At Last

My mother grew up in a very small town in North Dakota (Berwick). I grew up 30 miles away in a different very small town (Upham) and moved away at sixteen. Over the years my visits to North Dakota included a stop in Berwick to see where her parents' house once stood. The house was moved before I was born, but I always loved seeing the worn path up to old concrete steps with absolutely nothing else to see except the surrounding grain field and two lilac bushes, one on either side of the steps. I wish I could show you that scene.
Eric and I stopped there in 2008 and found a farmer about to plow it all under. We quick stopped him in order to get a cutting from one of the lilacs, then stuck it and some of the very sandy soil into a plastic grocery bag. We kept it watered for a number of days in the back seat while we finished our trip. I planted it here ,outside the west fence, where it grew and grew, but never set a single bloom - until this year!
I'm just so pleased and will bring a bunch to my sister this week who is struggling with cancer. Then a seedling to her in the fall.
Anyone else want one?