I’ve been thinking about growing up, and the way my life has changed since becoming a mother. And as the memories roll by, I remember how I couldn’t wait to get out on my own. How I would do things differently…better…than my mom did. Maybe I’m just weird, or maybe all girls hit that independent, rebellious place where they think they know everything. It took awhile, but I finally realized that I did not.
1. While I might have hated the way you folded towels, the extra ten seconds gained from eliminating two folds really didn’t make make a whole lot of difference in my life. Oh, it might have if I’d had to fold ten thousand of them every day, but for a half dozen or so, it wasn’t worth the extra space they took up in the cupboard.
2. Money definitely does not grow on trees.
3. Following others, whether they’re jumping off a cliff…or doing some other stupid or dangerous thing, is never a good thing.
4. ‘High’ is not the only setting on the stove.
5. Waiting until the last minute makes for a whole lot of extra stress. I’m still a major procrastinator, but I’ll admit that her way is the better way.
6. New recipes can be fun, different, and even disastrous…but when I want comfort foods, it’s the foods I ate when I was growing up that I turn to. And I still make them the same way she does.
7. The best times are times spent with family, no matter what we’re doing. And they’re even better when they include food.
8. Even though it seemed a little weird when I was little, it didn’t take long to realize that making sure you’re wearing clean underwear is a good idea…whether there’s an emergency room involved or not.
9. Yes, you can use too much oregano. And garlic, celery salt, and cayenne pepper. I learned those last ones on my own. But they still weren’t as bad as the two disasters involving oregano.
10. Timers are my friend. They help me avoid having to clean exploded boiled eggs from every surface in the kitchen. And they eliminate the need to open windows and doors in the dead of winter to get the smoke out of my house.
11. If you’re going to do something, you might as well take your time and not do a half-a …do a really good job of it.
12. Mushroom hunting sucks. Especially when you don’t like mushrooms.
13. She was right. You really do use twice as much of the bargain bathroom tissue so you might as well buy Charmin. Unless you have a septic tank. And then you better use White Cloud….even though the guy who cleans the tank recommends Scott. Gotta draw the line somewhere.
Yes, I learned more than these things from my mom. But I’m not a really mushy person so I decided to have a little fun with this post. What are some things you learned from your mother?
Yes, many of the good times are with family and food.
Yup! Especially when everyone remembers to bring old favorites and not new stuff. 🙂
Ha-ha! That video is great! You made a wonderful list. Although, I can’t say I’ve done much mushroom hunting. 😀 Clean underwear – definitely grateful for. And toilet paper really matters when you have a septic tank. We had one when I was in high school.
I love that song! Thought about singing along with it but figured I’d wind up in the emergency room when my lips wound up tangled in knots. 🙂
And yes, toilet paper DOES matter with septic tanks. Amazing how our definition of important changes when we have a septic tank, doesn’t it? Much as I hated to say goodbye to Northern, it was that or adopt a plumber. 🙂
Fun reading as usual. We didn’t have a septic tank most of the years I was growing up 🙂 Ours required a trip outdoors. Listened to the song 3 times and will be using it in a future blog. Thanks for finding it and sharing it.
I guess I need to remember that septic tanks beat outhouses any day of the week. Although that first time I didn’t realize the tank needed to be pumped out it smelled like an indoor outhouse in here. That was quite an initiation to country living!
And I LOVE that song! The woman who wrote it is a genius! 🙂
good list, Kristy, with just the right touch of humor. From my mom, I learned to stand on my own two feet, to love someone who didn’t need to dominate me and to be present to my children. good lessons, all things considered.
Very good lessons. Sounds like you have a really good mom! I also learned from my mom to be independent. 🙂