Happy TWOsday on 2/22/22!

Had to put a post up on this TWOsday - 2/22/22 day! For the weather update - we hit 65 degrees the other day -- it was such a wonderful preview of spring! This morning, it's 9 degrees and some snow on the ground! UGH! WE want the warm weather back ASAP! On that warm day, I took a long walk and there was an old guy driving his tractor around the neighborhood!!!! Guess he's ready for spring and getting out to the farm too. BRING IT ON!!

In other TWOsday news, I saw this most adorable doodle on the page of the breeders where we found our Frannie Doodle. So cute and named after my sister Amy! I sent it to her and suggested she contact them immediately. She wanted to, but Iowa is pretty far from Florida and she already has two dogs. I truly think that dog was meant for her though!

My cousin sent me this old photo -- I know it's hard to see. There's my dad, one of my brothers, my Mom and me and my twin - dressed alike! So cute and such short bangs! I look a little afraid there clinging to Judy's arm! Time sure does fly by. It just makes my heart happy to see my Mom and Dad in this photo! :)

Happy TWOsday Friends!

Mothers and Daughters

Mother's Day 2013

Thinking of my sweet Mother on Mother's Day weekend!
She never really wanted a fuss for

Mother's Day or thanks for the five million and one things she

did for all of us kids and my Dad.  She did everything so well and made
cooking and baking look like a breeze!
We were all special in her eyes and somehow she made each of us feel like
her favorite!
Of course, I really was! :)

She was absolutely the best hugger ever!

I try to carry on that tradition as best I can and am training Maddy in the
art of giving good hugs!  She's doing a great job!

Maddy, Mom and Me - 2009

A few throwback photos I found of me and Maddy together on past
Mother's Days.

She's such a sweet daughter!  Bonus -- my hair actually looked

halfway decent in these pictures.  If you know me, you know how 

much my hair torments and taunts me, frizzes up at the 

mere mention of humidity and basically drives me crazy about 

90% of the time.

Mother's Day 2008

Hope you all have a wonderful Mother's Day!
Give somebody special a hug!

Thinking of Mom

I miss my Mom and think of her every single day.
Today marks the the 4th anniversary of her death.
A mass was said for her today at Cathedral.
I like to think she is smiling
and sending hugs.
 She was a great little hugger.

Her family meant the world to her, and
I know she would be so proud of us kids,
 the grandkids and
great grandkids!
Wow -- she would love seeing and knowing all the little ones!

One of my favorite things of hers to look at is her
recipes -- not that I am great cook -- we all know that!
She made it all look so easy!
But, I just love to see her handwriting on those scraps of paper
and recipe cards.

She really was the best Mom!

Mini Blueberry Pies for Mom

My sweet Mother's birthday was this past Sunday.

I have been thinking of her a lot lately and missing her so.

Maddy, Mom and me from 2009

Fall was her favorite time of year and one of her (and our favorite activities) was baking pies --
her specialty was apple pies!
Of course, she made the crust from scratch and baked each pie with the
perfect amount of juicy apples and love.

Once in a while my Dad would buy a frozen apple pie he found
on sale somewhere and would attempt to say it was as good as homemade.
She and I both turned up our noses at those!
There's just no beating one of her homemade apple pies.
You should have tasted her homemade dinner rolls and cinnamon rolls!

So, in honor of her birthday the other day,
I made . . . mini blueberry pies!
Although they looked a bit messy,
they were delicious and I know she would have loved them!

Recipe and directions from the Pioneer Woman.

My Mom would have loved her and her fun cooking show!

Thinking of you on your birthday and every single day Mom.

You are loved and missed.

Dear Mom,

Maddy, Mom and Me -- 2009

Dear Mom,

I miss you. I think of you every day. 

I can hardly believe it's been a year now that you've been gone.   It's been a really difficult year without you. 

I miss your hugs, our daily phone conversations and hearing your calm sweet voice on the other end.  You were always the one I could go to who would listen to my joys, my worries, my problems, the big and the little things and would quietly reassure me that everything would be all right.  You were my (and all of our) biggest cheerleader. 

The whole family has been lost without you. Maddy misses you. She had a dream about you recently, but didn't want to tell me about it because she thought it would make me cry -- that did make me cry.  She loves to hear about you and the stories you told me about growing up on the farm.  She was thrilled  to learn you had a horse when you were a little girl, but sad to hear that it was hit by lightning when it took shelter under a tree during a storm!  She and I love to look at the photos of all of us in younger days.  We laugh together at our silly hairstyles, just like you and I did too.

I do feel your love surrounding me and the rest of the family.  Last week on my way to work, I glanced out the window and saw the most beautiful heart-shaped image made up of two clouds.  I felt like you sent it just for me.  And yes, that did make me cry too.

You were such a blessing in our lives.  Love you always,

janet

Remembering

"The death of a mother is the first sorrow wept without her."

Author Unknown

Photo by Donna Boucher Photography

This has been a tough week. Actually, the last few months have been difficult as my Mother's health declined. My sweet Mom died on February 5 and her funeral was on February 9. Thank you to all of you lovely readers and friends who sent me notes and kept our family in your prayers. That meant so much to me!

The day of Mom's funeral dawned bright and sunny though it was bitterly cold. She hated dreary and cloudy days in winter.

She really was quite an amazing woman. She grew up during the depression on a farm in Eastern Iowa with 6 sisters and 1 brother. After high school, she left the farm and worked in DC at the Pentagon. Can you imagine -- how brave was that? A young girl from the farm in Washington, D.C.!

I could ramble on and on about the amazing and incredible things she did and accomplished. I have no doubt that her proudest accomplishment was raising us six kids with my Dad a/k/a Al -- not always an easy task, though I'm sure you all know that I was a perfect child! :)

I know she was my biggest fan and have no doubt that my brothers and sisters feel the same way. She made each of us feel special and, like mothers do, worried about each of us. I talked to her on the phone almost every single day. When she went to hospice a month ago and was no longer able to chat with me, I went into withdrawal and felt so very lost. My stress levels and chocolate consumption went way up. Luckily, I have sisters to chat with. Even so, every day I think, wait til I tell Mom about this . . . and then realize I can't.

She loved flowers and peonies were her favorites. I can hardly wait until spring when I can put some beautiful fragrant peonies on her grave. I will miss her always.

"Death is nothing else but going home to God,

the bond of love will be unbroken for all eternity."

Mother Teresa

My Mom

Thank you to all for the prayers, support and good wishes over the last few months.

I feel the power of prayer and am so grateful for it.

On Saturday, February 5, 2011, my dear sweet Mother passed away.

I am heartbroken and will miss her always.

Here she was with my Dad, me and my twin when we were sweet babies.


And this photo is from Mother's Day, 2009 -- and her second battle with cancer had just begun.

She was a brave and incredible Mother.

A Picture is Worth A . . .

You know how they say, "a picture is worth a thousand words?"

Don’t doubt it – it is so true!
Recently I was perusing some old photos looking for one of my Dad from his younger days when he was a railroad engineer. I found it among some others that I had scanned and put together in a little birthday video for him five or six years ago. One of the photos I found really made me smile. I’ve seen it before, but I had totally forgotten about it. Here it is – my Mom and Dad holding me and my twin sister [my Mom is holding me!]. Don’t they look so calm and happy?!

And really, how calm could it have been – they had twin baby girls, two boys that defined the word "terrors" aged almost 2 and 4 years old, and a six-year old girl! Plus, we were born in the middle of a hot summer and they moved 10 days after we got home from the hospital! Holy smokes – it had to be crazy busy! It’s such a sweet photo! I loved it as soon as I saw it. To see my Mom and Dad looking so young and happy warmed my heart.

So, here’s the lesson I learned – don’t forget to be present and actually be in some photos with your family. Moms especially seem to be busily getting everyone else’s picture and are often left out. I know I often try not to get in any photos as I think my hair looks squirrely or I look tired, don’t have any lipstick on or I want to lose 5 or 10 pounds before I get my picture taken.

But later, when the kids are grown, they will have forgotten what you (by you, I mean me, of course) even looked like in younger days! Quick – another lesson (two for one today, I guess), since nearly all photos are digital these days, be sure and actually print your photos!! They don’t bring back memories very well sitting on someone’s hard drive or a CD.

Alrighty then, must go put some lipstick on and get in some pictures! :)

Blue

Loving the beautiful Clematis in our backyard. Usually, such a pretty flower would put a big smile on my face, but I am feeling very blue. You see, my dear sweet mother is ill.

Very ill. She made it through breast cancer, mastectomy, chemo and radiation in 2001,

and now the cancer is back.

Already we know it is in her lungs and her spine. More tests are being done to determine if it has spread elsewhere and just what type of cancer she has. She has had a terrible cough for a few months now, is very tired and has no appetite. The doc said she's lost 20 pounds in the last year -- actually I think it's more like she's lost it in the last 3 months. She seems smaller and more frail every time I see her. We don't live in the same city, and I've been so worried about her (and about my Dad too actually). My twin sister lives there though and has been a tremendous help in taking her to appointments, talking to the docs, keeping me and the rest of us siblings (all 6) updated. I will be forever grateful to her for taking this on, as I know it is not an easy task. I talk to my Mom every night and she sounded like she felt a teensy bit better last night. My heart breaks to have her so ill and suffering, but she has been a real trooper.

If you happen to the praying type, I would reallly appreciate a quick prayer for her

and send some good thoughts our way.