Happy Birthday, Mom!

This is my lovely mother, whose birthday is today. Mom taught me the art of homemaking. She managed a household budget on a modest income. She shopped wisely and sewed many of our clothes when I was really young. Mom learned the art of decoupage and furniture refinishing. At about the same age I am now, she took up crochet. I remember her projects -- huge, colorful quilts. She has a green thumb, and her gardens are still beautiful and lush, with unique objects providing visual accents to the flora. My childhood home was decorated for holidays such as Easter, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. She taught me to cook and allowed chaos in the kitchen. She taught me to iron. I remember messing up once only, with a red polyester turtleneck (mine); the iron was too hot, and I melted it. Now I never iron (call me lazy), but at least I know how. Wherever I've lived (and I've moved many times and lived in some tiny spaces), the space became home, because I couldn't not make it homey. That's my mother's influence.

In recent years I've unleashed creativity in a different way, using collage and photography. Now knitting has entered my life and grabbed me by the lapels. For years and year that generative energy was spent working my way through two college degrees and other professional endeavors. Now that this has abated, there's a whole new realm. I give my mother credit for starting me on this path -- the journey of loving home.

Mom, I do love you so. I hope your birthday brings you joy -- it does for me!