August 29th,2016 My Mom

 Today is the anniversary of my mother passing away and going to heaven.  It sometimes seems like it was ages ago, and sometimes it seems like just a short time ago, but it has been one year.  I'm just going to share a few things that I remember to honor her today. She was a good mom, a good woman and a good friend to those who knew her.

I was blessed to be able to be with her for much of the last 10 years, and more specifically the last three. It was 2012 when I left my job in Yorba Linda.  I had initially planned on finding another job, but it became clear that I was needed at home with her.  My being home gave my sister Sue a break from being at the house every day and she gave me a break for a few hours every week. 

It was difficult at times, helping her do things that she couldn't do for herself and being wakened in the middle of the night because she needed something.  Because Mom was in a wheelchair due to her osteoarthritis, if we went anywhere, I had to load the wheelchair into the trunk, get Mom in the car, then reverse the process and get her into the wheelchair at Walmart, or Dollar Tree, or some other place she enjoyed going to.  She had a power chair to use at home, but we didn't have any way of transporting it, so we had to use an old fashioned kind when we left the house. Sometimes we would load her lap with so many items in the store that we would start laughing as she tried to keep everything from falling off.

This was her first ever ride in the new wheelchair

We did have fun on some of those trips out. Because we were often out at lunch time, I would suggest we go to Wendy's near Dollar Tree, for a hamburger.  That was not something she would have done for herself normally, but it became almost a habit to stop and get the children's meal that comes with a "frosty."  She thought that was pretty neat and really enjoyed it. Her other favorite thing to do was stop at Costco for one of their frozen yogurts.  She would ask for hers to be "swirled" meaning chocolate and vanilla mixed in the cup.  If there wasn't enough chocolate in hers, she would be sure and point it out to me!  I'm glad I didn't have to go back and tell them we wanted a new one, with more chocolate this time!  It was those simple pleasures that I think about often because they really did give her some pleasure and something to look forward to now and then.

After the trips out for shopping, of course the whole process was repeated when we got home.  By then it was time for her nap and me to have a break for a while.  Until it was time for her to get up!

Another favorite thing to do with Mom was make s'mores! She and I would roast a marshmallow on the gas stove and make a s'more once in a while in the afternoon.  Hey, if your 90 year old mother wants a s'more in the middle of the afternoon, you make s'mores!

Mom enjoyed gardening and doing jigsaw puzzles.  We worked on jigsaw puzzles on a daily basis. Her most favorite thing to do I think, was baking! She loved to bake bread and cinnamon rolls. Of course Sue and I did a lot of the work, but she would tell us what ingredients to bring her at the table, and then she would do the mixing.  She was a good cook too.

My Mom wasn't much of a dog lover, but she loved Elaina's dog Abby.  Abby was a rescue dog and was very scared of a lot of things, like Mom's power wheelchair.  (It had wheels! And it moved! Oh so scary!) I'm so glad I have this video of Mom petting Abby, even though Abby was scared to death at the time, she allowed it to happen.

If the video doesn't work, I'm sorry.  I don't know why. If it works for you, great.

Mom got a kick out of watching Abby run around the backyard, because she didn't just run, she raced like a greyhound and she chased after apples that had fallen from one of Mom's apple trees.  It was so great to hear Mom laugh and giggle at Abby's antics, even though she was in pain most of the time.  Abby keeps Elaina and I laughing all the time and I think of how Mom would be laughing at Abby today if she were here.

Mom's 90th birthday in 2014 with most of the grandchildren and great grandchildren

The reason I am here in North Carolina is because Mom had a reverse mortgage which we borrowed on in order to provide for her to stay in her own home.  Of course, that meant my life would be changing almost immediately when she passed away.  I needed a home and Elaina graciously said I could come here.  It's still a temporary situation for me, and I love it here in North Carolina, but I do miss my Mom.  Just looking forward to the day I see both my parents again.

Love and miss you Mom (and Daddy!)