DEDICATION TO MY MOM

Perhaps you are wondering why there is a picture of ice covered winter berries.  Why isn't there a picture of a beautiful rose or a garden full of flowers?  Well, I will tell you.  It is because this picture is my mom's favorite of all my nature pictures.  So, I jumped outside the nine dots and posted frozen winter berries for my mom. 

When I was a little girl, I remember saying to my brothers, "When I grow up, I want to be a mommy, just like mom."  Of course, in my brothers eyes that was a tall order because mom was and is the ultimate mom.  So, of course, being brothers, and I have five of them, they had to let me know they didn't think that was a possibility.  I understand now why they felt that way.  But, at the time it hurt my heart and I ran for the comfort of my mom.

It was from my mom that I learned to love nature.   My earliest memory is from when I was sitting in a carrier in the middle of a field while my mom painted the beautiful view on her canvas.  The memory is very vivid. 

I remember mom taking us for walks through the woods in search of edible mushrooms.  That accounts for my love of healthy food.  
 
Every holiday was special, my favorite was Christmas, it always seemed so magical.  Every part of it was an event.  I will share one, Christmas cookies, thus my love for baking.  The memories of all of us decorating the delicious sugar cookies my mom had made from scratch.  Mixes were a novelty back then and nothing to be compared with homemade. 

Summer picnics , they were the best, and we didn't even go that far.  The back yard was our destination.  Mind you we had 25 acres and eight kids.  Mom would prepare all the foods, everything homemade, baked beans, macaroni salad, with garden vegetables, watermelon, rhubarb pie with vanilla ice cream.  Then the evening entertainment, catching fireflies in jars that would sit on our bed stand while we dozed off to sleep.
 

My mom has given me and my seven brothers and sisters memories of gold. To her I am forever grateful. 

I am still striving to fill my mom's shoes.  The crazy thing about it is she is the most humble person on the face of the earth.  In her mind she was doing what she had to do.  But, no mom, you went above the call of duty.  You have given eight kids memories of gold. 

I love you mom you are the best.