Mum really did know best

It took me such a long time to accept and come to terms with the fact my mother had died in 1999, even to the extent I couldn’t say she had died. She collapsed and died of a major stroke. For so long, I only referred to it as, her accident. She was my anchor and my inspiration.

I too remember draping washing over lavender shrubs when we lived in Provence. Always with pillowslips especially and the scent of lavender in the bedroom was divine.

My Mum used to dry lavender and put little bunches of it in her chest of drawers and wardrobe, oh and the airing cupboard. When I had to clear her house all her knitting wool was bagged up into colours and weights and each bag had lavender in it. it smells wonderful as you open the bags.

I passed on some lovely fleece throws to my niece and she cried and cried and said “these just feel like Nanny is still with me.”

This is a lovely thread, and it's nice reading all these wonderful memories people have of their mums. I wish all mums were like that...

I was one of those mums who did every thing your Mums did.
I had my Sainsburys delivery today and spent a lot of time with knives and scissors and effort getting into plastic trays. When a young Mum everything was in paper bags. Even eggs and you didn’t have to buy six.

I love the idea of draping clothes to dry over lavender bushes I'm going to give it a try

Mum used to welcome all my friends round and on Friday evenings ,when we were about 14 ,she would make us chips in cones of grease proof paper,and we’d all sit around and chat.We loved it and so did she….plus the fact that she knew where we were!

My mum’s last years were characterised by her disappearance into alcoholism and Alzheimer’s, sadly, and she didn’t have much time for her children before that. However, I knew she loved me and that’s what counts.

Such a lovely thread , I had a difficult relationship with my mother during my teens and early twenties as she was controlling . I loved her and she loved me and I hold onto the lovely memories of childhood . Birthday parties with all the children on the street . Special packed lunches on school trips . Up before us with breakfast before school and always home on our return with a snack . Cake baking , shelling peas , tea in the garden . She was a good Mum who tried her best and I wish I hadnt been such a horrible teenager . She died when I was 39 , broke my heart ❤

This is a wonderful thread but it made me cry yesterday and I'm crying again today. I've been feeling a bit blue lately ... I know I have no reason so haven't spoken to anyone about it ... but at the age of 74 I am embarrassed to say that I really wish I could spend a little time with my lovely mum

DanniRae

This is a wonderful thread but it made me cry yesterday and I'm crying again today. I've been feeling a bit blue lately ... I know I have no reason so haven't spoken to anyone about it ... but at the age of 74 I am embarrassed to say that I really wish I could spend a little time with my lovely mum

I think it’s perfectly normal DanniRae. ❤️ My Mum was nearly 97 when she died but was still asking for HER Mum days before she passed. Prior to Covid I started writing down little memories Mum had of her home, her siblings, her parents, her school friends etc.

Even though she had Alzheimers and couldn’t tell you what she had for breakfast, she could name everybody, including all the neighbours and pets. I typed it up for her and we used to read through it most days. In her final days a member of staff told me that folder was worth it’s weight in gold because when Mum was upset or anxious they would read it to her and she would smile and calm down.

Memories are very powerful things and for many of us our childhoods were the best so it’s only natural to return to them.

Tears all round I think Primrose53; lovely memories. Your last comment about your aunt cleaning reminded me of my mum telling me ‘the dust will be there when you’re gone’ to encourage me to enjoy things and not worry about the house.

Lilyflower

My mum’s last years were characterised by her disappearance into alcoholism and Alzheimer’s, sadly, and she didn’t have much time for her children before that. However, I knew she loved me and that’s what counts.

Quite right and it does count! If you are loved you know it! Unlike today when everybody hugs and kisses, my parents were never like that but we knew we were greatly loved. I think most parents back then were the same, at least that’s what my friends tell me.

Thank you Primrose for your kind words x

I never had a close emotional bond with my parents and in many ways my grandmother took a mothers' role in my life. It was she who encouraged me to aspire for better things in life and to qualify in a profession.

One of the things she taught me was make lists of things I wanted to accomplish for that day, and I still follow her advice. Another was to finish one task before you move onto the next. If Im working on one task I actually push anything relating to the next item on the list out of sight. I call it "file the pile".

If its an ongoing job, always leave it in a state where you (or someone else) can conveniently pick it up next time.

My grandmother had never heard of the term "multi tasking" and would have given it short shrift if she had. She was a very wise woman and her advice on this topic still holds good for me. I hate having to break off one thing in order to attend to another.

biglouis

I never had a close emotional bond with my parents and in many ways my grandmother took a mothers' role in my life. It was she who encouraged me to aspire for better things in life and to qualify in a profession.

One of the things she taught me was make lists of things I wanted to accomplish for that day, and I still follow her advice. Another was to finish one task before you move onto the next. If Im working on one task I actually push anything relating to the next item on the list out of sight. I call it "file the pile".

If its an ongoing job, always leave it in a state where you (or someone else) can conveniently pick it up next time.

My grandmother had never heard of the term "multi tasking" and would have given it short shrift if she had. She was a very wise woman and her advice on this topic still holds good for me. I hate having to break off one thing in order to attend to another.

Crikey, that’s me through and through! I hate breaking off jobs. I can’t even bear to have more than one book on the go or more than one crochet or knitting project.

So lovely. There’s a book somewhere here. Anybody with literary skills, editing mind and publishing nouse out there? What a volume it would make; a guaranteed bestseller. AND enthusiastic contributors. To be released in time for Christmas gift buying market. I am serious!

When we went on our summer holiday you used to hear the clack clack of my mum's knitting needles the whole fortnight going ninety to the dozen knitting our school jumpers and cardigans for the new school year ahead. She sat on her deckchair in the sun as we happily played around her with our homemade kites and water pistols.
I remember her cake baking and we used to stand round her waiting on the spoon or even better the bowl to lick clean.
The bowl haircuts, the teeth wobbling so the tooth fairy would come, patching the knees of our trousers, all wonderful memories of my mum ♥️