The Woman who Raised me…..before my Wife took over….

The Woman who Raised me…..before my Wife took over….

FOLK sharemystory

This week’s FOLK Journal Challenge is as follows:

Reflect on your favorite family photo. Tell the story of that day. If you were not present when the photo was taken, tell a story that relates to those who are in the photo.

Well, a “favorite” family photo I didn’t get the time to look for this week….But I did stumble across this one that my cousin’s husband archived from my Aunt Marilyn’s memories. And I don’t think I have ever  seen this picture of my Mom before.

Mom in green dress..195x...

I am always, always stunned at the beauty my mom was when she was young. She is probably 16 or 17 in this picture. And sadly not going to the prom or anything….Mom always told me how very hard it was when she was young. She was terribly, terribly shy, and she said people constantly “assumed” she was stuck-up.  I know my mom…there was no way she was stuck up and she’s still VERY shy.  But she said it really hurt her feelings and being shy made her even more of a wall flower.  She is dressed up in this picture because she was in the orchestra playing violin. This dress is olive green. I know this because one year a long time ago in the early 80’s when Mom and Dad had moved to a dairy farm in Idaho in to a big old brick foursquare farmhouse, Mom used this dress as the tree skirt for the Christmas tree. I had never seen it before that ever. Just as I had never seen this picture before.

What I love about this picture is that Mom looks so glamorous in it.  Growing up with her as my Mom….she never ever seemed glamorous. My Dad has been a farm-boy all of his life.  He really just loves tractors and cows and the land more than anything.  They met at Luther League which was essentially the College and Career Group of the Lutheran Church in the early 60’s and that’s about all I know of their courtship.  They never talk much about their dating period. They didn’t date very long I don’t think. One year maybe.  Life growing up with them was all about Dad clearing woods and building various “farms” and Mom gardening and helping Dad. We moved about 4 times to different farm situations. Not a great environment for Mom to be glamorous in.  They seemed to “fight” a lot to me as I was growing up, but now as I watch them, I think they were falling in love that whole time — they are very inseparable now.

It is so odd to think they were young once.  Just as it is equally hard for me to realize that they are “old” now. They are both in their 70’s now, and if you have been following me on Twitter or Facebook you know that my Mom has had some cancer issues that have had us really scared lately.  When I think of my parents, I still feel like I am in my 20’s and they are their 40’s.  And yet, this Monday, tomorrow, I have my first born turning 20 himself.  And I am wondering how and when did this all happen??

That’s it for this week’s FOLK Journal prompt.  I know it is a lot different than my usual “needle, fabric, thread” type posts. Does it help that Mom’s sewing all of our clothes and helping me learn how to sew when I was young is probably the reason I fell in love with this medium? Mom never really “quilted” but she did help my sister and I make some comforters in the 70’s…Close enough I figure.

Here’s another picture of Mom from 1954…ten years before I was born.  She would be 18 in this photo. Probably first day off to college.  Since it is September, I can’t tell if this is her first day at Junior College or perhaps a Sunday outing. She’s such a doll though, isn’t she??

Mom 1954

6 Comments

  • Jan

    Reply

    What a lovely post! I love that your mom repurposed the dress for the tree skirt! I hope you have your folks to enjoy for many more years!

    February 17, 2013 at 8:31 am
  • I love reading your story of your mom. It brought some very wonderful memories of our mom and dad for that matter. Now I need to get “that” picture of our mom. One of my sisters has it and I have been asking for a copy for years and years. Thank you for sharing. wishing you and yours a wonderful day.

    February 17, 2013 at 10:05 am
  • I love this post. You’re so very right, your mom really was a beauty! I agree with Jan, I love that she repurposed the dress as a tree skirt. I bet it was lovely. I love olive green used as Christmas decor. It’s such a natural and classy color. That dress she has on in the second photo is pretty fabulous as well. There’s just something about 50’s fashion. Nothing else compares.

    February 17, 2013 at 12:34 pm
  • Judy1522

    Reply

    Great post. My mom has the same story about being shy. She too was often accused of being stuck up because she was so shy and she also married a farm boy and they had a dairy farm for many years. Your mom was very pretty.

    February 17, 2013 at 9:04 pm
  • Laurie B

    Reply

    Beautiful post and beautiful tribute to your Mom – it was sweet to read. I can’t believe I am my parent’s age!

    February 18, 2013 at 4:18 pm
  • Suzanne

    Reply

    Great reflections of Mom! I love looking at pictures of my mom when she was young…she had fabulous dresses that she had made also, long gone though. My favorite picture is of my mother standing in her parent’s garden in pedal pushers with my sister and I (mid 60’s). Wonderful memories 🙂

    March 12, 2013 at 8:47 am

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