Mother's visit

My mother is visiting for a few days, which is really awesome. I haven't seen her in about 10 years, since we live in different states and have been unable to visit for one reason or another. Even after all these years, it's so easy to talk with her. We're very much alike- something that used to bother me as a teenager, but now I'm proud of. We've spent a lot of time at the nursing home with Gramma since Mother's been here. It's the happiest I've seen Gramma in long time, which makes me very happy as well. My mother is an amazing person. She talks about my younger brother believing that she can do anything (and denying that she can), but he's not the only one who thinks that way. At 60 she can still sling a bale of hay, ride horses, drive for days straight, and she looks much younger than her real age. Plus, she's so COOL! I can talk to her about anything. She's very intelligent, open minded, articulate, creative, and more than a little nuts (or eccentric, as she likes to say- LOL). We were up until almost 5am talking, and she was back up early this morning, without a problem. She can run circles (mentally and physically) around people half her age. She's got a great sense of humor (just a bit warped, like my own). And the most amazing thing- even Cedric likes her. Cedric is an incredibly shy cat, and only a very few people outside myself, my husband, and Gramma have even seen him. Normally he'll hide under the bed in fear when someone comes into the house. Mother has such a wonderful way with animals that he was relaxed enough to play near her. It took about 4 years before he would play in the same room with Gramma- that's how skittish he is. But he never even went under the bed when Mother came downstairs. Then when we all went upstairs, he actually followed us and hung out for quite a while. For Cedric, this is monumental, and it speaks volumes about my mother. Can you tell I love and admire the woman? In my eyes, she's strength personified. I learned so much from this woman, and continue to learn from her. And the really great thing is that she continues to learn as well. We had a good laugh when my uncle tried to call her old. Sorry, but my mother is NOT old, and has no intention of getting old any time soon. This has been a wonderful visit. I didn't realize just how much I missed her until I saw her again. She goes back home tomorrow, and I know the house will seem empty without her. Of course we'll talk on the phone several times a week, like we always do, but I'll be looking forward to seeing her in person again. I feel pretty lucky to have a parent like her. She's a truly amazing woman.
-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Happy Mothers Day

Happy Mothers Day to all you moms, grandmas, aunts, all others who play mother. And of course to all you ladies out there who are "mom" to furbabies only (like myself). I feel pretty lucky to have 3 women in my life I think of as mother figures. My grandmother is the first. She raised me until I was 13 (as well as 2 of my brothers). She and Grampa gave us a warm, safe, loving home for the 3 of us. Gramma was always very patient with me, and taught me everything from how to take care of a home, to sewing and crocheting, to how to cook. Now I'm living with her again, only our roles have switched. Now I'm taking care of her, which is as it should be. She just turned 93, and while she's quite fit mentally, there are many things she's unable to do physically. I want to keep her in her own home for as long as possible. I love Gramma dearly.

Then there's Mother, who my brothers and I went to live with when I turned 13. She's my actual mother. She's a complex, intelligent, funny, and creative woman. From her I got my creativity, my love for nature, and my love for all animals. I learned a lot about the outdoors, how to build a fire, identify animals and their tracks, and much more from Mother. We always had animals, including cats, dogs, turtles, and any animal that needed a home. We had snakes that we kept only long enough to check out, then carefully released. One summer I raised tree frog tadpoles, then set them free when they matured. This sort of thing was a normal part of my life as a teenager. Then there's creativity. Mother is full of it. She's an amazing writer, she makes wonderful things in wood (her toy trains were really awesome), and she also does really cool stuff with pewter. We have long talks now about the creative process, and she's actually the one who sent me the link for Artfire and suggested I try selling my work there. She's really quite a woman.

And then there's my mother-in-law, who I simply call Mom. She treated me like family before my husband and I were even married. She's kind, soft spoken, and understanding. She never judges, and I've always felt I could be very honest with her. She's another creative woman. Before her eyes got too bad she painted beautiful pictures- a lot of outdoor scenes. And she didn't have any sort of training- just natural talent. I talk her a few times a week usually. She enjoys animals and nature too, so we talk about gardening, pets, and of course family stuff. Computers completely confound her, so she's never seen my Artfire studio, but I keep her filled in on everything I'm doing, and she's very excited for me. When she comes to visit we often sit together and talk for hours. I haven't seen her for a while, so I really miss her.

So all in all, I'm a very lucky person to have so many wonderful women in my life. And I thank them for all they've done for me and taught me over the years.