Happy Mother's Day 2023! Each Mother's Day since my mom passed away floods me with memories that shaped my mom's compassion, her humor and now in hindsight, I see how strong she really was in the midst of a marriage that would always disappoint and never be good enough in my father's opinion. I think she lost the "fight" over how my father felt about me and he made life difficult for her if she gave too much attention my way. I am proud of her though in her fight for my brother and although my father tried to inflict mental, physical and emotional abuse on him, my mom had learned how to manage against a narcissist. We loved her whimsey and her creative talents. Our first Christmas in Houston, first without a fireplace, she made one from construction paper, complete with a mantle so we had a place to hang our stockings, which she had made from felt. Roy and I were remembering her last night and it is rare that we don't laugh over a few particular stories. My mom didn't like to read out loud in Sunday School but she had a dream where she and her friends were sitting in the Sunday School room and the teacher asked my mother, where were they in reading the verses from the Bible. In her dream she responded, "how the hell would I know?" My mother didn't cuss, never spoke a curse word in her life and the closest she ever got to saying one was the time she told me I was acting like a jackass. I mean really, who wants their little brother tagging along with me and my friends to Astro World ? We laugh too over a Sunday lunch where she had prepared brisket, potato salad, claw, baked beans and rolls. My father asked her to pray before we ate and she thanked God for the especially fine church service, then a pause, and she adds, I'm sure it was fine even though I didn't attend church this morning cause I came home to finish up lunch prep. She never got to finish that prayer, we were all laughing so hard. What a wonderful mom!
I got to see something rather special today with The Feral Fam. I know that all the mamas if they spend any time in the yard, know about the cleft of the rock. Today, I watched Toupee show and teach her young ones about the cleft of the rock and she made it a game. That Toupee is such a great mom. I told Roy about watching the good mama cat find safety for her kittens. He said, our icky neighbor, yes we have to love our neighbors as ourselves but these people are icky, their white pit bull dog got out and he had one of the bowls with food in his mouth out in the yard. He yelled at the dog, it dropped the bowl and went home. When we had come home from church, we left the gate to the backyard open and I was afraid that maybe that dog had been in the back. He hadn't but now the bomb shelter drill lesson for kittens had necessitated Toupee into action. Roy making an aside comment said, you can't herd cats but you can set a schedule somewhat, that they will follow, if they are in the mood to eat. Leading people just might be the same as he thought back on his working days...well, his official working days.
The JOY Class is the bomb diggity! We did VBS cutouts for Hannah. We were happy to see that the things we cut out were not as intricate as last years. We got those babies cut out in no time at all. I think we will get a few more for next week so we will have a semi lesson, maybe. Two Sundays in a row, we have taken up an offering, one for a young man facing cancer and today two of our own from church going on a mission trip to Costa Rica.
We had a Mother's Day sermon in church, taking a week off from Acts. I wrote a note to Roy about The Boys. I was glad they didn't serve me breakfast in bed for Mother's Day, cause breakfast would be a regifting...if you get my drift. Mr Mo took a nap with me this afternoon, so that was a very nice gift since these cats don't do that often. Now, sit in my lap, that is another thing. GMoey is the best lap cat ever. Mr Mo's birthday was May 1st and GMoey's is tomorrow. We are still trying to figure out an approximate date for Willie.
********
Had one of those wake up around 2:00 am kind of nights, so I got up and read a little bit. Also prayed a little bit. I am enjoying the book I am reading even though I have just started it. An author that I love has a new book out and while the story is interesting, one of the main characters cusses just about every other word. It is a part of the character but when one puts themselves in a position to constantly read or see those words, what if one Sunday morning in a lesson accidentally say a word I shouldn't. I don't think I am going to finish the book.
From time to time I pick up the Erskine Caldwell memoir when I need a short read and can pick up at anytime. Just read about his father, Presbyterian minister, who later in life decided he wanted to teach more than preach. He enrolled in college and got his undergraduate degree in Education and his masters in English. While he was in college he continued working as a pastor, he had earned his initial degree from seminary when he was younger, and he came to the church and asked, if for this period of time while he was in college, would they be agreeable to just have Sunday morning services, keep children's programming for Sunday and Wednesday night, but no services with preaching. The congregation loved the idea and during those years he was there, the church grew in great numbers cause Baptists and Methodists learned of this only Sunday morning service and they joined in becoming Bapt-terians and Presy-b-tists. I confess, after years in Houston where Sunday and Wednesday night services waned and was almost encouraged by the staff not to have them, there came a change. Sunday night became another opportunity to experience the morning message, but in a contemporary way. Lot of the Sunday night attenders were from other churches who wanted to hear Pastor Gregg. Then the minister I worked for revamped Wednesday nights, called it Mid-Link offering all kinds of classes and Bible studies for adults, choir, and children programming. The Wednesday evening meal was revamped, brought people in and then a young preacher coming up took over prayer meeting. Started small with a few of the older folks and then more and more of all ages attended because he was bringing the Word of God in an insightful and life applicable way. After years of working late Wednesday nights, when I retired, I was able to rejoin choir and loved that. Back in 2015 when we moved here, I realized that the Sunday and Wednesday night thing was alive in rural America...but it never has truly become a habit again for me, except when choir was involved. Years ago I read an article, either in The Atlantic or Harper's about electricity coming to rural America and the author stated he thought it was the biggest change in the 20th century because life long patterns of work on farms etc...became obsolete cause now the day and night didn't dictate life. He also stated that when this began to happen the church didn't make adjustments and what was once a captive audience for revivals, dinner on the ground, and services gave way to the enticements of all that electricity could bring. I wish I had kept the magazine but I am pretty sure it went with the great purge of 2011 of books and stuff getting ready for the move to Rancho de Five.
This morning all the kittens are accounted for outside. We will begin the work of getting them socialized this week. Been reading up on the matter. Roy is already outside working on the raised gardens since we are now officially beyond Mother's Day...let the planting begin!
No comments:
Post a Comment