Showing posts with label Family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Family. Show all posts

Friday, January 13, 2012

Rambo . . .


For fourteen years you filled our lives with unconditional love, wet kisses, and silly antics.
You never did learn the command of "sit and stay", but you will stay forever in our hearts.
As you scampered across that rainbow bridge, your buddies Bounce and Blitz no doubt waited to welcome you.  Maybe they introduced you to our first schnauzer, Bluff.
I just am not sure how to tell your human best buddy that you will not be here to welcome him home again.
Rest in peace, sweet friend. 
Our home will never be the same.


Saturday, December 24, 2011

Christmas Wishes

The past few weeks, blogs, Pinterest and FaceBook have been filled with images of the perfect Christmas. 


 Maybe those really do exist in some lives, but not necessarily in mine or those of many friends.


If there is an empty chair at your family dinner table this year, and you are missing someone special,
you have known the gift of love.


If the stockings and the tree are a little more bare than previous years,
you have known the gift of prosperity and security --
something many will never experience.


If you no longer hear the pitter patter of little feet
and grown children spend the holidays with in-laws and others,
you know the gift of sharing.


If you can see the twinkling lights, hear the glorious music, and smell the fresh pines,
you have the gift of life and health --
even if some days are easier than others.


If you believe that next year will be better and brighter,
you have the gifts of hope and faith.


Love, joy, peace, hope and faith
are the true gifts of the season.
I wish you these and so much more.
A very merry and blessed Christmas to all!

Friday, November 11, 2011

Remembering in appreciation


Remembering and thanking all Veterans,
past and present;
especially my father.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

From Texas to Tennessee, and back!

We took a trip!
We were gone for five days, crossed four states, and traveled over 1500 miles.
I never took one photograph.

So, does that mean we did not have fun or there was nothing beautiful, delicious or interesting to photograph?
 Quite the opposite.
I guess I was just having too much fun, enjoying too much delicious food and company, and too busy to take the time and capture it in photographs.
Instead, there are memories and images etched upon my heart that will last forever.
Unfortunately, that doesn't provide much for me to share here.

We visted a dear elderly friend.  The kind of visit your mind knows may be your last.  Your heart hopes there will be many more.
We shared meals with family members, and caught up on their latest news.
My husband reconnected with law school classmates.
We ditched diets and dined at fabulous restaurants, enjoying every delicious morsel.
We hugged our son, and hugged him some more!
We familiarized ourselves with his new surroundings.
I recognized happiness and excitement in his face and voice, beneath the signs of too little sleep from the fast pace of first year law school.

We returned home.
Those of you who know me well, also know I would have preferred to stay there.
This Texas girl would gladly become a Tennessee gal.
Except, I am very proud of and excited for our Texas Rangers!
That is where I will be tonight -- cheering them on and hoping for a World Series win!

Next trip, I really will try to take photographs!

Sunday, September 4, 2011

Missing . . .


My Loss
Heaven's Gain

I thought of you today -- not once,
but oh so many times;
I felt my heart fill up with tears,
and hoped you wouldn't mind.

I struggle with your absence
and wish to see your face,
for now there is a void on earth
that time will not erase.

And yet I hear inside my dreams,
when stars unveil the night,
the angels whispering tenderly
that you are at their side.

And often they remind me
as I go about my day
that all my deepest love for you --
is just a prayer away.
~Deborah Lindsay O'Toole~

Seventeen years ago today, I held my mother's hand for the last time and whispered a final farewell.
I miss her so much.
She always knew what was on my mind and in my heart, even when no words were spoken.
But, it is the hugs and her gentle touch that I miss most.
Someday we will hug again, and never have to let go.
I love you this much and more, Mother.

Friday, August 12, 2011

The Next Chapter

For the past couple of days, this has been parked in our driveway.

Early this morning, I stood in the driveway and watched it disappear down the street
carrying our son and most of his possessions.
He is beginning the next chapter of his life.
I know it is so cliche to say it seems like only yesterday.
Yet, it really does not seem that long ago this time of year simply meant purchasing a new blanket for rest time at  preschool.

Then, there were the years of buying boxes of fresh crayons and markers for kindergarten and elementary school.

He was responsible for making sure the backpack was filled with all the necessary supplies for those first day of classes during high school.

Preparation for college wasn't exactly fun for him, but I was in my glory --
shopping for sheets, towels, comforters and all those nifty storage bins and organizing gizmos and gadgets.
For the next four years, I loved strolling the aisles of favorite stores, selecting special surprises, combining them with homebaked treats, and shipping them off to remind him that he was loved and missed.

Those four years at Wake Forest University were probably his best.  I saw him flourish and come into his own.  He reveled in a campus rich with tradition.  He loved his classes and all that he learned.  He made friendships to last a lifetime.
He decided to return to Texas after graduation.  The last four years have not been the best.
The economy and job market have been tough.
He never found the perfect job or what made his heart sing.
During the last year, his father and I began to sense that change was in the air.
A couple of months ago, the lease on his apartment ended.  He moved home to save money.
I became used to having him here. 
His beloved Schnauzer became accustomed to more head scratches and being coaxed to jump on furniture when Mom was not looking.
Now, the house will be quiet again.
Groceries will last longer, thumps and bumps upstairs will cease, and music will not play into the wee hours of the morning. I will be the one curling up with the dog, as we try not to miss him too much.

His kindergarten teacher always referred to him as a little sponge.  He soaked up all that he could learn, and was always eager to learn more.
He will be a sponge again.
On Monday, he becomes a first year law student at Vanderbilt University in Nashville.
Of all his choices, I am actually quite pleased with this selection.  I know and love the city.  He will be closer to other family members in Tennessee.  He will also be closer to some of those friends from Wake.
It is the first time that I have not known where he is residing, or with whom he is living.  When he calls or emails, I cannot picture in my mind where he is.
He is taking a huge leap of faith, and I must make that leap with him.
For years, he said he did not want to be like his parents.  We grew up in a different time.  We just do not understand.  We march to a different drummer.
We will next see him in October when we attend his father's 30 year law class reunion at Vanderbilt.
Guess being a little like dear old dad is not so bad afterall!

Best of luck to everyone, little or big, heading off to new educational experiences.
Hugs for all of us watching them grow wings and soar.
Maybe I will go buy a fresh box of crayons just to remember the joy!
Happy Back to School!

Thank you for all the healing wishes and thoughts for my foot.  I am still limping along, but without quite as much pain.  It also gave me permission to just supervise the loading of that truck, and not participate in the heavy lifting!

Friday, July 29, 2011

Where I Sew

My friend, Southern Matriarch, reminded me there were only a few days left to add our sewing spaces to the  inspiring tour over at Pink Chalk Studio.  I have really enjoyed peeking into the creative spots of fellow bloggers and stitchers.  I also had good intentions of cleaning up my own sewing room and sharing it.

Well, the month is almost over and there has not been a lot of cleaning or photographing going on in my little corner of the sewing world!
Instead, I will share some photographs taken a few years ago.  My room remains pretty much the same, as far as furniture and fixtures.  There is just more fabric, stacks of books, magazines, patterns, and unfinished projects.
Please tell me you can relate!

The photograph above is the door to my sewing room.
So, come on in!


It was important to have not only a space for sewing, but also a place where I could surround myself with the things I love.  Many are items which once belonged to family members and friends.  They hold a special place in my heart.  Maybe in future entries, I will share some of their stories in more detail.
The settee is covered with a family quilt.  There is a shawl, crocheted by my mother, which comes in handy during cool weather.  The cutwork pillowcase was made by my grandmother Bessie.  The basket-turned-coffee table is topped with a silver tray that belonged to my mother-in-law.
Photographs and other favorite belongings are displayed on the shelf, along with some of my mother's hats which I shared in an earlier entry here.
The mahogany bookshelf, to the right, was purchased by my parents for their first home.


This Elfa drawer unit provides much needed storage and work area.
I have since made a black and white gingham skirt which hides the drawers.
The drawers hold sewing notions and patterns.
I keep my lace shaping board and iron here for quick pressing jobs, while sewing.
The stool was used by my father in his garage workshop. 
I do not sit there much, as it usually is piled with various magazines or pieces of current projects!


My sewing table is also constructed with Elfa components.
I made the window valances and covered a bulletin board with black and white toile fabric.
The Swiss cuckoo clock was purchased by my mother on one of the last overseas jaunts she and Daddy were able to take.  It always provided entertainment for the grandchildren when they visited the grandparents.
It just makes me smile!


My sewing chair is not fancy schmancy.
It is probably terrible for my back and legs.
It is very special, though.
This was the chair that always sat at my grandmother's sewing machine.
I painted it black to better coordinate with my room.  I also adorned it with some of the larger vintage mother of pearl buttons from her collection.  There are also mother of pearl buttons hot glued to the bottom of the black hanging shelf.  I love to see them when I sit and sew.
Do not fret all ye lovers of mother of pearl buttons!
These that met their fate with the hot glue gun were not ones I would have sewn on sweet little heirloom gowns or frocks!


Prior to building our current home, we spent twelve years living in and restoring a home in one of the city's historic districts.  As with most older homes, closet space was non-existent.
We purchased this antique armoire to help store out-of-season clothing.
For some reason, neither my husband nor myself could muster the courage to leave it behind or sell it when we moved.  So, it came to live in my sewing room!  It does provide wonderful storage, but it takes up the majority of the room.
There are three sections.  Behind the door on the left, is a space for hanging clothes.  The larger center section contains shelves and drawers.  The right section has flat pullout drawers. 
It comes apart in numerous pieces for moving.  Our movers were not thrilled with putting all the puzzle pieces back together again!
The small pictures to the right of the armoire once hung in my mother's childhood bedroom.
They are silhouettes of children at play painted in reverse on glass.


This is the armoire section with the flat pullout drawers.
I have since removed many of my finer fabrics from this section.  I discovered some were becoming stained if they came in contact with the wood.  I always kept the shelves lined with paper, but the fabric folds sometimes touched the sides of the armoire.


And this is the section with space for hanging clothes.
I upholstered the interior of this space with the same toile fabric used elsewhere in the room.
I also covered the inside of the door with a roll of cork, creating another space to tack notes and information.


So, that is my little corner of the world!
I think these photographs have inspired me to try and return it to this state of cleanliness!
Thanks for visiting!  Now, hop on over to Pink Chalk Studio and visit even more charming creative spaces!


Sunday, June 19, 2011

Dad . . .

Tom and Martin, May 1985

To be your father is the greatest honor I have ever received.  It allowed me to touch mystery for a moment, and to see my love made flesh.  If I could have but one wish, it would be for you to pass that love along.  After all, there is not much more to life than that.
~Kent Nerburn~


Daddy, Amsterdam 1995

To all fathers . . .
Those with us today, and those who live always in our hearts,
Happy Father's Day!

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Magnolias for Karen

A few weeks ago, I mentioned my magnolia tree and a special story behind it.
We once lived in a neighborhood with a wonderful tradition.
Each Spring, magnolia trees were presented to residents who had welcomed a new addition or bid farewell to a family member during the previous twelve months.
In the Spring of 1998, I received a tree in memory of my sister Karen.


Karen was my only sibling, and two years older.
She was the typical big sister, always teasing me, telling me what to do, and how to do it.


She was always pretty as a picture!


We stood by each other's side as vows were repeated.


We became mothers and watched our children grow.
We were very much alike in some ways, and very different in others.

Those differences became very real as we dealt with and grieved our mother's death from cancer.
Two years later, Karen's diagnosis with cancer would bring us full circle.
We both swallowed our pride and buried our bitterness and differences.
I was by her side when she left us to join Mother.
Only eight months had passed since we first learned of her cancer.
I could not believe that we would not grow old together.

In the months that followed her death, we placed our home on the market and made plans to move to a different part of the metroplex.  The magnolia tree remained in its container and followed us.
It now is planted in our front yard -- a reminder of a special neighborhood and a special sister.


Today would have been her 59th birthday.
I miss her more now than that day we said farewell.
Happy Birthday, Karen!

Passing time can never fade
All the special memories made;
Loved ones never really part
For they live inside your heart.

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Happy Birthday!

If I live in a house of spotless beauty with everything in its place, but have not love,
I am a housekeeper -- not a homemaker.
If I have time for waxing, polishing, and decorative achievements, but have not love,
my children learn cleanliness -- not godliness.
Love leaves the dust in search of a child's laugh.
Love smiles at the tiny fingerprints on a newly cleaned window.
Love wipes away the tears before it wipes up the spilled milk.
Love picks up the child before it picks up the toys.
Love is present through the trials.
Love reprimands, reproves, and is responsive.
Love crawls with the baby, walks with the toddler, runs with the child,
then stands aside to let the youth walk into adulthood.
Love is the key that opens salvation's message to a child's heart.
Before I became a mother I took glory in my house of perfection.
Now I glory in God's perfection of my child.
As a mother there is much I must teach my child,
but the greatest of all is love.
~Jo Ann Merrill~

Twenty six years ago today, I became a mother.
I looked into those sweet eyes and saw a glimpse of God.
I never knew such love, such hope, such worry, such frustration, and such fear,
until I became a parent.
My son has no doubt taught me more, than I have taught him.
Twenty six years has not been enough time to do all we dreamed or planned.
But he has grown into a son that makes his parents so very proud.
It has been a comfort to have him nearby in recent years.
He was here to help and comfort through the difficult days of illness and surgery.
Yet, no mother should ever experience that type of worry and fear in the eyes of her child.
Soon, he will be moving several states away to begin another chapter of his life.
Nothing makes me happier than to see him so happy -- even though I will miss him very, very much.
The timing was perfect, and one of the best birthday gifts he could receive.
His birth, those twenty six years ago, was the best gift I ever received.
Happy Birthday!

Love, Mom

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Blessings on Mother's Day

Illustration by Robert O. Reid
c. 1932

A Mother's Creed
I believe in the eternal importance of the home
as the fundamental institution of society.
I believe in the immeasurable possibilities of
every boy and girl.
I believe in the imagination, the trust, the hopes
and the ideals which dwell in the hearts of all children.
I believe in the beauty of nature, of art, of books
and of friendship.
I believe in the satisfactions of duty.
I believe in the little homely joys of everyday life.
I believe in the goodness of the great design
which lies behind our complex world.
I believe in the safety and peace which surround us all
through the overbrooding love of God.
~Ozora Davis~

As you remember mothers no longer here,
As you celebrate mothers with whom you are still blessed,
As you honor women who act as role models,
As you give thanks for those who made you a mother . . .
Happy Mother's Day! 

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Easter Memories

Between packing, unpacking and a few other activities in our home and lives, Easter seems to have sneaked up on me.  Only a few days ago, I managed to bring out the Easter Egg tree, and surround it with my mother-in-law's much loved Herend bunny collection.
But the much loved sugar eggs from my mother, which I shared here last year, remain safely snuggled in their boxes.  As do the needlepoint bunnies, also shared here last year, and many other favorite Easter decorations.

I know in my heart that Easter is not about the chocolate bunnies, brightly painted eggs, and cute baskets overflowing with colorful paper grass.
But, if I am to be perfectly honest, I do miss seeing all those things around my house this year.
So, I am thinking of Easters past, when those and much more were in great abundance.

My first Easter as a mother.

The thrill of the hunt!
For me, the search for the perfect little appliqued outfit and miniature top siders.
For him, that special egg!


The annual neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt, and a sugar induced high that lasted all afternoon.
No nap for him.  I was the one who needed it more!


Family.

Dearly departed, but never forgotten, family.


Brunch at Memphis Country Club.
I can still taste the cheese blintz with raspberries!


Real bunnies with whiskers that tickle!

No, these are not the things of which Easter really is.
Or, are they in some small way?
Because of a greater love, I have all these blessings.
A tiny hand was placed in mine, and I put my faith in His hands to guide us both, through hunts for hidden eggs and other adventures in life.
The holiday brought family and friends together.  Work and worries ceased for the moment.
There were smiles, hugs and happiness.
There are now special memories etched forever into our hearts and minds.
There is the promise of eternal life, and the glorious reunion with those we miss even more when we gaze at sugar eggs and beloved bunny collections.

I believe that God speaks to us in so many different ways, and holidays can be celebrated and savored in just as many ways, too.

And sometimes, we just all need to indulge in the simple and silly things that make us smile!

If you choose to celebrate Easter,
may you be abundantly blessed as you prepare your home and heart for this sacred day.


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