January 2010

January 2010

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Happy Mother's Day!

The last couple of weeks I have been thinking
about Mother's Day coming up and I started
writing down things that I remember about
my Mom! This last week, on May 4th
it had been 20 years since Mom passed away.
There aren't too many days that pass
that I can't say I don't think about her.
Aren't Moms the best?
Thanks to Jack for e-mailing
me these pictures! Aren't we cute!
A little out of order but I had to throw LeAnne,
Jacki and Paula in there also! Check out the
lamp and coffee table. I remember dusting
those every week!
I think Mom is beautiful here. I remember her
like this.
Aren't we cute! I believe this was our last
Christmas before we moved to Utah.
Here are some of the things I remember. These are
just a few. I'm sure my sisters will correct
my memories. Please do!
* McDonalds once a week. This is when we
were really really young and I believe she
was still married.
* In our very first house, Mom digging a
bomb shelter. She would put the dirt in
the little red wagon and take a different
path so she wouldn't ruin the grass. I
honestly can still remember the smell
of the dirt.
* She would take us to church every week.
I would play with the veins on her hands.
* Mom playing the organ and me sitting
up next to her.
* She would exercise and watch Jack O Lane.
* She would wrap toilet paper around the
back of her head at nights so her once
a week hair do would stay in!
* Mom painting the outside of the house
so we could sell it and move to Utah.
* Letting me read to her while she
sewed everything for us.
* Watching Lawrence Welk with Mom,
on Friday nights, while I would comb
her hair out before she would go and
have it done on Saturday mornings!
* Taking us hiking
* Waxing the car. One time something went wrong
so she brought out the automatic
waxer for the floors and used it on the car.
It made permanent marks on the trunk!
* Our yard was beautiful. Each year our
neighbor would try to get Mom to hire
his boys to do our yard. She never hired
them. Finally he admitted to her that our
yard was the nicest in the neighborhood!
* She took us to Sears to go school shopping
and I remember that she kept saying that
we could look for more. I remember going
in the corner and crying because I thought
she would go to jail because I just knew
we didn't have enough money to pay for it!
* Once when Paula and I went to Alaska, for
part of the summer, we came home and Mom
surprised us and made us desks that hung
from the wall. They were orange, with a
matching chair.
* Mom always taught us to pay 10% to
tithing an 10% to savings and you would
always be all right. (She learned that from
her Dad)
* She would spend every Thursday with
Grandma Ellen
* Once a month we would go to the "Warehouse"
(Grocery Store) and spend $100 dollars for the
month. Sometimes we would get a candy bar
to split between us all!
* Once a month we would go to Arby's in
Ogden!
* Once a year we would go to Chuck a Rama
when she would get her yearly raise.
* She was fair with everything. With each wedding
she would give an increase of a certain percentage
for inflation.
* Incredible secretary and fast typist.
* Plant bulbs at our homes
* Spent a week whenever we had new babies
* She had a bad foot and she never complained!
(unlike me!)
* She read her scriptures every day and had
a journal but you never knew.
* Her favorite last movie: "Little Mermaid"

As I look over this list, which a lot of memories
are missing, there are many things that I see
myself do and I know that my sisters do.
All of us are so lucky that we had
Mom/Grandma as our example!
Even though she isn't here anymore,
I see her live on through all of the great
Mothers we have in our families. I
read it everyday in all of their blogs
or I get to hear it in person from my
own daughter!
I love my Mom and all that she taught me.
She always worked really hard to make
everyone happy. On this Mother's Day
I wanted to tell my sisters
that I love them and what good Moms they
are and great examples they have set for
me. I think we have done pretty dang good!
I am so proud of all of our kids, who
now are Mothers themselves.

I've never been real fond of Mother's Day
because to me it's a day of, "Oh crap, have
I done everything that I was suppose to"?

It's always a weird feeling when Mother's Day
comes around and I don't get to give a gift to
my Mom, instead I feel she has given me
the sweetest gift that will last forever. . .
her determination and strong
will and hard work that will be an
endless and lasting memory that I
will keep forever!

Happy Mother's Day to the
Beecher Mom's and all Moms!

7 comments:

  1. That was so sweet. I can't even begin to tell you how much I appreciate you more since becoming an official Mom myself. I love you so much and love how much you are like Grandma! You would do anything and everything for your girls. Happy Mother's Day!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. PS - I can't stop crying. :) I'm more emotional now too. :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. What a very sweet post. I felt like I was reading things about you, not grandma. You obviously are just like her. I wouldn't know first hand, because I was 2 when she passed, but it obviously is the case. Happy Mother's Day to you. You truly are a great mother. You would do anything for us. I love you.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Very good!!! Let me also say that you are a wonderful Mother also!! As I texted you the other day, it seems like it has been forever since Mom died! I could sure use her right about now!!!! But why should she have to suffer with me, she better off not having to go through some things! Great memories, great Lady and wonderful Mother!! Thanks for doing this, Mom would be so proud!!! Love you!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Joanie,
    that was great! I'm so glad I could learn more about Arlene. So sweet. Now I think I need to sit down and start writing down all the memories I have of my own mom. Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thank you Joan for that insight into your childhood and your memories of your mother. I'll read it to my kids so they'll learn more about Grandma Arlene.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Great post Joan! It is nice to read stories about grandma. She really did a great job of raising you girls! I love the story about the candy bar...times have changed for sure.

    ReplyDelete