Momma is 99 today!

If Mom were here, she would be 99 today, but she passed in 1992.  I asked her once where she and Dad went on dates.   She said to church. This photo of them was taken before they married in front of the school at Denver, AR.  Daddy had to ride a horse from Coin, AR to Denver to see Momma and the only place they could go was to church.  I don't know if they met there or walked there.  Mom lived in Denver and if it was okay with her parents, Dad could have left his horse at her house and they could have walked to various church events.

Momma taught her family how to love and how to give.  She gave all.  If I had a school function and had to rise early.  She woke up and got me up.  Maybe 4:30.  How in the world did she do it.  When I went to college she sent me $5.00 a week from her grocery money.  It came in form of a check.  I looked forward to the cash.  She usually had only one pair of shoes and 2 or 3 dresses.  She never complained.  How lucky can one be to have a Momma to show you how you should live!

When Home Health started coming to her house, she tried to give the workers things.  They were not supposed to take things from their clients, but some did.  One lady went home with a twin mattress on top of her car.  The workers were usually quiet poor.  Momma did not believe and having "stuff" just lying around--give it away--was the motto she lived by.  Keep it clean was how she wanted it.  Wash it, dry it and repeat.

When she was old--my age today.  Night time was a ritual.  Water in a pint jar, bedside toilet close, Vaseline for her nose as it was dry,  hankie, big towel she slept with between her legs (no diapers for her)!  She went to bed at dark and got up at light.  Anything that was just a bit dirty was washed, dryed, and repeat the next day.

Momma was a "house" person.  She might venture out to the yard and sit in the swing with Dad but she was not a wanderer like me.  The floor was swept daily and mopped regularly.  When I went up after Daddy passed and I tried to go once a month, she would say "would you mop my kitchen"?  I did.  She could see the dirt she said.  Would you move the couch and vacuum there?  I did.  Would you sweep under my bed?  I did.

I am not a lot like her, but she taught me how to love my family and I got that part!