Today I am donning my pearls and apron in honor of a couple of special moms in my life.
I've taken out my mom's well loved cook book. The cover is falling off and the pages are stained. Notes are made in her neat handwriting and newspaper clippings, now yellowed, are taped to the insides. It would have little value to anybody but me. For me it brings back sweet and happy memories of my mom creating a warm and loving home for her family. A home where the cookie jar was filled on Fridays. Coming through the door after school the house was scented with the delicious aroma of freshly baked cookies. Mom was there waiting to hear about our day at school. Cookies and milk were waiting for us. It was a simple time, but a time long remembered. A time where a mother's kind gesture made children know, without a doubt, that they were loved.
One year ago today my mom passed away. I thought it would be a good day to make her favorite cookies ~ oatmeal chocolate chip. I am also planning to do a job I have been putting off for months ~ the dreaded closet cleaning. But after I finish, I plan to sit down with a cookie and a glass of milk and remember the good times I had with my mom. I will also take some of the cookies to the office tomorrow to share with my fellow employees. I think mom would like that as she always tried to discourage us from being selfish.
I will also be remembering another favorite mom ~ June Cleaver. As a huge "Leave it to Beaver" fan, I was saddened to hear that Barbara Billingsley passed away on Saturday. It has been so nice to hear Jerry Mathers (aka: the Beave) talk about what a nice lady she was. It seems so refreshing compared to so much of what takes place in tv-land these days.
The people who love us and help to shape our lives may no longer be with us, but their memories live on in so many ways. Recently I saw a lady from Ireland talking about their custom for keeping the memories of their loved ones alive at Christmastime. She said after mass on Christmas day they pour a glass of whiskey and toast those who are no longer with them. While I like the concept, I am not a whiskey drinker. I'm interested to know if any of you have a custom for keeping the memory of your loved ones close at the holidays? I would like to start a tradition like this. Feel free to tell me about it. I will be popping out of the closet now and then to do a little blog reading :).
One last thing I'd like to mention, as I was writing this post I received a call from Hospice. They helped care for my mom in the last few months of her life. They were wonderful at that time and have continued to be wonderful throughout the year. With periodic phone calls they have let me know that they are there for me should I require someone to talk to. What a blessing they have been.
Love,
thinking of your wonderful mother today aunt kim...she was so lucky to have such a wonderful daughter like you in her life...love you.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful tribute to your Mom! And I love the way that you're remembering her today, by baking her favorite cookie.
ReplyDeleteI guess I don't do too much during the holidays to remember my lost loved ones, other than putting my grandparents' ornaments on the tree. It's not complete without them! I really should do something to remember my Dad, but it was too hard for so long to even think about him. One thing that I continue to do, although it's not during the holidays, is cheer on his Green Bay Packers and hate the Chicago Bears. I know he would approve!
Kim, what a lovely post! You Mom sounded like such a lovely person! Hugs to you today as you think of your Mom! I also have to say I think that is wonderful that the hospice people still call you-how truly wonderful are those people!!
ReplyDeleteOh, how sad...but how sweet! I was so happy to find the Cooky book at Goodwill one time...I treasure it! I keep the memory of those I've loved alive by talking about them and sharing anecdotes with my family! My sister and I were just talking about my Daddy yesterday! We never forget! Hugs to you! ♥
ReplyDeleteIt has been a year already. Time is going quickly as I get older. I don't remember my mom ever owning any cook books, but she was constantly copying recipes or snipping them out of magazines. I have several of her hand written recipes, and I do value those. She was a great cook, but didn't always write down directions. So, a lot of her recipes went with her.
ReplyDeleteI know you must value that book and her notes. But I can tell that it is valuable because it is a reminder of something special your mom gave you; her love in time and attention. Great post!
Debbie
Hi there..just got back and am catching up here. What a lovely way to celebrate your mom, I am sure she must have been right there with you! Love the Fall posts below too :D
ReplyDeleteMy dad passed away in July. He had hospice care for two weeks. They were very kind to him and to us. They have been calling my stepmom to check on her, too. Sweet way to remember your mom. I pray the Lord will hold you especially close today.
ReplyDeleteWhat a heart felt post! My mother used that same cookie book. It's really difficult to lose those we love but they do live on in our memories and through our prayers. It was so nice that the hospice contacted you. I'm so sorry for your loss. I will say a special prayer for you and your mother this evening.
ReplyDeleteHi Kim,
ReplyDeleteI understand this day you are living all too well. I know how hard it is to lose your mom way too early. . and I smiled as I saw the Betty Crocker Cookbook. .I have one too that I gave my mom when I was very young.
Hospice have such amazing workers here in Canada too.
Hugs to you today!
I'm sitting here with tears rolling down my cheeks as I've read your beautiful and thoughtful tribute to your mom.
ReplyDeleteI have 'the Betty Crocker cook book and so many of my mother's hand written recipes, that for me are so priceless!
The only holiday tradition I have is making the same dishes my mom made during the holidays..
Hospice is wonderful....., the service they provide is so comforting. I was a volunteer for many years, and it gave me so much comfort to help others.
Dear Kim,
ReplyDeleteThinking of you as you must be having a hard and sentimental and emotional day. God bless you. I wish there were words to comfort and help. Just know that you are thought of and in my prayers.Your mom sounds like a lovely person that would have be a treasure to spend time with.
We are placing my mom in a secured facility tomorrow for her Alzheimers. I'm dreading it but know that I must do whatever to make sure she is safe and healthy.
I loved Mrs. Cleaver! I love the life that family portrayed.
Blessings,
Tanya
Such a special and sweet post, Kim. Has it really been an entire year? Seems like not so very long ago. Your mother would be so glad that you are doing well and taking care of yourself. I hope that your friends at work love the cookies, that the closet cleaning was not so bad, and that you always know that a mother's love is forever.
ReplyDeleteTalking about our loved ones is what I like to do. If I want to talk about my children's dad, I just do and I don't like it if someone tries to change the subject thinking that it's too painful. I'm well past that now. Hope that you find just the right way to remember and honor her memory over the holidays and any time at all.
What a beautiful post!! Your mom sounds like one special lady and it's great you have such happy memories of her. I think baking her favorite cookies is a perfect way to remember her.
ReplyDeleteI was a fan of Leave it to Beaver too!
I have a little bell in my car that hangs from my rear view mirror. My dad always had it in his cars. When it rings I think of him. :-)
Kim, what a beautiful post and tribute to your mom. She was very lucky to have you for a daughter. Whenever I bake cookies I think of my mom, as she loved to bake. And by the way, I have that same Betty Crocker Cookbook which my mom gave me.
ReplyDeleteBig hugs to you,
Donna
Hello Kim,
ReplyDeleteI came over from Vee's. Nice to meet you! This post really touches my heart because even tho my mother passed away many, many years ago and now I'm older than she lived to be, you never get over missing them. The pain eases, but the memories remain. I'm thankful for so many good memories.
I, too, have cookbooks that belonged to my mother and recipes jotted down on scrap paper. They are real treasures.
I'm sure your precious mother would be happy to know that you baked her favorite cookies. As for what I do to keep her memory close at holidays, I always seem to make the same meals as she did. The only thing I wish I could do was make turkey gravy as well as she did, but she didn't use a recipe. Mine has never turned out as good, no matter how many times I've tried!
Blessings,
Cheryl
What a wonderful post! You're so lucky to have something from your mum to treasure. I've been looking for a recipe notebook my mum had when she was very young and can't find it anywhere. I have her needlework and crochet (her biggest passion) to keep tight to.
ReplyDeleteTake Care!
Kim, what a heartfelt post you have written today, I am so touched. What a wonderful tribute to your mother, and to Barbara Billingsley.
ReplyDeleteDuring the holidays we sit around with refreshments and just talk about that loved one and of the many fond memories we had shared with them, some make us cry, others make us laugh.
Thank you for sharing, I will be remembering you today.
Hugs,
Sue
I so enjoyed reading this. Isn't Hospice fantastic? Four years ago last May, when my elderly best friend died (also my daughters' grandmother), the hospice nurses allowed me to get in her hospital bed in her living room and hold her until she died. I will never forget that. It meant the world to me. I loved June Cleaver as well.
ReplyDeleteBrenda
What a touching and sweet post. It's hard to give up our Moms but memories live on forever. You are so fortunate to have that cookbook with all her writing and the food stains on the pages. What a treasure.
ReplyDeleteThis is a beautiful post!
ReplyDeleteWhenever I roll out a pie crust, I think of my mom. She was a good cook. I was very fortunate that she taught me how to sew & knit when I was in elementary school. All of these skills have all come in so handy. :)
~JG
Your mother would be so blessed by the precious memories that you've shared of her today. It brought me to tears. Probably so much of what she did over the years for her family she did out of love and care for each of you and never stopped and thought about the impact and the legacy that she created. I pray you have many blessings today as you spend time remembering a very special lady. Another beautiful post.
ReplyDeleteThis is such a lovely post Kim! My deepest sympathy as you passed the year anniversary of your Mom's passing. I think she would be smiling to know how much the memories of her cookies mean to you today. I love to bake and I hope that someday my little grandson will think of me as his cookie Nana. I have dreams of sending lots of cookies his way as he grows.
ReplyDeleteI bought a few vintage cookbooks at a library sale when we were in Connecticut this weekend and a few had hand written recipes in them. Little treasures to keep always.
I have small photo frame ornaments that hold photos of those we lost that I hang on the Christmas tree every year. I feel this way they are with us as we celebrate. We visit our loved ones graves on Christmas day and I take the pine Christmas wreaths that have hung on our doors and put them on their graves. It's another way to include them in our holiday.
Wasn't Barbara Billingsley such a wonderful role model for us as we were growing up? I feel sad that TV has lost that sweet innocence. I hardly ever watch it anymore.
Hi Kim, I hope that all is going well. I need to do more than clean out a closet around here. :/ What lovely memories of your mother. I know the cookies were a hit. I haven't been watching the news lately -- just so much negativity and garbage out there these days -- so I didn't know about Barbara Billingsley's passing. A co-worker just lost her mother the other day due to complications after surgery. Such a hard thing when it happens suddenly or unexpectedly. Hope you have a great weekend. :) Tammy (PS Thanks for stopping by Tina's place at Lemon Drops Simple Stuff)
ReplyDeleteDear Kim...such a sweet way to honor your mother...so heartwarming! I too miss my mother and daddy so very much...but it is always nice to remember those little things that they have shared with us and have made memories for us to hold onto. Sweet blessings for your weekend!
ReplyDeleteKim,
ReplyDeleteBlessings to you this anniv. date of your mom's passing. I love how you are honoring her. There's so much to learn from our mothers, their lives and all that they stood for. So much we can pass on to future generations which comes from our own heritage.
Thanks for your post and you may like to see my tribute to my mother too, so come for a visit!
Hi Kim,
ReplyDeleteI'm so grateful for your kind words in regards to my mom. You really won't know how much they helped to hear that you understand. I would love to email and talk more about it if possible. How can a complete "stranger" such as yourself be such a comfort to me? God knows, huh? And I'm thankful to have met you. I couldn't retrieve your email for some crazy reason so here is mine. maddent@usd367.org
Thank you again for your kind words. Today was a day I needed them as my mom has not had one good day yet.
A wonderful, heartwarming post, I'm sure it was a hard day for you. It's wonderful to reflect though and have good memories.
ReplyDeleteHow nice that the hospice has stayed in touch and reaches out to loved ones that way.
Cookies sound good right now.
Clean closets are always a good thing.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
I'm so sorry about the loss of your mother last year, what a wonderful way to honor her memory!
ReplyDeleteKat