February 3, 2010
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It’s the Little Things You Miss
When my mom was in the hospital and I did not know if she would make it,
it was the little things that I thought of that we might never do again…
the everyday things.
Like watching her try to extract money from an ATM…
She will do the fast cash for $40 five times for $200 rather than key in an amount.
or going to lunch with her…
When Ma and I go for lunch I usually get a Greek salad
and ask for the onions and gross little oily,hairy anchovies on the side.
Why you wonder, if I hate them, why do I get them?
So Ma (Mildred) can make an anchovy and onion sandwich with her dinner roll of course.
I love watching her enjoy that nasty little sandwich.or Shopping…
When I go shopping I usually take Ma with me…
Here she is buying skivvies yesterday…haha.
Notice her empty cart?
later on….the cart is overflowing and her coat is slung on there too.
She is rooting around in her massive purse/saddle bag to get a bill for a money order,
why? Because she hates to write checks, why? Because she hates to order new ones.
I get a kick out of My mom,she absolutely makes me laugh.I miss familiar noises…
When Ida was downstairs I would always
hear the scrape of her kitchen chair on the floor,
I miss that.
On Sunday Dave was down there and I heard that familiar sound
and for a moment I forgot that she was gone,I listened and smiled.It is so many little things that we do everyday that we take for granted…
that we miss when they are gone.and sights…
Even everyday things like the sight of an old house on the way to the store…
I stopped to take photos of it,I posted them
Farmhouse Window and Screen Door
More Abandoned Farmhouse Pics
Last of the Abandoned Farmhouse Scenes
This is what I saw yesterday…
It just reminded me once again,
to take time to enjoy what I have.
Comments (47)
Oh man do I like that second to last picture…I see houses like that all the time too…I need to start taking pictures again…
Beth, I didn’t know your mom is in the hospital! It sounds serious, and please know she (and you) have my prayers and positive thoughts.
Kathi
Oh, it hurts to look at that last photo! How is Mildoo?
I think I wore those blue ones she had there!!
@MomGoneMadd - She is buying them to replace that pair….lol
@Still_groovy - She is better now,I wil make that more clear in the post,thank you Kathi!
@seedsower - hahahahhaa aww I love her for sharing those..
I just love this. When all is said and done, those are the things that count.
I’m glad you got photos of that house before it was demolished. Great post. I’m a big fan of Greek salads and anchovies and parents (but not so much of Walmart).
Aw I hate when old houses are torn down. It’s so sad.
my mother has similar sandwich tastes as your mom (i don’t. lol). i rec this especially for that green door/window. really nice shot. i’m sorry for the loss of that house though. =/ does make one grateful..we have so much we take for granted..so true. God bless you sweet Beth. enjoy the rest of your day! =)
I miss a million little things about Mike, for sure. We had our own secret world full of inside jokes and our own language.
I still see certain things and think of how I’ll tell Mike about it because it relates to some “us” thing for a split second, then remember he’s gone, and then there’s no one I can tell that thing to because no one else is in on our world.
I believe every person has that specialness about him or herself. I’m trying hard not to get preachy during this time of my grief, but hearing spouses or siblings or other family members getting all worked up at each other over petty things is so sad to me now. I think “you are so lucky to have him/her in your life, and you’re all worked up about that silly thing.” In the end, for the vast majority of humanity, the good little things FAR outweigh the negative.
I love this.
Oh, no — so sad to see that wonderful house being torn down! Yes — you will miss it!
That salad looks delicious.
I love this post. We should all take more time to appreciate what is here now, since it may not be here tomorrow.
The house being torn down looks rather sad. It hurts my heart!
It’s nice to take stock of those things every once in awhile.
It’s easy to forget how familiar and comfortable those things are until they are gone. I think it’s important to stop and appreciate every so often.
Nice post…. i need to message you!
Your mom’s adorable. =) And I know what you mean. My dad grew up in the town we’re living in now, and he always points out what things have changed – like houses being built on his old sledding hill or the field they played baseball in getting a road paved through it. It’s taught me a lot about how everything changes, and reminds me in a gentle way that you can never take advantage of what you have.
Beautiful. I think it’s amazing Beth how you can capture not only a moment in time with your lens, but with your words as well.
PS- I was thinking of you on Monday when I was driving to the Reading area and I saw a sign which read “Oley – 10″.
Good to see your mom out and about. We take to much for granted. It seems the older we get the more we understand those little things that mean so much. Sad to see the old house come down. Makes you wonder what will be there next.
I understand exactly what you mean. There are so many little things in my life that I am grateful for and try never to forget.
It’s the funny little quirks that our loved ones have that make them special.
This is just one of the reasons why I love you!
You made my heart melt again. Beautiful piece~ and message well received!
That really makes my heart ache. We just lost our grandma two weeks ago and we just had the funeral and this post made me think of what the family will miss who knew her so very well. It also makes me realize that yes the little things do become bigger in remembrance. Like how Grandma would tell me, “You remember I am your Grandma.”(It was her way of telling me I was a part of the family. I am not in reality because dad didn’t adopt me). Ahh this was a wonderful post–and oops there I went a rambling. xD
I liked the pictures! They remind me of how people are like when they stop caring about themselves and/or have no one there for or to be with them…(but I don’t think that was what you were trying to point out, lol)
This really touched me…. sounds silly, but it made me think of my cat that we recently lost and how something like a sound every once in a while will unexpectedly make me think of her. And kudos to your Mom using an ATM machine. My parents don’t have ATM cards and have no idea how to use an ATM.
This post really got to me. I have a big mommy thing too. (I call it my mother karma lol). We have had some horrendous fights, but I love her to death, and all her little quirks that I got to know so well when I was there in Florida for 4 years just a few years ago.
she’ll be 80 in August. Right now she is doing fantastically. I am so happy with her that she has always been so great about preventive care. When I was there in FL we had a couple of close calls with her getting sick (my sister is near her now) but she always sprang back.
I just love love love this blog! Some of my mom’s quirks? Always wanting to eat at Red Lobster. Always trying to make everything perfect. Chatting up strangers everywhere we went. Insisting on keeping a car that is really too low for her to get in and out of (but it’s stylish and trendy and sporty). That she gets her mani/pedi/hair done every week come hell or high water. That she goes to the yacht club every friday night with the girls. that she goes to ‘lunch bunch’ and ‘birthday bash’ everyweek with the girls. That she is insanely in love with the christmas holidays but practically takes to her bed the 4th of july she hates that holiday so much (her mother in laws birthday hahahaha).
Oh, didn’t mean to come take over your blog, just really saying, way to go!
WHat a great post. I definitely appreciate the little things much more than the grandiose.
my mom is quarky,too but she’s in Shading Pines now and losing it cause when she was in the hospital over christmas she kept saying she was in a hotel.
This was a really beautiful post, Beth. The things you describe are the comfort of familiarity . . . .those things that let us know we are home . . . in a safe place with people who love us. They’re hard to articulate, but we all recognize them immediately as soon as they’re gone. You did an awesome job with this.
I don’t think I could shop with your mom. I’m too impatient.
This is simply lovely. Thanks for sharing. And the pictures are truly beautiful.
@And_I_love - My mom chats up strangers too,I am afraid I do it too! Your mom sounds wonderful!
So sad to see the old farmhouse being torn down. This is a beautiful entry.
Great post. I want to cry that the house is going down.
Hope your mum is better!
i can relate. i hope your mom makes it fine.
There are so many things that bring back memories. Anchovies are nasty. I popped one in my mouth 20 years ago when I was working in a pizza parlor. I was trying to do it for shock value and made the mistake of chewing it. That nastiness was stuck in my teeth for hours!!!!
*sparkle
So true to enjoy today and our loved ones.
Awww– I’m glad you have such memories to cherish. Thanks for sharing. (hugs)
good reminder to appreciate what we have while we have it…I like your attitude with your mom… you choose to be amused when many would just be annoyed…I would spend more time with my mom if I could get her out of the house once in awhile…..
Your mom is a character! A sweet one. It’s so true that sights and sounds go deep. When my kids were teens, I always used to lie awake and listen for their key in the back door. I knew then they were safe home and I could go to sleep.
Your current xanga theme is one I rotate onto my own xanga when I am feeling particularly homesick. In many ways, it embodies the Japanese aesthetic, and oddly, that thematically is very much in keeping with how I read your post on what one misses and being startled into pleasant memories.
“I love watching her enjoy that nasty little sandwich.”
i think i love your mom, too.
Oh bleeding hearts…I love this post. I love the idiosyncracies that you see in your mom that most would get irritated with and the little things you do to give her joy. The Ida story had me saying oh…and feel you missing her,
Totally agree we need to cherish everything we have when we have it before it is gone!