Redenta’s Garden opened its doors in January of 1992. My parents gave me Redenta as my middle name in honor of my Aunt Redenta, my father’s sister, who was a nun in a convent in Siena Italy. Today I found out that Redenta passed away – the last of all my uncles and aunts.

We visited Redenta several times over the years. On one of the earlier visits we had lunch with several of the nuns in the convent. At one point they pointed out to us that we were eating at the same table that centuries before Napoleon had also shared a meal. I will never forget when we explained to her that our landscape trucks had Redenta’s Garden on the doors – she was just not really impressed with that! And it was almost 13 years ago that she was able to share with us a special occasion – the wedding of Michael and Lorie in Siena.

I am sad at her passing, but as the nun who delivered the news to my sister said, “She is in paradise with the angels”…