...was a very good day on which to be born. Just ask my mother; she knows. :)
Actually, I've often wondered, in my years of being an adult and especially a mother, how difficult it might have been to be raising children in the early 1940s. After all, it was only about a month and half after my mother's birth when Pearl Harbor was attacked and the United States entered World War II. What an uncertain time that must have been! Even though my grandparents lived on a small farm in a very rural area of southern Pennsylvania far from any major city, they must have felt concern about what the future held for their country and their family. What kind of a world were they bringing children into? If my grandparents were still alive, I would ask them how they felt about all of this.
On to happier things... We had the privilege of celebrating my mother's birthday with her, and it made me think back over the past five years we've had of celebrating together. Once again, I'm SO grateful to be living close to my parents and enjoying these golden years with them. I'm glad to be the one to host their birthday dinners...and bake their birthday cakes...and pick them up when their car breaks down (as it did today). You know, all the good stuff.
When I asked Mother what kind of cake she wanted, she said either angel food or German chocolate. Well, between her refrigerator and mine, we didn't have enough eggs for angel food (our chickens, sadly, have neglected their duties recently and AREN'T LAYING A THING!); so German chocolate it was--always a treat. Isn't she beautiful? Such sweet grace in that face.
In honor of the occasion, here is a little something about what my mother loves:
B - boys: especially the four little ones who live up the hill from her
A - acorns: she's been busily picking up the ones that have fallen from their oak tree and has donated about 75 pounds(!) of them to the Forest Service for their reforestation project
R - red: her favorite color
B - books: she's really good about buying them secondhand at Gift & Thrift, but not so good about letting herself actually sit down and read them :)
A - applesauce: homemade, of course, and home-canned to be taken out on cold winter days and relished
R - reduce, reuse, recycle: as my friend Julie wrote last year, my mom was green before it was cool
A - all of us!: always supportive, she's one of the biggest fans my little family has
Did you catch the clue I hid about what WE love? It's BARBARA! The best mother a girl could ever ask for. I love you with all my heart.
6 comments:
Your mom looks and sounds like a TREASURE! I loved the way you typed out her name and that cake looks AMAZING! :) Wish her a very Happy Birthday for me!
Tell her Happy Birthday from the Myers Family! A mother is a treasure indeed.
My mom was born in rural Mississippi in August of '41 and her father did not have to go to war because he had three young children at home. I've also often wondered what it must have been like for my grandmother, with a newborn and two other children under 4. I do think that living through the war might have been a bit easier without the omnipresent media assault we have now. Though I'm sure the not knowing was difficult in its own way.
What a sweet tribute to your mother! And that cake looks incredible!~!!
I haven't seen your mom in so long, but she is a special lady. I hope her birthday was incredible.
I had to giggle about the acorns. We have deer that come and scarf those up as quickly as they can from our property. Maybe they'd like donations! Haha...great idea on donating them. If we had any left, we'd have to join in.
I feel like I've gotten to know your parents in the wonderful ways you describe them on your blog. Happy Birthday, Barbara!
Wayne's mom was born the day after Pearl Harbor, and says everyone was afraid of what was going to happen after the bombing. The fear of the unknown outcome of war must have stolen some of her mother's joy over her newborn daughter. But I praise God that we can discuss what it must have been like back then, especially since my husband was the son of that newborn baby girl.
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