Jeanie, I loved reading this. It is the nicest ending to a good Mother's Day that I can remember. Thank you for sharing. Elaine > I thought I'd share some memories I wrote down > awhile back of my Mom on > this Mothers day....... > Mom and her Mother just didn't get > along....They clashed from the word > go...When Ma had twins she only had enough milk > for one of them , so she > put the weaker one on the bottle and turned him over to Mom. Harold had > asthma, and allergies, I'm sure...Mom had to > tote him around a lot as he > had trouble breathing, and said she had made > biscuits many a morning with > one foot propped up on the rung of a chair so > her baby brother could sit > on her knee. She had to get up and cook > breakfast then go to the field > and work..Come home and cook dinner, clean up > the kitchen then go to the > field till time to cook supper...I asked if Ma > had a lot of trouble when > the kids were born and Mom said no, she was > just lazy ! I told you they > didn't get along ! > When Mom was 17 years old Papa had a stroke, > and she put in the entire > crop that Spring with a little help from her > younger siblings...She was a > tall woman, and said at that time she could > pick up a 100 lb. sack of > feed , put it on her shoulder and carry it to the barn. > Mama married to get away from home, I think, > but found herself having to > live with her in laws, and her new husband > drank and ran around with > other women...When their unborn baby had to be > taken from her and she got > milk fever and almost died hubby was out > drinking and carrying on...She > never lived with him again, and started saving up hard earned money to > pay for a divorce while living at home...She never forgave him. > A cousin she had dated as part of a group > brought Daddy with him to date > her younger sister Zula , and my parents fell > in love instantly .... much > to the disgust of Raymond Patterson , the > cousin ! ....They started > courting, and after 3 months, Daddy put his > arm around her....A very > respectful way to treat a divorced woman !...He sent her a lovely watch > in the mail [ which she later gave me ,] and > they wrote back and forth > when Dad couldn't come courting...One night > they went to a 'play party,' > { Mama played guitar and sang } and Dad was > stabling the horse just as > the sun was coming up....The horse got to spend the day resting...Daddy > had to go right to the field ! Now that's true love ! They got married > sitting in the buggy out in front of the > Squires house, which was > apparently the fad of the moment...Oh yes, > Daddy helped her get the > money together to pay for the divorce when they got impatient to marry > ...Mom said it cost $15.00, which was a > princely sum back then... > The first years of their marriage were hard, as they were sharecropping > ...{ Dad was ambitious , moving up from each > farm to a better one over > the years, and saving money for their own > place...} Mom said she hoed > their cotton while Daddy farmed, and by the > time she got to the end of > the field ,it was time to start over again ! > {Can you imagine that ? } > Dad would hook up a horse and run the 'scraper' > up and down each side of > every cotton row...surely nerve wracking labor > ! She would hoe alone if > he didn't have time to help her, then he would go back and plow the > middles to kill the wilted grass and weeds hoed from around the cotton > stalks... > After a short while the babies started coming > along...Robert, Joyce, Me, > Jerry, Reba, Betty , Gerald, and Janice....Just like stair steps...When > we were 5 or 6 years old we went to the fields > to hoe cotton, corn, etc., > and to pick cotton in a grass sack with a rag strap ...My goodness, I > don't see how Dad had the patience, but needs must, and we were all > healthy eaters... > Sorghum had to be stripped, cut down and piled to the side to wait for > the wagon to haul it to the sorghum mill on a > neighbors farm...I was one > of the kids who had to cut the tops off...using > the old butcher knife Dad > made from a saw blade...Nicks on my bony knees and the cold made for a > very sad little scrawny girl, I remember...We loved the 'lasses Dad > brought home, though...I can just picture it > rolling slowly over the lip > of the jar, bubbles trapped in the thick amber liquid stretching into > nothing as it was poured over a chunk of butter from our Jersey > cow...Stirred together and slathered on a hot > biscuit....Ummmm, good ! > Mama was a tall reserved English sort of woman with lovely ash blonde > hair worn in a crown of braids, and Daddy loved > her so much....His family > had a very raucous type of humor, and I think > this love for Mom kept him > sorta calmed down ....A scary bout with "Kidney colic " one Fall day > while we were picking cotton in a field over > across the Big Ditch was the > first hint of the dread Leukemia that was to take the life of this > handsome blue eyed man at the age of 34..... > They had 8 kids in their 'short ' marriage , and Mom was 3 months > pregnant when Daddy left us...She didn't tell him , as she thought he > had enough to worry about...I know he went to Heaven, because he was > shown a wonderful vision of it just before he died...He was a > 'storytelling' man, and I remember him > describing everything he > saw...because Mama just couldn't seem to see > what he was pointing out to > her so excitedly... > Ma kindly allowed us to move in with her in > that big log house, and we > stayed there till brother Paul was born , then Mom used the money left > over after Dad's year long stay in hospitals > and in Dr's offices to buy a > 5 acre farm with a nearly new house...Needless > to say she was suffering > terribly from losing the love of her life, but > she knew she had to keep > on for our sakes...and Dad's image was kept so > perfect and alive that it > seemed like a natural way to live for us little ones... > The man that owned the tenant farm set it up > for us to get a check each > month from the country, and Mama made it last > so we always had just about > everything we needed....When electricity came to our area she got the > house wired and bought the fridge and other > appliances one at a time on > the payment plan...Since she never got even > $100.00 a month for us 9 kids > --nothing for herself--that took some > planning...Maybe money from each > year's calf she always sold as veal , working for others hoeing, etc > helped her get them.....She canned every single thing that was edible, > from Poke sallet to soup mix, and we always had plenty to eat...It was > not unusual for her to can 2 or 3 hundred > quarts each of snap beans > ,tomatoes...and even blackberries ....I > remember me and her picking those > big swamp blackberries around the edge of the > new ground while big sister > Joyce took care of the little 'uns on a quilt in the shade...Yes, she > canned everything for the cold winter months > ... including the best ripe > tomato relish in the world, and all sorts of > jam and jellies ...Eating > 'soup beans' was not a problem with her > delicious skillet of cornbread > and some tomato relish or chow chow to go with it..All the canning was > done in a cold pack canner until she managed to save up enough money to > buy a pressure cooker. Having heard tales of > them blowing up, she sent > all of us outside for safekeeping...Said she > looked up later and every > one of us kids was peeking around the > doorways...Guess we wanted to see > the mess if it blew up ! > Since Mama had a " Sweet tooth ' , we never wanted for cakes, pies, > biscuit pudding, or delicious fried pies...One > of my favorite memories is > walking up the hill on cold winter evenings > after school [ We rode the > 3 rd bus } and going in through the kitchen so > I could find out what we > were having for supper....The windows would be fogged over from the > supper simmering on the stove, and Mom would be > sitting there by the coal > oil lamp , reading while she waited for > us....On favored days the table > would be centered by the biscuit plate piled high with fried apple > pies...I can just taste them, they were so good ! Each pie covered half > of the chipped old plate, and there was enough for every one of us to > have a whole pie... > Oh yes, I remember Mama , and how very hard she struggled to keep her > bunch of kids together...Church and doses of > 'peach tree tea ' kept us on > the straight and narrow , and if I do say so > myself, there aint a bad'un > in the bunch ! { Well, some of us have a bit of > Daddy's 'meanness' in us > !*grin* } All of us own our homes, and we've raised a bunch of smart > grandchildren...Counting in laws and outlaws there are about 125 > descendents from that one couple ! > Mama lived on for many years after Dad died, but she never got over > grieving for him , and I think she was just > marking time till she could > join him ...When she died, it was just one > day's date later , and in the > same month that Dad died...I think he came for her, because she had a > little smile on her face, even as she lay in her coffin...Jeannie T