Everything Reminds Me of Her...

My 1st Communion with my Mom & Dad







Lately it seems like everything reminds me of my Mom. I do canning & Mom comes into my memory, I go on a crocheting frenzy, again, Mom pops in my head. The other night while going through some old books on the bookshelf upstairs I ran across my Mom's Needlepoint book. I decided to take it to bed with me & did some reading up on different techniques & whatnot. In the front inside cover my Mom had written her name in cursive & as I thumbed through the patterns & designs I came across a piece of paper that had a pattern for crocheted snowmen. I remember Mom making those lil guys for the Church Bizarres!!!




Yesterday Ken was home & we were both on each others last nerve. At one point I got sooo irritated with him I told him I didn't like him right now but I still love him. I guess we were both in a mood so to speak. It doesn't happen often but I guess even the biggest love birds need a break from each other.



I pretty much chalk my moods to my Mom's upcoming birthday, July 20th. For some reason I always get frumy froggish near & on her birthday. It's rather silly. She has been dead for 22yrs. I only knew her for 10 short years. Even now, sometimes my memory of her fades but it always comes back to me during times like these.



I'll tell ya what happened today. I was making some stewed tomatoes to be canned and my neighbor lady friend called me to tell me Pat across the alley was having a rummage sale today & if we wanted we could walk over there & check it out. I was total game!! Heck yeah!! I grabbed a bit of moolah & away I went!! I found an adorable Christmas tablecloth, some wooden bowls for salad, a quilted pillow, an 8 track of James Taylor & a set of old encyclopedias.

The James Taylor 8 track has a childhood favorite song on it..."You've Got A Friend" I just had to have it!!



Now one may wonder what in tarnation I would want an old set of encyclopedias for. Cuz I like reading em for funs sake!! Much to my surprise Pat told me she had a box in the corner for them. I went to grab the box & memories of my parents engulfed me. It was a Red Owl box!!! I remember on Saturday mornings going to our local Red Owl grocery store with Mom & Dad. It was located where our JC Penneys is currently.


I looked around more & what did I see but crocheted snowmen!!! I almost started to cry. I had just 2 nights prior found my Mom's pattern for such things & there were two similar ones in front of my face. I didn't buy them though...I plan on making a handful with Mom's pattern in time for Christmas.



After I returned with my fun rummage sale finds I cooked & canned 9 jars of the stewed tomatoes & began making applesauce & rhubarb jam. I ended up with a quadruple plus one batch of jam. What is 5 batches of jam called anyways? A pentagonal batch or perhaps a Cinco batch? Heckles if I know. I just call it a quad plus one.





These are a couple other things that remind me daily of my Mom...

Below is a picture of the afghan my Mom made that I sleep with every night. Yup, I'm a 32yr old kid who still needs a blankie. Actually I was in my 20's when my siblings gave me Mom's afghan. I had that "needing to sleep with a blankie" thing conquered before I was given this ultra fabulous blanket!!






Also, I inherited Mom's wedding dress. It was always a dream of mine to get married on her birthday & wear her wedding dress. When some people are shown our room they get the heebbie jeebies & think that Mom's wedding dress on the wall above our bed is eerie. I absolutly LOVE it & have a feeling of safety with it above me.




These "things" I speak of are just that..."things" I don't have too many memories of Mom, actually we didn't have the time in life to make oodles of fun, lasting Mom/daughter memories. I was 10 when both my parents died. But the memories I do have I hold tight & cherish & never allow myself to forget. It's all I have...things... to evoke memories. I wonder if memories of Mom will dance in my head as I sleep tonight.