Tuesday, October 21, 2008

A Mothers Love

A mothers love knows no bounds.
I had always heard that and through the years have come to understand it a little better.
When I had my first child, the love I felt was so great, I didn't feel I could love anyone that much other than my best friend and eternal companion.
then I had my second child and found the ability to love expanded to include another.
With each child, the ability to love would grow to accommodate yet another person.
Then something wonderful happened. As each of my children grew and found their companions that love again emcompassed still more and as they began to have children of their own I found that that ability continued to expand to even greater amounts.
I never in my wildest dreams would have every thought that I could have the abiltiy to love to such a degree to so many and yet it has come to pass.

How blessed I am to have been given such a wonderful gift and thank my Heavenly Father for such a wonderful gift of Mother's love.

Friday, October 17, 2008

I AM

I am...

I am...a good person.
I think...too little before I act and it gets me in trouble.
I want...more hours in the day.
I miss...sleeping through the night soundly.
I fear...losing my best friend.
I feel...immense joy in my posterity.
I hear...my father whistling as he worked.
I smell...the sweetness of babies.
I crave...the ability to sense others needs.
I cry...when I feel close to the Spirit.
I search...for what I need to change in myself.
I wonder...if I have been the person I should be.
I regret...not saying I love you enough.
I wish...for more time to serve in the Temple.
I love...each and every member of my family.
I care...about what my children think of me.
I always...talk to much and repeat myself.
I worry...I will let people down.
I am not...very patient.
I remember...being loved as a child.
I believe...life is good and is meant to be enjoyed.
I know...that God lives and Jesus Christ is my Savior.
I sing...badly.
I argue...too much.
I write...like I talk.
I lose...sight of the simple things.
I listen...better than I used to.
I can...do things that are hard with the Lord's help.
I need...to listen more and talk less.
I forget...what I did yesterday.
I am happy...that I agreed to a blind date when I was 16.

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Granny's hand

When I was little I noticed that my Grannys right hand was different than other peoples. The knuckle on the middle finger was bent and was slightly raised above her other fingers. It didn't keep her from using it and she never said anything about it that I remembered. I just remember it was different.
I was talking with my Mother recently and asked about it. She told me that Granny and Grandaddy had borrowed a car from his work and were driving to visit family. My Aunt Faye was little and in the front seat between them. Back then, there were no seat belts or anything. There was a another car that forced them off of the road and the car started to roll. As it did my Aunt was thrown toward the window on my Grannys side. Granny put her hand out to keep her from being thrown out the window and when the car rolled her hand was pinned between the car and the ground. It was almost cut off across her knuckles.
Miraculously they were able to save her fingers but the one knuckle never worked right.
Whenever I see a picture of my Granny now and see her hand, instead of thinking it was different or somehow odd, I think about how she loved and sacrificed to save her child.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Aunt Vernie

I have recently been working on some geneology and had a distance 2nd cousin contact me about a mutual ancestor who was my aunt Vernie.
It brought back some memories about her that I thought I would pass along.
When I was little I was afraid of her. She looked mean to me and from a kids perspective scary. I remember leaving the room whenever she would come over to visit my Granny.
As I got older, I saw past the rough exterior and learned to really like being around her. She had raised 17 kids. I have the pictures to prove it. She did alot of nursing and midwivery. She would tell us about her famous salve. She told us about Uncle Jess cutting his arm once and how she sewed him up and put her salve on it and he healed up just fine. (About then, I was glad she wasn't around when I got hurt or cut) On one of the last visits I had with her, she gave me her recipe. She didn't want it to be forgotten. I wrote it down and still have it. I have never made it and after looking at the ingredients, I am not sure I ever will but you never know.
Recipe for Aunt Vernies salve
lb. tallow
lb. hog lard
lb. reson
lb. bees wax
melt together
add 14 drops carbolic acid
14 drops turpentine
strain, do not use if diabetic

To me, Aunt Vernie was a great example. She was rough and tough but had a heart of gold. She would do anything for just about anyone.
She loved to quilt. She made quilts for all of her kids and then went on to make for her grandkids. She went on to make quilt tops for the nieces. She figured if she made the tops they could make it into a quilt. I had mine for many years but never made it into a quilt. Sorry Aunt Vernie.
She loved to garden. When she wasn't able to walk up and down the rows, she would crawl.
She lived to be 95. She was my hero in many ways. She lived through tough times and raised a huge family and was still going strong until the day she died. I used to tease about keeping up with her but decided 8 kids was enough and if I could still be as active as she was I wouldn't mind reaching 95.
Uncle Jess was alot like my Grandaddy, He was tall and lanky and quiet and easy going, loved kids and loved to tease. That seemed a big trait in the
Andrews men.
It was fun to remember my Aunt Vernie after all of these years. One time when I was looking at some family trees I found where someone had listed Aunt Vernie being married to her husband's brother who was my Grandaddy. I had to laugh, she and Uncle Jess and Grandaddy would have gotten a kick out of it. Granny might have had a problem with it but it was funny to me.