Sewing my school clothes, Easter dresses, dance outfits, swim suits...and teaching me how to sew. Brushing my hair with that wire-haired brush and No More Tangles, despite my whining. Coming home from church to the wonderful smell of Sunday roast. The best blueberry cheesecake ever. Somehow making all the flowers in the garden blossom blue at once for my sister's backyard wedding reception. The amazing homemade bread (we ate an entire loaf before Dad came in from mowing the lawn). Thick paperbacks everywhere in the house, including the bathroom. Stuffed calico birds and delicate crocheted snowflakes on the Christmas tree. Playing hymns on the organ (I was envious that she got to remove her shoes in church). Teaching me to sing alto. Reading stories to us on long drives in the car. Letting me bring a sick rabbit into the house for close care. Making me take the field mouse back when I brought it home in a Dixie cup. Playing ragtime duets with my brother on the piano. Presenting hourly surprises on long trips, too, like paint-with-water books and soy-oatie squares. Making us matching pajamas for Christmas. Making us fantastic cloth Holly Hobbie dolls and Winnie-the-Pooh bears and pig-shaped gingham pillows and---my favourite---corduroy frogs stuffed with wheat (I still have mine). Multiple kinds of homemade jam in the fridge, all open and available at once. Bags of licorice while watching Cary Grant movies. Shuttling all us kids to all of our music and dance lessons and sports events. Teaching us how to dehydrate or bottle food from the garden. Teaching me to knit and crochet. Never forgetting kids' and grandkids' birthdays. Taking care of the home front while Dad worked on his book. Mailing boxes of homemade goodies at Easter and Halloween and Valentine's Day. Putting faces, hats and earrings on the squash. Teaching us service by taking a wonderful chicken dinner to the neighbours and then giving us bread and milk for supper. Studying German and Hungarian. The magical closet full of games and puzzles. Caring for an ill neighbour's children. Painting beautiful landscapes and Victorian decorations. Rolling up her pant legs and wading in the gutter with us kids after a heavy rain. Dropping everything to go help a sick family member. Cheering when a grandkid did something notable. Cheering when a grandkid didn't do anything notable.
All this and so much more. Love you, Mom.
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