I have had a few changes in my world. My wonderful Mother has taken that turn in life where I am now the parent.
She is still on her own, but we don't want to leave her alone.
I have been doing her laundry and paying her bills for some time now but within the last few months she needs more attention. My sister and I take turns every other day taking care of her.
Nobody tells you about this part, and as a kid you sure never think about it.
It's hard, really hard.
It's hard hearing the same story over and over, it's hard telling her she has to take a shower, it's hard getting her eat something other than ice cream! And it's hard looking at her across the table wishing she was the old Mom. Not that her mind is all the way gone but she's different now.
And my job is really busy! I got a raise, HELLO! With all the blogging I was doing at work, that was a shock! Thank goodness I haven't been caught yet! ha
So with my Mom and that place I have to go to that pays the bills, I haven't had time to work on any of my projects. I am so behind! I have so much furniture stacked up that I need to get to.
AND I haven't even changed my house to FALL!!!!
Can you imagine!!
Thank you for sticking by me and not un-following me! I promise I'll get my mo-jo back soon!
I feel like I know you all personally and I have been a really bad friend for not checking in.
I have been such a bad blogger! I've been having to actually work at my job and have just no time for blogging! humph!
The other I was dusting, no I really was...... and my Great Grand Grandmothers journal caught my eye.
When I was young I would spend the night at my Grandparents house whenever I could.
Great memories, Gram let me watch Star Trek!
We would also sit on the patio and Grandpa would read to me from his Mother's Journal.
I loved it! I would picture her and everything in my mind.
Here's some entries.
Diary beginning July 19, 1891 Miss Effie M. (Mae) Collins
She would have been 21 years old.
Sunday July 19 - at home Oscar rode up in buggy
Oscar would be my Great Grandfather, he would have been 22 years old.
February 27. Did big washing, baking, scrubbing etc. Adda and Kate came down in pm. Charlie stepped on a nail.
29. no coal, no school, heavy snow all day worked on quilts
Effie Mae was a teacher. She writes on each day how many pupils were there. Seven pupils today, nine pupils, can you even imagine a class that small!!
July 17. Oscar went to Platte for hay, in eve went to town in wagon I saw a balloon. Came back home
18. at home all day Oscar cut oaks
19. Wash day Helga came form me I went down for dinner. Then she came up we worked on quilts. Uncles went to Hackberry
20. Ironed all day and quilted November 6. home all day Oscar making sled
7. At home all day Oscar went hunting
8. went to church
9. in bed most of am ironed and patched
10. at home all day Oscar fixing sled darned socks
11. in bed all am
20. Oscar and I home all day
21. sick went for Dr. baby born 5 o'clock pm Mother came
22. wash day Mother dressed baby
23. baked bread, apple butter, Mother dressed baby
What!?? She just popped out a baby and went back to washing the next day!
Think about it .......no TV, no TIVO, no Housewives of ANYWHERE! Not only that, but she walked back and fourth from the school she taught at. Both ways in the snow (OK I added the snow part, but there was snow, it was Iowa) Sometimes Oscar was able to pick her up in a buggy.
There are entries were Oscar was calling on her and there was a chaperone!!
I can't even imagine life back then.
Remember my dinning room photos.
Here is Effie Mae, Oscar and Lambert.
Here are all their children. My Gramps is the baby in white. Lambert is in back, he was the oldest.
And in this picture, Oscar is in the middle of the back row. That is his family.
I sure wish I could go back and talk to everybody! How cool would that be!!
