I am loving the Timehop on Facebook!
This is my brother, Lonnie, and I from SIX years ago!!
This is my brother, Lonnie, and I from SIX years ago!!
I love my one and only brother and am so grateful for our relationship!
I am looking forward to seeing him tomorrow as well as two of my dear sisters!
We are in the midst of a major project - a timeline of our childhood.
I can NOT wait to hear HIS memories!!
I was late in picking Mother up at the hair salon!!!
Traffic was snarled before I even left Irving! She told me she waited 'long time' but then preened and smiled and that let me know she enjoyed sitting there watching all the people!
After being sick last week, she was grateful to look pretty again!
I know how much she loves IHOP so that's where we went this morning.
Apparently she wanted a different IHOP location but made do with the one I took her to!
She was excited at the maple syrup - the one ON THE TABLE - while I thought she wanted the warmed syrup they brought. So I had that!! We did order extra butter! Mother thought it would never arrive and refused to take a bite until it DID!
Mother was HAPPY!
I needed to stop at Trader Joe's and since she has been ill, she didn't feel like going in.
She did well sitting in the car! I think she made herself pretty comfortable!
Deanie has been telling her to keep her feet propped up to help with the swelling!
And so she DID!!
This is the earliest photo we have of Mother.
Here she is with her beloved brother, Truman.
She and her sister called him 'Brother!'
They called each other 'Sister.'
A family picture of Mother (the youngest) and her parents and siblings.
Mother at age 16.
Mother and her siblings and their husbands.
Not sure who the child in the center is.
Mother and her sister, Irene.
I am named for her.
Linda Irene!
I love looking at the old photos and wonder what life was like for my mother back then.
I know she did not have a happy life.
It is amazing how photographs can make it seem like it was a perfect moment in time.
When in reality - life was extremely difficult.
This photo is of Mother (in black and pregnant with my sister, Deanie) and Lloyd (her husband) along with her sister, Irene and her husband, PR ( on the left ) and Aunt Alice and Uncle Truman (in the center).
I brought Mother home and she was ready for a nap.
The perk of Mother living with Deanie and Charlie is that I get to visit with my sister for a little while every week.
We had a middle of the day slumber party!!!
My siblings and I are on a journey.
A journey through our childhood.
Because of Mother's difficult life - we in turn had a difficult and traumatic childhood.
We are on a journey.
We are coming to terms with our past.
We are so grateful to God for his protective hand - not only on our lives, but our hearts and minds as well.
We are all now in a very blessed part of life!
God saved the BEST for LAST for us!
Still.....this journey is hard......some days are harder than others.
This was one of the hard ones for me - for whatever reasons.......
You are such a strong lady....I love all the photos!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Honey! I feel the need for encouragment tonight....
DeleteI think every family has trials of some sort Linda. I know our family has a history that made us who we are today. You and your siblings seem to have a close relationship and I love how you care so sweetly for your mother. You are an inspiration.
ReplyDeleteI look forward to reading your story.
ReplyDeleteLinda you did a very nice post ❤️
ReplyDeletethank you.....
DeleteGod saved the best for last, that is wonderful. How good you get to enjoy the company of your mom and siblings now. Your mom looks cute with her feet propped up in the car.
ReplyDeletei think your journey is a good thing. It will help you know why you feel and do certain things. And maybe bring closure. Your mom looks so good now, and happy. I love seeing her pictures, especially the 16 one. She is so pretty, just like you!
ReplyDeleteLinda, I am sending you a warm hug. You are such a lovely person. I love all your photos here and the video of your dear mother is priceless.
ReplyDeleteLinda, like the qualities of Cinderella in the movie I just saw...You have courage, kindness and forgiveness. Even though the movie is a fantasy...it speaks of real life difficulties. I likes this new version as Cinderella showed courage, kindness and forgiveness..... I see those qualities in you dear sweet Linda. My husband had a hard childhood, and has blocked out a lot of it. Love and Hugs. We leave on our trip to OR tomorrow morning...I'm looking forward to it. Posted my last post for a while.
ReplyDeleteOld photos show how much the life style has changed during your mother's long life. I think it is a blessing you have many siblings to walk this hard path together and lean to one another. It is sad that your mother is not able to talk and tell but then she has done so earlier every now and then and so you can with the help of photos and letters figure out how it was for her ages ago. Warm hugs and comfort from me.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you on so much of this. Especially how photos can show a different story than the truth, and that God saved the best for some of us. I wish my mother had had a better life. But, she is reaping her rewards in heaven right now and for that, I'm profoundly thankful. ((hugs))
ReplyDeleteHugs to you and your family, Linda.
ReplyDeleteAlthough you have eluded to it a bit in your past journals...I would never have guessed that you lived a difficult childhood. You have life so "together" in my eyes. You are a mentor to me, my friend!
~Lynne
w/L
Perahps your story will help others Linda. It is a fascinating one to your loyal fans. We do know you are such a lovely, earm and talented person who adores her family. I do thank you for sharing the family photos and the journey! Have a lovely weekend.Big hugs.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed all the old pictures! i think you are going to be SOO glad that you and your siblings have done this time line. Sometimes it is important to look back and KNOW from where you've come. My childhood was a difficult one too. It shapes and forms who we are today (how could it not?) and I LOVE that God can take what was difficult and hard and use it to make something wonderful and good. Your right, these are some of the best! Your attitude and heart are soo easy to see in your blog posts, and I am encouraged and refreshed reading them. Thanks so much for sharing these days with us!
ReplyDeleteLinda, I loved looking at your photos. So special!! Have a great time with your family this weekend.
ReplyDeleteyour journey may have been rough, but you all have each other now and life is good with your family..your mother looks so cute with her feet up in the car.. i am happy for her she is happy now.. my mother was called Sister by her sister and also by her mom, and all her nephews and nieces called her sister.. because their mom did.. i had forgotten that.
ReplyDeleteThis all reminds me of the Pooh quote... You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, smarter than you think, and loved more than you know...
ReplyDeleteI always wondered what your beautiful mom looked like when she was a young woman...thank you for sharing these photos! (I always know it was a rough day if I did not show up in the photo. I had such a difficult time playing the "all is well" game. )
Now for something lighter...In the photo of you and Deanie in the "do not disturb" sleep mask, I was enchanted by your darling earring. Then I took a closer look and realized that it was a part of the pillowcase fabric and not your earring at all!
Linda, I have always thought that a person real life history is like a movie drama. I know little of my own mother's life...she was very poor. She lied about her age to get a job. She married our father when she was 17 and he was a divorced 35 year old serviceman. She did not know he had 6 kids, mom did not know about. See what I mean about a drama. Yikes. Your mom is smart to raise her feet and legs up while waiting. Bless her heart. Are you and your siblings making a journal of your lives for all of you? Blessings, xoxo,Susie
ReplyDeleteThey day the camera never lies but like you Linda, I think it often does, showing us a moment that looks 'perfect' when the reality was very different. Your mum was a beautiful young woman, that's for sure. Take care X
ReplyDeleteOkay I'm impressed your mom getting her feet all propped up in the car. She's awesome
ReplyDeleteMy mom calls her brother Little Brother and he calls her Sis. He's actually older and taller.
Hugs
You grew up strong and determined and used that for the good of those you love. My mom had a difficult childhood, also, but it made her a very strong woman. We, her children, certainly benefitted from that strength and determination.
ReplyDelete