I thought about it

  Today was Mother's Day where all mothers are to be honored and celebrated.  It should be their day off from the worries of the world but, I have got news for you...that just does not happen....especially with the uncertain times that are slapping us in the face.  Mothers worry.  Mothers fret for the safety of their children (even when they are grown).  Mothers are mothers.  We will always look out for the best interest of our kids.  Obviously, there is no "day off".  The work is just conveniently shoved to another day.  After all, who is going to pick up the slack while everyone insists she sits.  The answer...no one.  No one!  The laundry, cooking, cleaning, caring for children, tending the needs of all family members, caring for the ill, soothing bruised egos are all mom chores.  No one will pick up the slack.  Don't even think that some one else will scrub that toilet cause it ain't happenin', folks.  It ain't happenin'.

  Perhaps it was just because of this social distancing or chalk it up to a bad mood day, but this was not a favorite day of mine.  Oh, it had its bright moments since I did get to "see" (but not hug) my beautiful daughter and handsome son-in-law.  We had to keep our "6 feet distancing" since she is in the medical field and is adamant about not spreading the virus.  (I fully agree with that.)  Having them here (in the yard) for a few moments was glorious!  Another delightful moment was when Son pitched in to help home can the green beans that Mark brought home for the farmer's market.  His quirky jokes made the time go faster.   Still, I missed my oldest son, sweet daughter-in-law and grandlittles.  That huge hole in my day hurt.

  Speaking of "holes", I was tempted to crawl into one I found early this morning and just stay there.  I could ride out the day in perfect bliss hiding in the sky!  There was one break in the clouds that gave the illusion that it was an escape hatch from the worries of the world!  If only I had a ladder long enough to reach the clouds, things would have been ok.  Sometimes you just need to escape....I thought about it. It might have been a fun adventure!

 

Its A Tough Job But....

  Tomorrow being Mother's Day, we should all pay tribute to those women who have taken the time and effort to raise a family.  Those wonderful ladies who give selflessly so that their children can grow up to be decent human beings.  Those incredible ladies who instilled in each of us the life skills it takes, not only for daily survival but those needed to become the best in our fields.  Moms everywhere...I salute you.  Stand proud.  Pat yourself on the back.  Endulge in a bit of smug accomplishment.  You deserve it.  You have the world's toughest job and you nailed it!

  As I sit here thinking back on the ladies that nutured me thoughout my childhood and as a young adult, a thought flits through the brain.  Although, we have one natural mother, so many ladies form our outlook on life.  Mine of course was Mom, first and foremost.  She taught me kindness, generosity and faithfulness and a whole boatload of life skills.  My maternal grandmother taught me meekness, passiveness and patience.  My paternal grandmother passed before I was born but from her, I learned stubborness and not to fear hard work.  My mother-in-law taught me respect and love.  My grandmother-in-law taught me how to look at things with a sense of humor.  Aunt Marie instructed me not only physical things like how to pick a crab, can greenbeans and put sleeves on a garment but how to face whatever life threw at me.  Aunt Betty taught me the more genteel things of life such as always maintaining a good attitude and having a ready smile.  My mom's cousin, Fairie Lyn, made sure I learned preparedness, budgeting and a love for nature.  My Aunt Jamie showed me how to hold my head up high, look others in the eye and say "I am good enough!" Aunt Eloise instilled in me the love of learning and reading.  Aunt Helen gave me pointers in how to keep the imagination alive and how to see the lighter side of things.  Obviously, it takes a village to raise a child...or at least a mom and a dozen or so aunts and grandmothers!

  The main thing is that all of these ladies gave.  They gave love to a little girl growing up, to a young woman stepping out and to a mother raising kids of her own.  They just gave without ever looking at what they would receive in return.  Now even though, they are all gone from this world, their lessons live.  I look back and wish that I had asked more questions.  How I wish I had listened more, talked less and followed more of their advice.  I miss them. I can only pray that I was half the mother that they ALL were to me.  

  To all the young mothers out there in the process of raising little ones or fighting to steer teenagers in the right direction, I have one bit of advice.  Be proud of the job you are doing.  It is tough.  It is the hardest job you will ever do.  It seems to be thankless at times but do not despair. You have been chosen to be one who leads your child to greatness.  You can do it!  You ARE doing it!  Happy Mother's Day. 

Life as a Mother is Adventurous!

  I have been blessed with the Mother's Day gifts from my kids.  My oldest son and his lovely wife a got a subscription to a delightful magazine for me.  It is full of pictures and articles about antiques.  The magazine has information on shops, collectibles and even recipes from days past!  While this is all interesting, my favorite thing about the magazine is the fact that each picture shows organized collections.  I need this.  I want this.  I have stuff...stuff that is stuffed....stuff that is stuffed in any nook and cranny and not organized in neat collections. With the inspiration of the magazine, I shall now have collections!  I, hopefully, will remain inspired long enough to get the Little Bayou House in some semblance of order.  My collections shall be properly displayed!  Maybe...hopefully.  

  Then there comes the gift from my daughter and son-in-law.  Since Darling Daughter usually chooses the gift for me, I receive some rather unorthodox gifts.  This is fine by me as I find quirky things fit me to a T. The gift from these two?....oh, she chose a zoetrope!  Yep, I am the proud owner of a zoetrope!  A lot of folks have no idea just what this contraption is but I have to admit, I am tickled pink with it.  Just so you will know, a zoetrope is a nineteenth century toy that has a cylinder containing a strip drawn with a series of figures.  When the cylinder spins, the figures appear animated if you peer through a slot in the cylinder.  The zoetrope is sort of a pre-film animation system.  So, I can now have endless hours of fun watching a little guy riding a unicycle or a bird flapping its wings!  

  My youngest son has decided that once all the hubbub of the holiday dies down, he will treat me to the traditional "Mother's Day Pizza" that he always gets for me.  This tradition is a grand one as usually the pizza is ordered when I am just too tired to cook.  He figures that a meal is something that is useful and, therefore, will be appreciated.  It is....and did I mention?  I will not have to cook!

  This evening as I sat with magazine in hand and the zoetrope on the desk next to me, I had to giggle a bit.  That magazine came just in the nick of time!  I will now know just how to display my zoetrope and all of the other quirky items all while eating pizza!   I love my kids!  I hope each mother out there had an equally adventurous Mother's Day!

Its a Mom Thing

  Every now and again, even the best moms need a break.  A little "Me Time" is in order just so we can get things in perspective.  This does not mean that we do not adore our roles as mothers nor does it mean that we are not coping well.  It just means that occasionally we have to do something for ourselves so we can be on top of things.  A bit of a break makes us all better mothers than before.  After even a few minutes, we can focus more clearly on our duties.

  I was out near the marsh edge by the old, dead pine tree when I noticed a poor mama doing just that.  She obviously was a good mother but had just been ragged about to wit's end.  She needed a break.  A nice outing was in order so she escaped far enough away to be by herself, yet near enough to be available if the need arose.  

  Mama Squirrel eased her way out of the hole in the dead tree and made her way to one of the only limbs left on the tree.  Here she spread out on the limb to soak in a bit of the bright sunshine.  I watched as she actually dosed a bit.  Poor dear, she must be exhausted.  Since the female squirrel is the sole caregiver for her litter of up to eight babies, it has to be tiring.  She not only has to nurse and clean the little ones, she has to be on constant guard against the many predators that could raid the nest.  This mama was smart.  She had her little ones in an old woodpecker hole high up in the dead tree.  At least here, it would be difficult for a snake, fox, bobcat or even a large hawk or owl to get the babies.  

  I smiled as I thought about Mama Squirrel.  She needed this break....as we all do occasionally.  Then....another thought.  Happy Mother's Day, Mama Squirrel.  I hope you can sneak out for another nap in the warm sunshine tomorrow!

"Happy Mother's Day, Mom! I got you a broken typewriter!"

  "Happy Mother's Day!"  Yes, I know this day was officially celebrated a week ago but, for me, it was today.  AND..I must add, that while most mothers received the obligatory flowers, candy or knickknacks emblazoned with "MOTHER" on them, I did not.  I am not that sort of mom in the first place nor do I need anything to remind me that I am, indeed, a mother.  I have three kids, albeit grown kids, that do a grand job of reminding me of that fact on a daily basis.  In a way, those knickknacks are sort of foolish and are just there to provide a last minute gift for those who forgot to honor their mothers.  I cannot for the life of me understand the allure of such a thing.  Instead, I have always loved things that are useful.  Today, I received a useful gift even though it came with problems.
  
  Early this morning in the midst of a rainstorm, Darling Daughter arrived at the Little Bayou House.  She came bearing a large box containing my belated Mother's Day gift.  Son lugged the box into the house and the three of us proceeded to uncrate the item.  Once the box was opened and the packing paper removed, I was thrilled!  "Happy Mother's Day, Mom!  I got you a broken typewriter!" proclaimed Elizabeth.  She was just about as excited as I was.  Seriously.  I am elated over this gift.  

  You see, I learned to type on a machine just like this one so many years ago.  Mom and Pop were given an old typewriter and each of the kids actually were encouraged to learn to type.  It was magical to see words appear when keys were pressed.  Nowadays, we take all of this for granted but, back then, we understood that a lot of hard work went into designing such fantastical machines.  I have long wanted a typewriter like the one at the old farm.  Somewhere along the line after the folks had passed, the typewriter was tossed in the trash bin and hauled away before I could salvage it.  I would have treasured such a keepsake.  Now, I have one close to that machine and I treasure it.

  

  Michael and Elizabeth pored over the machine.  They eyed the "crazy" keyboard and wondered where things were like "Alt", "Ctrl" and even the "1" buttons were.  I had to explain that we did not have those.  We had a much more "efficient" system.  Michael even jokingly asked where was the power cord!  We had a good laugh over the way times have changed in my lifespan and then set to work cleaning the typewriter.  Elizabeth and I swabbed away at cobwebs and dustbunnies of a hundred years making while Michael examined every working part. He was curious of how the machine functioned which was a good thing as several parts need to be repaired.  After a while, he announced that it should be usable in just a few days.  I am, indeed, excited and look forward to trying my hand at typing on a "real" machine once again.  

  Yep, I do understand that this is a personal thing and not everyone would be as thrilled as I am about receiving this as a gift but you just have to understand that I am not everyone....I am me....and I am delighted!  I think this is about the best Mother's Day gift ever!  Thank you, Darling Daughter!

The Empty Nest or the Greatest Mother's Day Gift?

  Today being Mother's Day, I set about my usual chores.  Yep, my kids have all grown and left the nest except for one who decided to stay put. Which is fine as he is a big help around the place.  The others are married and have their own homes.  The oldest, his wife and two children live far from the Bayou while my daughter and her husband are just a short distance away.  I figured that today was not much different than any other day and if chores needed doing, I needed to get them done.  One of the first things was to pot a few houseplants into some new hanging baskets.  Since this was to be done in the greenhouse, that was my first stop.  No sooner had I stepped inside than I knew that this was a huge mistake.  Birds!  Birds were everywhere!  The baby wrens had chosen Mother's Day to leave the nest!  My entrance into the greenhouse had the four tots all aflutter!  Their wild fluttering and frantic chirping soon brought Mama and Papa Wren racing inside also. Ok, so six birds flopping about the greenhouse in a frenzied panic was a bit much.  I started to ease out the door.  Then I had the bright idea!  I should open the door and let the little ones fly free!  As it was, they would have to make their way all the way up to the eaves of the greenhouse to the one small opening if they ever wanted to explore the wild, blue yonder.  That thought vanished as quickly as it came with the realization that two cats were on the prowl.  NO!  No, Little Birds!  Stay put and practice your flight inside the safety of the greenhouse!  I carefully backed out of the door and closed it behind me!  All babies were safe!

  The fledgling birds got me to thinking about Mama Bird's fantastic Mother's Day Gift. She witnessed her four little ones growing to maturity and leaving the nest.  She had done well and was rewarded by seeing them become quite the efficient little foragers.  Soon they would be on their own and she could sit back and smile. Yep, she had done her job as a mother well.

  This also got me to thinking about my Mother's Day.  It is a great gift indeed to see your offspring grow into hardworking, productive adults. I can honestly say that all three of my children have made me proud. Sure, I wish I could see them daily.  Sometimes that empty-nest syndrome makes me blue but overall, things are good.  Happy Mother's Day to you.....to me....to all of us who made it our priority to raise our children to be fine adults.  We did the job well.

Do they.....or not?

  My son sent me two plants as a Mother's Day gift.  He said that perhaps they would help with the bug problem here on the Bayou. They arrived at the Little Bayou House well-packed in a large box with lots of the Styrofoam peanuts.  As soon as I opened the box, I knew that something smelly was underneath all of those annoying little things!  I carefully pushed them aside to reveal two very pretty plants.  Oooh!  Plants!  My son knows that I love plants of any kind and especially love ones that have some use.  The tag said that these were Citrosa or the "Mosquito Fighter" plants.  Alrighty, then!  This could prove to be very useful indeed! Living on the Bayou, we have our share of those varmints!

  I placed my plants in the window to await their transplanting into larger pots.  I figured that I needed them to get as large as possible if they were going to help dispel the plethora of pests.  They looked right pretty sitting there so even if they did no more than that, I was happy.  Plus, that smell started to grow on me.  I soon became to like the citronella aroma.  Not bad...not bad at all!  In fact, it was a rather nice change over the doggy smell of Ms. Ez!

  I pondered over just how and where to plant the Citrosas to help them do their best.  In researching them, I found a disclaimer.  Citrosa does NOT repel mosquitoes or any other bugs!  WHAT?  That is hogwash, I thought!  Surely these things must repel something!  The article said "Buyer Beware" and went on to claim that studies show that the mosquito repellent claim was not true. Then how can they be marketed as such?  The article went on to say that buyer should crush a leaf or two, rub it on exposed skin and try it.  If after a few hours no rash has appeared and no mosquitoes have bitten, then, by all means, use it!  What?  Rash?  Did I just read that this could cause a rash?  Yep.  That is what the article stated.  This could cause a rash in those that have allergies.  Again, hogwash!  A lot of plants cause rashes especially in folks with allergies.  So, back to square one.  Does this plant repel mosquitoes or not?  Nowhere could I find a positive answer.  I suppose that it is one of those things that may work for some folks and not others. Whatever!  I am going into this with full confidence that the plants that my son sent, will work!  I will be mosquito-free!  On the other hand, so what.  If they don't do all that is touted, I still have pretty plants and my son still cared enough to think of his mom and I am still blessed to have such a thoughtful family.  Life is good.....even if it is not mosquito-free!  (At least it is doggy-odor free!)

Doing Mom Things.

This being Mother's Day got me to thinking about my mom.  I have good memories.  It is strange I suppose that most of my memories of Mom are ones of her doing "home" things on the farm.  No fancy dress, no memorable jewelry, no fancy anything..just farm stuff.  She, more likely than not, could be found wearing a simple house dress with her hair up in rollers covered by a kerchief. She cooked, cleaned, canned, ironed, washed, baked, sewed, crocheted and was always surrounded by kids..hers and many others. (Not bad for a city girl turned farm girl simply by marrying my dad!  She had a lot to learn!) She was just a mom doing mom things....and that is what made her special.  Mom things.  Things that no other person can do. I can tell you that anyone can bake cookies but they will never taste like those baked by a mom.  Anyone can sew a dress but it will never become a favorite like one sewn by a mom.  Anyone can crochet or knit a scarf but it will never be as warm as one made by a mom.  There is just something about that little extra love that is put into everything they do.

Mom holding one of her granddaughters.

That "little extra" is what makes something ordinary be extraordinary.  That little extra is what makes something special to me.  I have a small picture hanging in my kitchen that was hand cross-stitched by my mom.  She would sit in the evenings working on one project or another.  This was her "relaxation" time.  After supper, she would first work the crossword puzzles in the daily newspaper then either cross-stitch or crochet for an hour or so before bedtime.  The picture that is on my wall was a gift to me one Christmas.  She knew that I was just a farm girl through and through so when choosing a pattern, the rooster was a logical choice.  The picture is one of my favorite things that I have from her.  It has that little something extra as she put her love into when stitching it.  The rooster picture is still in the same green frame that she mounted it in and is actually still hung in the same place where she hung it in my house.  That was some twenty-five years ago.  It will most likely hang there for the next twenty-five if I have my way.

Cross-stitched picture made by my mom.

My wish for Mother's Day this year?  That everyone can have a mom that does "mom things".  One that puts love in everything she does.  One that instills love in those in her care whether they are her children or just some neighborhood kids that hang around her like chicks do a mama hen.  Happy Mother's Day to all moms doing mom things!

Mother's Day

Mother...mentor, teacher, nurse, chauffeur, chef, maid, coach, psychologist, disciplinarian, Assistant Frog-catcher, Doll-clothes Seamstress and Chief Monster-chaser. I have done all of the above!

Mother's Day..a day set aside to honor all mothers! So I will begin by defining just what my duties were as a mother! Mentor..first and foremost..I tried to be a mentor. Hmmm..well..lets just leave it at that..I tried! I am not sure that I succeeded in mentoring anyone past the age of three..after that..well, it seems that kids are a lot smarter these days! Teacher..well that sort of falls in the same category as mentor, but on a different level. I taught! I taught wise things such as "Never count all of your eggs in one basket!" and "A stitch in time works a lot better than a stapler or Scotch tape!" and one must not forget the best and most favorite lesson "Never go looking for trouble or you might find it in a handbasket!" Yes, I taught wise and practical lessons!

There was the important job as nurse. Here, I had plenty of experience! If one kid came down sick, you could almost bet that the other two would have the same ailment within twenty-four hours..only worse. (Yes, with three kids, I acquired lots of experience nursing!) If I could give any tips on nursing, they would be the following..poke medicines down the mouth, make sure the children get plenty of rest, keep a garbage can handy at all times, learn the amazing talent of creating shadow puppets on the ceiling, carve melon balls at three in the morning (one kid always wanted melon balls when ill) and do not be afraid to wear out rocking chairs while holding sick babies.

The job of chauffeur took up many hours of motherhood. It was not too bad when the kids were babies. I kept them home. It was far easier to stay at home than to pack endless items in diaper bags, backpacks and any available box to make the move to any destination for a mere hour. I always threatened to hook the house to a trailer hitch and tow it behind the car. It would have been less difficult than trying to remember what all needed to be carted along on any outing. There were the usual things like bottles, diapers, pins (yes, I used cloth diapers..those things that required safety pins.) burp cloths, and rubber duckies..but there were things that the older children took as well. For an hour visit to Grandma and Papa's house, Barbie Dolls, dinosaurs, bicycles, building blocks, puppies, kittens, cookies, buckets, ropes, fishing poles and chickens usually found their way into the car. There was one incident where a three foot long alligator even rode home with us from Papa's house..in the back seat..with three little kids..hmm..I must admit being a chauffeur to an alligator went above and beyond the call of duty.

Chef..now here is an interesting topic. Not to re-mention the melon balls..but being a chef was always fun in this house. I was not afraid to let my children cook! As matter of fact..I encouraged it. After all, if they were cooking..I did not have to! So, cook we did! We invented wild and wonderful dishes! Not to be confused with healthy and nutritious meals. These were two different things altogether! I admit that at the time, chocolate cake seemed like a logical choice for breakfast and homemade pizza was good any time! There were "Chocolate Gooey Cakes" and other delights that should have been called "Heart attacks on a Plate". These are the things that diets were invented to cure! I had to cook meals for three very different kids. There was the vegetarian kid, the eat-anything kid and the "I want soybean chicken nuggets and instant mashed potatoes" kid. So, I fed them chocolate cake and homemade pizza! Easy solution!

Maid..we should not even go there.

Coach..I was a great coach! Not that any of the kids played organized sports but we had the Summer Olympics in the backyard every year unlike the real things that you had to wait four years to watch. There were amazing box-hurdle relays, jump rope tug-o-wars, and archery events with homemade bows and arrows that would shoot in huge arcs to the left or right. This made for interesting contests..especially when the observers would have to dodge the arrows that would be lobbed in their direction because of the curving action! I, also, coached dancing! Not that I could ever dance myself, but coaching it is a different story! I was called the drill sergeant of dance!

Psychologist and disciplinarian duties could be all wrapped up in two phrases..."I told you so." and "Because I told you so!"

Assistant frog-catcher..self explanatory, but perhaps one of my favorite jobs! Doll clothes seamstress..self explanatory..but one of my most confusing jobs being as I did not and still do not know how to sew! Chief Monster-chaser..this was fun! It took quite the creative bravery to still the fears of a child's active imagination. But..I was up for the job! I was a knight.. ummm ..knightess (?) in shining armor! I was brave, strong and amazingly adept at ridding the Under-bed Kingdom of all sorts of ogres!

Perhaps there were many more jobs to being a mother, but even these did not seem to be chores. Rather, as I look back on it..these were all fun and games..things I miss.

Mother's Day..it is a day set aside to honor all mothers. A day when we take our mothers out to dinner, buy them gifts or remember them in our hearts because they have passed from this world. I remember mine as a kind and loving lady. A lady that played the piano when she was happy. One that "loved" her old housedresses because they were "soft and comfortable". One that could turn one small chicken into a meal for multitudes by just adding a few potatoes or carrots to the pot. She was someone that taught her children that respect, love and kindness were great riches and wealth was not to be confused with money or material things. Lessons of a lifetime were instilled one at a time with a gentle hand.

I remember my mother-in-law as a lady that was kind and quiet but would stand up to lions if someone she loved was threatened. A serene, good-hearted woman that worked hard, laughed easily and taught by example. I remember her opening her heart to a timid daughter-in-law and accepting her as she was. I was blessed to have acquired not only a mother-in-law, but another mother..a true friend..a mentor. This lady taught me how to be a mother-in-law..I only hope that I can be the wonderful mother-in-law that she was.

Then I think of the grandmothers, aunts, cousins, sisters, sister-in-laws and friends who have all at one time or another lent a hand, a shoulder or just moral support. Those that "mother" without being your real mother. They are there when times are hard..giving you love when you need it, reprimanding you when you deserve it and still coming back for more when they can be of help.

Happy Mother's Day.........