About Me

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Delta, British Columbia, Canada
I took very early retirement from teaching in '06 and did some traveling in Europe and the UK before settling down to do some private tutoring. As a voracious reader, I have many books waiting in line for me to read. Tell me I shouldn't read something, and I will. I'm a happy, optimistic person and I love to travel and through that believe that life can be a continuous learning experience. I'm looking forward to traveling more some day. I enjoy walking, cycling, water aerobics & and sports like tennis, volleyball, and fastpitch/baseball. I'm just getting into photography as a hobby and I'm enjoying learning all the bits and bobs of my digital camera. My family is everything to me and I'm delighted to be the mother of two girls and the Gramma of a boy and a girl. I may be a Gramma, but I'm at heart just a girl who wants to have fun.

Friday, May 09, 2008

Saturday Photo Hunt - Post Any Photo

Since Mother's Day is tomorrow, I am going to post some photos of my mother who passed away May 22, 2002. Mom and I were very close and I remember her telling me that one day she had asked my Dad which of their three daughters was most like her. Without hesitation, my Dad told her that I was. And it's true. My mother once told me the story of when she was in elementary school and the teacher asked all the students what they wanted to be when they grew up. Everyone else said they wanted to be a doctor, teacher, fireman, policeman, businessman, nurse, secretary, etc. so Mom was terribly embarrassed when she said she wanted to be a wife and mother. Turns out that was really my calling, too. The wife part didn't work out the way I wanted it to, but my Dad once told me (and by the way, he was very stingy with compliments) that I was a good mother. Mom suffered terribly from rheumatoid arthritis from her early 30s and later, from Alzheimers which ultimately took her from us. After my mother had been gone for about two years, one of my sisters and I were visiting and remembering Mom. Somehow it came up that one day when Mom was in the hospital and my sister was visiting with her, Mom (thinking my sister was me and calling her by my name) said to her, "I always loved you most, Leslie." When my sister told me that, I could have cried - for two reasons, as you might imagine. And the night before Mom took the turn towards her final journey, we were together and I saw her smiling and nodding at what I believe were her family gone before her, gathering around waiting for her to join them. I'd like you to meet my mother, a good woman who didn't get the life she deserved.

This is just before Mom and Dad got married in January 1942.


Here they are on their wedding day, February 15, 1942.



When we were kids, we always went camping. This is around the mid-50s.

Here's my mother helping me put on my veil on my wedding day, June 23, 1973.


Once we were all grown up, Mom and Dad travelled a lot. This is one of their first trips to Spain in the late 70s. Because they went back many times, Mom even learned Spanish on her own.

By the time my daughter got married in 1999, Mom was in the full throes of Alzheimers. When Jamie walked down the aisle, I overheard my mother say, "Who is that?"



This is the photo we had at Mom's memorial service in May, 2002. It was taken on Christmas Eve of 2001 when I had her and my sisters for luncheon. She seemed so bright and happy that day, knew us all, and enjoyed the day immensely.



I love you Mom and I'm glad you and Dad are finally reunited.

41 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wonderful photos and great journaling. :)

Napaboaniya.Elaine Ling said...

That's a very sweet Mother's Day tribute you've done of your wonderful mom :)
Have a good weekend!

jmb said...

Nice to see your mother in happier days. I'm sure you still miss her. Happy Mother's Day.

Anonymous said...

What a sweet, sweet post!

Juliana said...

wow...wonderful post for your parents. happy mother's day

Mine in here Thanks

Anonymous said...

awesome post your your mother and father. happy Mother's day.

Will you visit mine Thanks

Paulie said...

I don't do photo hunters any longer but just dropped by to see if you had something up and enjoyed reading your memorial to your Mom. Come see my surprise this week. . .

Anonymous said...

Wow nice pictures and the good thing is we are same date of marriage June 23....happy hunting...

Claudia said...

Leslie: I really see you in your mother,s face on her wedding day! I lost my mom Jan. 2007 and miss her every day.

Paulie said...

Forgot to wish you a Happy Mother's day also. (Yes, I am mom to three grown kids and grandma to 4.)

Anonymous said...

That's a great tribute to your mom. Thanks for sharing. Happy Mother's Day to you.

eastcoastlife said...

She looked so happy on her wedding day. A great tribute to your Mom. My Mom has Alzheimer's Disease too.

Happy Mother's Day.

Leslie: said...

Thanks everyone, for your kind comments.

Claudia - I think I look the most like her of all 3 of us girls. And I often see her looking back at me in the mirror lately. lol :D

eastcoastlife - I'm so sorry you're going through that with your mother, also. It's a wicked nasty disease.

Anonymous said...

A sweet and thoughtful photo hunt. Thank you for sharing.

Carin said...

Wow what a handsome couple on their wedding day!

Great attribute to your mum for mother's day! Very touching.

Anonymous said...

This is very sweet. Everyone looks so happy in the pictures. Happy Mother's Day!

Hootin Anni said...

BEAUTIFUL!!!!!

For my photo hunt, my sweet cheeks and I are celebrating our 40 year wedding anniversary. Stop by for a piece of our wedding cake.

Happy weekend.

Carver said...

That's a beautiful tribute to your Mom and great family photographs.

Susan Demeter said...

Beautiful photos, and yes I can absolutely relate to this wonderful post :) (((hugs)))

Happy Mother's Day!

Randi said...

Wonderful photos and thanks for sharing!

Sarge Charlie said...

I am sure more young ladies wanted to wife and mom, just would not admit it. This was a wonderful trip through your life, happy mothers day.

Liz Hinds said...

Sweet memories and a lovely tribute. Have a good weekend, leslie!

Michele said...

Oh Leslie, that was a fantastic tribute for your mother. She must be so very proud of you and your families today...
Very nice post!
~Michele~

SabineM said...

oh how wonderful and special. Brought tears to my eyes when reading your post
Happy Mothers day!@ LOVED the photos

Sandy said...

Thanks for a glimpse into your life.

Katney said...

A bitterseet post--mostly seet, though. I miss my mother terribly, too, and don't think I can make a Mother's Day post.

Daryl said...

What a lovely tribute ... (((Leslie)))

:-Daryl

Jo said...

Leslie, your mother was adorable. I can see a resemblance to you. You're not like your Dad at all, but just like your Mom, even in personality.

Happy Mother's Day!

Barbara said...

A very moving post, thanks for sharing, I can see you are like your mum.

PowersTwinB said...

aw sweetie, your post brought tears to my eyes...as mine did to yours. We also lost mom to that incidious disease of Alzhiemers!...Gosh, I am missing her so very much tonight, on the eve of the first Mothers Day with out her....Thanks for visiting my hunt today

Anonymous said...

What a wonderful tribute to your mother. I love all the photos! A very happy mother's day to you!

Anonymous said...

What a wonderful tribute to your mother. I love all the photos! A very happy mother's day to you!

meggie said...

Lovely lovely tribute Leslie. xx

Natalie said...

That's a very sweet tribute!

Unknown said...

Wonderful post for your parents and lovely photos Leslie!

Ruth L.~ said...

This was a fascinating pictorial to see, Leslie. thank you for sharing your family. It's a bittersweet journey to see the beginning and the end within minutes of each other, but in real life I can see how special your mom and dad were.

Linda said...

What a touching tribute to your mother.
Happy Mother's Day to you!

nancygrayce said...

Oh, what a sweet story! I hope you had a wonderful Mother's day! Those are great pictures.

Anonymous said...

wonderful entry and tribute to your mom.

Happy mom's day!

Anonymous said...

great tribute to your mom.

happy mother's day!

Welshcakes Limoncello said...

Again, sorry I'm late - I love these photos, Leslie.