Resourceful

My Mom always thought of others and how to make their life better. She was skilled at the little things.

The little kindnesses and courtesies are so important. In relationships, the little things are the big things.

Stephen Covey

When we lived in California and were able to go to Disneyland she would stand in the lines till it got near the front then we would get in line and she would go to the next ride and stand in line for us again, she did this all day. We could ride more rides this way. This was before Disney engineered the lines.

When I worked on fires and wanted to knit and needed help with a stitch I would call her and she would google or go to the knit store and learn how to do the stitch then help me learn the stitch over the phone. 

One year the Messiah sing in was at the Tabernacle with no assigned seats. I was going to sing after work but could only make it just before the concert started. Mom and Dad went early to get a good seat for me.

One of my favorite bands came to Utah and I learned of this the very day they were playing. Mom spent hours trying to find me a ticket to a show that had been sold out for months. It was one of the best concerts I've been too.

She came to stay with me when I lived in Cedar City. While I was working in the ambulance she waxed my piano and made it beautiful and shiny.

I hope that I am kind and thoughtful in the little important things like Mom.

Cooking

Momma didn't think she was a very good cook, I think her cooking was wonderful. Wish I could go home and sit at the table with her and have honey toast and grape juice. Out of every thing she made my most favorite is honey toast.

When we lived in California and were poor that's what what i had for lunch but i didn't like is so much then.

When she lived in the 21st Street apartment with me, sometimes she would make me a honey toast before i left for work, which was incredible because i left for work at 3:00 am. When she made me a honey toast she would take a bite out of it and wrap it in a paper towel (so the honey and butter didn't drip on my clothes). When I make myself honey toast I take a bite, wrap it up in a paper towel and imagine that my Momma made it for me.

Sunday Dinner

Roast, gravy, wheat and fruit jello (lots of banana's for Johnny).  I don't think she ever missed a Sunday. Coming home from church the house smells like roast, Mmmmm so good.

Other things

Once when i was driving from Montana to Ogden. Mom and dad were staying with Grandma Afton on Arco while Aunt Carol was on vacation. Mom told me to come by and she would cook me dinner. She cooked chicken enchiladas, they were incredible.

In the South Weber home on a visit, she made tacos with radishes. She found the recipe in a little recipe magazine. I don't remember what else was in it because I was surprised that the radishes made the tacos so tasty.

Tortillas

Making tortillas with mom was always fun. Having fresh tortillas- nothing better

My favorite story

When asked to tell a story about my Momma, my favorite to tell is this one.

I don't remember how I learned about the Stairway to Heaven in Hawaii but when we planned on going to Hawaii that was what I wanted to do most. Our first day there we drove right past it on the way to were we were staying. We drove over to the area where it is several times looking for the trail-head but were unsuccessful in finding a trail-head. We found out that the Stairway to Heaven was closed, but every-time we had drove past it there were people on the stairs. On our last day in Hawaii we decided to try and hike it anyway. The base of the trail is near a subdivision. We drove till we found an empty lot against the mountain and I would start there. The empty lot was fenced on all sides. I stood on an electrical box to jump over the first fence, climbed over the next, walked in the direction the stairs were and found a road (which was fenced), walked along the road till i came to another fence. Every fence that I encountered had signs saying that trespassers would be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. I was nervous and didn't want be arrested so I went back to the car. When I opened the door of the car Mom was scared and asked "What's wrong?" I said I was sorry that I scared her. She said she just didn't expect me back so soon and why was I back? I told her about all the fences and signs. Mom looked at me and said "They post those signs so that if you get hurt or die you cant sue them. Get out of the car and go climb the stairs." I got out of the car and climbed the Stairway to Heaven. To this day it is one of my proudest achievements. I couldn't have done it without the encouragement of my Momma. 

Momma thank you for always encouraging me to achieve my goals. Thank you for your unconditional love. Thank you for being my Mom.

When I think of her...

I think of my Grandma Cheney quite frequently. This blog- Carmen's posts here and posts and pictures on Facebook- have been so special to me. I love each of them so much and look forward to her sharing more. I have wanted to share some thoughts of my own for a while. The Spring time always brings strong memories of Grandma to my mind.

When I think of Grandma Cheney...
I think Grandma Bonnie...
I think of french braids- the ones she did in my hair, in BreAnne's, in Carmen's...
I think of watching The Music Man and Pete's Dragon and remember the touch of Grandma's hands in my hair while getting those braids while at the cabin at Duck Creek...
I'm reminded of the smell of melulueca oil...
Melulueca oil on Grandma's hands, on our sores or burns...
I think of road trips and visits, long talks and kind words...
I think of chocolate covered grapes!
I think of her beautiful white hair...
I think of her smile...
I think of her smile at family parties or anytime we were together with some or a lot of our family...
I think of Easter...
I think of her sweet voice...
How special that voice always made me feel- how loved...
I remember her being at all of my most special days- my wedding day...
And although she was gone before the birth of my first child, I've felt her during each pregnancy, after each one of the births of my 3 children...
I've never stopped feeling her love or presence in my life...
I feel she watches over me, over all of her family...
Her love still exists even though she's left this life here with us...
I see it in her children- in my aunts and uncles-
I remember her through them and am grateful for their shared memories of her...

Thank you Grandma, for all the love you gave and continue to give me. I love you and miss you dearly.

(Thank you Carmen, for sharing pictures of Grandma with me. I hope you don't mind my saving them for myself. I love them. Thank you for all the precious thoughts and feelings you've shared of your mom- your love for her, the loss you feel over her death. Such special feelings that I hold dear. Please share more soon! With Mother's Day just 1 week away, it seems most fitting.)

Cared about

Mom and I took many trips together. One year we went to Hawaii for three and a half weeks. Part of the trip we attended “A New You” and were able to stay at the dorms at BYU Hawaii the whole time. The Beach was only a few blocks away. Late one afternoon we were walking back from the beach and a couple guys asked me if I wanted to go snorkeling, I told mom I was going with them and left. We went snorkeling afterward they invited me to go sing karaoke at McDonald's. I ran back to the dorms, showered and ran to sing. Mom had gone to an evening class while I was gone, in class a couple ladies asked mom where I had gone. She told them I had gone snorkeling (at this time it was dark), the ladies told mom that it was dangerous and sharks come out at night. Now mom was very worried about me. She walked back to the room to see if I’d come back but I was out singing. She didn’t know where to look for me so she sat on a bench near the dorms hoping and praying that I would come back safe. After karaoke we went to the PCC to have leftover dinner (yummy). A few students and I were walking back to the dorms and I could see mom sitting on the bench. I could see that she had been worried about me, when she was sure that I was me and safe she walked into the dorms. After talking with the students under a street lamp for a bit I went into go to bed. She told me that she had been ok till the ladies said sharks come out at night, but that she was not way worried because my water bottle was in the room and she knew I had taken it snorkeling with me.

The Image of mom sitting on that bench waiting to see if I was ok will be with me forever. Although I was 24, it is the most wonderful thing to know that you mom cares about you so much to sit up late on a hard bench just to know that you are safe.

Thank you for always letting me know I was loved and cared about Momma

P.S. I did tell mom that sharks are always out day and night

Baby Gleed

Today May 11th is Baby Gleeds birthday. Every year my mom told me “today is Baby’s birthday”. She was not a baby my mom had; she was the first baby that Grandma Carmen and Grandpa Merlin had. The cord was wrapped around her neck and she was unable to be born. The Dr pulled and tore her out of Grandma. Grandma required over 200 stitches and almost died. She was sent to St Marks hospital in Salt Lake City Utah where a nun nursed her back to life by spoon feeding her broth slowly throughout the day. To help distract her from the pain Grandma would listen to the radio. She had a favorite person to listen too (I think it was Dorothy Thompson but I don’t remember). It took several months before she could go home and they were unsure if she would be able to have children. Lucky for all of us she was able. The impact was big enough that every year my mom remembered Baby’s (her older sister) birthday.

Happy birthday Baby

Valentines memories

I was my Mom’s Valentine every year. One year all I got was a pink post-it note that said “I love you”. When I was young I got a heart shaped cookie the size of a cookie sheet with my name spelled out with chocolate chips. I remember many valentines’ gifts from her; a whole pan of rice crispy treats, a red car scrubber, a handful of See’s chocolate suckers. She never missed a year. Of course the were mostly delivered with a knock at the door and a wonderful surprise when you opened it.