“A mother is your first friend, your best friend, your forever friend.” – Unknown
Today is my mother’s birthday. She’s been gone on up to heaven for a few years now, but I still miss her. I’m thnking that will be always. Mom did live a full life. She married at age 19 and she and Dad almost made it to 50 years together before he passed away. Mom was a farm wife. She worked out in the fields with Dad. She bottlefed calves and sometimes lambs. She grew a big garden and canned and froze for the winter. When she and Dad first married they lived in an old farmhouse that was heated by a small fireplace. She said that in the winter they would come down from the upstairs where they slept and the teakettle would be frozen solid. I’m sure she was glad to get the wood cookstove going to get breakfast on those days, but just think how long it took for her tea water to boil. Mom rarely complained. She just did what had to be done. She taught her three daughters to be independent girls and how to take care of ourselves. She was the best.
“Happiness is seeing your mother smile.” – Unknown
Mom did like to smile. She liked to have a good time. After Dad died, she went on a lot of trips to places all over – England, Hawaii, Alaska, Austria, Ireland, and others that I can’t remember. She made friends with ease and was a good friend. She loved to play cards with her friends and with her sisters. When it came to flowers, she had a green thumb. She made the best chocolate pie and crackerjacks and chocolate candy. She popped corn from her garden and made peanut brittle from peanuts she and Dad grew in that garden too. So many good memories of times with Mom. She loved her grandbabies without measure and they loved her.
“Home is where your mom is.” – Unknown
She told me stories about growing up during the Great Depression years. Those stories inspired my book Angel Sister. I modeled my character, Kate, after my mom. Strong, sensible, take charge and make things work out. The story is fiction but the echoes of Mom’s story sound all through the background of the book. She was proud of my writing and treasured the books I signed for her. But she was just as proud of my sisters and what they were doing.
“No matter your age, you will always need your mom.” – Unknown
So, since this is her birthday, I’m sharing a picture of her for the Caption Game this week.
You all came up with great captions for my picture of Sumo and Finn. They are my daughter’s and son-in-law’s pets. Sumo has already crossed over the rainbow bridge, but he had a great life with them. You can read more about him on this post, Sumo the Wonder Dog, I did when he passed on. He was one amazing little crippled dachshund.
And some of you got his personality down pat. He did like cats, but he wasn’t too crazy about sharing his dog bed. I loved Carol’s caption saying that if they sat real still that they could convince their owners that a ghost broke the lamp. That was especially funny since my daughter has often joked about their old house being haunted and not long ago, the dog they have now suddenly had to be almost dragged into their house after being a house dog all his life. He seemed scared silly of something. But he got over it, so all is well. Finn the cat is a stray that found a place in my daughter’s house and now lives the life of a king but still longs for the wide outdoors even though in the past he has had some misadventures out there. While Sumo looks a little upset in this picture, I think Ola had the right idea when she has him asking if we’ve met his best friend. So thanks for all the great captions.
Now you can come up with new captions for the picture of Mom on one of her trips. I know she’d be laughing to hear them too. Remember, a caption comment on a new picture gets you another entry in the drawing to win one of my books. I’ll pick three winners and the deadline to enter is midnight EST March 26, 2022. You need to be at least 18 years old to enter.
So what caption would you give the picture of my mom and that really big dog?
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Comments 16
Just say cheese!
Author
Amy, your comment made me giggle. That is thinking outside the box, I think, but a very apt caption for a dog.
Lucy, dogs can be our best friend forever. Mom was never much of a dog person. Maybe she was just too busy as a farm wife to take on mothering a dog. She left that up to me. She did enjoy the times I brought my grand dogs along when I was sitting with her during her last illness. They were little dogs that were fun to have around.
Ola, Mom would have been ready to do some more exploring to see where she could find some more fun.
Ann, I love your caption. So funny.
Connie, Mom probably didn’t have any of those dog biscuits in her pocket, but I have to admit I have two in my pocket right now. You never know when you might need a dog biscuit. LOL. Do you remember Mel Gibson eating them in Lethal Weapon?
Author
You all amaze me with all your great captions. I’m slow responding to them because I’m working hard to get some words written on my book in progress. And then I had a houseful of company all weekend. That was fun. Love family visits. Life is too short to not take time for family. I’m glad I always took time to see Mom and that she always made time for us girls.
Suzanne – you have a very polite dog wanting to be in the picture. He definitely got that wish.
Hope, you on the other hand has him photo-bombing. I love that. Mom did know how to have fun and joy in most situations. She had some difficult times too, but if she was able to tell me know, she’d say there were way more good times than bad ones. She was a happy person.
Paula, he definitely could have been a dancing dog. He looks ready to take over the party.
Lee, not sure Mom would have wanted the dog to follow her home, but for sure, I would have been ready to adopt any dog that came along. 🙂 The same as you, Mom was my best friend, and it is hard not to have her to talk to and know that no matter what she would be supporting me.
Marji, that, a conga line, sounds just like something Mom would be ready to do, if her arthritis wasn’t acting up.
Emily, Mom was the best at making new friends. Thinking about that makes me smile.
I thought of a couple but it is hard because your mother has the bestest, brightest, and happiest smile I have seen in a long time. She looks like she could cause and give a good belly roll, I got tears in my eyes kind of laugh. So my captions are: “Scooby-Doo Ain’t Got Nothing on Us Ma!”, “I’ll Rub Your Belly If You Rub Mine Ma!”, and “My Husband Trying To Make Me Forget Why He Was In The Dog House!”
Author
Karen, Mom did have the best smile and whoever took this picture caught it all. Just seeing her smile like that in the picture makes me smile and remember what a great mom she was.
Love your captions. I think the one of yours I like best is the last one about the husband tring to get out of the dog house. That shows some imagination.
Hey lady, would you happen to have a dog biscuit in your purse?
Pardon me, do you have any Grey Poupon?
Let’s go see what’s over there!
Best friends forever?
I hate to interrupt you, but could you direct me to the nearest fire hydrant?
I’m so happy I made a new friend!
“The day I was photo bombed by a talking dog”
Your mom seems like a special lady who loved her family and found joy in whatever she did. 🙂
You lead and we’ll get a conga line going!
“Look what followed me home! I’m gonna keep him.” My mother went to Heaven over twenty years ago and I still find myself wanting her advice. She was my best friend. It sounds like your mother was a fun lady.
May I have this dance, lovely lady???
“Excuse me, m’am. May I be in your photo too?”