WHO I AM ~ GLORIA
Me and my family.
Born the youngest of eight children to Cecil and Jean Bowman I grew up on a farm in a loving environment. Fun, laughter and hard work were instilled into us. Mum was a terrific cook which I try my best to carry on with our family. I learned a lot about gardening from Dad which has helped me through the years. Roger and I married and had two lovely daughters of whom we are very proud. We built a new house in 1975 and had a second mortgage that had to be paid so we purchased a florist business that I operated from home for 11years. Working from home meant I was there when the girls came home from school and were able to work too. We had a few overseas exchange students and they all said it was the beautiful smell of flower shops that made them remember our home. Our front lawn was full of flower beds where Dad kept seedlings growing to plant out in time to have flowers for weddings, Valentines day, and Mothers Day, etc. It was a family affair, with the girls helping with watering, weeding and collecting snails and Dad growing orchids. The girls didn't follow in the floristry business but were artists in their own right with Nikola becoming a well-known hairdresser and Trudi moving into the beauty industry. We always said we made a great team for weddings and functions.
An opportunity arose for me to purchase a gift shop in town and '' Gloria's flowers and gifts was born. Our business was a little hub with a great selection of gifts and beautiful flowers for all occasions. Some ex Dargavillians would ring from overseas for flowers for their loved ones and we had a lot of direct clients from around the world. Family time suffered a little then as the business took over. I recall one night working late getting ready for Mothers Day, we had eaten takeaways and I couldn't see Trudi anywhere, found her curled up with a blanket on the front shop floor. She never has trouble sleeping that girl. In due time Nikola and Trudi were married and you can imagine the pressure for a florist for their daughter's weddings, with wonderful help from friends and family we achieved miracles. We have been blessed with eight lovely grandchildren and they all spent some time at Nana's shop. We had bedding, DVD's, books, crayons and even made beds out of flower boxes. It was a part of the job description that Babysitting maybe required.
2014 saw our lives change in a second. Roger sustained a Traumatic Brain Injury which forced me to close my shop and sell his plumbing business as I became his caregiver. We count ourselves lucky to live on a few acres out of town as the rural views and spaces have been great for Roger's recuperation. You have to take stock of life and make the most of it. My achievements in life have been raising a wonderful loving family, family is the most important thing in our lives.
