the Russians came and we had to get out fast. The lesson, of course, was "it's only stuff that is left behind, be glad you got out undamaged."
Postwar years, learned to eat a lot I would now not feed my dog, learned perhaps we all deserved to lose the war, but still, being young and all, American solders were nice, even though I learned they only wanted "one thing" - until I met my future husband.
Learned paperwork and bureaucracy, permits and references turned me from an "Enemy Alien" into a "war bride."
Learned to live in the suburbs, being a Mom - that Girl Scouts are delightful, camping is fun, having to budget stinks.
Learned one can have a modest career in middle age, that one never is old enough to be a grandma, that teenage children are a trial, but that they turn human again after all.
Moved to rural Northern California, learned to be a Country Woman, animal keeper, gardener - learned to live alone - and found out I like it very much, thank you.
Then I needed to learn something new, so for my 70th Birthday I gave myself a computer! A brand new learning experience, got me knowledge, friends, Suite 101 .... probably will keep me busy until I am 100 - then what?
Now for Lilo's Interview;
Lilo, You had a horrific childhood. What kept you going when it was at its worst?
My childhood wasn't particularly horrific just because Hitler was in power. We lived a fairly ordinary life in a close-knit extended family. As a child and young person, I didn't much think about the regime. I read a lot of books and had the opportunity to read some which actually were banned, so I suppose that gave me a little wider point of view. It helped being female, they really wanted to indoctrinate the males, who in turn would,theoretically, keep the women in line, I think.
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