Employee Name: Elizabeth Rau
Number of years of service at Pahl’s: 11
Briefly describe your job duties at Pahl’s: I work in the Landscape department doing design, consults and anything else that gets tossed my way.
What is the most rewarding part of your job? They call me flower girl! I love designing large commercial and residential properties along with seasonal containers. The most rewarding part is seeing my projects all grown up, bursting with color and texture!!
Tell us about your family: Brian Pahl is my special person. My Mom and Dad live in Windsor Colorado. I have 2 brothers and one sister. I have three kids, Ashley, married to Kevin, is my oldest. Alli is my middle child living in Maryland about to make me a grandma for the first time. Eric is my 23 year old baby.
What story does your family always tell about you? As a child, you could not punish me by sending me to my room. I was very happy to have the room I shared with my sister all to myself!!! According to my Mom and Dad, I sat in there and pondered life.
What is your favorite time of day/day of the week/month of the year? Why? Early morning. I love sitting on our stoop watching the sun come up with a good cup of coffee. Fall is the best season. I love all the colors and crispness in the air. Fall harvest means both Brian and I have ALMOST survived another season at Pahl’s.
What is your favorite indoor/outdoor activity? I garden! I have created a very large monster at my house. I work very hard creating spaces for my customers. It’s great to smile when I drive up my own driveway.
What is the farthest you have been away from home? Tell us the most unique experience from that trip? I have been to many states in our fabulous USA. My Dad was a school teacher and we traveled and camped every summer for weeks on end. Ely will always be my home away from home. Both my mom and dad were born and raised in Ely. I had 3 aunts living on Burntside Lake. How lucky was I!!!!
What are three things on your “Bucket List” ?
-Visit Ireland and Scotland
-Design the annual gardens at the Glensheen Mansion (I love the space)
-Be a cowgirl and ride the barrels in a rodeo
What do you miss most about being a kid? No worries!! No Responsibilities!! No Bills!!.
If you could learn to do anything, what would it be? I would love to play the guitar or piano or learn to paint beautiful pictures.
What was the first thing you bought with your own money? I’m a girl – it had to be clothes.
If you could choose anyone, who would you pick to be your mentor? Why? My Mom and Dad, they have been married 63 years. They have lived their lives with kindness, faith, adventure and most of all love.
If you won the lottery, what is the first thing you would do? I would make all of my kids worries go away and make their wishes come true! And then buy Mr. Brian Pahl the biggest quad track tractor that Case IH makes along with a few acres to play in!
Which celebrity do you get mistaken for? I can’t say that has ever happened.
What is your all time favorite movie? Toss up between Out of Africa and Legends of the Fall I grew up with the Sound of Music and the Wizard of Oz!
What song do you play the most often? Bon Jovi’s, It’s My Life.
What’s the hardest thing you’ve ever done? There are many defining moments in ones life. I try to cherish the good and take some sort of lesson away from the bad.
Great picture in the beautiful garden you designed for the entrance to Pahl’s. Congratulations!
Great picture mom, we will have to plan a big family trip to ireland somday, 🙂
Thanks for sharing your ‘herstory’ with us. What you envision in planting spaces is beautiful! Just a delight!