Remembering Mom

Mom was more than just my mom; she was my best friend. She and I shared a lot of the same interests.
We went together to visit friends and family, to pay bills, to go shopping, to volunteer at a local nursing home to sing to the residents - when she was able; she even helped me with a quilting class that I teach at the nursing home when she felt like going with me.
She and I sewed costumes for the children’s Christmas program at church. She was the one who taught me to sew and I loved it from the first time I tried making anything.
I think mom’s favorite needlework was crochet. She got me interested in that too, but I gradually turned to quilting and she mostly did crochet. She made afghans for just about everyone. She crocheted lap robes for the nursing home residents, baby blankets for new babies, large afghan/bedspreads for gifts for birthdays, anniversaries, and presents for other occasions like Christmas, etc. She crocheted pot holders and hot mats for just about everyone. My husband loves to go to yard sales and flea markets and was always picking up crochet thread and other sewing supplies for us. So she always had plenty of yarn and crochet thread to make things with. I remember one year for Christmas she made crocheted leg warmers and crocheted hats for the residents at the nursing home because they need extra warm things during the cold months (and even in the summer with the air conditioning going). Every year it was her pleasure to crochet lap robes for them and would send garbage bags full of them to the nursing home for their Christmas.
Mom would call me sometimes and ask what I had planned for supper, and if I didn’t have anything in particular planned, she would say “I cooked some – (whatever she had cooked) – and thought I would bring it for supper.” Then she would bring it over. Sometimes I would call her and ask if she had eaten lunch, or supper, and if not I would ask her to join us. Sometimes I would fix it and we would take it to her house. She was a very good cook and we often shared recipes.
She loved funny stories and shared them with us often. We could start to say something and the other would often finish the sentence. She laughed and I enjoyed the sound of her laugh.
Mom loved to work crossword puzzles and one of my aunts did too. They would work the puzzle from the newspaper every morning and then call one another to compare their answers. She had several crossword dictionaries that she consulted when needed, but was very good to figure out the puzzles. I guess it kept her mind working good.
Then her body started to fail her. I remember about six months before she died, she had trouble driving her car and was afraid that she should not drive, so I took her to most of her doctor appointments or hair appointments, or shopping or church. My sister and my niece also took her when they were able. And when she wasn’t able to go, we would do the shopping for her.
Then she became afraid to stay alone and I stayed with her for a few days, then my sister who lives in a nearby town came to help. She got progressively worse and had terrible pain, so we took her to her doctor and after a couple of trips to the hospital and some tests it was discovered she had cancer. She only lived a couple of months after it was found that she had cancer.
My mom was a very special lady. She raised seven children and had several grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews. She was the youngest of twelve children and we never knew what it was like to grow up without a house full of people. We always had a lot of people to share our meals with. When I learned to cook, I learned to cook for a house full!
I learned a lot from my mom. Mostly I learned to love other people and to do what you are able to help others. Everyone has some ability and if you look at your abilities you will find some way to use them to help others. I learned about faith because of Mom. She loved our Lord and showed it. She did not just send us to church, she took us. Mom was an example. Thanks, Mom.
I was blessed to have a mom like mine. I miss her very much!

Memories Of My Dad

My dad died a few years ago, but I have great memories of him.
I can remember when we were young and my dad would come home from work, he would get a sandwich and then nap on the couch. We used to get his comb from his pocket and comb his hair while he was “sleeping” although I don’t know how anyone could sleep with us messing with his hair. And some of the things we would do to him!
When I was in first or second grade at school dad would walk to work and home. When he walked home he would walk right past my school about the same time that school let out and I would walk home with him. I was so proud to walk home with my dad!
He was a Cardinals fan and would have a game on the TV and another on the radio at the same time – while he was “sleeping” – and if anyone changed channels on TV or stations on the radio, he would wake up and ask why we did that, because he was listening to that. The thing is he could tell you the score on either game. Maybe he was just “resting his eyes” as we used to say.
I remember when we first got a TV set and he could pick up a station that played gospel music and singing and he would tune that in every Sunday morning and we could hear that as we got ready for church. It was a big black and white picture set that sat in the floor and had an antenna box on top with a rotor control that turned the antenna on the roof so we could get better reception. Kids now don’t hardly know what it is like not to have color flat-screen LCD or other screens on their TVs. I remember a film we used to put on the screen that was green on the bottom, red in the center, and blue on top; we thought we were watching color TV then. We have come a long way.
I remember going to his house after I was grown and married, and he would have egg gravy on the stove, or fried potato cakes. They were good warm or cold. He liked to cook and had a number of recipes he used, and often changed by putting his own personal touch on them. He loved to watch ‘The Cajun Cook’ Justin Wilson on TV and would adapt his recipes to be like the Cajun would cook. And he made Porcupine Meat Balls which were a favorite of Barbara’s son, Jimi. He liked to help grandpa make Porcupine Meat Balls, and that is one of his favorite memories.
Dad planted a small garden in his back yard and because he was limited in space for a garden, he planted some Dwarf Okra. Well that was the tallest okra I think I ever saw. It said ‘dwarf’ on the package, but grew so tall that you had to pull it down to you to cut the okra off. It was as tall, if not taller, than the roof line of the house. It sure was good though. Being from the south, we love our okra.
Dad had his flowers too; roses and iris and ‘naked ladies’ (my husband calls them ‘surprise lillies’ but dad always called them ‘naked ladies’ and that is what I call them. He had other flowers and bushes too, and every time you went to see him you had to walk around his yard with him so he could show you his flowers and his garden – even if you had been there the day before.
These are some of my favorite memories of my dad. He was a very special man and loved by many!
I miss you dad.

Daddy’s Porcupine Meatballs

1 can condensed tomato soup (10½ oz)
1 pound ground beef
¼ cup regular rice
1 slightly beaten egg
¼ cup finely chopped onion
Salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste
1 cup water
Small amount of cooking oil, if needed, to brown meatballs

Combine ¼ cup of the soup with beef, rice, egg, and seasonings.
Shape into about 16 meatballs.
Brown the meatballs in skillet, using oil if needed.
Combine remaining soup and water; pour over meatballs.
Cover and cook on medium to low heat about 40 to 45 minutes, until the rice is cooked. Stir often to keep from sticking. Best cooked in Teflon pan.

Cream of Mushroom soup and water or milk may be substituted for the tomato soup and water if desired.

Should serve about 4 people.