It's just a bucket...

When my mother passed away, my dad was able to sell their house, and nearly all of their belongings were packed up in a big crate, and stored away. The Lakeshore Ward Relief Society ladies came and helped pack things up, after we'd taken some of the things we wanted or that couldn't be packed. One of the things that came to my house was Mom's flour bucket. It was a clear, restaurant quality, 16 quart bucket with a tight lid - she may have had one for sugar too, but I don't know what happened to that one. It had been stored in her hall closet, so whenever she baked, which was often, out came the bucket. I'm sure a time or two she sent a grandchild to the hall closet, around the corner from the kitchen, to fetch flour for a recipe.

One habit, or practice, of my mother's that I have tried to carry on, is bread baking. She used her Grandma Bloomer's recipe - but adapted it to use powdered milk, from food storage. This is the same recipe that I use today.

Grandma Bloomer - is my Great Grandma Bloomer. My grandfather's father, Frank Arthur Mauzy White, was killed in the War (in 1918, I think..) , shortly before my grandfather, Frank Arthur White, was born. His mother was left with him as a baby, and eventually she married George Bloomer, who raised my grandfather as his own. So, my mom had her Bloomer grandparents, and she got the bread recipe from Grandma Bloomer - I am also glad that I have this recipe written in my mother's handwriting...

Anyway.. back to the bucket... I have kept it on my shelf, full of flour, or empty of flour if I've baked alot. The other week I found myself with an empty bucket, needing to go to the store for more, when I figured I should wash it out. It was getting a little grubby on the outside... after, yes, nearly 5 years of not being washed. I don't recall ever washing it since it has been here, I'm sad to say ( but flour doesn't leave stuff that dirty...you know? ) So it made me think that there were possibly some of my mom's fingerprints that I was washing from the outside of the bucket...and it got me thinking about her. I'm grateful for the little remembrances I have of her around my house, there are plenty... I'm thankful for the skills she taught me, and the recipes she left - I made her rice pudding recipe this afternoon. I hope that I am teaching my children good practices, and habits, and skills... sometimes it feels like I'm banging my head against the wall... but I know that she is cheering me on... but I still miss her.

Happy Mother's Day!

It's hard to find the words to say how much I miss my mom.

She left us far too early.

I'm sure that I didn't tell her often enough how very

thankful I was to her.

But, because she was a Mother, she knew.

Here she is, age five, with her favorite flowers - Peonies.

I don't know where this picture is, probably Illinois,

where she grew up. We also had them at our

house in Magna, UT, other places the climate wouldn't

support them. But she loved them.

Mom with her parents Frank and Jessie White, and her brother Larry.

I don't know if this one above is before my parents married?

I believe so, though.

February 1969 - I was age 2 - my parents had been married

not quite 5 years, with 3 kids 3 and under. I don't know how she did it!

Somewhere along the road, my mom started wearing flowers

in her hair. She had a little drawer with all different colors

of silk flowers, and an abundance of bobby pins to put them

in her hair. Mom & Dad came to visit us in Oregon - we moved there

shortly after Brennan was born. I know it was tough for

them for us to be away - but we made some great memories when

they came to visit. Mom's parents left Arizona in April every

year, and went to Canby Oregon with their trailer, and parked

it on the land of some friends. We went to visit them

this particular summer , and stopped at a roadside market

for fruits and Vegetables, and to see goats that climb in the trees!

I could go on and on with stories about my mom. She was

a wonderful woman, who loved Jesus Christ and wanted to

share her testimony with anyone she met. She loved her children

and grandchildren, and read to them whenever she could. She also loved her

heritage - she loved to do family history, and was thrilled to go to

the Netherlands - place of her mother's birth, in 2004.

A year or so ago, I ran into some friends of my parents at a

bookstore, and Elaine said that I reminded her of my mom.

That was one of the greatest compliments I ever received.

I miss her so.

Whew!

Made it through another week. (Guess it's been more than one since I blogged last.)

There were no knock-down drag-out fights between my children while I was gone to work. (thankfully).

I don't want to quit my job - I enjoy the extra income, and the interaction with adults. But.. if the kids can't get it together... I think they did fairly well, but it's not good when a child hangs up the phone on her parent... sheesh. We'll get there.

On a brighter note, I want to challenge you to do something, my loyal readers (hee, hee).

This last week we went to my nephew's first birthday party. It's a family tradition of ours to let the 1 year old have his own piece of cake and let him dig into it! Jessica also had her hair cut to donate to locks of love - it looks really cute!!

Anyway, I pulled her close to me while we were at the party, and had my hubby take a picture of us! She tried to squirm away.. silly girl! Some of you may know how temperamental 11 year olds are. Anyway, I told her that I would give anything to have a more recent picture with my mom! Or even more when I was younger - there aren't many.

So, my challenge to you is to get a picture of you and your mom! You don't have to post it to your blog - but if you live in the same vicinity as your mom, get a picture taken of the two of you!

I used to think that I didn't look much like my mom, but I guess more and more I do..