A Mother's Day Hodgepodge

Here are the questions to this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge in the new 5-question format this week. I like it. 

1. Share a favorite memory of your mother or share a favorite something from your own life as a mother.

The joy my mother found in "just living" even after being diagnosed with leukemia. No matter the pain, she didn't give up, but rather reveled in the things she could do, enjoying her grandchildren for the brief time she had, and the little trips we took her and Daddy on. We took them camping for their first time and it poured rained, but I remember Mama standing outside under the tent canopy and saying she didn't care, she would have a great time no matter what! And mind you we were tent camping. 

Bear Lake in Colorado

With her first grandchild, Robyn

If you're a mother (or stepmom) tell us how your experience as a mom differs from your own mother's experience.

I never had the joy of being a parent. But I clearly remember how excited I was upon meeting my DH's two young children, to get to be part of their lives. My mom asked me if I was sure about taking on the commitment of someone else's children and I remember telling her, they are the icing on the cake! So, there lies the major difference in my experience and my mom's. She was privileged to have three children of her own and I was blessed to be a step parent/grandparent and see these bonus kids grow into responsible, loving parents who have shared their children with me. Being a step-parent had challenges that my mother never had to face, but she had the challenges of full responsibility of all three of us kids that I never had as a step-parent.

2. In May we celebrate teachers (May 9) and nurses (May 6) both. Most every family has at least one in their midst, so tell us something (or a few things) you appreciate about the teacher or nurse on your family tree.

My niece is a registered nurse, our daughter-in-law is a teacher, and my nephew's wife is also a teacher. Our son teaches at two of the community colleges. I appreciate their dedication to their professions as each one has unique qualifications and qualities.

3. Chicken salad, egg salad, tuna salad...which would you go for if all three were on the menu?

Chicken salad.
On bread or a bed of lettuce? Bread
If you answered bread, what kind of bread would make it the perfect sandwich?
A Paradise Bakery chicken walnut salad with mayo, lettuce and tomato on their Paradise molasses bread.

4. Do you have a desk? Yes.
Is it organized? Fairly.
If so, share your secret to keeping it that way. File on a regular basis. Clean up the stack of papers.
If you don't have a desk, where in your home do you take care of family paperwork and business?
We have an office downstairs.
Where do you normally sit to blog?

In my comfortable chair upstairs typing on iPad, then I go downstairs to complete it by adding photos since I'm unable to load pics from my iPad. (I don't understand why either!)

5. When I was nine years old....

I was in the fourth grade and we lived in a little house out by the airport. I loved my teacher at school, had a sister and a baby brother. My sister and I had great fun with the neighborhood kids, and I got my first pair of eyeglasses that year. I loved to read and, in the summertime, would make weekly trips to the bookmobile to get a stack of books to read and then return the next week for another stack. We played softball and Boxcar Children outside and many other games. We played with hula hoops and jacks and loved to jump rope. We played outside with the hose showering each other and maybe once a week Mama took us to the public swimming pool. We had the best time splashing around while our dear mother sat on the bleachers watching us. Bless her dear, sweet heart. We waited for the ice cream man every day ... sometimes we had a nickel for ice cream. On the days we didn't, we always asked for free samples. We had a peach tree in our yard and Mom made peach cobbler. We also picked dewberries in a nearby field and she made cobbler with that, too. We had no air conditioner, but rather, a big fan in the window called a swamp cooler. We had one car which my Dad used to go to work. Each night he came home from work, cleaned up, and we all sat down to supper together. Every. Single. Night. I shared a room with my sister and every night we had to bathe or simply wash our feet and say our prayers with Mama before bedtime.

I was actually 9 in this picture. It is a favorite because we are at my Granny's house and all pooped out just after our little vacation in Branson, Missouri.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Being 9 years old was fun. And I love and appreciate that my Mom was so good to us. She cooked and cleaned and loved us and made life sweeter doing things that I have never had to do, all the while without complaining.

Selfish kids we are when we are young.
I remember at the end of the day,
all Mama asked from us was for someone to rub her feet.
(Wah, we didn't always "feel" like doing that.)

She passed away 30 years ago after one of the most courageous fights
against cancer I ever witnessed.
How I miss her. It would be a privilege to be able to rub her feet again.

The joy of her life in her last years was her grandchildren.
It was a disappointment to us that she did not get to see them grow up.

She would be so very proud!

How I love you, Mom.
I look forward to seeing your smiling face again one day

and hearing your wonderful laugh.