Category Archives: Old Mom

Word of the weekend: Peccant

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Peccant, ( \PEK-unt\ ), adjective

1 :guilty of a moral offense : sinning 
2 :violating a principle or rule : faulty  

Examples: Outside the confessional stood a short line of peccant parishioners waiting to seek redemption for their sins. 

“His own translation of Heinrich Heine’s ‘A Woman’ features a naughtily misbehaving protagonist and herpeccant boyfriend….” — From a review by Benjamin Ivry in The Forward, April 27, 2012  

Sponsored Link    “Peccant” comes from the Latin verb “peccare,” which means “to sin,” “to commit a fault,” or “to stumble,” and is related to the better-known English word “peccadillo” (“a slight offense”). Etymologists have suggested that “peccare” might be related to Latin “ped-” or “pes,” meaning “foot,” by way of an unattested adjective, “peccus,” which may have been used to mean “having an injured foot” or “stumbling. “Whether or not a connection truly exists between “peccant” and “peccus,” “peccant” itself involves stumbling of a figurative kind—making errors, for example, or falling stumbling.” Whether or not a connection truly exists between “peccant” and “peccus,” “peccant” itself involves stumbling of a figurative kind—making errors, for example, or falling into immoral, corrupt, or sinful behavior.

For the Week of June 9, 2013: When You’re Laughin’…

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I shared to topic of the week with my mother, so this one is for her……She shared a little “funny” from her chilhood. So, here goes the take of:

         “My Uncle Owen’s New Cowboy Boots”

My Uncle Owen, spent months, saving up his spare change. When he had enough money, he picked out the boots he wanted and placed the order.

For weeks, he watched and waited at the mailbox for his prized boots to arrive. When they finally arrived, he was thrilled. He opened the box with care, made sure they fit, wiped the boots down, and sat them by his bed to be ready for school in the morning,

He was up early, dressed and ready to go to school. His hair all slicked back, wearing his nicest jeans and shirt with his new boots. He hopped on the bus and grabbed a seat. He was ready to impress a certain young woman when he got to school.

The one thing he had not counted on, was the heel on his new boots. He should have practiced walking with the heel before wearing them to impress in public.

Unfounately, that young woman he was looking to impress was one of the first people to witness his fall from ‘grace’, when he was stepping off the bus. Poor Owen stood up to head down the bus steps. At the top step, he twisted his heel and fell the rest of the way down the steps. Ruining his bluejeans and scuffing his boots up. He also managed to scrape his knee.

Uncle Owen was mortified. When he managed to make it home, he had a brilliant idea to fix his boots. He spent a few hours in the barn after school, when he walked into the house in his ‘ new, new’ boots; we all just looked at him. He had such a bad day, no one wanted to laugh. If we had, we were not sure what Owen would do. He was getting pretty big for a fifteen year old.

Mom took him out on the porch to talk about his boots. He had cut the heel off both boots in the barn. What he did not realize, was that without the heel, the toe of the boot curled higher. He looked like he was wearing a pair of shoes from Denmark. The wooden shoes with the pointed toe.

Mom came in and ‘shhh’d us all. Owen walked in a few minutes later, without his boots on and sat down for dinner. We never spoke of the incident again. Owen never ordered boots from a catalog again.

Jill and Barry Baynes

Coco, our lastest housemember

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Coco is an adorable little Tabby cat, we got for mom at Mother’s Day. Something for her to take care of and keep her company. It was working great, so far.  Thst is ifnpoor Coco csn durvive mom’s memory.

She is constsntly locking her in closets and other rooms. She is becoming a pro at finding open doors, so mom spends a large majority of her day looking for that sweet little kitty. Mom spends the rest of the day trying to kerp our boxer from chasing her kitty around the house. Maggie thinks Coco is playing or Coco thinks Maggie is playing, but they make quite a ruckus.

I think they will eventually get along. It is just taking time.  Mom thinks Coco talks to her. She says “Hello” and “I love you”. Bsrry andnI are yet to eitness these feats, but who knows. Barry lives csts, so he is enjoying her being around.

Jill and Barry Baynes

Not sure this is an Urban Legend, but I found out it is true….the hard way!

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Ever heard that if you stick a snapping turtle to a person, they will not let go until they hear thunder rumble? Well, let me tell you about a fishing trip when I was 2 years old. My sister Sandy was 4 years old when this occurred.

Pop caught a turtle and let Sandy play with it. For years, Dad had told us all these crazy stories about animals. One of those stories listed above. Mom and dad were not paying attention.Little Miss Sandy decided to try this tale out. When I turned around, quickly, Sandy stuck the turtle to my stomach, right at the top of my ribs.

That turtle latched on, Sandy screamed let it go and ran. I immediately started to bleed and I added to the screaming. Mom put her pole down and came to check on us. A storm was blowing up. At the moment mom reached me, there was a rumble of thunder and that crazy turtle let go and fell to the ground. Mom picked it up and threw it in the water. She yelled at Dad it was time to go. We packed up and headed home. I still have a scar today.

As you can tell, we had a little more freedom as children when we were younger!

 

Another story took place in our backyard. We had a little plastic pool in the backyard to splash around and cool off. Sandy decided she wanted to teach me how to swim. Mom said that was fine. Sandy and I filled the pool up and got in our swimsuits. Sandy’s idea of teaching me to swim was me on my stomach lying on the bottom of the pool with her sitting on my back. I’m just thankful mom checked on us before I drowned. Needless to say we were not allowed in the pool alone anymore. I still thought my big sister was the coolest thing on earth.

Writing Through Cancer Daily Prompt for the week of May 12, 2013: “Mommy, It’s Your Happy Day”

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Mommy, it’s your Happy day!

I plan to take this a different way. Motherhood is a previous gift from God. Anyone lucky enough to be blessed with such a privilege, should cherish every moment they are given. Growing up, the only things I wanted to do was fall in love and have a houseful of children. My first husband and I tried for years. We both suffered through 5 miscarriages and a physician told that us if we wanted children, we needed different spouses. Fortunately, our inability to have children was not the reason our marriage failed.

With a pregnancy, you start making plans, look forward to the future and then you realize the pregnancy is failing. It breaks your heart. After the fifth miscarriage, your heart feels like a dried up lump of clay. There is no way to describe the agony your body goes through mentally and physically. A miscarriage is a horrible thing to live through. Accepting that it doesn’t seem to be in the Good Lord‘s plan for you to become a mother or father is intense, but as Christians our pregnancies are in the hands of the Lord.  Our lives are part of God’s plan. He has a plan for us all. It is not our place to question that plan. Even though it is in the Lord’s Plan, you still go through a period of regret and doubting. It is not easy to hand everything over to the Lord without some grieving. You get past the emotions and find the strength to give it over to God and get on with your life. You do a lot of praying. Asking for Grace and Strength to get through the misery. You do get through it!  I did it five times and lived. So did my ex-husband. He has remarried and has a son. 

I , also, have remarried. I managed to find my place in this world. I met my soul mate in 2001. We were married three years later. I love him more everyday. I don’t know what I would do without him. He makes me want to be a better person. We have both done things that neither of us ever thought we would do. I made an attempt at being a step-mother ( I gave up when my step-son made it clear, he wanted nothing to do with me). Barry is learning to love my mother.

Her health was failing and she did not need to be living in the situation she was, so we packed her up and moved her in with us. The situation is actually working.  I did not think it would. As mom ages, she is learning the art of compromise. It has tickled her pink, to have Barry start calling her “Mom“.

Barry put’s on a Mother’s Day show every year. He says “I was a wonderful mother. ” When Barry and I married, we discussed children. He asked if I was okay with not having a child. He said he was ready to focus on home and retiring. I was good with that. Our health issues haven’t allowed us to do everything we wanted, but we still enjoy each and everyday. We now have a beloved family pet boxer, named Maggie. She thinks she is human. In a sense, I’m mothering our family pooch.

Barry’s mom passed away a few months before he proposed. I was lucky enough to spend a little time with her. She was a sweet, wonderful woman. I know where her son gets it from.We did agree on one thing. We started to make the same statement at the same time once. That statement was, “He sure does have the best-looking legs around!” She turned and looked at me oddly and said, “I knew I liked you!” When Barry got in the car to find us giggling, he wanted to know if he should be worried.  His mom looked at me and smiled. We didn’t say a word. Barry started the car and headed to the restaurant. 

My mom is a character. I told Barry stories before he met her. He later told me it found my stories hard to believe, until mom started letting the true Betty out in front of him. Mom is a doll and a beautiful woman. She is the perfect work the room character. As long as things are going her way, she is fine. I love her to pieces and look like I could be her twin. I will do anything in the world for her, when I can. Mom living with us has been great. I’m getting to know mom better than I ever have.

Her health is declining and I am trying to help her deal with or understand the changes her body is going through. She is actually listening to me and learning about her illness. Telling my mother the truth about things she does Isn’t easy. I’m getting better at it and she is taking it better.  She has not taken my illness well. I’ve had to ask her to change certain behaviors to help me deal with my health. 

My sister’s and I got our families together and took her out for lunch on Mother’s Day. Barry and I treated her to a new haircut. She really looks great. Sandy has taken her on a trip to North Carolina; to see her grandson graduate from college.I hope she is enjoying herself. She deserve’ it. She is my mom’s.

my momma

my momma

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My Infamous School Teacher: Mrs. C.

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Another mom story, every word I am about to write is true. I saw every minute. 

In the eleventh grade, I became sick. I missed a lot of school and ended up having major surgery. I was on the homebound program for school for months as I healed after the surgery. I loved books and I was bored silly. Having schoolwork to do was a blessing. Your mother and a tv can be entertaining for only so long at age 16.

When the doctor cleared me to return to school, I was thrilled. My first day back at school was a train wreck. Most of my classes went wonderfully. Then came Mrs. C.. The minute class started, she announced that there was a quiz over yesterday’s material and everyone would be expected to take part. She called my name out and said, “Yes, even you Miss Jill. Your days of special treatment end today.” I objected, because I had not been given yesterday’s assignment. She sent me to the office to see the principal.

I went to the office and called my mother and told the receptionist what happened; who went running to the principal, while I waited for mom. Mr. C. the principal, walked up to me and started begging me to call off mom, he said he’d handle the problem. He repeated the same thing continuously until my mother walked through the door. Poor Mr. C. had already survived my mom with my older sister, so he knew what she wad capable of.

Mom asked me to show her to the classroom. Mr. C. behind us every step of the way, calmly asking mom to come to his office. Mom kept walking. When we got to the classroom, Mrs. C. acted shocked and told her to get out. his Mom backed Mrs. C. into the corner of the classroom. She started yelling at her that she was never to treat her daughter like that again. “Picking on her in front of the class and not sending correct assignments home was cruel”. She turned and looked at the principal and told him if he didn’t handle the problem, she would with the board of education.

Mom backed away from my teacher and started to leave the room. She turned and told me to gather my things, I was going home. The classroom was laughing hysterically. As she walked by the principal, she asked him to sign me out and we went home. One day in high school I will never forget.

 

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MOTHER: Part 1

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Mother’s Day

This article is about a holiday celebrating mothers and motherhood.  For other uses, see Mother’s Day (disambiguation).

Mother’s Day is a celebration honoring mothers and motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. It is celebrated on various days in many parts of the world, most commonly in March or May. It complements Father’s Day, a similar celebration honoring fathers.

The celebration of Mother’s Day began in the United States in the early 20th century; it is not related to the many celebrations of mothers and motherhood that have occurred throughout the world over thousands of years, such as the Greek cult to Cybele, the Roman festival of Hilaria, or the Christian Mothering Sunday celebration.[1][2][3][4] Despite this, in some countries Mother’s Day has become synonymous with these older traditions.[5]

Founding

Main article: Mother’s Day (U.S.)

The modern holiday of Mother’s Day was first celebrated in 1908, when Anna Jarvis held a memorial for her mother in Grafton, West Virginia. She then began a campaign to make “Mother’s Day” a recognized holiday in the United States. Although she was successful in 1914, she was already disappointed with its commercialization by the 1920s. Jarvis’ holiday was adopted by other countries and it is now celebrated all over the world. In this tradition, each person offers a gift, card, or remembrance toward their mothers, grandmothers, and/ or maternal figure on mother’s day.

Various observances honouring mothers existed in America during the 1870s and the 1880s, but these never had resonance beyond the local level.[6] Jarvis never mentioned Julia Ward Howe‘s attempts in the 1870s to set up a “Mother’s Day for Peace”, nor any connection to the Protestant school celebrations that included “Children’s Day” among others. Neither did she mention the traditional festival of Mothering Sunday, but always said that the creation was hers alone.[7] For more information on previous attempts, see the “United States” section in this article.

Spelling

In 1912, Anna Jarvis trademarked the phrases “second Sunday in May” and “Mother’s Day”, and created the Mother’s Day International Association.[8] She specifically noted that “Mother’s” should “be a singular possessive, for each family to honour their mother, not a plural possessive commemorating all mothers in the world.”[9] This is also the spelling used by U.S. President Woodrow Wilson in the law making official the holiday in the United States, by the U.S. Congress in relevant bills,[10][11] and by various U.S. presidents in their proclamations about Mother’s Day.[12] However, “Mothers’ Day” (plural possessive) or “Mothers Day” (plural non-possessive) are also sometimes seen.

Dates around the world

As the American holiday was adopted by other countries and cultures, the date was changed to fit already existing celebrations honoring motherhood, such as Mothering Sunday in the United Kingdom or, in Greece, the Orthodox celebration of the presentation of Jesus Christ to the temple (2 February). Mothering Sunday is often called “Mother’s Day” even though it is an unrelated celebration.[5]

In some countries the date was changed to a date that was significant to the most religion, such as Virgin Mary day in Catholic countries. Other countries selected a date with historical significance. For example, Bolivia’s Mother’s Day is the date of a battle in which women participated.[13] See the “International history and tradition” section for the complete list.

Ex-communists countries, such as the former East Germany, usually celebrated the socialist International Women’s Day instead of the more capitalist Mother’s Day.[14] Some ex-communist countries, like Russia, still follow this custom[15] or simply celebrate both holidays, which is the custom in Ukraine.

Note: Countries that celebrate the International Women’s Day instead of Mother’s Day are marked with a dagger “†”.

To read more about Mother’s Day, follow the link below:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother’s_Day             

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My Mother: Betty Lou Fountain Hayes Hawks Day More Photos to come leading up to mother’s day! Enjoy!

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