| Author |
Across the Fence:  tell us sumpthin' about your mom and dad  |
|
|
CabinCreek-Kentucky
True Blue Farmgirl
8529 Posts
Frannie
Green County
Kentucky
USA
8529 Posts |
|
|
Annab
True Blue Farmgirl
2900 Posts
Anna
Seagrove
NC
USA
2900 Posts |
 Posted - Feb 04 2008 : 03:47:40 AM
|
Oh boy
Mom is a retired pediatric nurse. She worked for a time over seas in England she retains her lisencing and helps around the community Mom has a gift for antique furniture She can look at a piece and know it's origins and the quality of craftmanship she also liked to restore old furniture. When I still lived at home, we'd go antiquing on Saturdays in Burlington, KY. All the great finds were to be had before 8 a.m. Mom and I go on shopping forays now that she and Dad are living much closer. It's a comfort to have my #1 shopping buddy only an hour away. And since my direction sense is terrible, she drives and I buy lunch. Mom now volunteers at the local Habitat For Humanity thrift shop. Of course, she is into pricing everything and has an eye for those hidden gems that pass through that might have sold for far less than the item is worth
Dad is an electrical engineer by trade, retired from the Air Force and has run his own business since 1980. He took me fishing for the frst time when I was 4 and likes to recall when I caught a huge carp and tried to feed it Fritos. Dad's hobby is fireworks---like the REALLY BIG ones you see in professional displays. Think of the movie October Sky and that sums up his childhood. He has been a Pyrotechnician for over 40 years! I joined on when I was 16 and was right there on the firing line at 18. It's a lot of hard work for just a few minutes, but I know of noting else that gives this kind of rush. Dad says when he passes, creamate him, stuff his ashes into a 16 inch willow shell and blow him across the sky. (That's a mighty big shell, let me tell you!) Have a big party and spare no expense. He is a celebrant and one for tradition-especially around the holidays
The faith in Jesus my parents have paseed onto my brother and me is priceless
Their mantra has been "pay it forward". They are so generous to everyone they meet
I have my Dad's generosity and my mother's love of the outdoors
They are both fabulous cooks and really fun people
They have been all over the world and encourage us to do the same
|
 |
|
|
Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Feb 04 2008 : 04:01:21 AM
|
My Mom (Sage) is amazing. When I was growing up she was the Director of our local museum which gave her many contacts into historical events in our community. She took me to archeology digs, dinosaur digs, I got to go with her to dig fossils with a group from the Smithsonion (Very cool!). On top of that, she is an amazing seamstress and artist. She always has been able to whip out a costume or dress for us girls whenever we have needed it, even if it has been on really short notice (Sorry Mom!) I know we have cost her many a night's sleep as she worked tirelessly to finish a project, whether it was sewing or hot gluing and glittering decorations or what have you. (By the way Mom, what is your secret?!)
She has always been a wonderful mom and friend, even though at times I did not appreciate it. Now that I am a bit older, I appreciate her so much that my day just doesn't seem complete if I haven't called her!
My Dad is just as amazing as my mom. He volunteered as an EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) for 18 years in our home town. He and my grandfather did most of the work building our family cabin (looks like a monopoly house! :D ) He is always willing to put family before his own personal interests. He works so hard that I have often felt guilty asking him to do one more thing for me, but he always is so happy to help. He even build the waterfall that was the backdrop for my wedding ceremony and it was perfect! (Okay so it leaks water from the water return resevoir but it still worked!) He worked so hard on the yard and house this past year so it would be perfect for my wedding. Not only is he hard working, but he is kind as well. I can chat with my dad just as easily as I can my mom!
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
Please come visit Nora and I our our new blog:
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com |
|
|
|
bohemiangel
True Blue Farmgirl
2087 Posts
Bridget
Ligonier
pa
USA
2087 Posts |
Posted - Feb 04 2008 : 05:15:38 AM
|
My mum is super intelligent, to the point of an IQ at genius level, I hope when I have kids they'll get that hehe, she has a masters degree in music and working on her second in instructional design, like me! She is a music teacher for close to 30 years and the church organist for hm I'd say 10 years. She had me at 30 and wanted a bigger family, but my father didn't really want any/anymore. She is a super compassionate person. If she met you and you needed something she'd give it to you right off her back or whatever cash she had on her. She sets a high standard for anyone in being a truly christian human being. She does not judge, she likes everyone, I really don't think she is capable of hating or disliking anyone. Her innocence in that sense is rare and refreshing, I am not that good. She is always reading and always telling me things, that is how I've learned probably 80% of what I know. She has a wonderful humor and loves to laugh. She's creative, musical, talented, and can try anything and succeed, except for skiing, she stinks at that. She works very hard and has always been the mother/father figure. My parents divorced when I was 7 and it was the best thing because my father is incapable of loving, literally. She is so selfless and I tell everyone if you met my mum you'd love her right away. I can't say enough about her and her life:)
**~~Farmgirl Sister #60~~**
"... to thine ownself be true."
http://liggygirl.blogspot.com/
http://liggygirlslonggreen.blogspot.com/
|
|
|
|
one_dog_per_acre
True Blue Farmgirl
1572 Posts
Trish
Sandpoint
ID
USA
1572 Posts |
Posted - Feb 04 2008 : 08:39:25 AM
|
I love my momma so much. She is the nicest lady. SHe lives in Southern Oregon, and travels around in her fifth wheel, living wherever her boyfriend is working. He has to be in LA a lot. I went with them there two winters ago. She says hello to everyone she makes eye contact with in the grocery store, which is pretty much unheard of in LA. She makes cookies and treats for all of the guys on her bf's oil rig, and sends them down pot roasts, etc; and they just love her for it, since most of them are away from their families a lot. She never lets me cook when she visits, and makes whatever I want. I'm spoiled :) She is famous for her pickles, rice krispy treats, french bread, and I love her chili verde and spaghetti sauce, the best. She looks just like my Gramma did, and I just love to hug her, and kiss her three times on the forehead, which is our patented family kiss. She is so proud to finally be a gramma. I am going to encourage my son to call her Gramma Juji. Juji is an african name that means heap of love, and since her name is Judy, I think it's perfect.
Farmgirl Sister #91
Make cupcakes not war! |
Edited by - one_dog_per_acre on Feb 05 2008 07:18:34 AM |
|
|
|
joyfulmama
True Blue Farmgirl
1175 Posts
Debra
Silver Springs
NV
USA
1175 Posts |
Posted - Feb 04 2008 : 08:51:56 AM
|
I wish I had something really cool to say about my parents. they are both career oriented and money is important. We have been here in NV since July and through all of our troubles have never came to see us. I thought for sure they would come this last weekend with Jeff just having had surgery and knowing how stressed I was but no.. they didn't even call. They love us all but they are so into their own lives. :-(
My inlaws.. They are neat people. Strange but neat. very secretive, we feel very left out.. but my mil collects all kinds of vintage stuff! And she has items from her mom- just beautiful! My fil is the jack of all trades. He is where we get our bartering skills.
I love reading about your parents..We hope to be better parents to our children not only now but when they are grown and on their own..
Blessings, Debra
Psalms 23:1 "The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want."
http://myvintagehome.blogspot.com
http://woolieacres.net |
Edited by - joyfulmama on Feb 04 2008 08:52:36 AM |
|
|
|
jpbluesky
True Blue Farmgirl
6066 Posts
Jeannie
Florida
USA
6066 Posts |
Posted - Feb 04 2008 : 09:32:51 AM
|
My dad and mom have both passed on. My dad died when I was 19. He had Parkinson's. Mom lived until three years ago and she was in her eighties.
Dad was full Norwegian, and raised on a farm in Iowa. Mom was Scotch-Irish and raised on a farm in Illinois. Her family came up into Illinois from Dry Branch, Tennessee, after the civil war, when they lost their plantation land. Mom always said that the stories of that plantation were good ones. Her great-grandad was so good to his slaves that they cried when they had to leave him after the war.
Dad's grandfather was born in Norway, but came to the prairies of Iowa in the 1800's. They formed a small country Lutheran church which still stands near our family farm. Norwegian was still spoken by my grandparents, and we always said a Norwegian blessing before meals at their house.
My dad was a miller. Mom stayed at home and raised us. Dad worked at Pillsbury Mills for over 30 years, because he left the farm as a young man. There were two brothers, and my uncle Gordy stayed and inherited the farm and ran it until he died a year or so ago. Dad could build anything, and his hobby was remodeling our house. He laid all the hardwood flooring, and he and I hung the aluminum siding together. I learned a lot about fixing things from him. Mom loved being at home, and did not even drive until she was 38. She was a small town farmgirl, and so much so that she was happy to leave canning, and milking and wringer washers behind when she married.
They were good solid folks, and they loved my sister and I very much. We always felt secure and wanted. I thank them for that, as it allowed me to do the same, I hope, for my family.
Farmgirl Sister # 31
Psalm 51: 10-13 |
|
|
|
JessieMae
True Blue Farmgirl
702 Posts
Jessie
Raleigh
North Carolina
USA
702 Posts |
Posted - Feb 04 2008 : 11:43:32 AM
|
My parents are very young compared to me; Mama was 19 and Daddy was 21 when they had me. Mama was a stay-at-home mom until I was in high school, but she usually had a part-time job to help make ends meet. She is very short compared to me and my sister, and she has red hair. She has a knack for interior decorating, and she is an excellent cook. We fought like crazy when I was a teenager, but now we're very close. I get my love of antiques from her.
Daddy worked for GM for over 30 years, and then last year he got a job working for the UAW. He is unbelievably liberal. It took him 20 years, but he got his Master's degree a couple of years ago. He is agnostic as best - atheist at worst. He has one brown eye and one green eye. He has a very hard exterior but is pretty squishy in the middle!
Except for one trip to Disney World when I was in the 5th grade, my family NEVER traveled. Then, when I was in college, my parents started going all over the place. They've been to Ireland, Scotland, Boston, and every October they spend a week on Mackinac Island at the Grand Hotel. I tease them and say they're not my REAL parents - they're pod people who took over after I left home. |
|
|
|
catscharm74
True Blue Farmgirl
4687 Posts
Heather
Texas
USA
4687 Posts |
Posted - Feb 04 2008 : 11:54:09 AM
|
Though I don't have the greatest relatioship with my parents, I guess I can tell all ya'll something. My mom was a SAHM, except for the few times she worked here and there when my dad was on strike. She was married at 18 and was very much into the country life and animals.Yard saling and junking were her hobbies. My dad worked for General Dynamics and worked on explorer subs with Jacques Cousteau in the 1960's. He then worked for the Power company and retired about 10 years ago. Mom ran the house, Dad made the money. We never travelled either, except to Grandma's and Grandpa's, because my father was obsessed with money and felt taking vacations was frivolous and a waste. They have travelled some since, I think a cruise or 2.
I am totally opposite of everything they taught me growing up. I believe woman can have it all, career, home, kids, pets, gardens, clothes, look hot and sexy and still be respected, love a lot and have a ton of friends and a social life. I have travelled around the world twice and I have visited about 30 of the US states. I tell DH how much I love him everyday and hold his hand and flirt with him constantly. I put my family before anything else in life and would go naked or starve before anything happened to them. My parents always put themselves first and family was not that important. This is not to sound bad, but puts a perspective on things for me.
Cheers,
Heather
FARMGIRL #90 |
|
|
|
lisamarie508
True Blue Farmgirl
2648 Posts
Lisa
Idaho City
ID
USA
2648 Posts |
Posted - Feb 04 2008 : 2:24:30 PM
|
My mom was an amazing woman. She met my dad in Niagara Falls where he was stationed with the air force. Unfortunately, they never married, he was shipped off to Vietnam in '63 just before I was born. Mom never heard from him again and because they weren't married, she could never get any info and apparently his family didn't like her (she was not worthy as far as they were concerned).
My mom did marry when I was 9 months old, finished nursing school while Grandma and Grandpa practically raised me. Grandma said she wore me like a corsage when I was a baby, she was so attached. Grandma had just missed out on keeping a foster child before I was born when the father came forward and claimed her. Grandma was devastated by that loss, so my mom named me after that foster child (hence the attachment).
While married to my step-dad, my mom had my sister when I was 2 and my two brothers when I was 7 and 8. They divorced when I was 10. After an auto accident, mom couldn't work anymore because her back was messed up and no hospital would hire her.
My mom started her own ceramics business, taught classes and I learned more than I ever wanted to know about ceramics. My mom also built a greenhouse (actually my sister and I built it as mom was having balance problems). She then started having "plant parties" along the same lines as a Tupperware party. She ran both businesses and raised us four kids by herself while suffering from MS (diagnosed at 38). The MS Society awarded her "Mother of Year" when I was 17.
Mom and I butted heads a lot when I was a teenager and my dumb-butt left home at 16 to run off with a guy who turned out to be lower than low. She told me so, and I didn't listen.
Mom went downhill really fast and was bed-ridden the last 3 years of her life. The Lord relieved her of her pain and suffering just before her 42nd birthday. I was 21, my sister 19. Grandma finished raising my brothers.
I'm so glad that we had reconciled our relationship long before her departure. She was an extremely strong, often pig-headed, determined, proud and inspiring woman. After I grew up, I understood that that was what it took to do everything that she had accomplished. I take after her in a lot of ways and proud to say so. I admire her. I'm proud of her. I miss her still.
Farmgirl Sister #35
"If you can not do great things, do small things in a great way." Napoleon Hill (1883-1970)
my blog: http://lisamariesbasketry.blogspot.com/
My Website:
http://www.freewebs.com/lisamariesbasketry/index.htm |
|
|
|
Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Feb 04 2008 : 2:42:16 PM
|
I love reading these, even the sad bits because I feel like I know you all a bit more because I know some of your history!
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
Please come visit Nora and I our our new blog:
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com |
|
|
|
Pammy
True Blue Farmgirl
66 Posts
Michigan
USA
66 Posts |
Posted - Feb 04 2008 : 2:57:24 PM
|
My mom was born in 1930, the oldest of 10. She just celebrated her 78th birthday last week. she grew up on a dairy farm, her dad worked hard to make it go, she tells of her dad having her try to plow one day and she hit an electric pole which broke off, needles to say she didn't plow again!
My dad was born in 1929, he will be 79 in June. He also the oldest, of 9. When he was young his dad farmed a bit too. Then moved into the city and grandpa did highway construction.
Both my mom and dad worked in factories, they married in 1950, and celebrated 57 yrs last Sept. After having a few children mom was a SAHM, working as a waitress occasionally, there were 7 of us kids, so she probably worked to help pay off some of the more unexpected bills. My dad worked his same factory job for over 40 yrs, he also did part time work in a gas station on weekends when I was young and did home repairs for insurance jobs. They worked hard to provide for us they snowmobiled, square danced, played euchre and later took up golf which they both still play today. When they played euchre they had their monthly card club with 7 other couples, so 8 months of the year they played once month at a different couple's house, those were the days--the mixed drinks, snacks and smoking! Mom also had a bridge club one day month on a week night, same deal but no alcohol. Dad always took a week off in July and we went camping what a time we had!! So many good memories, even when it rained hard and then tent flooded. They also took us to a local gravel pit for several summers, it seemed like every Saturday we loaded up the station wagon and were gone for the whole day. I also, was able to spend time hunting and fishing with my dad, he only worked a few miles from our home and we lived on the edge of town, so often we would walk to a farm and hunt for rabbits, squirrels or pheasant(my favorite). Dad would take a week every fall and go deer hunting up north with his brothers, I think more card playing and beer drinking was done than hunting, back at home mom and the aunts would go out dancing while the guys were gone. We had very good dirt at our house on the edge of town and always had a huge garden,both mom and dad worked a lot in it. I used to hate picking green beans and strawberries, but sure liked them in the winter. When I was in highschool mom took a full time job as an aide working with jr high students who were usually emotionally disabled. She retired from that job, when dad retired they started to go south for part of each winter, they always wait till after celebrating Christmas with all of us. They have both had replacements, mom both hips, dad both knees, but they both are in good health and stay active playing golf all year long.
Sometimes they didn't seem very loving, not a lot of hugs that I can remember, but I think that came from their upbringing and the fact that they were trying hard to provide for us. But now there are hugs and saying I love you!
Pam |
|
|
|
nut4fabric
True Blue Farmgirl
885 Posts
Kathy
Morgan Hill
CA
USA
885 Posts |
Posted - Feb 04 2008 : 3:41:28 PM
|
| My Mom and Dad are amazing. They grew up in the depression and poor, my dad's mom had died when he was only 4 and his dad never remarried so he pretty much raised himself. They met at age 12 and married at 18 in the middle of WWII, Dad had lied about his age to join the Navy at 16. They have now been married 63 years and not a day goes by that Dad doesn't tell Mom how beautiful and amazing she is, they hold hands and hug all the time. They will both be 82 this year and are in incredible health. Dad was a police detective for 30 years and we sat down as a family every morning for breakfast and he always made sure to tell us that he loved us before leaving for work in the morning. I didn't realize it at the time but I think it was "just in case". Mom is quite a character, she seems to always have something funny happen to her......one day a house in the neighborhood was for sale and having an open house and for lack of anything better to do she went to take a look. Sounds innocent enough except she went into the wrong house and walked through it. Got to the familyroom and there the people are watching TV, still not realizing she was in the wrong house she asked them how much they were asking. Imagine the looks on the owners face!! and moms' when she found out she was in the wrong house. Now I wouldn't have told anyone I had done this if it were me but Mom just had to tell Dad. Needless to say she still gets a ration over this one. They are both an inspiration to all of our family, they have been threw bad times and good and always smile and laugh. My best advice form Dad was one time when I was going through a real rough time and feeling sorry for myself I asked him "Why Me?" his reply...."Why not you". Sure has made me think. I thank God for them everyday!!!! |
|
|
|
kissmekate
True Blue Farmgirl
890 Posts
Kate
Delano
Minnesota
890 Posts |
Posted - Feb 04 2008 : 6:30:39 PM
|
My parents are great. Always have been.
My Mom is the world's greatest cook. My Dad is the world's greatest eater.
Both offer an ear or a shoulder to cry on and give pretty good advice. I usually consult them on important matters. My Mom is the epitome of a lady, but will fit in with jeans and a t-shirt too. She has very elegant classy taste. She can also write a letter of complaint that will make you cringe if you are the recipient, but never utters a curse word or calls anyone a name.
My Dad can build or fix just about anything. He has an awesome sense of humor.
Both are big softies most of the time, and are wonderful Grandparents to my children. I am proud to be their daughter.
That is all I can think of without starting to cry.
Don't miss out on a blessing, just because it isn't packaged the way you expected. ~MaryJo Copeland |
|
|
|
CabinCreek-Kentucky
True Blue Farmgirl
8529 Posts
Frannie
Green County
Kentucky
USA
8529 Posts |
|
| |
Across the Fence: tell us sumpthin' about your mom and dad |
|
|
|
tell us sumpthin' about your mom and dad
