04/04/2024
This seedling dahlia I named Cornelian two years ago and my mom couldn’t be more pleased about that.
Sometime in the 16th century the São João sank near the south coast of South Africa and cornelian beads, Chinese porcelain and a type of cowrie started washing up on on the beach of Port Edward - a place my mom loved with all her heart and where she and my dad bought a small cottage for holidays and retirement. They called it Cornelian. Every year our annual holiday would see us pile into the car for the 8-hour trip to the coast - magical times. My mom and dad combed the beach for shells, while the kids swam, explored and generally had the best time. But we always kept a look-out for cornelians and porcelain, because although pieces of cornelian could readily be found, finding a whole bead was rare. And finding a whole bead meant immediate waffles for everyone.
When our kids came along, we still went back to Cornelian for holidays - often more than once a year - walking the beaches and exploring rock pools and obscure places where a whole cornelian could be found. The wonder of finding one never grew old … and the promise of a waffle was still as alluring as when we were kids🧡
On Resurrection Sunday God called my mom’s name and she gladly went, because I am sure that although God may have called, He sent my dad to meet her halfway and walk her home … to a heaven that looks a little bit like Port Edward with a cottage called Cornelian 🧡
Cornelia Wissing 1942/07/22 - 2024/03/31
