HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!

MOM DOING WHAT SHE LOVED BEST....WORKING IN THE GARDEN

THIS WAS AT LARA'S IN JUNE OF 2006






RIB DINNER AT UP NORTH LODGE 2006

















BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION WITH NELL MCDONALD(HER 100TH/JUNE 2007)



















MOM AT MY COUSIN BETH'S HOUSE DURING BARBARA'S VISIT 7/2007










Well, today is Mom's birthday. She would have been 93 today. Tomorrow is the one year anniversary of her death. I thought about her a lot today. Took time to journal this morning, I somehow wanted my thoughts recorded, to be tangible, not just fleeting. It is so hard to believe that it has already been a year. The months have flown by.

These crazy times right now...all this economic upheaval, boy have I thought about my Mom through these days. I can hear her so clearly..."I told you this would happen. There is no way people could keep living the way they have. You thought I didn't know anything. Now you see. And believe me things are going to get worse! You young people have no idea how hard things can be, no idea. Buying on credit and not having a pot to p... in. This was bound to happen." Boy was she right.

I haven't taken to washing out my Ziploc bags yet, but I did do an inventory of my pantry. You betcha! I took everything out, cleaned the shelves, made a list of everything I had and how many. I don't have to buy pickle relish for at least 2 years. Does anyone need yellow mustard?
Anyway, I took stock of what I have and then made menus to fit the ingredients available. I am no longer going shopping and buying lots of meat to re wrap and put in the freezer only to discard it 9 months later because I forgot it was in there. I am planning my shopping trips and errands so I do as much as I can in one day and not waste gas. I am walking to the bank, the library the drugstore the mailbox. Believe it or not there is a little more of EVA in me! She would be proud, she always thought I was so wasteful and such a spendthrift. And we are actually eating leftovers. I am no longer using the old method of packing them up and then waiting until they are spoiled/moldy and tossing therefore "alleviating" guilt. Last week it was split pea soup, this week there is chicken soup in the makings. Is this really me?

Tonight I would just like to thank my Mother for all of her sacrifices, all of her hard work, all those times she stuck to her punishments. I appreciate everything she did and the spirit with which she did it. I would not be who I am today. Each of you who knew her, loved her, depended on her would not be who you are either. She touched many of us if only for a moment.

"Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for awhile and leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never, ever the same." Flavia

Happy Birthday Mom! We love you and miss you. (Remember though....now we have baby Eva!)

Until next time....always, Kathleen