What I remember most about my mother were her big beautiful smiling brown eyes. From the time she got up in the morning cooking a breakfast for ten, getting my Dad off to work, children off to school until she put the last one to bed she smiled through those big beautiful eyes. I often thought they wrote the song "Beautiful, Beautiful Brown Eyes" for her'
For a span of twenty five years she sent children off to school. She also spent twenty five years overseeing home work and teaching other important life's lessons. We learned through her clever games. A spelling game she called "I Spy" let each us of pick out an object in the room giving clues until the correct answer. The person answering correctly also had to spell the word. For art and creativity she would place an object in the middle of our long dining room table, give each a pencil, some crayons, and a piece of blank newsprint paper. Our reward was a big big beautiful hand drawn star on our paper. For toys and things we didn't have we made. We learned the word improvise at an early age.
We did not have the conveniences of today. TV hand not been invented. But ah, that old cathedral shaped-radio was total joy. It was a treat to listen to the "Lone Ranger" and "Inter sanctum" with the squeaking door. Along with board games and the radio we were quite entertained. My Mother loved music and we had enough for a choir so we sang. We sang mostly as we performed the duty of clearing the dinner table, washing, drying and putting them away. Two people we assigned to each part of the task. My baby sister was assigned to put away the spoons.She was just a little hank of dark curly hair and big shiny brown eyes.
We learned the importance of plans and routines working as a team to maintain a clean well kept home and yard. It was mother and girls inside and Dad and boys with outside chores. Monday was wash day. We all help make beds with clean linens first thing in the morning so mother could scrub clothes all day and hang out to dry.Tuesday was iron day. We were all taught how to iron even the boys.We all learned to cook boys included.
Thursday was dusting day. Since I was tagged for dusting I lingered a little bit when I was walking home from school. Friday night was going to downtown and people watching-even a treat of penny candy from the Five and Dime candy counter. Saturday was yard work day- painting and repairing. Ah, but Sunday, light chores and a bug Sunday dinner at home or sometimes Sunday picnic on the church grounds.
As I look at my Mother's old button jar I the most beautiful time we had was an evening meal together. My mother was tagged as the best cook around. We were each encouraged to share our days happenings.We shared a safe haven together. We were taught: "A house is built with boards and beams, but a home is built with love and dreams". Our father provided his love and discipline and life's essentials but I will always remember my mother was my first teacher and yes, those great big brown smiling eyes.
