Today would have been my Mom's Birthday.I think she would have been some where around 90 years old. She left us to go be with God two years ago She went almost full circle and passed away right before her birthday. Her husband, my step Dad, passed away just a week later. I didn't always get along with him but I was really touched by how much he did love her and couldn't live without her. She died on a Saturday, the next Friday my husband and I went to visit my step Dad. I had forgiven him for his cruelty a long time ago, but he chose to acknowledge it at that time. We had closure.
My Mom was Marie Germaine Alphonsine Suzanne Crepue Hall Holmes. She was born in Sorel Canada in a house on the St Lawrence River, about half way between Montreal and Quebec. She was a big baby and the family joke at the time was that she got up and opened the door for the doctor. All the girls in her family were named Marie, they all went by their second name, except my Aunt Marie who was named Marie May. The next two names were her Godparents Alphonse and Suzanne. Crepue - her maiden name, Hall - my father's name - her first husband, Holmes - my step dad's name - her second husband. When she became and American citizen (before she married the first time) she dropped all but her first and last name. There was some story about how the day she took her oath on her lunch hour from work, she came back to her office and they had hung a banner that read "Citizen Crep Day" I don't really get it. Anyway,
The youngest of eight sisters and three brothers, she was a bit spoiled. She never was made to eat her veggies, but she would take her older sibling's cod liver oil doses. She loved to climb the apple tree in her back yard read a book and eat apples. I once saw a very early home move of her playing baseball with her family when she was 13 years old. She rode horses and played tennis and went swimming. She was sent to a Catholic boarding school. A few of the Nuns were her own Aunts. She said that they were required to never be nude, even in the bath. She and her friends would bathe nude then dunk their underthings in the tub and put them on wet. The Nuns would check if they were wet when that came out of the bathroom, so they got away with it. As I said, she was a bit spoiled. Her Father would send her gifts. He once send a big jar of candy. Her Aunt, one of the Nuns, kept the jar on her desk. Little Germaine was allowed to go to her office for two pieces of candy a day. One day she was waiting her turn to use the tennis courts. It had just come up to her turn when one of the girls said "Germaine, your Aunt wants you." My Mom's smart-alec response was "She probably just wants to give me some of MY candy". Just then the group of girls parted, and there stood her Aunt....I don't think my Mom got her candy that day. Another time my Grandfather sent her a bag of oranges, a great treat in the 1930's. Her Aunts thought it would be a great idea to turn them into orange-aid., and that my Germaine should be the hostess and serve the drink. A cup was poured for each of the students in her class and for the teachers. There was just enough left in the bottom of the pitcher for my Mom to have a glass herself. But, one of the Nuns picked up the pitcher an ran it full of tap water. She announced now we have a full pitcher. Speaking of pitchers, when she was home her job was to fill the milk pitchers for the table. Even with all those kids, the family took in boarders so there were several milk pitchers. One time when she was pouring, she realized she had more milk then the pitcher would hold. For some reason her mind told her it would work if she pored real fast. Of course, milk went all over the table. This led to a family joke of "Pour faster, Geri". Her sisters would tease her about this all the time. When we heard the story we picked up on it too. At the dinner table if she was pouring anything, she would be told to "Just pour faster, .Mom"
I have more to tell tomorrow. I know I get my sense of humor from my Mom and the story telling as well.
Memories make me happy, even the ones that would not be considered happy memories. The disappointments, betrayals the sorrows of life, happiness comes from learning from these to be a better person.
Peace Joy, Love and Happiness to all
My Mom was Marie Germaine Alphonsine Suzanne Crepue Hall Holmes. She was born in Sorel Canada in a house on the St Lawrence River, about half way between Montreal and Quebec. She was a big baby and the family joke at the time was that she got up and opened the door for the doctor. All the girls in her family were named Marie, they all went by their second name, except my Aunt Marie who was named Marie May. The next two names were her Godparents Alphonse and Suzanne. Crepue - her maiden name, Hall - my father's name - her first husband, Holmes - my step dad's name - her second husband. When she became and American citizen (before she married the first time) she dropped all but her first and last name. There was some story about how the day she took her oath on her lunch hour from work, she came back to her office and they had hung a banner that read "Citizen Crep Day" I don't really get it. Anyway,
The youngest of eight sisters and three brothers, she was a bit spoiled. She never was made to eat her veggies, but she would take her older sibling's cod liver oil doses. She loved to climb the apple tree in her back yard read a book and eat apples. I once saw a very early home move of her playing baseball with her family when she was 13 years old. She rode horses and played tennis and went swimming. She was sent to a Catholic boarding school. A few of the Nuns were her own Aunts. She said that they were required to never be nude, even in the bath. She and her friends would bathe nude then dunk their underthings in the tub and put them on wet. The Nuns would check if they were wet when that came out of the bathroom, so they got away with it. As I said, she was a bit spoiled. Her Father would send her gifts. He once send a big jar of candy. Her Aunt, one of the Nuns, kept the jar on her desk. Little Germaine was allowed to go to her office for two pieces of candy a day. One day she was waiting her turn to use the tennis courts. It had just come up to her turn when one of the girls said "Germaine, your Aunt wants you." My Mom's smart-alec response was "She probably just wants to give me some of MY candy". Just then the group of girls parted, and there stood her Aunt....I don't think my Mom got her candy that day. Another time my Grandfather sent her a bag of oranges, a great treat in the 1930's. Her Aunts thought it would be a great idea to turn them into orange-aid., and that my Germaine should be the hostess and serve the drink. A cup was poured for each of the students in her class and for the teachers. There was just enough left in the bottom of the pitcher for my Mom to have a glass herself. But, one of the Nuns picked up the pitcher an ran it full of tap water. She announced now we have a full pitcher. Speaking of pitchers, when she was home her job was to fill the milk pitchers for the table. Even with all those kids, the family took in boarders so there were several milk pitchers. One time when she was pouring, she realized she had more milk then the pitcher would hold. For some reason her mind told her it would work if she pored real fast. Of course, milk went all over the table. This led to a family joke of "Pour faster, Geri". Her sisters would tease her about this all the time. When we heard the story we picked up on it too. At the dinner table if she was pouring anything, she would be told to "Just pour faster, .Mom"
I have more to tell tomorrow. I know I get my sense of humor from my Mom and the story telling as well.
Memories make me happy, even the ones that would not be considered happy memories. The disappointments, betrayals the sorrows of life, happiness comes from learning from these to be a better person.
Peace Joy, Love and Happiness to all
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