Sunday, June 16, 2013

My Mother and Baby Me


I've been working downstairs all week for the first time since losing my mother in December. Up until now, I have only been going down there to do laundry. After I washed all the windows and screens and doors on the outside of the lower level, I decided it was time to go inside to start putting things in order. I still have a lot to do but the kitchen, living room and laundry room are looking pretty nice. I found this old photo in a drawer and took a quick picture of it through the glass with my phone. My mother looks so happy and proud of me and I'm trying to tell the photographer how to take the picture using mental telepathy since I didn't know how to talk. I'm sure she made her dress and probably mine too. One of my grandmothers probably did the needlework trim. My mother saved and saved to buy a sewing machine during those war years when everything was so hard to get. It was a Singer, of course. 

38 comments:

Susan said...

What a wonderful photo! Your mother was a real beauty and she looks so happy.

Content in a Cottage said...

Susan....

Thank you. My mother was a natural beauty who never focused on her looks.

Lisa said...

Both of you, just gorgeous! I can certainly see the resemblance in you from your blog photo! 😉

Judy in SC said...

Rosemary, your Mother was beautiful inside and out. You were a beautiful baby and now a beautiful lady.

Karen in VA (was CT) said...

.. beautiful .. just so special

Barbara said...

Oh, Rosemary. Thank you for sharing this. I hadn't seen a picture of your mother as a young woman. She was so naturally graceful and lovely. I am smiling at the two of you with tears in my eyes.

Content in a Cottage said...

Lisa, Judy, and Karen....

Thanks so much for your kind words. The photo is in a beautiful leather frame and I moved it upstairs where I can enjoy it.
My mother was still beautiful at 92 and I miss her.

xo, Rosemary

Anonymous said...

What a gorgeous photo. Your mother was lovely and you were adorable.

I bet if you still had that sewing machine it would still work.

My father bought my mother a Singer after the war. He came home the next day and she had taken it completely apart. He was horrified. She said... "It's OK. now I will know how to fix it if it ever breaks". She put it all back together perfectly.

She did that with everything we had, clocks too.

Content in a Cottage said...

Barbara...

Thanks so much.

xo, Rosemary

Content in a Cottage said...

Anonymous....

Your mother sounds fearless. I would have liked her. I love people who are handy, especially women. My mother and I took care of things in the house. The only tool my father could use was the telephone :)
I don't think my brother was very handy either.

xo, Rosemary

Deb said...

This type of photograph is such a treasure. Deb

Anonymous said...

Dear Rosemary,
That picture is absolutely lovely. You know, your mother didn't really change much. I knew it was she before I read your description. I'm sure you do miss her. Losing a parent is awful no matter how "grown uo" you are.
My mother will be 100 on July 12. She, too, is a beautiful lady inside and out. I think it was part of their generation.
You were so lucky to have her live with you and in relatively good health. Mother lives in Indiana and I'm out here in Arizona. I miss her every day and feel so guilty about it. She's in a retirement home less than a mile from my brother. It is very nice and the people couldn't be kinder, but I'm not there.
You were a very good daughter. I'm sure she appreciated and loved you very much.
A favorite quotation of mine is, " I think of heaven as a beautiful garden where I will once again see those who made my world." Hold on to that.
Janie Horn

JudyMac said...

What a lovely portrait, Rosemary. I think our mothers were fairly close in age and would have had a lot in common. I'll bet your Mom was a great seamstress. My Mom began sewing for herself when she was a teenager, and later made most of my clothes until I became a teenager and began sewing for myself. And of course, she owned a Singer also, just like I do. They were great sewing machines.

We love to hear your stories about Mom, so keep them coming!

P.S. I love your Mom's "upswept" hair-do .... reminds me of the same "do" my Mom gave me for a portrait when I was about 4 or 5 years old.

Mama Pea said...

Your mom was so beautiful. And you were an adorable baby. Yes, I too can see the resemblance to you today. My dad was overseas in World War II when I was born so I have many pictures with my mom that look very, very similar to this one you've posted.

tammy j said...

oh my! rosemary! I love that picture.
how beautiful you both are.
actually you look very much to me like the pictures of queen elizabeth at that age...
go back and look in your archives!
amazing resemblance!
anna... lovely always. always. xo

janice15 said...

Your mom is just beautiful you look just like her ... your baby photo is adorable very nice...Happy Sunday evening with love Janice

Anonymous said...

What a delight. This photo of you with your mother is absolutely lovely. What a beauty she always was. Aren't you fortunate to have this keepsake to cherish. It surely captures a tender moment.
Hugs,
Linda

Jenny Mein said...

Dear Rosemary

I do love your posts and photographs...always so interesting, insightful, sensitive - sometimes bringing tears to my eyes with sadness when you were losing your mother and tears of joy with the antics of Webster and other small creatures. Wonderful!

What a lovely photo of you and your mother, she is looking so pretty and happy and I love your delightful story of how she and your grandmother made the dresses...I remember my dear mother (she died last summer at 87 years old) making our childhood party dresses on an old Singer too!

Jenny M
London, England

Robin@DecoratingTennisGirl said...

Wonderful photo, Rosemary! Your Mother is beautiful :)
xoxo

The Queen Vee said...

I love everything about this photo and the story behind it. It made me teary eyed. Your mother was such a beautiful woman, right to the very end.

How old were you in this photo Rosemary?

I also grew up in a home where my mother and then all two of my sisters and I sewed our clothing. My first sewing machine was also a singer. I was never very good at sewing clothing but my mom and oldest sister were very gifted in that area.

You look so serious Rosemary, I'm sure the photographer was trying everything possible to get you you to smile but obviously you were having none of it.

Karen said...

Rosemary,
What a beautiful photograph. Your mother is lovely and your expression says it all (as you stated) :D

I hope you had a relaxing weekend.
Karen

Rachy said...

What a wonderful photo, Rosemary.
Your Mother is very beautiful and your were quite obviously the apple of her eye x

Content in a Cottage said...

Queen Vee ... Victoria- I guess I was one or almost one when this photo was taken. I was born in Sept. 1942 so it was still warm according to our dresses. This is the only formal portrait in the family. I don't know the history but it was probably from Sears or JC Penneys. My mother said I absolutely would not smile that day. The photographer must have looked suspicious to me in some way. Anyway, I like the contrast of my serious expression with her happy one. She took me everywhere with her and she said I was never any trouble. I would hold my hands behind my back and look at things and say "Pretty, pretty" after I started walking.

Anonymous said...

Rosemary,
Your mother was a lovely woman. I hope you place that picture in your living space. Say "hi" to the "kids" for me. Sara, Ohio

Stacey said...

Aw this is such a sweet post. You look just like your mom.

Barbara said...

Oh your Mother was so pretty. She looks so sweet too. Thanks for sharing.

Content in a Cottage said...

Barbara....

My beautiful mother was very sweet too.

xo, Rosemary

Content in a Cottage said...

Stacey...

Webster and Tabitha still look for her downstairs. Webster is very happy helping me clean and organize down there and so is Tabitha but when I come upstairs, they come with me. They know Anna isn't coming back.

xo, Rosemary

Content in a Cottage said...

Sara, Ohio...

I put it in my bedroom. It looks nice in there. Webster and Tabitha send their regards.

xo, Rosemary

Content in a Cottage said...

Karen...

My mother said I would NOT smile for that photo. I get my stubborn streak from both sides so everyone always said I was double stubborn. I guess the photographer finally gave up.

xo, Rosemary

Content in a Cottage said...

Robin...

Thanks. I hope you are having a great summer.

xo, Rosemary

Content in a Cottage said...

Jenny Mein...

You had your mom for a nice long time too. My mother taught me to sew at a young age and I made all of my own clothes and I was very accomplished. Sometimes I dream about sewing.

Thanks for your kind words about my blog.

xo, Rosemary

Content in a Cottage said...

Linda...

I do cherish that old photo. I'm so glad I found it and could bring it into the light again.

xo, Rosemary

Content in a Cottage said...

JudyMac....

My mother sewed from a young age too. I'm sure our mothers would have been friends if their paths had crossed. She taught me to sew and I was very good at making my own clothes. It is somewhat of a lost art now that clothing is so inexpensive.

How great of you mother to give you an upsweep hairdo for your childhood portrait.

I'll keep posting stories as I remember them.

xo, Rosemary

Sunny said...

Your mother was so beautiful and you were such a cutie! Great photo!

Content in a Cottage said...

tammy j....

I know that picture of Queen Elizabeth as a baby.

I am glad you like the portrait of my mother and me when I was about a year old.

I hope I hold up as well as my mother and the Queen.

xo, Rosemary

Content in a Cottage said...

Sunny...

Thanks so much!

xo, Rosemary

Content in a Cottage said...

Janice...

Thanks. I'm glad you like my first portrait with my dear mother.

Rachy...

My mother was always proud of me.

xo, Rosemary