MY SISTER

My Sister Candy





When we were younger, my sister, Candy , and I did not look or act too much alike.--We never shared the same friends--even in high school. We are less than 2 years apart in age--so although I never wondered at it then--seeing the relationships of the different sets of sisters in our church--I see now that it could have been different.
Since High school I have seen very little of my sister--In a good year maybe 2 weeks--in a sad year--not at all. She has lived in Mexico for 25 years or so, as a missionary. For the first 20 years we really didn't have e-mail or phone connections.
So I find it kind of funny for my children to say how Candy and I are 2 peas in a pod--we laugh alike--at the same things--talk alike--make the same faces in reaction to things. Some differences remain. She is still neat; I am still messy. She is straight blonde ; I am curly brunette. She is petite; I am--well--I'm not petite! My reason for this reflection is...
In the past couple of years, thanks to AIM, we have been amused when one of us says,
"Wait--I need to go check on dinner--I'm making spaghetti"
"Really? we're having spaghetti too!?"
Another time it may be the same dessert or kind of cookies.
This weekend Candy said (From Durango Mexico)--"I need to go fill holes to get ready to paint--I hope the color is ok--It is called 'suede' "
"Is that from WalMart?" I said
"Yes, I got it in El Paso"
"My front room is painted "suede" from Wal-Mart!"

Not very exciting--but I got a tickle from it--and felt like sharing:-)

Betty Jeanne

As I was writing the last post--I had a sudden inclination to write about my mother, Jeanne. Saturday was the 20th anniversary(Is that what you call it?) of her death. She was 61--I was 28. Is it because of the nice round number of 20 that my mind seems to think of her more--and my heart to miss her--after such a long time? Is it because so much transition is bubbling in our home that I would like her to be here--her memory added to mine--"How did you..? What was...? Did I... ?"
She was born in 1924--into a somewhat poor family--the 4th of 5 children. This is the only childhood picture I have of my mom. She is 3 here.--It would be another year before the youngest, Gladys, would make her appearance.


At 17.

My mother worked full time and lived with her mom, helping to pay the bills --and then married my dad when she was 29.












My mother and me--1957.

She was a great cook, a seamstress, an organized housekeeper--and worked full-time outside our home for most of my life. I rarely saw her messy--she wore stockings and a dress on picnics!

This is the closest to my age that I can find a picture--1971--my mom would have been 47--I am 48. I remember she was always so much older than most of my friend's moms--but she looked so young--and she was very smart.

also--this was the year my parents divorced.

This must have been late 1983--2 years before she died. She moved to Mississippi with us in 1981 and eventually lived with us for about 2 years.

She was a cheerful, positive woman--and a great help to me as a young mother. And a loving grandma, too.

Now that my children are just about all in adulthood--I have a greater appreciation for her encouragement. Was it hard for her to keep her opinions to herself? Did she wince as I fumbled along in my parenting, etc?

I've had 20 years without her and I want to tell anyone who reads this--to those who never knew her--I just want to say--The Lord blessed me with such a good mom--and I probably didn't tell her that often enough.

A New Year

Happy new year--

I have no fun pictures to post--my one resolution is to quit nickel and diming all my money away and save for a camera of my own--I think posts are a little more fun with pictures--unless you are a gifted writer like Sienna, Ashley, Sue or Suzanne, and others-
The reason for this post--and there is a reason--
I find it a little disappointing to click down my list of websites of the people I know and see no new entries, sometimes days in a row--Thank you Suzanne for your postings of the weekend!!SO in case anyone shares this deflated feeling I thought I should put SOMETHING--ANYTHING on mine today.

I brought down from the attic 2 large empty boxes for ornaments--that's about it--
I hope to start in earnest tomorrow to get going on the undecorating.