tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660453162125942814.post8246128376571166972..comments2023-12-25T04:15:27.739-06:00Comments on Gals - Very Smart Gals: One Hundred Things My Mother Taught Me A Million Times - Chapter 90Gals - Very Smart Galshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990972719050405870noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660453162125942814.post-56150272662501880932012-09-11T06:58:06.321-05:002012-09-11T06:58:06.321-05:00Thank you for helping me memorialize mom, niece Ja...Thank you for helping me memorialize mom, niece Jane, and in such a poetic and touching way. Gals - Very Smart Galshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16990972719050405870noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660453162125942814.post-27778093799165674352012-08-18T10:57:43.138-05:002012-08-18T10:57:43.138-05:00Mommy's money-in-the-shoes story is legendary ...Mommy's money-in-the-shoes story is legendary in our family. I remember seeing her, car stopped at an intersection, bend over and pull out a large bill. The funny thing is, she'd use a big bill to buy a coke--her favorite beverage when shopping.<br /><br />Anyway, she was frugal and I think her daughters (my aunts--although not you, Dear Blogger) weren't always happy with her spending behavior. But, her penny-pinching efforts were so very interesting, such as growing beautiful vines out of sweet potatoes, and using the vines to decorate her dining room built-in bookshelves. She also made drapes from old chenille bedspreads and other fabric. She tied them up and draped them over the windows much like interior designers do today! She collected menus and displayed them, along with large jars of sand (from beaches all over Europe and other destinations), and glassware from restaurants--much to the disdain and shock of her family. She could have had her own design show on HGTV or DIY--and focus on the tasteful aspects of re-purposing. <br /><br />If the Wade Sisters (note: I turned this into a proper noun)thought their mother extravagant, her grandchildren enjoyed this about Mommy. She was generous, so much so that she'd buy a lovely (and expensive) dress and save it for one of her daughters or granddaughters. She'd buy patterns and fabric and make school clothes for us--things we couldn't buy in the stores--that's still my preference; I want to wear what no one else is wearing. But, Mommy also taught us to have fun and enjoy life without money. I recall visits where, every night she'd read to us. What a gift was that! At the time, I enjoyed listening to her voice as she read about Veronica's struggle as a brunette. These days, I read to my students (yes, they are college age) and they love it! <br /><br />I loved that she was so involved in helping me develop a sense of style and the encouragement she gave me to be a strong woman. In fact, I felt like a princess in her presence, and, I'm sure I'm not the only Wade grandchild who had the same experience with Mommy. There is only one word to describe this memory of Mommy; it was PRICELESS. JaneJane (Hollinger) Mikonihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00297190591793119116noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660453162125942814.post-21414332437147600742012-08-15T08:16:53.207-05:002012-08-15T08:16:53.207-05:00It is an adorable little motor scooter on which yo...It is an adorable little motor scooter on which you and I would ride as we bar-hopped in Rome!Gals - Very Smart Galshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16990972719050405870noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660453162125942814.post-84130098443486097722012-08-14T14:56:06.986-05:002012-08-14T14:56:06.986-05:00What is a Vespa---your red neck county friend want...What is a Vespa---your red neck county friend wants to know? Linda SueAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com