Mom's birthday would have been today, 06/21/2011. She would have been 89 years old. I'm just missing her so badly today. Mom had a sweet tooth and would have loved a piece of cake and some ice cream. She would have especially enjoyed the company, and I can't do that for her anymore. Mom baked a cake or cookies every week while we were growing up. Her pies were so tasty, and I've never been able to make one as good. By the time I wanted to ask her how to make decent crust, she couldn't remember. When I was a teenager, I didn't want to be in the kitchen, and now I wish I knew how to make a good vegetable soup or potato leek soup the way Mom did. She also knew how to cook pig's feet and sauerkraut, and I have to laugh when I think about how my kids would have turned their noses up at that! After church on Sundays, Mom would make fried chicken, the very best I have ever had. She went all out on holidays, turkey with all the trimmings, the good china. We always ate dinner together, healthy food with portion sizes that were adequate. Nothing was super sized and neither were we. What a difference from the world we live in now. Yeah, I miss my mom and all that she could have taught me had I just asked.
Mom remembered that as a young person she had two favorite songs. One was Stardust and one was Deep Purple. I know Mom liked Tommy Dorsey, but I downloaded the Nat King Cole version. Here are the lyrics.
And now the purple dusk of twilight time
Steals across the meadows of my heart
High up in the sky the little stars climb
Always reminding me that we are apart.
You wandered down the lane and far away
leaving me a song that will not die
love is now the stardust of yesterday
the music of years gone by.
That is the first verse. I will read the entire song at Mom's burial.
Oh Betsy, I remember that pink suit with the row of covered buttons that you had for Easter. I just loved it! I did not remember that Mom made it or that she was still sewing for us. I remember the costurme she made for you also for the Pirates of Penzance. Mom also made me a dress for my 6th grade graduation party. She was quite a seamstress.
