My mother did not believe in running out of things. After she died it took us three months to use up her stock of loo paper. Her mammoth roll of cling-film lasted me a year. It was twenty-two months before I needed to buy more ginger conserve ("Because they stopped making it one time, darling, don't you remember? We had terrible trouble finding it again.").
Silver foil, light bulbs, batteries.... I finished them all, one by one. And just this last week I blew my nose on the very last multi-coloured tissue in the very last box I unearthed from her airing cupboard (no, I never worked out why they were kept there either).
Rest in peace, Mum. Hope they've got a decent supermarket up there.
Hellibores moved from my mother's shade garden to mine when I sold her bungalow.
Rosemary Coulson: 4th June 1930 - 30th September 2005
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Rosemary Coulson: 4th June 1930 - 30th September 2005
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12 comments:
Wishing you happy memories on this sad anniversary.
Lorraine
Hugs, Jan.
And sorry about Saturday - we had intended to go to Ipswich but the weather was good enough for Bury... and I was going to call, but then thought you'd probably be busy on a Saturday. Next time I'll be more organised, plan in advance, and will arrive with cake :o)
Never too busy for you, Kate! Thanks for the hugs.
Thanks, Lori - there are lots of good memories.
Your mother sounds like she was such a character.
Sending you cyber hugs.
Debsx
Thanks, Debs. And yes, I haven't even mentioned the brandy or the Christmas puddings (who on earth thinks they're likely to run out of Christmas puddings, for goodness sake???) or the Salt 'n' Shake crisps or the ........
You could always save the last tissue. The items will diminish but the memories will remain.
CJ xx
Beautiful thought, CJ. Thank you.
I'm still using my mother's tea towels, and of course I have all her cotton reels and mending wool, and hoards of different buttons saved in carefully marked cigarette tins, though she didn't smoke. She was a lot tidier than her daughter.
I once wrote an article about my mother's thriftiness and loads of people responded, saying their mother or they themselves were just like her!
Do you think the thriftiness is to do with the war generation? - they grew up in times of hardship, so...? I definitely noticed it with DH's late stepdad - though my own dad is a terrible gadget fiend and is definitely NOT thrifty, so maybe that theory doesn't quite hold water :o)
I'm sure that was a big part of it, Kate. It also possibly contributed to the fear-of-running-out. And it would have helped if she'd been able to resist 'bargains'.
And yes, Susie, I'm still using her tea-towels and have added her box of part-used cotton reels to my own. And those of my late next-door neighbour. And an elderly aunt.
Oh, all right, it's in the genes.
Definitely in the genes...
In physics class...
Nissa: Lizzie, I don't suppose you have a pair of scissors?
Lizzie; *rummage* *pulls out* there you go.
Julia: You know, I think you have everything in that bag...
Nissa; *Hopefully* even a holepunch?
Lizzie: *produces*
Julia: Oh come on!
That's my girl!
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