Dare I?

This set of dish towels has been languishing in the bottom of my cedar chest for nearly 30 years.

 My mother made these for me 30+ years ago.

I'm thinking it's high time they saw the light of day!

I'm just not sure I can bring myself to actually use them~ but it seems a shame for them to just sit in the bottom of my cedar chest.
(With another set of dish towels, and several sets of pillowcases!)

I figure they will either just rot away...

Or I can put them to use and enjoy them!

I have thought about framing them...but I would have to cut them down, and I'm not sure I want to do that~ they are nice, big towels!

  Right now, they are just sitting, waiting for me to decide...

Such a dilemma!

What My Mother Taught Me

To Value A Job Well Done
"If you're going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning."

Time Travel
"If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into the middle of next week!"

Logic
"Because I said so, that's why."

Foresight
"Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you're in an accident."

Irony
"Keep crying and I'll give you something to cry about."

Osmosis
"Shut your mouth and eat your supper."

Stamina
"You'll sit there until all that spinach is gone."

Weather
"This room of yours looks as if a tornado went through it."

Hypocrisy
"If I told you once, I've told you a million times. Don't exaggerate!"

Circle Of Life
"I brought you into this world, and I can take you out."

Behavior Modification
"Stop acting like your father!"

Envy
"There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who don't have wonderful parents like you do."

Anticipation
"Just wait until we get home."

Receiving
"You are going to get it when you get home!"

Medical Science
"If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they are going to freeze that way."

How To Become An Adult
"If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up."

Genetics
"You're just like your father."

Wisdom
"When you get to be my age, you'll understand."

Justice
"One day you'll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you"

(Author Unknown)

Have a wonderful weekend, and Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Last week, my mom celebrated her 71st birthday.

I don't have a good, current picture of her, so this is one from about 7 years ago.

My mom loves to read. It's a passion she passed on to me.

Anytime we went on a trip, even if it was just for a day or two...she would find a thrift store or used book shop to search through. She always would come away with lots of treasures. She used to bring the books home and bake them in the oven (seriously) to get rid of any germs or smells. Not sure if it worked or not, but she does have a lot of old, used books. :)

One of my favorite books, "The Rosary", is such a find. And I am certain it "did time" baking in the oven.

One of my favorite childhood memories is of staying up late on a summer evening, reading with my mom. In my mind's eye, I can still see her curled up in the swivel rocker, engrossed in her book. I can still remember looking up and seeing the white, sheer curtains blowing in the summer night breeze, hearing the crickets chirp outside the window, and being curled up on the couch enjoying being able to stay up so late, reading. I even remember the book I was reading; "The Endless Steppe" by Esther Hautzig.

We also did a lot of camping when I was a kid. I think mom owned all of the "Roughing It Easy" books by Dian Thomas, and she always had something new and fun for us to try; Banana Boats, Tin-foil Dinners and lots of other goodies. We always had a fun time together.

Whenever mom is trying to tell a joke, or recount a funny experience, well...she gets laughing so hard that no one can understand a word she is saying...she just starts squeaking and laughing! And the harder she tries to stop, the more she gets to laughing, until everyone is laughing, yet we still have no clue what the "funny thing" was...her attempt at telling is always the funny part. In fact, whenever she starts to share something humorous, my dad usually says, "Here she goes again" because he knows what's coming...

My mom is very organized...and she is always on time! She and my dad always show up 15-20 minutes early to everything. I don't think she has ever been late a day in her life.

She also has always been a 100% Visiting Teacher. Nothing keeps her from getting her VT done every month (early too, of course). Sadly, this is NOT a trait she passed on to me. I think the only time she may have missed a month was when Curtis was in the hospital after his car accident.

Thanks for a lifetime, of warm, wonderful, happy memories (and lots of wonderful books!)

I love you mom! Happy Birthday