Friday, December 11, 2009

Green Light

The older I get the more stuff I do that reminds me of my mother. My mom was a very smart lady but she did some hilarious stuff, I'm not sure if it was just carelessness or because her mind was going a 100mph and it took her actions a while to catch up. We would laugh at her for hours during the holidays and she would say "you darn kids". Can anyone still hear her saying that? There was one Christmas when she made 2 turkeys the day before Christmas so she didn't have the mess to deal with on Christmas morning. She roasted those turkeys all day....
I have a story about how mom used to carve the holiday birds (shhhhh don't let out her secret) she put on her yellow rubber gloves and ripped those birds to pieces, she did this when no one was around, I think I was about 20 before I knew it. No knife needed when you have rubber protected hands..... Paula Deen is going to use this trick some day I just know it. Paula kinda reminds me of my mother... okay maybe it's just the silver hair that is the resemblance.

The turkeys were done but mom had to go to church so she put them outside on the front steps so they could cool. When she got home both roaster were laying on the ground with not a speck of meat or bone to be found. The neighbors dogs from probably 6 miles away smelled those birds and came over for supper. Oh mom tried to cover this blunder up so we wouldn't know but the story leaked out. Every time one of us got there with our families we got to hear it again, the more kids that came the more the story grew into a hilarious event and the more out of control we became. Poor mom was trying to find anything in her freezer or cupboards to feed us and remember we are a family of 13 and at that time most of us were married with kids so there was lots and lots of people to feed. We had fish and venison for Christmas dinner with turkey gravy, the boys would bid on the chunks of turkey meat that they could find in the gravy. We still tell this story to the grandchildren at Christmas time, they love to hear it over and over again and I'm sure the story is still growing.

I do have another Christmas story that we love to tell..... John doesn't like it so much but I won't get into the gory details. It was about 1991 and John had to work on Christmas Eve and for some reason the group went to the bar after, not a good idea. He came home very happy and ready to take the girls snowmobiling, he started to help them get their coats on and suddenly got warm and a little sick. I of course am steaming mad and in the kitchen, Lynn comes in and says "Dad needs a bucket" your dad can get his own bucket..... ummmmm pretty sure Johns legs had to much to drink. {insert gory details here} The kids and I went to his family Christmas without him :) Christmas morning he was still on the couch from the night before and was still not feeling very well. We have our Christmas morning and get ready to go to mom and dad's for dinner, John does manage to get himself showered and dressed. We get there and dad stands in the doorway to the house with a shot of booze. "Can't come in until you drink a shot" "Cheers" I say, slam it down, turn to John and say "you can pick us up later"...... poor guy he stood outside for awhile long time until he finally realized dad wasn't letting him in without drinking one. I think that's the only drink he had that day. Then my mother torments him even more by coming over that night to see our tree.... more drinks!!!

Okay so back to why I had a Mom Moment. I leave work on Thursday night, it's dark and I'm on a mission that does not include going straight home like my normal everyday route. I get up to the stop lights, look both ways, nothings coming so I drive through the intersection...... I don't realize I just ran a red light until I'm about a mile away..... crap!! I go through that intersection everyday why in the world did I just do that. It must be my mother letting me know I'm just like her. I'm not sure why I do this stuff either but I'm gonna go with my mind moving at 100mph and having a gazillion things to do.

5 comments:

Deb said...

There was never a dull moment when your Mom was around. Remember when we would all pack into Grandpa & Grandma's house on Christmas day?

jules said...

I have done that too!

I remember packing into Grandma Dodge's house and it was about 100 degrees in there with her little stove.

Photos by Julee said...

I remember the story of the turkeys and the neighbor dogs. Everytime I have put something out in the screen porch to cool, I thinnk of her. Wonderful Christmas memories.

Aunt Rita said...

I never commented on you before, but couldn't pass this one up. I had a flashback of Lea today!! We were at the VFW for brunch and one lady brought cookies. Guess what-Snickerdoodles!!! Yep, I saw her face when I lifted that cookie to my mouth for a bite. I miss her too, Connie . Merry Christmas to you and your family-keep you turkey in the house!!!

Lynn said...

I so remember that Christmas. I think Shannon and I got that "computer" and we kept sitting by Dad on the couch and making him play with us. Hahaha!

I don't have a lot of my own memories of Grandma Lea... but I do remember her playing the piano and we all had to sing a Christmas song before we could open presents!