Mother's Day

Mother c. 1943 Normal School Teacher Training. Mother was a real looker--like Hollywood actresses of the day.

This is the first Mother's Day without my mother. I know it's a created occassion and has been commercialized over the years, but still it represents an idea of honoring one's mother. I kept wanting to go to the card sections of stores and have been feeling that I'm forgetting to do something. I suppose that as time passes, I will get used to not doing all the things that I have done every year--bake a cake, get flowers, and since 2005 spend a portion of the day with Mother at the EG. This year, Dave and I are going to the cemetery.

I have scanned some pictures--they are old and they don't always scan well, so bear with me!

Mother on the left with some of her students at Bruyere School 1946--preparing for the school concert

Mother and her best friend, Elsie Powley--1947. Elsie got married that year and Mother was her Maid of Honor. Elsie was Mother's Matron of Honor when my parents married 2 years later.

My mother was not always an easy person to know or live with--she was the boss, things had to be her way, and she had very definite ideas about how things should be and what people should be doing--including me of course. Mother was a teacher by profession and I always thought she was a great teacher, but not the warm, fuzzy mother-type, She was ahead of her time in many ways. She went back to work after I was born ( and this was in the 1950's), she designed a house without any training and then proceeded to build that house. She went back to university to finish her B.Ed. in 1970, the same year I started university. We graduated at the same time in 1975.

1953

c.1957 I love this picture--Mother is looking gorgeous and I'm squinting from the sun and wearing a pink organza dress that Mother made. I still have it. Don't look at the ugly oxfords I had to wear!

Although I struggled throughout most of my life with feeling that I was somewhat of a disappointment to Mother, in the last few years of her life, while she could still talk, she did tell me, on more than one occassion, that she thought I was great and that I did everything so well. Kind of a bittersweet situation. But I owe my mother so much--she showed me by example that a woman could and should be tough and strong, and be able to do things and not need to lean on a man. Everything that I do have a talent for, she taught me those skills and was top-notch in them herself--sewing, cooking, baking, gardening. She encouraged my education and my love of reading. She always did want the best for me.

Grandma, Mother and I--c. 1973. Peasant blouses were in!

Pinning on Mother's corsage at my parents' 60th Anniversary party.

I miss you Mother. Love you forever.