Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 446 March Home&Garden Matters 2017 M My father had a knack for giving gifts. He possessed that intuitive sense for knowing exactly what you’d want, even if you didn’t know it yourself. Often they were “fun” gifts that were met with true delight. One year, under the Christmas tree was an especially odd-shaped and heavy present with my name on it. We all knew it had to be a present from Dad and wondered what it could be. Never would I have guessed that under the wrapping paper would be a bowling ball, and not your average matte black one. This ball had a smooth purple swirl design, housed in a red-checked bag, perfect for a girl in the sixth grade. It was just the right size for a lightweight like me, and my friends and I had great fun honing our bowling skills at the T-Bowl near my home in Wayne, New Jersey. My husband holds his remote control NY Rangers Zamboni in special regard. He says it would have seemed silly for him to get it for himself, but as a gift it really was just the thing. The Zamboni sits on his desk, ready to go for a whirl whenever the mood strikes. Occasionally, I guess when he was stumped, my father would buy a gift he really wanted for himself. My mother sometimes complained about that. Nobody’s memory is sure but it seems to me that the bread maker he used quite regularly was for one of her birthdays. The last gift my father gave me was on my birthday in August 2015. It was an orchid that I believe he purchased on a whim from the grocery store. He had never bought me a plant before but it was perfect. I happen to have a house full of plants and love the challenge of getting each one to thrive. Up until that time, I had never had any luck with orchids. This one had simple instructions: to water it with five ice cubes once a week. I know that feeding your orchids ice cubes is looked down upon by serious horticulturists, but it worked and that orchid bloomed like crazy for months starting in January, 2016, just after my father passed. Somehow seeing the orchid continue getting buds throughout the winter was a comfort. Beauty in the midst of sadness. I was tempted to repot the plant last fall but read that it probably wouldn’t bloom for another year afterwards. Not wanting to give up a potential season of blossoms, I kept the plant pot-bound and, once again, am enjoying lovely white flowers. If my father were still here, I’d probably send him a photo and share my surprise with him at how well the orchid is flowering. But for now I marvel that he somehow knew that the perfect last gift to give me would be something that not only lives on but blooms extravagantly. heart of the matter READ & RECYLE Matters Featuring Local People, Places and Things that Matter Since 1990 Please address all correspondence to: Visual Impact Advertising, Inc.© P.O. Box 198 Maplewood, NJ 07040 973-763-4900 mattersmagazine.com email: info@mattersmagazine.com MattersMagazine©isownedandpublished byVisualImpactAdvertising,Inc.,P.O.Box 198, Maplewood, NJ 07040. Published monthly, Matters Magazine is free, with editions directly mailed 7 times a year to the residents of Maplewood and South Orange and distributed to businesses and surrounding communities totaling 20,000. Subscriptions are available to non-residents for $30 (U.S.) $40 (Foreign) annually. No part of the publication may be reprinted or otherwise reproduced without written permission from Visual Impact Advertising, Inc. CIRCULATION VERIFIED BY U.S. POSTAL RECEIPTS. M A G A Z I N E PUBLISHER & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ellen Donker ASSOCIATE EDITOR Joanne DiPasquale CIRCULATION & FINANCE DIRECTOR Rene Conlon ADVERTISING CONSULTANTS H. Leslie Gilman Adrienne MacWhannell Gloria Morcilio DESIGN Joy Markel COPY EDITORS Nick Humez Tia Swanson CONTRIBUTORS Elissa Caterfino Mandel, Kim Feddersen, Cindy Potters, Edie Sachs, Gail Safian, Julia Verderosa FOUNDER & CREATIVE CONTRIBUTOR Karen Duncan The Last Gift My orchid holds a special place BY ELLEN DONKER