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~ - Subject: MomSpent the weekend at the homeplace with Mom; she turns 95 tomorrow; didn't have electricity till she was fifteen; I kid her about camping out. She's spry, walks every morning, carries a stick but doesn't use it, more apt to hit someone with it than stumble. Bless her, we're close; I call her every morning at 8:30, and she's lives alone, two hours away, said if I call one morning and she doesn't answer, fine, she's already made the funeral arrangements; said she noticed how it bothered me when my sister died and she didn't want me to have to fool with it.She has taught me many things: once building a fence, using locust posts and barbwire, over a hundred yards, three posts were a little out of line, wire already stretched, would TURN the cattle, anyway, "Do it right the first time. It just takes a little longer to do it right the first time, after that it gets tougher." No shit! Pulling out steeples and digging up tamped posts is downright tedious.
We had a hoisery mill, small one, worked about twenty people, and at age 6 would pull tops. The tops of socks would come off the machines, and you bundled them twenty-four to a bundle and tie a string; then the sewers attached the foot. You got 4 cents for bundling 24 tops, and if you were dextertous, could do 25 bundles in an hour, thus making a WHOLE dollar; production work helps keep you focused I guess? One day, around seven years old, I wanted some money quick, and thought, hmmmm, I can put 22 tops in a bundle and be quicker, maybe even twenty? When Mom picked the bundles up, felt they were light, started counting, face darkening into a storm, daaaaamm, she improved my arithmetic in the back of the mill. I know how to count and be truthful with the tally.
Mom and I rode around the upper farm yesterday; we used to keep cattle there, got it leased to big farmer now with huge tractors; planted in corn; still lots of woods and the creek is beautiful.
Slept in my old high school bedroom last night, hoped I'd dream of blonde-headed cheerleaders, can't remember.
Went to the Methodist Church this morning with Mom; a church family is important; the pastor and pianist visit with her, and Dad used to rattle the windows in the church raising a joyful noise. Religion is a wonderful comfort to many; a local woman the Queen and I knew very well passed away a week ago, she came to visit us a couple of weeks before she died, rode her around in the golf cart and she was at peace, said, "She knows where she is going." Mom's theology is, "I just don't want to go to hell; If I simply cease to exist that is alright." She's a tough ole bird!
Dad kept pocket notebooks and wrote in them; Mom left one she'd found on the nightstand. His hand writing was terrible, but his mind was SHARP. "Live in the moment" "Enjoy what I got as long as I got it." "I have a son who loves me down to his bone marrow."
Beautiful, thank you..
You have a fantastic family.
LOVE that story, Pan!You've had a good life, a grand family, and a steadfast upbringing.
I'm proud to know you. And we give each other good advice!
Starr; you always give me good advice, and thanks Bala, dear friend.belle: Sometimes a needle would break on one of the machines and several socks would be made with runs in them; by age ten I was selling these seconds at the stock yards where I went with my grandfather; he drove a big cattle truck, lord, we had fun, sold the seconds for a dollar a dozen, heck, make a good cleaning rag for that; sold forty dozen one time at the stockyards. On the way home, grandfather and I alway stopped to get milk and a fried apple pie; he always bought; this time he asked me, "How much of that forty dollars do you get to keep." I said, "All of it papaw." He said, "You can pay for the milk and fried pies this time."
He was kidding and paid for them himself.
She has done a really good job with YOU!!!
Well. Sock shorting aside...you're a good man Pan.
Memorize her....You're lucky you still have her.
Beautiful writing here Pan....just beautiful.
Thanks everyone; today is her birthday; got rain in the forecast, garden smiling.
*she just smiled*thank You for sharing!
you are such a great son, Panurge, your mom sounds really nice too, i love to sit and talk to aged people, they are so interesting, we are happy to have you here too, in soi, Panurge smile HUGS
What a blessing she is...and i'm sure you are to her, as well...
Sounds like your Mom and mine would get on quite well as she is cut from the same cloth. I did not get to spend time with her yesterday, as she spent a few hours in urgent care with my sister. Since the February car accident she has not been without discomfort. Lately, it interferes with sound sleep. Nothing new appeared during the work-up so she went home. Our afternoon conversation was limited but meaningful. I'm proud to be her daughter.
Thanks for the kind comments; have a great Monday!
Thanks for sharin', Pan...sounds like you had a great Mom and Dad...I did also, and miss them more and more. sendin' hugs and warm thoughts your way...miss our chats. *hugs*
So lovely to read about your Mom and her life - and your youth. My Mum died in 1921. She was 96. The youngest of 6 children and the only girl. Her Dad brought them up as her Mum was in and out of a mental hospital throughout her childhood, and died when my Mum was 7. We're so very lucky with out Mums, aren''t we. They had it so much tougher than us!
Pan you are so blessed as are the family and people who get to share life with you and call you friend.You and the Queen have so much wealth it just overflows.
smiling
Thank you for sharing Panurge, it was lovely.
~smiles~
thanks for sharing
You are a good son, Pan.
Thank you for sharing this.
Thanks for relating the story.I know long lived people who are walkers.