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Monday, February 6, 2012

Just Like Mom and Dad

by Zona



About a week ago Randy was trying to make room in the front hall closet to put some Christmas decorations away. He couldn't quite push a box of ornaments into the back corner on one of the shelves..and when he reached in to find out why..he found an old beat up book. He brought it to me to look at..to see if I knew what it was and if I wanted to keep it. The book had "Record" embossed on the front and when I opened it up I saw my father's name written on the inside cover and underneath it "Transportation and Automobile Expenses as of Feb. 21 1953". I've lived in this house a long time..and I have never seen this book before. Flipping through it..I saw page after page of car maintenance information written in neat columns. I'm assuming he had to keep these records as part of his expense report for work. It was interesting to see that gas was 27 cents a gallon..and that for a whopping $14.75..he got a new master cylinder, thermostat, belt AND a tune-up! What really got to me though..was seeing my dad's handwriting. If I hadn't known better..I would have thought I wrote these entries..his handwriting and mine are almost identical. It was really eerie. I had the same feeling a couple years ago when I heard a recording my mom's dad made of their family when my mom was only 16 yrs old..I knew my mom's voice right away because I sounded just like her. It got me to thinking how these kinds of things are passed down and sometimes we don't even realize it. Do you notice anything about yourself now that reminds you of your mom or dad..gestures..habits..phrases that they said that you now say?

On Thanksgiving..after I finished telling a story about my mom..my sister said something to me that really made me smile..she told me..."Sometimes when you talk you sound so much like mom..it's like she's still here.."  Cool..  :)

28 comments:

Unknown said...

what a cool thing to find...

My Mother used to keep travel ledgers....and notes to remind her of things....

Mother..me..and my heifer sisters traveled pretty often when my Father was in the USAF...

I would have loved to have them but my horrible evil sisters stripped the house after my Hitleresque Father died...

I could go after things but the smell of sulfurous odor is so strong around my sisters...

Tinka said...

Good Morning Michael - Maybe you could write your sisters and ask for a few things. They are yours too. That isn't fair.

Tinka said...

Zona - I loved your blog today. It really got me thinking and remembering. I will be back later when I organize my thoughts.

Must get breakfast. I am drinking my juice and my eyes are only half open.

Enjoy Monday owls.

Dianne/Denver said...

Hi Michael. U looks so sweet and adorable at first today. It would have been nice if u could have been able to get some things from ur parents house. I'm sorry ur sisters were/are so mean to u.

Zona-- fun blog. Sometimes when ny daughter leashes a message, I think it is ny voice we used to fool my dad on the phone sometimes. I do remind myself of my parents sometimes---more my dad. Sometimes that is not always good (per my brother)!!!

Area 51--- thanks for the comments on the blog yesterday. Boy, they were all over the place on subjects. So let's try it one more chorus---Red Solo Cup, let's have a party

How did everyone like the super bowl, game, half time and commercials? I thought it was pretty good overall

Barb, how r u feeling today?

Dianne/Denver said...

Hi Tink---WAKE UP. We were typing at the same time. Good morning to u. Did u go for ur scooter walk over the weekend?

Unknown said...

I thought the superbowl halftime show would have been better if Madonna had just ridden around the field in a convertible waving so people could have seen her up close....

The commercials were disappointing. I thought the camaro commercial was funny but it wasn't anything to write home about...

and speaking of writing home...

Tinka...the only communication I have with my sisters anymore is through our attorneys. And thats because we will share in my Fathers estate for many years to come...

The last thing they pulled before I put the attorney rule in place is so funny.....

My younger sister called me and told me that a document that needed our signatures had been overnighted to me...just to sign where the X's were and use the enclosed prepaid envelope to overnight back...no big deal....

It came and it was a document with me as grantor signing the deed to my parents house over to them!!!
lol....they thought they would fool brother into giving them the house and just pocket the money from the sale...

IDIOTS! LIARS! THIEVES! lol

I called the girl at the title co. that had seen this doc who happened to be a church friend of my older sister...
She told me she was under the impression that I had no interest in the house and land....that my sister had told her that...

I explained to her that my sisters were lying...and that I would be happy to sue her title company if any more funny business took place..

Then I had the pleasure of calling my sister and telling her that they would not be selling the house...and that my attorney would begin the process of removing her as executor...

That was so much fun...it was like catching a kid with their hand in the cookie jar...

Both my sisters are convenience Christians...just for show...they talk the talk but they do nothing remotely resembling walking the walk...

Vicki...the one who called me to tell me about just signing this document...is Church of Christ... they believe they r the only people going to heaven....

she and my older sister both always say they have to pray about everything...if I ever asked them for advice...they would tell me to pray about it....shit!

I asked Vicki if she had prayed about stealing the house before she did it...

The sad thing is this...we were always sooo close...I adored my sisters...I thought they were perfect....

Then my Mother died...and its like the devil was set free to roam the earth.....2 devils..

Tinka said...

Michael - I think you could make a million writing a book about your two evil sisters. It would be fun showing them the money and not sharing any of it. I think they need some prayers said for them. I don't know of any heaven that would welcome them. It's all so sad.

Tinka said...

Dianne - We didn't go out for our scooter ride yesterday but it is sunny today so I am hoping this will be the start of daily walks.

Lynn D said...

Afternoon Owls!

Zona I have my fathers handwriting too! Everyone tells us it looks like the hand writing of a serial killer. lol No it is just that we tend to think to fast for our hand to catch up.

One of my Uncles came to visit when I was about 15 years old and he kept making me get him coffee and water etc... Later he told me that I walked so much like my Mother that it was like having her there and that is why I was waiting on him hand and foot. :)

Hope everyone is have a good day.

Tinka said...

Zona - I loved your blog this morning and my mind has been drenched in memories all day.

My dad had a lot of expressions that didn't make much sense to anyone except the family but I find myself using them. I won't repeat them because they would lose something when put in writing. At least once a day Jack will hear the words "As my daddy would say---". Our son is so much like my dad it amazes me. He does things that must be genetic because Kevin was so young when Dad died.

I look so much like my mom that when I look in the mirror, (especially at the hair salon), it actually takes my breath away, almost scares me.
My mom was always putting things in safe places so she wouldn't lose them. When she would want these things she couldn't find them. She always said she spent half her life looking for things. I do exactly the same. I don't know if it's genetic or environmental but I wish I had taken after my father. He was so organized we found books where he kept track of everything he ever bought with the sales receipt and guarantee attached to it. I found one book after he died where he had kept track of everything he planted in his gardens; the date when the seeds were put in the ground, when they started to germinate and when they were harvested. This book contained statistics from every year he ever had a garden. I buy seeds and by the time I am ready to plant them I can't find them - just like my Mom. Thank God we all have strengths as well as weaknesses.

Maureen said...

ZONA...that was a sweet blag. It's ironic it posted today. {{hugs}}

I think I am becoming more like my mom as I get older, including looks wise. I always looked more like my dad, but I am morphing!

Flapping a tired wing at all of you

Tinka said...

Hi Lynn - I wrote a comment to you saying we were typing at the same time but I don't see it now. It must not have posted. Either that or the cyber fairy took it.

Was your uncle 'pulling your leg' or did he mean what he said? I know back in the days when TV's weren't stable and the horizontal or vertical would go, we had to turn all the knobs to get it straight again. My dad conned me for years telling everyone I had the secret touch and was the only one who could fix the TV. I was a teenager before I realized that he had me jumping up to fix the TV because no-one else wanted to do it. I discovered adults can be sneaky. Until then I used to be so proud of my 'techie' ability.

Tinka said...

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Tinka said...

Hi Maureen - The same thing is happening to me. Until a few years ago everyone thought I looked like my dad. Now suddenly I too am morphing into my mom. Does that happen to everyone I wonder?

Tinka said...

Zona - I just asked Jack if there is anything I do now that is the same as Mom. At first he said "You repeat jokes". Then quickly he realized that I might not like that comment and he changed it to "You both make excellent pies". I think he was trying to be diplomatic.
He knows the right answers.

Tinka said...

It seems quiet here tonight after the excitement of the game last night. Jack is reading. Tango, Tia and Teddy are asleep at my feet. I am about to put my farms to bed and then get the DVD set for our nightly ritual. We are almost finished season 12 and seasons 13 and 14 (the last two of the series) are waiting for us at the HMV store. It was a good series. I don't know why I never watched it when it was on TV.

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Tinka said...

Zona - Thanks for the blog today. It isn't easy putting down personal thoughts on the blog. I know I feel very vulnerable when I do that. I appreciate your efforts to keep our "home away from home" happy and safe.

Because of your thought provoking blog I have been feeling nostalgic today with many memories swirling around my brain. I will say goodnight by leaving you a little poem. Good Night. I love you.


If Roses Grow in Heaven

If roses grow in Heaven Lord
Please pick a bunch for me.
Place them in my Mother's arms
and tell her they're from me.
Tell her I love her and miss her,
and when she turns to smile,
Place a kiss upon her cheek
and hold her for a while.
Because remembering her is easy,
I do it everyday,
But there is an ache within my heart
That will never go away.

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Just_Lin said...

Hello, everyone. I'm sorry I am so late in posting today. It's been a busy day, including going to work for a while.

Zona That was a wonderful blog today. Thank you. What a special surprise to find something unexpectedly from your father. That is so neat. I do find that I see my mother more and more when I look in the mirror. Also, I sometimes find myself humming tunes, absentmindedly, that my mother would sometimes whistle while working around the house when I was a kid.

Just_Lin said...

Tinka That poem brought a tear to my eye.

Just_Lin said...

Michael I'm really sorry that there is such a rift between you and your sisters.

Just_Lin said...

Waving at Dianne, LynnD, and MO.

I hope everyone had a good day today. It is raining here now. I am on call for jury duty and have to call in tomorrow after 11:15 a.m. to see if I have to go in or not. I hope not.