Friday, December 31, 2010

A Few of My (Mother's) Favorite Things

 I'm going to show you a few of my mother's favorite Christmas things.  A few years ago, she gave me this collection of miniature Santa mugs.  They are each slightly different.  There are 9 of them.  I think there were 12 originally, but some have been lost or broken, I suppose.
Mother had a collection of Santas.  My sister and my daughters each picked out some they liked best for their children, and in my sister's case, her grandchildren.  This is the one that I set aside for myself.  It is made from plastic, and one boot won't stay on.  It was probably the most inexpensive of them all, but it is my favorite.  I remember playing with it as a child.
 This little angel choir actually belonged to my grandmother, who gave it to my mother years ago.  Mother passed it on to me.  I remember lining them up and rearranging them for hours on end when I was a child.  I was showing them to my daughter when.................
 I dropped this one.  I nearly cried, but it is only a "thing" not a memory which I will keep in my heart forever.  Besides, it can be glued back together.
And, last..........My mother wanted to be in the Red Hat Club so badly, but there never was a group around here that she could join.  When she was in the nursing home in Knoxville a few years ago, there was a group.  My daughters bought her this red hat.  She never got to attend a meeting because she became too ill, and then she moved to the nursing home here.  I kept this hat hanging on her wall in her room, though, and she loved it.  So, to honor her, I incorporated it into this wreath that hangs in our foyer.  I love it.

This past year has really taught me about the Circle of Life.  My husband and I both lost our Mothers, but memories of them and all they taught us will never go away.  We both had strong, hard working Mothers who taught us the importance of family first! We will carry their legacy throughout our generation, our children's generation, and it is already being passed down to the next generation.  I have no doubt that our grandchildren will continue to remember and pass along the stories of their Great Grandmothers and their mothers before them.........................

I pray that you each have a Happy, Healthy, and Safe NewYear!!!!!!

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Our First

Christmas without our mothers.  We've already made it through Thanksgiving.  We celebrated with two of our daughters and their families up in the beautiful NE.  Christmas will be at home.  Not as many of our siblings will be here to celebrate this year.  That will be strange.  I guess it's the way of the future, though.  It's harder once the families grow, young adults get married, babies are born, some move away, etc.........  But, we will keep in touch with our families.  Our mothers would want it that way.  
I hope that each of you has a  
VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS 
AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!
I will update my blog soon after the holidays.