Memories of Mom

I can't see Black Eyed Susans and not be reminded of my Mom. Her yard was full of them, in bloom from late June through early October. How she loved her yard. She'd work in it for 8-10 hours a day. Sometimes I couldn't reach her and would drive over thinking something had happened to her, only to find her on her stool planting or weeding. She did all of her own yard work except cutting the grass until last May. Her pet peeve was grass or weeds growing in sidewalk cracks. I worked in her yard this summer. I felt compelled to keep it looking like she did. Letting it go somehow seemed disrespectful. I'd hear her chiding me about those sidewalk cracks. I pulled the last weed yesterday when I went to say my final goodbye to my childhood home.

My Mother had a sense of style about her. Even at 91 she still looked fashionable. Her yard reflected that knack she had to make a place warm and inviting. The bird feeder is still hanging, I couldn't take it down. It wouldn't look right anywhere else. The deck furniture is out waiting for someone to sit and enjoy the beauty of the yard.
Eva's touch is still very present.

Isn't this kitchen great! So warm, cozy. I think everyone has the memory of my Mother sitting at that table. She'd make her phone calls, some of them very long!!! She'd clip articles and tuck them away to be sent off to someone in a letter at a later date. She'd look at magazines, clip recipes. She'd see something that looked good and whip it up, often using substitutes for ingredients she didn't have. And boy could she do mail order! She loved Haban because they always included free gifts. She glued broken items(and we found lots of them) at that table. She was forever starting new plants from a shoot off of something. She saved coffee grounds to put in her flower beds. And my God don't ever get her going about the miracles of vinegar.

The view from this window became her world the last few years. She could see what was going on in the neighborhood and could see who was coming for a drop by visit. The house that had always been so small was now just right. For sixty years it served her well. Tomorrow it will have a new owner. I hope Theresa loves this house as much as Mom did. It's hard to say goodbye to the place that holds so many memories. Thank you Mom for all you did for all of us. Thank you for making the Barbers such a great family!