Happy Mother's Day!

Its that time of year again. I had a lovely day spent with family celebrating my mum who is a fantastic woman. She is 81 years old and active and curious and busy and I can only wish to be as great at that age as she is.

 One thing she did do was bring me and my 3 siblings up to appreciate her on mother's day but not to get seduced into buying her presents as she felt it was unnecessary and commercial. If we wanted to give her something it had to be something we had made. I can distinctly recall one year, when I was about 12, making her a lavender bag which involved pink satin ribbons being woven together and stitched carefully to hold it together. It took me weeks at Girl's Brigade to complete and I was so proud of how it looked. Two days before Mother's Day my friend was visiting and I got it out to show her what I had made. Disaster happened and I spilled my hot chocolatey drink all over it! I was devastated!

I decided then and there I would fix it so proceeded to remove the lavender and dry it out, unpick the ribbons (I'm still not sure why I did that!), wash it, dry it and iron it before stitching it back together - all without my mother seeing. I managed to do it and have it ready to give her on Mother's Day - albeit with slightly wrinkling satin ribbon that I couldn't smooth out properly with iron. As a mother now I think back to that little girl doing that for her mother and staying in her room sewing as fast as she could to have it ready to give. I see all the love that went into that simple lavender bag. I will have to ask mum if she still has it!

My own children have been taught the same as I was - no money spent on me on Mother's Day. Just hugs and appreciation, kind acts and if you want to give something it should be made with love by you. I've trained them well. This year hugs and appreciation were in abundance and that made my day.

These gorgeous roses in the picture are from my mum's garden. I picked them while we were at her house - with her blessing - and brought them home as a reminder of my lovely mum. They go perfectly in the vase I bought for a couple of dollars at a church fete a few months ago. I have never used it and it has been waiting patiently in my cupboard for the perfect bunch of flowers. 

I hope all of you mothers out there have a wonderful day being celebrated in whatever way your family choses to do so. Remember - it is mothers who gave birth to every person on the planet and mothers that make the world go round!