topic Re: Did your Mom do things........ in Community Chat

Did your Mom do things........

CrazyKittyLvr2 — Wed, 20 Feb 2019 01:01:15 GMT

that made you chuckle or just shake your head? When dad was in the hospital and she was alone at night she not only locked front & back doors,she locked herself in the bedroom. We had a fit. Explained that in an emergencyit would take longer to get to her.

After Dad died she wouldn't sleep with windows open in the summer. It was the 2nd floor, no ladders were around and no roof to climb on to then enter window. For Pete's sake I don't think a burgler is hauling a 10' ladder around with him.

I had a cup of fresh cup of coffee and step out of the kitchen for less than 5 min., came back, no cup.I asked and got "I thought you were done" never mind it was full and steaming. She had the cup washed,dried and put away. It was a thing with her.

In the summer she would be putting the food away while you were eating so no one got sick. If you wanted another helping of coleslaw you had to get out of the frig. Yes,don't leave food out for 2 hrs. but really,

She also washed the dishes before they went into dishwasher. Not scrap and maybe rinse something sticky off, full sink of hot soapy water, rinse in hot water and in they went. My sister and I gave up asking why and would just shake our heads.

and bless her,she was naive about somethings. Can't count the times I said "I am not explaining that to her"

She was a great Mom but she did some weird stuff.

Re: Did your Mom do things........

dex — Wed, 20 Feb 2019 01:18:20 GMT

@CrazyKittyLvr2 @She seemed to be obsessed with cleanliness,food safety and security....not bad in my mind.I am also careful with food and we rarely get stomach upsets.My mom obsessed about finances and always saved for a rainy day...another great life lesson for me.

Re: Did your Mom do things........

nana59 — Wed, 20 Feb 2019 01:25:12 GMT

my mom died at a young 57 in 1981....one of the household chores i remember her doing was washing the inside of the toilet tank!! a chore i never inherited!!

Re: Did your Mom do things........

phoenixbrd — Wed, 20 Feb 2019 01:26:06 GMT

@CrazyKittyLvr2 I can tell you loved her even with her "funnies"...

My mom thought paying attention to yourself (as in paying too much attention to food, make-up, clothing) was somehow decadent and indecent...I think she would have made a good Quaker (in fact, I know there were many in our background). I never heard her raise her voice, curse, or be demonstratively angry. I never heard her gossip or indulge in derogatory discussions particularly about people. She had an extensive vocabulary, education, and excellent grammar was expected. She was well read and wrote work that was published. She loved a conversation that required wit and intelligence. My love of books and research proclivity comes from her...most of my gifts as a child were books. She was a decent human being and extremely stoic. She was a "good" woman with some interesting traits that we all have... just different ones.

Re: Did your Mom do things........

haddon9 — Wed, 20 Feb 2019 01:36:28 GMT

@CrazyKittyLvr2 wrote:
that made you chuckle or just shake your head? When dad was in the hospital and she was alone at night she not only locked front & back doors,she locked herself in the bedroom. We had a fit. Explained that in an emergencyit would take longer to get to her.

After Dad died she wouldn't sleep with windows open in the summer. It was the 2nd floor, no ladders were around and no roof to climb on to then enter window. For Pete's sake I don't think a burgler is hauling a 10' ladder around with him.

I had a cup of fresh cup of coffee and step out of the kitchen for less than 5 min., came back, no cup.I asked and got "I thought you were done" never mind it was full and steaming. She had the cup washed,dried and put away. It was a thing with her.

In the summer she would be putting the food away while you were eating so no one got sick. If you wanted another helping of coleslaw you had to get out of the frig. Yes,don't leave food out for 2 hrs. but really,

She also washed the dishes before they went into dishwasher. Not scrap and maybe rinse something sticky off, full sink of hot soapy water, rinse in hot water and in they went. My sister and I gave up asking why and would just shake our heads.

and bless her,she was naive about somethings. Can't count the times I said "I am not explaining that to her"

She was a great Mom but she did some weird stuff.

@CrazyKittyLvr2 Are we sisters? Sounds just like my mother!

She has a condo in a senior community in Florida. The front door must be locked at all times even if I offer to take her trash out just down the hall which means I need to bring a key. Food must be put away asap, dishes are to be washed & dried just as fast.

When I visit her (she's on the second floor BTW) and I go sit on her balcony which is a very spacious and shady area, I not only have to close the sliding doors but I must lock it as well as the windows in the space whenever I come back inside even if it's for just a few minutes!...this is a gated community too!

ETA: The latest weird thing that I noticed last time I visited is that she unplugs her small kitchen appliances after using them...toaster oven, toaster & Keurig. I asked her why she did that thinking it was either for safety (fire hazard) or to save environmental resources, but no it was to save on her electricity bill. I can't imagine how much she's saving by doing that!

Re: Did your Mom do things........

lovesrecess — Wed, 20 Feb 2019 01:29:16 GMT

When we moved her into a new place, the first thing she wanted was to have the dishwasher removed. She said she had been washing dishes for 70 years so there was no reason for a machine to do it now...and she didn’t trust they would clean as well as her. She was also the queen of laundry- folding. It was like origami! When you unfolded anything, it was wrinkle-free. I didn’t inherit that skill....I have even been known to just stuff underwear into the drawer without folding it five times! She also had the best purse ever.....I swear our family could have survived for a week with the stuff in her purse. Tape measure, nail kit, Kleenex, bandaids, cheese crackers, scissors, safety pins, pocket knife, a bar of soap, wet wipes, etc. and that was just on one side of the purse....❤️

Re: Did your Mom do things........

Mersha — Wed, 20 Feb 2019 01:29:46 GMT

My mother did quite a few "weird" things but the one that drove me nuts:

If we were in any sort of parking lot, she made it a quest to get the first spot in the row. She would drive around continually until this happened. If we were a row over and a space opened up, she made me get out of the car and run to the space so that I could stand in it and save it until she got there.

I was so happy when I learned to drive and could go places without her.

Re: Did your Mom do things........

1Snickers — Wed, 20 Feb 2019 01:41:10 GMT

@CrazyKittyLvr2 My Mother loved decorating the house especially at Christmas.

She and several friends and all the kids went in a field to find interesting tree roots for her to dry and decorate.

We found a perfect root and suddenly heard one Mother screaming that the Bull was coming!

We ran so fast and Mama was laughing because it was a curious cow!

She sprayed snow on the tree root and had candles on it that she lit during dinner. The hot wax melted the snow and it smelled terrible. My Father just shook his head and rolled his eyes.

Most other decorations turned out lovely, but I’ll always remember the tree root.

Re: Did your Mom do things........

Carmie — Wed, 20 Feb 2019 01:43:13 GMT

No, my mother was pretty normal.

My MIL did weird things though. She wrapped up everything in aluminum foil. She would give my children a small pint of milk or a can of Coke to take home for later and would wrap it up in foil.

She wouldn't also "steal" everything she could get her hands on..packets of sugar, ketchup.

Grocery shopping took forever. She would remove everything from the shelves to get the item in the back. She would not buy any food product with a torn label, a small dent in a can or a dent in the box....she inspected everything.

She would drive my kids crazy with handwashing. If they ate a cookie, they would have to wash their hands afterwards. Kids were not allowed to run through the house because they would kick up dust.

Oh, there is more...much more.

Re: Did your Mom do things........

occasionalrain — Wed, 20 Feb 2019 02:05:03 GMT

My mother was a gracious host and an excellent cook/baker. Everyone who came to my house was offered refreshments including cake, pie, or pastry.

This extended to car trips ans Sunday drives. Once on the road, out came the food and served around. At church the menu was limited to life savers and, just one time cinnamon balls that were retired after I put one in the brim of my hat and got it to roll about. That got the look from my mother and , a what were thinking, did you want to embarrass your father.

Re: Did your Mom do things........

Burnsite — Wed, 20 Feb 2019 02:32:27 GMT

My mother would visit me in FL (she died, sadly, within two years of my moving there) and bring a lot of food in her suitcase, including frozen meat, as if hamburger were unavailable where I lived. (Though she was also thinking of how poor I was then, no doubt--)

A few years ago my sister, niece, and I were staying in Philadelphia, where I was visiting on business, and the hotel folks were in the room when my sister arrived. She pulled an enormous lettuce and other ingredients out of her suitcase for her famous Waldorf salad.

The hotel folks were in my room because I had told them that I had brought coffee with me but did not find a coffee maker in the room as advertised. So the hotel staff got a kind of remote pic of my mother with both me and my sister. We both have her "you never know, bring your own food" gene.

Re: Did your Mom do things........

Foxxee — Wed, 20 Feb 2019 02:36:50 GMT

My mother used to rearrange the furniture several times a year including a very heavy organ that she'd drag across the room herself without sliders.

Every two or three years she had my father paint the living room a different color after which she had to put up new curtains.

When asked why she did this she'd say, "It's something different."

She was always wiping off everything in the kitchen, not only counters, the cabinets, door handles, sink, faucet, refrigerator, dishwasher, floor, windows, everything. Not a spot or fingerprint to be found.

She couldn't stand dishes in or around the sink, so she was always on patrol putting cups, glasses, and snack dishes in the dishwasher throughout the day.

She'd iron out clothes and towels with her hand after she folded them. She said they looked nicer in the drawers and linen closet. I asked her why do that when they wouldn't be in there that long.

She's relaxed quite a bit since she's older, moves the furniture only once yearly, and doesn't paint unless it needs it, but still does everything else.

Re: Did your Mom do things........

Carol Diane — Wed, 20 Feb 2019 02:42:25 GMT

My sister and I (and my mom) had to make sure the house was spotless before the cleaning lady came the next day. The bonus was we didn't have to make our beds the day she came. And my mom ironed EVERYTHING including my father's underwear.

Re: Did your Mom do things........

ALRATIBA — Wed, 20 Feb 2019 02:40:52 GMT

No, just a normal Mom.

Re: Did your Mom do things........

Wiscfan3 — Wed, 20 Feb 2019 02:49:39 GMT

Loving all these mom stories! I recognize my mom in some of them, and even myself! The " parking space" mom is especially different, and the "bring your own food" family describes my family too.

My mom always reused napkins and paper towels. She would tuck them in to the side of her recliner when she was eating there, and when I would vacuum for her I would find several napkins under her chair. She would also tuck a Kleenex into her sleeve to use again. Now I find myself doing these things.

Re: Did your Mom do things........

YorkieonmyPillow — Wed, 20 Feb 2019 03:05:32 GMT

My mother would never leave an outside light on.

Said it attracted burglars..................

Re: Did your Mom do things........

GCR18 — Wed, 20 Feb 2019 03:22:46 GMT

I thought mom was pretty normal. She irons everything. She'd iron my father's under shirts and underwear. Growing up I don't remember her ironing sheets, but she does that now.

Re: Did your Mom do things........

threecees — Wed, 20 Feb 2019 03:24:10 GMT

My mom still uses and loves her wringer washer. Her old one broke a few

years ago and she had the opportunity to get a brand new automatic machine

and she said no that she would like us to find her a Maytag wringer washer,

so we did. So she is happy using the old 50's type washer.

Re: Did your Mom do things........

Allegheny — Wed, 20 Feb 2019 03:42:54 GMT

I am chuckling while reading...but I can't think of any out of the ordinary things my mother did.

I on the other hand, have many. Like being obsessive about locking doors; unplugging small appliances, especially the toaster. Making sure used dishes get put in the dishwasher immediately. Can't stand dirty dishes in the sink. Won't let the laundry basket get over half full. I hate stuff disorderly sitting on any surface, whether it be my desk, kitchen or coffee table. I have a certain order I place my coffee cups and dishes in the cupboard.

I don't know where I picked up these habits. The funny thing is I am not overly obsessive about cleaning. Can watch dust gather for days.

Re: Did your Mom do things........

Glittergal — Wed, 20 Feb 2019 03:57:05 GMT

To this day my mom thinks a snake is going to pop out of the toilet. She's terrified of that. She saw a news story about it years ago and it never left her mind.