Tuesday: In a Word . . . or Two

Six of Seven Sisters

Janet, Lynn, Marcia, Jane, Chris, Lila (missing: Rachel)

Janet: Organizer. I imagine “Everything has a place and everything is in its place” was first whispered after someone walked through Janet’s home. It’s incredible. She has vaulted ceilings with hundreds of antiques and collectibles displayed. (My favorite is the little, wire, canary, birdcage once used in mines to test the air for the miners.) Nothing has dust. Everything is artfully arranged . . . even in her boys’ bedroom. Tidy. Organized. Clean. That’s Janet.

Lynn: Self-taught. When she wanted to learn photography, she bought a book. When she wanted to make cheese, she bought a book. When she wanted to be a transcriptionist, she bought the book. When she wanted to quilt, she bought a book. When she wanted to get published, she bought a book. And then…she wrote not one book, but three.

Marcia: Think-tank. If you want an idea, Marcia has one. If you want a suggestion, go to Marcia. She is constantly gathering information, whether it’s at a conference in Japan, a learning activity in the ocean off Florida, or a brain clinic in Boston. She doesn’t just sit on information either, she uses and dispenses it. She’s constantly giving people opportunities to learn more or offering problem-solving solutions. It’s of little wonder that students seek her out when they’re in a bind.

Chris: Versatile. It is not uncommon for her to wake up and fix a breakfast of eggs and bacon and cake or pie, and then head out to the corrals to doctor or brand cattle. Then it’s not uncommon for her to head up to the hills and move their cattle on horseback to another pasture or go to the livestock sale and weigh-in cattle. Before she goes to bed she may or may not bake a three-layer cake or arrange a wedding bouquet. Truly. All in one day. You can see why it kinked her rhythm last year when her horse rolled with her and broke her hip.

Lila: Beautifier. First she drew. Then she painted. Then she carved. And all the while she decorated. Her mantels, walls, floors – all are a work of art. On the wood-floor entryway to their home she painted a large tree. Each branch is labeled with a couple in her family; each leaf is a child, each bloom is a grandchild. She is constantly redoing and renewing her surroundings.

Rachel: Doer. Give her a trial and she’ll conquer it. Give her a job and she’ll do it. Give her a problem and she’ll solve it. Give her a child and she’ll teach it. Give her another child and she’ll love it. And then she’ll write and tell me about it in an e-mail and make me laugh.

I love my sisters.  Very much.   "We know one another's faults, virtues, catastrophes, mortifications, triumphs, rivalries, desires, and how long we can each hang by our hands to a bar.  We have been banded together under pack codes and tribal laws."  ~Rose Macaulay