Roses have played a special significance in Judy Pennington's life. Her husband Jim gave her rose bushes rather than cut flowers on celebratory occasions. Red, double delight and yellow are still her favorites. When Jim died suddenly, Judy hired Witherspoon Rose to plant a garden in his memory beside the brick wall of their house at 704 W. Willowbrook Drive.
The brick wall and adjacent patio also carry significance as a gift from Judy's parents. Her father was well-known in the community who did sand, stone and excavation work. Richard Moore, a close friend and co-worker, was the brick mason for the wall. When her parents moved from the country to the Village at Brookwood, Judy shared the beautiful roses with them until their deaths in their late nineties.
Judy's move from the W. Willowbrook home in September after 35 years was an emotional one. She commissioned me to paint a memory of Jim's rose garden against the brick wall and beside the millstone. I am touched by Judy's love of family, sense of place, and attention to legacy. Her stories behind the painting were shared with great appreciation of history and of the connectedness within life's flow. I was pleased that she was overjoyed with the painting.
How is my heart? Mine is moved by the story of 704 W. Willowbrook. Thank you, Judy.
