Happy Birthday!

I learned to sew when I was very young, at the feet of my mother.  She had grown up sewing out of necessity, since her family was quite poor.

I grew up sewing because I loved it.  Sewing gave me the freedom to imagine and then use my hands to create what I had imagined.  By the time I was a teenager, I was quite proficient  and was thrilled that I could hand-craft things that no one else would own.  It didn't really matter to me that crafting wasn't at all cool at the time . . . I loved it  regardless.

In addition to learning to sew clothes, I learned how to embroider, cross-stitch and needlepoint.  As my mother taught me the stitches and encouraged me to practice, I remember her telling me often that "The back of your piece should be as pretty as the front".

At the time, that seemed so absurd.  Who cared if the back of my stitching was messy with threads reaching from side to side and obscuring the design from behind?  After all, it would be hidden beneath a picture frame or a pillow backing.  And, over the years, there have been times when my desire to "get it done" have overshadowed the neatness underneath.  On the outside, things looked great, but underneath it was a jumbled mess of thread and knots.

As is often the case, it wasn't until many years later that I realized my mama's wisdom in many things she taught me.  In this case, I have begun to recognize the parallel between her sewing method and her life in general.  You see, my mama was one of those people that people admired.   Not because she was beautiful and worldly . . . although I think certainly think she was very beautiful.  Not because she owned beautiful things . . . she came from very humble roots and worked hard for everything she had.  Not even because she always had beautiful words for every situation . . . she struggled with shyness and speaking in front of others.

No, I think that one of the most wonderful things about my mama was the fact that her "back side was just as pretty as the front".   Not only was she well-versed in scripture and the "golden rule", but she practiced those things in every aspect of her life.   She taught us to look beyond appearances and to see the person inside and to help others by any means that we were able.  While she taught Bible studies and was gentle and kind to those at church, she put those things into practice at home and in the community. She saw the beauty in nature and encouraged us to notice the spots on a ladybug and the feathers on a bird.

Was she perfect?   Indeed not.   Who is?

But, there were no "hidden skeletons" in a closet somewhere.   She would openly talk about the struggles of raising a son with special needs or growing up poor or living far away from her family, yet remind us of the blessings found in each of those situations.

Today would have been my mama's 86th birthday.  While she passed away thirteen years ago, she faced her battle with ovarian cancer with honesty, grace and strength.

I still miss her very much and sometimes wish to be able to share some secret or news with her.   I wish that she could see me happily married and to meet her great-grandchildren. Mostly, though, I am so very grateful for the life that she lived and for the example she set for me and my brothers and for our children.   Happy Birthday, Mama!!

Flowers

30 Days of Thankful 2014 - Day 21 - FLOWERS

My mother was a gardener.  She grew up helping on the farm since her dad was a sharecropper in Missouri and Illinois, but she also was one of those people that was born with a green thumb.  As a child, I remember her working in a vegetable garden each year in our backyard and always carefully tending the flowerbeds surrounding our house.  She loved FLOWERS and made it look so easy.

I love FLOWERS as well, but it seems that I did not inherit that gift for growing things.  Maintaining a FLOWERbed and growing a garden are things that I enjoy, but it doesn't come easy for me.  I don't seem to have that same innate sense of what things need and how to do it as I do for sewing or crafting.  Years ago, when my parents moved from my childhood home, my mother dug up a small sprig from her miniature rose bush for me to plant in my own yard.  For 20+ years that tiny bush has thrived here, despite my lack of garden skills, spreading into a huge bush that has to be pruned to keep it from taking over the entire flowerbed.  I have to believe that it is because it came from her!

Are you a FLOWER lover?  Do you grow your own or enjoy them from afar?   What FLOWERS will you see today as cold weather approaches.

Letters

September SNAPS 2014 - Day 16 - LETTERS

When I was growing up, Sunday night was reserved as "LETTER-writing night" for my mother.  For as long as I can remember, she wrote a "round robin" stylet letter to her siblings each Sunday night, as well as LETTERS to her parents and my dad's parents.  We we kids went off to college, she added each of us into her weekly routine.   We always knew that there would be a LETTER in our mailboxes every Tuesday.  (these are just SOME of the letters I received)

It wasn't until MUCH later that I realized she also kept every letter that I wrote back to them--she gave them to me in a hand-made wooden chest for Christmas one year.  

Letter-writing is somewhat of a lost art, with most of us preferring the instant gratification of texts or emails to the almost obsolete "snail mail".  What kind of LETTERS capture your attention today?

Functional

September SNAPS 2014 - Day 12 - Functional

We all have them.  Things that we keep around because they are necessary, but may not be particularly beautiful.   We enjoy being outside on our deck so much, but in the evenings, the sun shines into that space so brightly that it is blinding.  And hot!  So late in the summer, I came up with the idea of making crop cloth curtains for that side of the deck.  While it may not have been that attractive, it was definitely FUNCTIONAL, blocking the worst of the sun's rays and making dinner on the deck so much more enjoyable.   This year, I replaced the drop cloths with a mildew resistant cloth that is working out even better.

Currently, I am fortunate enough to be surrounded by lots of small luxuries, both new and old.  But, my life is also filled with things that are purely FUNCTIONAL.  What about you?

Happy Birthday!!

Happy Birthday, Mama!!

Heat Wave

My mom had such a green thumb---plants thrived in her care and it all seemed to come so easy to her. Unfortunately, I did not inherit that gift. I think I've mentioned that plants need to be very hardy to live at my house. So far, it's only the middle of June it's like 104 degrees outside during the day! I have brand new landscaping in my backyard. That means massive amounts of watering just to keep everything alive. After dinner, I've been turning on the sprinkler in the front yard. Knowing that I'll forget that it's even on, I set the microwave timer for 20 minutes and settle in to surf the web or catch up on work. The timer goes off and I go outside to move the sprinkler. Back inside, I get busy again. Then, suddenly, an hour later, I remember that I forgot to set the timer and race outside to turn it off and move it to yet another spot . . . and so on until they've all been watered (and sometimes I have water running down the driveway). Rewind and then repeat---each evening.

Only to remember----oops! I totally forgot the herbs that were planted in the backyard. :-( Sorry Basil and replanted Rosemary!

As I've been cleaning out the cabinets in my living room, I've spent lots of time reminiscing over photos and other tidbits of the past. Among some of my favorites are the sweet cards from my past that my mom had gathered in an envelope. These are the baby cards.

They just don't make cards like these anymore---

Look at the sweet drawings.


It tickles me that my mama felt the need to write my name on the front of each card. As if these very feminine cards weren't enough to separate them from those of my brothers. I think it took several days for them to settle on my name and well-wishers weren't sure. Once I was named, she must have gone through and labeled every card.

Here are a few of the birthday cards. There aren't any names on the outside of these cards, but, hey, I guess after four children in 5 1/2 years, something's gotta' give.
Love them! And love her for saving them!

Round Robin - Symbols

When I first read the challenge for the this round of Round Robin, I had a hard time thinking of something to photograph. Ruth, the Scrabblequeen, suggested the topic back in August and her guidance was:
Ruth's guidance on the topic is as follows: (something iconic, like a menorah or the St Louis Arch, or whatever). You can see how the other photographers interpreted the challenge by clicking on this linking list.

While we are constantly surrounded by symbols like stop signs, peace symbols and emergency icons, I decided to capture something that was a bit more personal.

The word "JOY" has come to mean a lot to me. For me, it symbolizes the spirit in which my mother lived her life (her favorite scripture--and mine--expresses this in Psalm 30:5). Each time I see the word, I am reminded of her and also the fact that bad times will pass and there is joy coming!



This is the latest addition to my collection of joy---a beautiful hand stamped pewter heart from Lisa Leonard's wonderful collection.
****** I don't know what's going on with the fonts up there---can't seem to fix them to be all the same.******

I Hope You Love BIrds, Too . . .

My love of birds began many years ago---when I was a very small girl and my mother encouraged us to take notice of and appreciate nature. As I snapped these photos today at the Duck Pond, I thought of her and knew that she would have loved the day, too.

My favorite weather is bird-chirping weather. ~Terri Guillemets


"A bird does not sing because it has an answer. It sings because it has a song." -- Chinese Proverb



"Be as a bird perched on a frail branch that she feels bending beneath her, still she sings away all the same, knowing she has wings." -- Victor Hugo


"When I see a bird that walks like a duck and swims like a duck and quacks like a duck, I call that bird a duck." -- James Whitcomb Riley


"It is not only fine feathers that make fine birds." -- Aesop


"I hope you love birds, too. It is economical. It saves going to Heaven." -- Emily Dickinson

Bloom Where You Are Planted

This weekend, I was a bit sore from the accident so instead of working in the yard as I had originally planned, I spent some time with Callie (who took me to lunch on Saturday for an early Mother's Day) and did a little bit of car shopping. We also stopped by Lowe's and picked out some colorful plants to brighten the pots at my house. Callie went out on the river with friends and as the Blue Angels roared overhead during BAFB's air show, I did some VERY light gardening. I found that chicken feeder on my last Canton trip for $4!Then, this afternoon, when I went out to take a few pictures, I found the first Clematis blooming on my vine. A bit later than usual, but it couldn't have happened on a more perfect day. Combined with our closing hymn this morning, "I'll Fly Away", it was a perfect tribute to my own mother!

If You Give A Mouse A Cookie . . .

This morning, I needed to get some house cleaning done, so I decided to focus on straightening up the living room and the kitchen (the rooms seen by visitors). I began by mapping and sweeping and then putting away some laundry that was stacked on the couch. As I opened my linen armoire to put away a couple of pillowcases, I was reminded how messy it was in there and how so many of those linens could probably be given away. So, I began taking them all out and as I did that, I sorted them into different stacks. Sheets to keep, sheets to give away, blankets, etc., etc.






Stacked under a bunch of sheets were quilts that belonged to my mother. Some she'd made herself, such as these:




















And others were made by her ancestors:There were quilt tops made many years ago by her grandmother














and this Crazy Quilt top that was made by the lady who lived next door to us when I was a little girl. It IS crazy, but isn't it wonderful!!!






Near the bottom of the stack were a few baby blankets, sheets and quilts. Of course, looking through those brought back more than a few memories, but I was able to part with some. I found the Easter quilts that Momo made for the girls when they were young. (those little animals are all attached with velcro so that they can be taken off and played with)











. . . . and a pile of autographed pillowcases from a number of slumber parties. (by the way, I don't think Callie still feels quite the same passion for Beanie Babies).

Seeing all the quilts and linens reminded me that I needed to take some pictures before I put them all back in. And of course, after taking a few photographs, I knew that I needed to post them to my blog. Being on the computer, I chatted online with my daughter, which reminded me that I was really supposed to be cleaning house. Alas, back to work I go . . .

P. S. To clear up something my daughter asked me---I didn't give away ANY of the wonderful quilts, etc. ---only old sheet sets, old blankets and old crib sheets.