Saturday 13 April 2019

Saturday this and that . . .


Mother's Work Basket

A silver thimble full of tiny holes
A Chinese coin ... a little rusty key,
Part of a buckle - dad's old signet ring
A tarnish cross from someones rosary.

Old fashioned buttons on a piece of string
My brother had them on a velvet coat,
A pen nib bright as gold, a bit of lace
A fish hook and a little scarlet float.  

A piece of beeswax filled with cross-cross lines
She used to grease the thread to make it strong,
for sewing buttons on - a crochet hook,
A little clapper from a dinner gong. 

Worthless - I know - but here I see her best
Rocking and sewing, singing to herself,
Her clean print apron gaudy as a flag,
Her crinkled Irish eyes as blue as delph,

(God gives us mothers with old fashioned rules
And Scented baskets made to hold their tools.)
~Edna Jaques 


My mom never had a fancy work basket, not that I can remember, but I remember the button boxes in the basket she did have  . . .  old tins that my father had brought home from work.  Each one had a piece of  masking tape on the top with its contents handwritten on it in black marker.  Those tins held magic for me, like a pirates coins . . . jewels cut off old garments that were being put into the rag bin and not worth salvaging for much else, but the buttons.  I remember the old wooden spools of thread. You never see a wooden spool holding thread anymore  . . .

My mother taught me to embroider, probably when I was around 8.  Mom loved to embroider, and her linen cupboard was full of things she had embroidered. Tea towels, pillow cases, dresser scarves . . .  I have an old linen tea towel that she embroidered and I treasure it. Todd is not allowed to go near it with his paws . . .  you know men, they think nothing of wiping grease filled hands on something they shouldn't.  I have always been so grateful for my mother's patience in teaching me how to ply a needle and thread.  I wish I still had some of those early labours of mine, but I don't, but I have enjoyed a lifelong joy for the needle arts, and I believe it is largely due to her. 



I remember one time my father hammered four small nails into the top of an empty wooden spoon and my mother gave me a large safety pin and taught me how to spool knit . . .  yards and yards of coloured snakes were produced, coiled and sewn together as a matt . . . it was a good way to keep us busy for hours on end. 


  

Sometimes a large button and a length of twine were fashioned into a spinner that could occupy me for hours and hours, until I wore the twine out.  Simple days and simple games . . . I don't remember ever really being bored, at least not that I would admit to, for I knew if I did some chore would be found for me to do . . .  as long as I had books to read, or my paper dolls . . . I was never bored anyways  . . .   



I remember one time my mother getting us fancy light shades for our ceiling lights in our bedrooms . . .  oh nothing as fancy as this, although I am sure mom would have loved this.  They were just ordinary square ones, but they were coloured.  My brother had blue and my sister and I had pink.  We also had matching chenille bed spreads . . . not expensive again, but prettily patterned in their own way. Mom was very thrifty.  She knew how to squeeze two pennies from out of one, but our home was always comfortable, tidy and clean . . .  and we always had clean and tidy clothes to wear, a proper dinner on the table.  She taught us to pray and I have no recollection of ever closing my eyes to sleep at night without praying.  No recollection at all, so that lesson is one which really stuck.
  
Mom was a praying woman. 
She prayed for everyone and everything, 
even the hockey playoffs. 



I awoke at 2:30 in the morning last night and had a difficult time going back to sleep. I went into the other room and listened to a conference talk and then fell back into an uneasy dreamy sleep until 5:30 upon which time I got up.  It is the usual time I get up anyways.  Mom was always an early riser until the last year or so.  I have always been an early riser also.  I cannot stay in bed once I wake up. I can not just lay there and doze . . .  I need to be up and doing all the things I want to get done in a day!!!  Morning is when I am at my brightest.  I really fade come evening time . . .  sometimes even by mid afternoon.  Morning is the best time for me to do anything.  

I was laying in bed as I tried to go back to sleep and I realised that this is the first time in my life I have no place to go home to . . . I have spent my whole life comforted by the fact that if I needed a place to go, I could always go to my mom's, and I have had to do just that on several occasions.  I will never own my own home now, not unless I win the lottery or something, which could only happen if I bought a ticket, and I don't.  Ahhh . . .  another mom memory.  Mom bought lottery tickets every week for as long as I can remember, up until the last year or so also.  I remember when I was really young, she would buy Irish Sweepstakes tickets.  She never won much more than a tenner or some such.  Never a big win, but boy did she have dreams of what she would do if she did. 

I got a copy of her will in the post this week and she had included a note to her children.  It made me cry. Buckets and buckets of huge weepy soppy silent tears.  I was grateful for it, but at the same time so very sad.  It is to be expected I guess . . .    

And then at one point this week I came to the realisation that things will probably never ever be any better between myself and several of my children, which also made me sad.  I stumbled onto the announcement of my youngest son's promotion on Google, from a year ago, and nobody told me, not him, not anyone.  I suppose it was no-ones job to tell me but his, and . . . well, it is what it is.  At the same time however,  I am very grateful for the three children that I do have a good and strong relationship with.  I am counting my blessings where I find them.  Despite what makes me sad, I have much that brings me joy. My faith upholds and sustains me.
  




God's timing is perfect however,  and He knows just when you need to be lifted because the day after my soppy day, this arrived  . . . a lovely card and letter from my friend Noelle in Halifax, NS.  I was so uplifted by her words, so uplifted, you can't imagineWe have been friends for a long time now, although we have never lived near each other. We carry each other in our hearts. 

And then yesterday . . .  this  . . . 



A lovely package from my special friend in Toronto.  I won't share her name because I don't know if she would like it, but we are kindred spirits in many ways.  Thank you so very much, both of you. 

Divine Signatures indeed!

  

Such a kindness, such two kindness's.  From Noelle and from E of T.  Really from God, because you know that when God can't be there Himself, He sends His angels . . .  and His timing is always, always perfect.    Never suppress a generous thought, you don't know where it is coming from.



Roses from Todd.

Indeed, despite my sometimes aching heart . . .  how can I keep from singing??


 A thought to carry with you  . . .

 ° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
•。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~\。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ | 田田 |門 ★

 *
Conquer the angry one
by not getting angry.
Conquer the wicked by goodness.
Conquer the stingy by generosity,
and the liar by speaking truth.
~Buddha  •。★★ 。* 。 

 
Flap Jack Rice Pudding 

In the kitchen today, sweet comfort food . . .  Flapjack Topped Rice Pudding.  Quite simply yummy.

Have a beautiful Saturday. It is our Stake Conference this weekend.  Looking forward to more spiritual nourishment.  Stay safe and warm, and no matter what you get up to  . . .  don't forget! 

 
═══════════ ღೋƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒღೋ ═══════════ ⊰✿░G░O░D⊰✿⊰L░O░V░E░S⊰✿⊰░Y░O░U░⊰✿
═══════════ ღೋƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒღೋ ═══════════
 

And I do too! 
 






12 comments:

  1. You are doing so well..it's normal for setbacks..I am amzed and just how well you are doing.
    Oh the will words must be so touching..
    My parents didn't have anything really to will apart from obects.And they were not willed.
    I have..on a few occasions mentioned to the girls things like that..and it's of no interest..I think they'll be ok and not argue:)I remeber seeing homes for sale and colored dots on items..the siblings had picked what they wanted upon the passing of thier parent.It struck me as so cold.

    Lovely offerings..and so perfect the moment.

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    1. My parents don't have much either Monique. Us. We are their legacy and I am pretty happy with how each of us turned out. Love my sister and brother dearly. There can oftimes be a lot of arguing after someone dies amongst the children/family etc. My mother would have never like that. Never ever. Thank you. They were perfect offerings. Perfect timing. I am not doing that well really, but I am good at hiding it I guess! I think I am still a bit in denial.I tend to stick my head in the sand often when I don't want to face something. Hope your weekend is going well and the snow is melting! xoxo

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  2. I'm so happy you received the card and on a day when you needed to know how much you are loved and treasured. You are both those my forever friend. Sending much love from a grey, rainy but NOT snowy Halifax. A blessing indeed! xoxo

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    1. Gods timing is perfect Noelle, and you are a real blessing to me! xoxo

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  3. So many things you share here are so similar to my own life. Thank you for sharing!! I am glad you are doing ok in spite of the lacks of life. I have often thought that it not a wonder we so long for the next life!! Maybe if all was perfect here we would hang on too hard to this one when the time came? I DO understand being behind the rest of the world in learning something important in the life of the child you once carried within your body. My most difficult pregnancy and delivery (where both I and the boy almost did not make it) is the child we rarely hear from now. It quite simply astounds me, yet I do not believe it is HIS choice. When sons marry especially, things DO CHANGE. That is what I have learned. We can be oh so grateful we were treasured by our own moms and we DID all we could to stay in close contact while they lived!! I do not regret that at all!! Sending you hugs, lovely Marie!!
    Elizabeth xoxo

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    1. I loved and love my mom so much Elizabeth and I think she knew that. I hope that she did. I know she loved me too, and is loving me still, My faith helps a great deal! Love and hugs, xoxo

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  4. Hi Marie, so excited to hear that my package arrived safely. Fun to see it on your blog. You're right, I think we are kindred spirits. I shared a room with my sister, too, and we had lovely pink chenille bedspreads. I still like chenille and have two or three I rotate through the year. They wash like a charm and seem to last forever yet stay cuddly soft. I feel your sorrow in the estrangement with a couple of your children. But don't give up hope. Perhaps one day they will reach out to you, maybe prompted by a grandchild who wants to know their grandmother. We did the spool knit thing, too, but somehow never managed to make anything from our efforts. It was fun just to see how long we could make the coil. We're off to church for Palm Sunday. It's a beautiful spring day here. Hugs, Elaine

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    1. It was a great way for my mom to get rid of yarn scraps Elaine (the spool knitting.) Happy Palm Sunday! I hope your Easter Season/week is filled with abundant blessings. Love and hugs, xoxo

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  5. Bless your sweet Todd's heart for the lovely flowers. I feel sad like you because my parents have both passed, so I don't have home to go home too. I guess we do love to reflect on our past homes.
    When my Mom passed away, I too found unique items she had saved. She did some beautiful needlepoint work, and I feel sad I didn't ever let her teach me. I missed out on some really precious learning moments. She was an expert seamstress and made my wedding dress of which I never learned to sew as well. Shame on me!
    I love when Heavenly Father sends these tender mercies our way with thoughts or gifts from dear friends.
    I'm sad the two of your children do not respond; but I still feel deeply that they will turn back to you sometimes.
    I wish I was an early bird. I tend to do better in the evening time than in the morning. It's one of the many changes that I would like to make.
    Thanks for replying to me on my comments not publishing on your blog. I am praying that this one does; it would make me so happy. I have been commenting on most of your posts so I have felt sad they haven't come up.
    Sending loving thoughts and hugs your way!

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    1. Yay it published LeAnn! Don't be sad about the comments that didn't. I always know you are thinking of me, as I am of you and our prayers and hugs go both ways! Love you! xoxo

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  6. Hi Marie~

    I loved this post, so many remembered memories of days gone by. Of button boxes, aprons and letters from, mom. I loved every word!

    You have such wonderful, special friends who I can tell just love and adore you...you are loved sweet friend!

    The past week, I have cried buckets of tears, not just for my sweet Cole, but for my mom as well. I feel just like you, there is no place to go 'home' to, and it breaks my heart. I have my own home, but it's not my childhood home, or the home where my mom was...so sad. I guess that home truly is, where your heart is. The song was beautiful, made me cry a little more.

    Thank you for your sweet thoughts and words on my blog, I miss that old dog soooo much, but your words made me feel better, thank you.

    You are so loved, Marie XOXO

    Hugs and Love,
    Barb

    (using my iPad, I accidentally deleted Barb's comment, so have reposted it, sorry Barb!)

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    1. Why is saying goodbye to people/pets/thing we love so very hard Barb. I read somewhere that Grief is the price we pay for love, and I would gladly pay it again and again if it meant that these people/pets, etc. were a part of my joy and life. Love you Barb. Sorry I made you cry, but we both have tender hearts and that is not a bad thing. xoxoxo

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