This blog is about awards, so we begin with Mary Elizabeth Hoover Shepherd, 94, holding a special, private collection of her poetry, articles, essays and stories, including her illustrated story, “Stubby The Missouri Mule.”
Dear Mom,
During the last month, our blog has received three new awards. This time, you will be “accepting” the awards, and I will answer the questions as I know you would (without the dementia), and we will thank those who nominated our blog, and then we’ll recommend others.
With genuine thanks to those who follow us, enjoy our story and have nominated this blog, I know you will understand why we’re answering just a few of the many questions and are nominating just one new blog for each award. Here we go:
The Super Sweet Award from our friend Mack of the diary of me at http://thediaryofmeblog.wordpress.com/ Question: do you have a sweet nickname? Mary Ibeth (short and sweet nickname for Elizabeth, which was a mouthful for children). Question: which do you like better, cookies or cake? Actually, my mother used to love pies more. Now, though, she loves cookies, especially soft snickerdoodle cookies, though anything sweet and served with a smile or shared with a visitor is very nice, too.
One Lovely Blog Award from Pat Wood at http://patwoodblogging.com/ who offers great photography and insights and adventures on writing (a sample of her novel,CLEAN DEATH,can be read on her blog), and the Liebster Blog Award from Eva Rider at http://evarider.com/ whose theme is to Live your fantasy (she’s a fantasy and contemporary/mainstream writer) Question: what event didn’t you expect that made your life what it is today? Mom would say she didn’t expect to lose her husband and best friend to a long struggle with Alzheimer’s, and then also to lose many of her own short term memories and knowledge to dementia, but Life doesn’t do what we expect. Question: how do you want to be remembered? Mom would like to be remembered for her strong quiet faith, and for the people she helped and the good changes she made in schools, the church and children’s lives, for her warm hospitality and the delicious meals she fixed, and especially, for the love she shared with her family and friends.
When I visit Mom each month, I tell her about new blogs I’ve discovered, and sometimes I’ll read her special posts that I think she’ll enjoy. We will share some of our new favorites now, and recommend that you all visit their blogs soon:
http://claudiapage–bookie.blogspot.com/ for One Lovely Blog Award. Claudia’s Page covers writing, tea events, antiques and collectibles, interesting Kansas places, and delightful pictures to enjoy again and again!
http://poeticparfait.com/ Christy Birmingham’s “Poetic Parfait” for The Super Sweet Award. Christy lives in Victoria, British Columbia and writes personally and professionally. She compares poetry to a wonderful dessert you just can’t pass up, and her photography is wonderful!
http://lanternpost2012.wordpress.com/ for the Liebster Award. Daniela is the Lantern’s Keeper at Lantern Post; she has amazing photography poetry, prose, quotes, book and movie reviews, and reflections. To visit her blog is to take an amazing journey.
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Mary: the same beauty, two ages
The cover of the book Marylin put together for her mother ~ selected poems,
articles, essays, stories, and the illustrated story, “Stubby The Missouri Mule”
Things I Want To Tell My Mother 
Thank you -:)!
Daniela
You are very welcome, Daniela. I teach a weekly writing group, and I have sent several of the writers to read your post, “When Women Write.” I thank YOU.
What a wonderful “acceptance” post. It was a pleasure to read as well as to learn a little about your mother in the meantime. 🙂
Thanks, Carrie. I’m still smiling at the sweet, funny way you accepted so many awards at once. This has been fun, and if it weren’t for the dementia, my mom would be having a great time with it.
All very well deserved.
And thank you for the plug.
A very nice acceptance post and much enjoyed, as usual. 🙂
What a great gift idea for your mom! I bet she loved it.
Well, it’s unpredictable when she’ll recognize or enjoy it. But she does like to hold the book. Once the light must have hit it just right because she squinted at the pictures on the front and say, “She’s a pretty lady. Do I know her?” When I told her that she was the lady in the picture, for that moment she realized what I was saying. She laughed and said, “Then I must be a pretty lady!”
What a great conclusion for your mom to draw!
Thank-you for the nomination! So nice 🙂 Congrats to you for the awards, well deserved!
My mother wrote a lot of poetry, Christy. Not Haiku poems, but narrative poems and rhymed poems. When I visit her, sometimes I take my laptop and read her samples, and she’s enjoyed several of yours. What she loves, though, is the cover art of PoetryParfait, the colors (and the possibility of sweets, I think!)
Thank you, Marylin, for stopping by JOTS and leaving a message on my site. We have two things in common…our Mothers…and, probably many more if we sat down and chatted…and made a list. My Step-father no longer knows my name but does know that “You’re a woman” when I ask him if he knows me. My mother is more and more confused about….life.
For those children of parents not experiencing what we are…it is difficult to explain not only the pain, but the helplessness. And…that’s just for starters.
Thank you so much for your look into your Mother’s life…and sharing it in such tender and loving terms. Raye
You are so welcome, Raye. When I read your post, I was touched by our similarities…and glad to meet another on the same journey. Thank you for your kind comments, and please stop by again.
Will do…thanks for the invitation to join the “party”.
R.
Hi Marilyn:
A few weeks back I told you I’d be back to follow your blog. Now that my new and improved blog is up and running, I’m now following from that site.
I look forward to reading more on you and your writing.
Welcome, Tracy. Your new “Wacky World of Writing” is delightful and helpful. Mathilda might be your muse, but the puppy Indygo stole my heart. If my mother got hold of the little guy, she’d be in cuddly-puppy heaven!
Very moving post about your mother. So, glad I stopped.
Thanks, Patricia. You’re welcome any time!
Your mother has a very special daughter. Please let me say that because, from what I’ve been reading about Mary, I think she wants the world to know that, too.
Oh, Darla, you are so sweet. Thank you.
Thank you, Marilyn, for the award. I am just catching up a week late. Things have been out of kelter here lately; my mind is muddled in addition to the situations. Now autumn rains have started–when I did not want them. Waited all summer for rain and now it shows up when I had other plans. 🙂 Not complaining really, just saying….
I think your mother was not only a pretty young woman, but she looks so pleasant and sweet in her advanced years. Some women can do that. I hope I am one. My friend writes eloquently about her mother’s Alzheimers. You might like to check her blog out as maybe you both share some of the same feelings. Kathleen feels she is losing her mother in bits and pieces, and she fights to hold on to what she has of her mother. http://stealingmother.blogspot.com
You’re very welcome, Claudia; it was a pleasure to nominate you.
My mom was always an attractive woman whose goodness and kindness gave her a special beauty.
I’ll stop by your friend Kathleen’s blog; it sounds like she and I have much in common with our mothers’ experiences.
Great work Marylin ,your work are great contribution for entire blogospheere 🙂
Thanks, Jake. You’ve encouraged so many good things among bloggers, and I’m honored by your comment. Thanks for stopping by.
all of your posts are so very sweet and tender!
z