Happy Mother's Day!!

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

When our kid's were little, Mother's Day was my favorite holiday.  I got to sleep in on both Saturday and Sunday on Mother's Day weekend (see how I extended the one day to two) and when you had early bird kids, that was the only gift I wanted. It didn't stop there, though, because when I did get up, I was spoiled the rest of the day. We did have one year when around 5 p.m. my husband declared he was done and the day was over. I guess the pressure got to him.  I told him it was good to know that a person could declare a day over on a whim and I would keep that in mind for future reference.

Most of you know, my mom has a very good sense of humor. I really think this is one of my favorite traits about her. She will be 86 this month and talking to her on the phone is always a unique experience because you never know what she is going to say.  This month we have had several talks about portion control.  Apparently, the whole world has singled her out as the person to give the smallest portion to when serving up any type of food.  The Amish are now on her list, because of a recent "mystery ride" trip she went on to an Amish house where the dessert was apple pie.  She started the story by telling me she was so full from her lunch and watched in horror as the Amish started cutting enormous slices of pie and she had no idea how she would ever eat such a big piece...but then ended the story with, "wouldn't you know it, I got the smallest slice of anyone."

My dad was a traveling salesman and left the house on Monday and came home on Thursday or Friday each week, which meant my mom did everything for my sisters and me. You don't really understand what that means until you grow up and have kids of your own. She took in ironing to make extra money and I can remember her with a 7-up bottle with a sprinkler cap, wetting the clothes down to iron. She babysat, too.  My mom bakes great cookies and her pecan/cinnamon rolls are to die for.  I talk to her almost every day on the phone, and she is my greatest audience. She wasn't perfect, but she did her best and that is all we can hope for in a mom. If you have a story you would like to share about your mom, I would love to hear one. Happy Mother's Day to my mom and all the moms in the world.

[F, Calla & Luca]

This was wonderful. So many thoughts come to me about my mom. But I guess the nicest is that she was always there for us in many ways. When she called on the phone it was always,"So how's my beautiful daughter?" When I was in graduate school I had an abscessed wisdom tooth and got quite ill from medication they gave me. When I spoke to my mom I was determined not to mention a thing. That lasted 1 minute. By the next day my parents trekked the 4+ hours to stay and take care of me for a few days. She was far from perfect but she was my mom and I do miss her.

[Lisa, Daisy & Dexter]

Awww what a wonderful memory for you F, not the tooth of course the visit and the obvious caring!

[Camilla and Darwin]

She sounds wonderful.

[Margaret & Pebbles]

Isn't it funny F how some things stay with us.  No matter how old we get, we miss our mom's.

[F, Calla & Luca]

So true.

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

I found that with the elderly that I volunteered with...many of them wanted their moms when they were in the throes of dementia. I had one lady (who I think was in her 80's or 90's) tell me she just got back from lunch with her parents. Such a strong bond.

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

F, Awww....these are great memories. How wonderful that they made that trip to take care of you!!

[Anna and Achilles]

Sweet F. I loved how she addressed you!

[Anna and Achilles]

 My mom was a bargain shopper. She would go to 3 different supermarkets to get the best price on any item. Another thing you need to know about my mom was that she totally loved her grandsons. Combine the two loves and you get someone who loved to buy her grandsons a treasure that she found on sale.
     Whether  it be a toy from K-mart or something that she thought they might like from the supermarket.
On one occasion she found a bargain on Polaners Grape Jelly. She brought it over to my boys on her way home from shopping.
     My boys have been trained to accept gifts from anyone with gratitude. And the good boys that they were thanked her profusely. They made a big deal over the jelly and told her that they loved grape jelly.
Well from that day on whenever she saw a sale on grape jelly she bought it for them. They hate grape jelly always have and always will. I never had the heart to tell her.
     After awhile we got quite an accumulation of grape jelly. I did not know what to do with all the jars. Finally I found out that my niece Bernadette loved grape jelly. Relief, I could give them to her. so whenever Nanny brought over some grape jelly the boys thanked her. She felt great and so did they.
I would hand off the jelly to Bernie and all was right with the world.
     As my mom got sick there were no more shopping sprees, no more treasures. No More Grape Jelly!
About 8 months after she passed, Andrew and I were cleaning out the pantry and what did I find in the corner of the third shelf, a jar of Polaners grape jelly. I hugged that jar so tight! I have not yet passed it on to Bernie but someday I will, when I can part with it.
Anna

[Margaret & Pebbles]

I miss my mom too.  My mom had a stroke when I was just over a year old.  She always told me she knew she had her baby girl to get well for, I lived with my aunt and uncle for quite a while til my mom was able to walk.  I grew up real fast.  I remember standing on a stool next to the ringer washer, I was around 4.  My mom didn't have the strength in her right arm to lift the heavy clothes and put them through the wringer, but she made fun of wash day.  We would sing all kind of songs while doing the laundry, I also had a clothesline in the basement to hang everything.  My mom always said I was her first patient and knew I would be a nurse, which I am.  My mom died when I was in my 20's, she seen me graduate nursing school, and died  a year later.

[Lisa, Daisy & Dexter]

Margaret, how wonderful that you can say, because of your Mom you became a nurse. I am happy for you that she was able to see your accomplishment before she passed.

[F, Calla & Luca]

What a happy/sad wonderful story.