My blog lost one of it's most faithful readers on March 15, 2017. My sweet Mamma went to heaven after a short battle with cancer.
Mother's Day weekend seemed like a good time to honor my Mamma. She was a great mother, and an excellent grandmother. I have so many memories of spending time with Mamma throughout my life.
When I was growing up, I would fly to Amarillo, and spend a week in the summer with Mamma in her hometown of Memphis, TX. I remember vividly going to her quilting club with her. Quilting club consisted of about 8-10 old women (with names like Louise, Johnnie, and Peggy) sitting around a quilt all day; quilting and chatting about all the goings-on of Memphis, TX. Thinking back, it seems funny to me that I enjoyed that activity, but I thoroughly did. We also played a lot of games, usually cards. Mamma was the ultimate game player. She was always up for a game of Rummy or Scrabble. My love for jigsaw puzzles comes from Mamma.
As I got older, the time we spent together changed a bit. Mamma's favorite place in the world was Colorado, but she didn't feel comfortable driving there by herself. When I was in college, I was headed to Colorado to visit my parents. I drove to Memphis, picked up Mamma and we headed north to the mountains. Our 'road trip" wasn't what you typically think of when you think of a college summer road trip, but we had a great time. There were a few reminders to "watch my speed," and we listened to "Blue Moon" on CD more than once. After Casey and I married, we took Mamma to Colorado a few more times. The most memorable time was when I was pregnant with Jane and Sydney, and we were planning to tell my parents when we got there. Mamma was so shocked that we kept it a secret the entire drive up there, but she was so excited to become a great-grandmother again. She loved my kids, and always kept up with their latest antics.
As she got older, things continued to change. Whenever she would come to town, Mom and I would plan a girl's day of shopping. I loved those days. We would spend an entire day, with a stop for lunch and possibly an afternoon coffee, just going from store to store. Even though Mamma started the day saying she didn't need anything, she always ended up with the most bags!
The holidays will always make me think of Mamma. When she arrived in town, it officially felt like Christmas had begun. I remember one afternoon during the holidays, we were over at Mom and Dad's house. Mamma was tired from travelling, and she went to lie down for a bit. After only a couple minutes, she reappeared in the den, and she said, "I just don't want to miss anything." She loved spending time with family.
I was lucky enough to have Mamma around for so long. She was 89 when she died. I was also fortunate enough to spend time with her the weekend before she passed away. I am so thankful for that last weekend that my family spent with her. Certain things will always make me think of her...the aforementioned puzzles, making her meatloaf recipe for Casey, and every trip to Colorado. My entire life has been sprinkled with memories of Mamma.
On this Mother's Day weekend, I will remember what a great mother she was to my Mom, but more than that, I will remember what a fantastic grandmother she was to me. We had some great times together.
