Friday, November 23, 2007

MMMMM.....

Boy - do I like Turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy, and pumpkin pie! I even liked the scalloped oysters! My brother made them this year and did a wonderful job! Thanksgiving was a very nice day. We listened to our "Thanksgiving" CD on the way to my brothers and the The Muppets and John Denver Christmas CD on the way home. We watched some old home movies, some took naps, & marveled at my sister-in-laws new oven - which included a "warming oven"! Wow - that made things alot easier.

My sister brought a diary that was our grandmothers. We never met her because she died in childbirth when my mom was 3 yrs. old. But for one year (1917) we have a glimpse into her life. I don't know if she kept a diary for any other years - it seems like she should have because she was so faithful for this one. I think she has written something for every day. It is the year before she married Grandpa. I think when the new year starts - I will work her diary into my blog. It is so neat to have something of hers.

So - now that I am thankful for all the wonderfull things in my life .... I need to start my lists for the Christmas Holidays! I know I have two cookie exchanges, cards (home made ??) decorating, shopping and a 2 day trip to a water park to plan for in the next month. I want to do it all and have time to sit in front of the fire and enjoy the season.

Till next time - C.

Friday, November 16, 2007

The Turkey is coming!!!

Well - Thanksgiving Week is almost here! We were just going to stay home and re-coup from the past 6 weeks but have decided to go to my brothers house. My two sisters will be there also. I'm glad we will all be together. Memories and stories will be plentiful! I'm going to fix my mom's stuffing. I am so glad that I had her teach me how to make it! There is no recipe - but it sure is yummy!! My brother will probably fix Mom's scalloped oysters. That is another dish that Mom always fixed and taught us how to make - "don't get the crackers too moist"!!

When I was little, I can remember my Aunt D. coming out the night before Thanksgiving to help get everything ready. It was such a big deal! They would spend hours making batch after batch of stuffing, getting the tables set, getting the turkey ready and it would go in the oven in the middle of the night and cook for hours and fill the house with the BEST smell! All of us kids sat at the "kid" table - I think you had to get married to get promoted to the adult table!

What fun and what beautiful memories! That is probably why Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. We get together just because we want to - we love each other - and I am so thankful for my life.

The last couple of years, we have rented a house at Lakeside for Thanksgiving week and just taken off and had a great, quiet, fun week in a house by the lake. It is becoming a tradition that my kids and grandkids will remember. We play games, watch movies, fish off the dock, take walks, bake cookies, take naps and get some Christmas shopping done. It doesn't matter there if we eat off of mismatched plates or drink wine out of paper cups! That's the magic of it!

So - the next few days will be spent making lists, buying groceries, getting the cards and games ready to go to G's, talking with my sisters and sister-in-law and daughter about what everyone is fixing, sending flowers to my son and daughter-in-law for their Thanksgiving Feast with S's family, & cleaning the house (notice that is last on my list!).

Mom - we will miss you this Thanksgiving!

Friday, November 2, 2007

Ok - I'm Learning!

Ok - so my lists are not to great! I'm learning this blogging stuff!

Things my mom liked:
Her family (me best)
Her church
The color pink
Tap dancers and nurses (she always wanted one of us to either be a nurse or learn to tap dance and none of us ever did!)
She loved baseball - She (and my dad) used to be Reds fans - National League all the way - but later she switched to the Indians because she could get it on her radio better.
Wine and a good whiskey sour!
Playing cards
Going for rides in the car - anywhere

Things my mom didn't like:
White meat chicken (she hated chicken breasts!)
Turkey - too much like chicken
Turtle neck sweaters
Animals in the house

Thursday, November 1, 2007

Remembering Mama

I guess I don't know what direction I want this blog to take. I just know I want to record my thoughts and feelings. I want to remember my mom. She just passed away last week at the beautiful age of 88. She was sick in bed for three weeks. She asked for two things when she found out that she had stage 4 cancer of the liver, spleen, and bones. She asked that she not have any pain and that she not die alone. So, we (my brother and sisters) got some help from hospice, got her some morphine, and didn't leave her side. We laughed, cried, held hands, prayed, fed her, bathed her and loved her right into heaven.

My mom loved: Mom didn't like:
Her family White meat chicken
Her church Potatoe pancakes
the color pink
tap dancers and nurses (she always
wanted one of her kids to do tap
dance or be a nurse - none of us did)


I will keep adding this list - thoughts keep coming to me in the middle of the night and countless times of the day.

Remembering Mama