Go Plant A Tree or Something

The Dorothy Everett Community Garden was planted on Earth Day 2010. Ms. Cora, the Cora the Angel on all Everett and Jones Barbeque signs and labels on our Everett and Jones Barbeque sauce sold in retail stores throughout California and beyond, came out to plant the first tomato plant in our community garden to honor our late mother Dorothy Everett.  It was a bitter sweet moment.

My mother and Ms. Cora had been friends since their days at working together at Jenkins Barbeque on 7th Street in West Oakland, California back in the 1960’s.  Mother died just 4 days after Ms. Cora’s oldest daughter Terry who had suddenly passed away on October 4, 2007.  Mom had been cooking food to take over to Ms. Cora’s house when she collapsed and died October 8, 2007.  Ms. Cora had lost a daughter and a lifelong best friend all in one week.

Ms. Cora was like our other mother and Terry was like another sister to us and even though she was grieving the loss of her daughter she stuck by us and called almost daily to see how we were doing.  So when Ms. Cora agreed to celebrate Earth Day with us by planting a community garden to honor Mom I was thrilled.  A photographer from Getty Images came out and snapped some pictures of Ms. Cora honoring our mother her best friend on Earth Day 2010.

My mother’s grandchildren, neighborhood children and adult volunteers cared for the garden, watched it grow and enjoyed its abundance.  Thank you to the volunteers who came out to help plant and care for the garden; David for the top soil, Connie for the seedlings and the directions, Jerry for the raised beds, Jenifer, Alexis, Ken, Regina, Ms. Cora, Delbert, Goldie, Dwayne, Andre, Zeena.  Thank you David and The Missing Cousins band, for entertaining us and for your help also in planting the Dorothy Everett Community Garden at Charcoal Park.   Happy Earth Day, go plant a tree or something.  

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