Mom loves history . . . who knew?

April 23, 2014

Memory Book: A few years ago I asked my Mom if she remembered having a favorite nursery rhyme or bedtime story . . . and what kinds of books she liked to read most.  Here is her answer:

Mom: "I loved the story of 'Little Black Sambo' until he ran and ran and turned into syrup . . .  . (I'm not sure what that means exactly but some of you might!) . . my grandparents read us stories all the time, and my parents probably did too.  I remember liking 'The Ugly Duckling' and 'The 3 Bears'.  
When I got older, I loved all the Nancy Drew books. . . I now like the books that have come highly recommended by my friends."
'The Story Bible' is probably my favorite all time book because it's true and fascinating, it's meaningful to me, and it ties everything back to the Lord."  

My Mom has always been a reader for as long as I can remember.  She has been in a book club for many many years with some of her very closest friends, and I think she has read a lot of books.  Even up until just a little while ago, she would ask me if I had read any good books lately.  If so, she wanted to read it!  She listened to books, as well as read them.  Unfortunately now she is not able to read, and even if she could, I don't think she could track what she was reading, or remember it.  My Mom also has a hard time seeing.  She wears reading glasses to read and contacts to see far . . and I know there have been problems in the recent past with her losing her glasses or not having her contacts in.  I never know how well she can see when I'm with her.  For about the past year, when I have shown her photos of various people, she asks me who is in the photo?  Is it because she can't see or is she just forgetting who some of the people are??  I'm not sure.     

My funny face, parents and sister Paige in about 1972!

A few more questions I asked my Mom from the Memory Book:
Me:  "When you were in school, what did you do at recess?  What games did you play?"

Mom:  "I remember playing tag and on the monkey bars.  Sometimes we had a soccer ball and played with that.  One of my good friends was Elaine Rich . . . she was kind of a jock and so I became more of a jock.  We didn't play with a lot of dolls!  We played ball and we loved playing in the gully behind my house.  I also remember playing hopscotch, soccer, kick soccer and baseball." 

Me:  "What was your favorite subject in school?"

Mom:  "It always seemed to change, but I always liked history and PE!  I have always loved sports and liked history!"  

Me:  "How did you like school?"

Mom:  "I liked school but always seemed to struggle with math!  I needed a Mike P. (my Dad) to help me!  (My Dad has always been a wiz at math!) I had no one that could explain math to me until I met my friend Syd Smith  . . . and then SHE helped me a lot!"  

Me:  "Who were your favorite teachers?  And why were they special to you?"

Mom:  "I wasn't crazy about any of my teachers.  My PE teacher and my teacher over us cheerleaders was Ms. Warner.  I DID like her, but she never married and I always felt sorry for her! . . . My a'cappella teacher was Ms. Bowman and I didn't like her!  My senior year, it seemed like everyone got into the a'cappella singing group, but me! I remember my friend Bonnie didn't get in either, but she complained and got in.  Maybe I should have complained too. :)  It was pretty traumatic for me at that time!"  

Hiking Mt. Timpanogas in October, 2008 . . . and we are singing!

It's amazing how an experience like not getting into a singing group can stay with you for so many years!  Sadly, I think that experience made a difference in her confidence to sing.  She often sang in the ward choir and I learned to sing Alto by sitting next to her in church.  I always thought she had a great voice!  I also remember her singing around the house and it is common, even now, to find a group of us singing around the piano on a Sunday night!  I guess you could say my family likes to sing!  Like I've mentioned before, my Mom and I decided a long time ago that we are going to dance and sing in heaven together!  Can't wait for that! :) 


Flashing back to 5.5 years ago . . . 

October 5, 2008

"This is the Place" Park in October, 2008 with Carter, Matt and Jake!

My brother Mike and his wife and kids are in town for a few weeks from Boston and it’s been fun to spend some time with them.  We all went and hiked up to Timpanogas Cave the other day and we also went to the “This is the Place” Heritage Park. 

I had a great time walking along the trail with my Mom and talking to her.  That is the best kind of setting to be in with my Mom because it is stress free and her mind seems the most clear.   

Mike’s son Carter just had his 4th birthday on the 3rd and they had a pirate party at my parent’s house that day.  I am noticing more and more that my Mom does not do things with as much precision as she used to.  For example, she had wrapped some books for Carter and had tied the ribbon on the bottom of the present instead of the top.  I’m probably the only one that even noticed that day because of course a 4-year old wouldn’t notice or care.  Also, I went through a photo album that my Mom had just filled up with photos.  The photos were out of order and stuffed in there sloppily and overlapping.  I believe I have a speck of perfectionism in me and like things to be just so, and she has never really been like that, but these photos were stuffed in there two and three and four deep and that is not like her.   

Mount Timpanogas with Britt in October, 2008

It’s General Conference today and my Dad has invited us all up to their house to watch the afternoon session.  My Mom is not too happy about it because she says that she does not get to watch conference when there are so many kids running around.  I don’t blame her.  It’s true!  It’s very hard to watch when there is so much confusion and so many kids.  Poor Mom!  I know she feels like she has no say in anything!  I will make sure she goes into her room and is undisturbed!  Interestingly, I think my Mom has always felt this way about having us over for conference, but has never dared say anything about it.  Lately it has been more common to hear her complain about a certain something or someone.  I think it might be part of the disease.  I have never known her to be someone to gossip about someone or to be a complainer.