Giving Credit Where Credit Is Deserved

This post is about my mom. See the little girl with the pig-tails and holding the little baby? That would be my sweet little mother, Carol Sue, when she was about 7 years old. I just love this picture! The sweet little toe-head on the left is my late Aunt Sondra and my mom is holding my Uncle Butch - the same Uncle that sent me the joke about the old lady and her making dolls. Yup, that is him!

I have been thinking a lot about this little picture the past few days. It is one that I cherish. One that shows my mom, being the little mom that she was even back then. You see, my mom grew up pretty dirt poor. In fact, one of the houses she lived in even had a dirt floor. But the beauty of my mother is that she was almost always smiling. No matter what. No matter that she had nothing. Sometimes only a dirt floor to even draw on as her parents could not afford to buy here any art materials.

My mother is amazing. She is a brilliant artist, in just about any medium. She is one of those creative spirits that has so many projects swirling about her head, that she cannot just focus on one and has many projects in the making.

When I was still living at home and in in college, my mom took a "Life Drawing" class...you know, where the models are nude and you have to draw a picture of them. Knowing my mom and her warped sense of humor, I can only imagine her stifling a few of her infamous giggles and smirks. But, she managed to sit through those classes and brought home her work. One night I walked by our kitchen table and low and behold was a drawing of a man's anatomy. Yes, the penis. Ok, I said it. Penis, penis, penis. Yup, by golly it was the real deal - done in pencil. Well, I bravely asked my mother about it and she explained it to me. NOT that I didn't know what it was or anything like that. You know, I was 18 and had two brothers, so I knew what the thing was. But, she had to explain that it was "The Fly." Ok, mom, why "The Fly", as I snickered and smirked. If you looked closely in the upper right corner, there was a perfectly sketched fly (yes a fly - buzz buzz) and it was kind of hanging about there - suspended in mid air. Mom explained that the drawing had two meanings. Alrighty then, I will take that. But why? You see, "The Fly" could be what you call a man's zipper - crotch - the thingy dingy....ORRRR it could be just that - The Fly - hence buzzzzz buzzzzz. You know, I knew my mom had something there. She has an amazing wit and is so very creative and has always thought outside the box before the term ever became such.

If it weren't for my mom and her creative whims and whimsies, I probably would not be blessed with such intricacies that I have. I can only give my mom credit for her enabling my creative mind and spirit and to have nurtured me to be who I am today. Although the drawing gene skipped me and my oldest son inherited it, I can say that she gave me the vision to create, to see things in a new and different perspective and to re purpose objects or things for reinventing (before going green was a thing to do). I remember many, many nights and days that she would spend painting furniture in the garage and giving them new life, a new look. Mom had it going on before going on was fashionable. You go mom - you go girl and keep on being the visionary that you are - and you are so good at!!!!

I love you mother!