Saturday, October 6, 2018

Our Mothers Worked So Hard

Doesn't this vintage photo found Google Images make you love your mother more? Mine only had two children three years apart but I still marvel at all she did with no help. She kept our homes beautifully, sewed her clothes and mine too and she even sewed for my brother and my father. She cooked delicious and sometimes complicated food and we ate healthy meals. She always looked beautiful and I don't think we gave her the credit she so deserved. I was so proud to be her daughter and she did know that. This photo just struck a cord of how hard it must have been to hold it all together back in the day. 

I wish I hadn't been so lazy all summer long because it is really hard now. I should have taken my grandmother's advice.

She really did say this, I'm not making it up. I am playing catch up and have the feeling I will never get to the point of having every room cleaned from top to bottom the way she did. I have told you before that she devoted one week to each room for spring and fall cleaning. I just seem to jump around and do the same task in each room instead. Right now it's still windows and I'm almost finished.

Have a great weekend. Thank you for giving me the will to continue blogging. I am enjoying it again and will continue. Thanks for clicking on the ads in my sidebar too. xo

13 comments:

Mama Pea said...

Oh, Rosemary, you do an excellent job of homemaking! Your life has perhaps taken a different turn than that of your mother's or of some of us who faithfully follow you, but never think you aren't very much admired for the way you manage you life in all aspects from creating a beautiful home and nutrition for yourself to maintaining interests (that you generously share with us!) in so many things.

Linda said...

My mother always changed into a skirt and blouse or sweater and wore hose and heels while cooking our dinner! I thought nothing of it when I was a girl yet sure did and praised her when I had a baby on my hip while cooking and wearing comfy slacks and loafers.

Pam said...

HAha...keeping up is a problem of mine...I usually have to play catch-up. I love that photo but boy have things changed.

Linda Sand said...

That child seat/table was so popular but I never see them anymore. I suspect someone declared them unsafe. Just like laying in the back window of the car as Dad drove. And all those other things we did as kids that are not allowed today. That's one of the reasons I am happy to see the free-range kids movement.

Kathy said...

I'm so happy that you will continue blogging! I only follow a few blogs now, yours being one of them. I enjoy all of your posts very much.

Gail, northern California said...

My mother had one daughter and SEVEN boys. Need I say more? ;-)

Lisa D. said...

I was blessed with a very special mother. My father had a friend/business colleague who used to say that she always made you feel as if you were the most important person in the room. I miss her every day.

jane said...

I love your house!! And your blog!! blogs such as yours train our eyes to see and think of things we should do in our own homes to make them beautiful.

When my mother cleaned house, she rallied the troupes and we kids pitched in and we got the house done in a day.She rented the floor polisher and we spread the wax on the floors and then one of us ran the floor polisher. etc. etc. We hauled out the radio and listened to music or comedians while working. Kept us moving.

After dinner each night my mother sat down and we older daughters took turns doing the dishes. We also did chores of cleaning each day we did not go to school, summer and weekends. We cleaned the kitchen, bathroom, did vacuuming and at age 12 we ironed our own clothes. At age 16 I had to start washing my own clothes. I also did mowing of the lawn when my dad could not do it.

your mother was a saint.

Penelope Bianchi said...

If I have known anyone who has given her mother credit......and during her lifetime, it is YOU!
We saw your mother and her cat......we saw her beauty and heard about her talents when she lived with you. Believe me, we know. You have celebrated your beautiful mother splendidly!

Now, I would like you to celebrate her a bit more and get a cat at the shelter!

I loved that cat!

You can call me the nag.

Beth said...

Oh, what an evocative image! I was just mentioning to someone the other day that women make dinner and help the kids with their homework and answer the phone and answer the door and swap out a load of laundry and most guys need total silence to fry an egg, assuming they know how to use the stove.

My mom's parents got divorced when she was young, so at the age of 8, she was in charge of making dinner for her and her sister and their mom.

I try to cook more for her these days. She's really tired of cooking having done it for nearly 70 years.

I smile, though, when I'm at her house and help her clean. Often, I can't detect dust on the Swiffer Duster after I've done a room. You strike me as similar to my mom. So perhaps your house isn't in need of as much intense cleaning as you imagine?

Good for you for being "lazy" all summer. A) Lazy is relative and 2) We never know what life has in store. As the saying goes, on their deathbed, nobody wishes they would have spent more time at the office. I think we can amend that to say nobody wishes they would have spent more time washing their woodwork.

I appreciate how industrious you are but perhaps you're also like my mom insofar as she's been upset with herself for getting so tired lately. And I suggested to her that maybe she's been in "turbo" mode for the past 57 years and now that her spouse has passed away, she's simply operating at a more normal pace for her age.

Anyhoo, I'm rambling. Just be gentle with yourself, please.

Betty said...

The picture reminds me of my Mother. There was just my brother and me but she kept a lovely home and cooked delicious dinners and deserts. She loved keeping house and she made our childhood wonderful. No clothes dryer, dishwasher and Dad drove the only car to work. She always managed and never complained. I sure miss her.

Tracy said...

I have read your blog faithfully for I think a few years now, and really enjoy it. I have only commented once before, when your lovely Webster the Wonderdog passed away. I love dogs more than people sometimes and truly felt your pain. Your Kitty, too.

In several posts over the years, you have mentioned your rigorous cleaning approach, room by room. I would love it if you would share exactly what tasks are included in your deep cleans. Do you do this annually, or more often? Please share! Many thanks!

Joy said...

Long time admirer of your posts and thoughts! Never stop!