The countdown to Mother’s Day is OFFICIALLY on! And in honour of this very special day, it inspired me to ask my mom a few questions about my Boomba that have been on my mind, that I’ve never asked her before. It was so much fun to sit down with her, and ask her some of these questions. What she shared with me about the women in our family history inspired me to share this blog with you today. Hopefully, these questions bring you some joy and inspiration!
Let’s get to it!
1. Mom can you tell me about a lesson your mother shared with you that she learned from her mother?
A lesson that comes to my mind, passed on from my mom that she learned from her mom, my grandma, is the joy and importance of appreciating nature and the importance of gardening. Both my mom and grandma had the most beautiful flower and vegetable gardens! They were like Old English Country gardens that warmed your soul— I will always enjoy and pride myself in carrying on this connection to nature, from cultivating the earth to arranging an old fashioned bouquet that beautifies our home.
2. Do you know if Boomba had a special wish or prayer for her grandchildren?
That we all love and be kind, respect one another, and stay connected to the family, including extended family, and always treat everyone like family. My mom used to joke that she would love it if we all lived together in a commune! LOL!
3. How did Boomba and Grandpa live? What philosophy did they live by?
My parents were very hardworking; they saved every penny to provide for us and improve our life. My dad and mom prided themselves that we were able to take a 2-week summer vacation every year. I looked forward to those Summer vacations every year!
4. What are some of the superstitions, and misbeliefs that they had?
It’s hilarious but one of the superstitions that was passed down from my mom’s family was that it was bad luck to put your shoes on a cupboard or table, it took me many years to finally realize that absolutely nothing would happen if I did this! Also, they believed that if you dreamt of muddy water, someone would die, and if you found a thread on your clothing… you would receive a letter, the longer the thread, the longer the letter!
5. Who was the best cook in the family?
Both my mother and grandmother were absolutely the most amazing cooks; hence your and Tori’s love of cooking and of course the Cookbook, Fraiche Food Full Hearts! However, growing up, your Aunty Patsy was the one responsible for doing the cooking and baking. I was the one responsible for doing the cleaning… that’s why your Aunty is a better cook than me and my house is cleaner, just kidding! 🤪
6. What was your favourite recipe as a child?
I’m not even sure how this is spelled… so I will just wing it; Kes kes mollicom (just like it sounds). It was simply flour, water, and eggs made into little dumplings and boiled in milk sweetened with sugar… truly one of my comfort foods!
7. What was the best investment advice you ever received?
Definitely, the most important one was to pay off your debt! Also, realizing that there is no amount of money that can’t be spent, so always budget! A favourite saying of mine is, “A millionaire thinks like a poor man, and a poor man thinks like a millionaire!” Words for thought!
8. What was your favourite piece of fashion?
Well, I’m definitely a clothes horse and I came by that honestly because my mother loved to be dressed to the nines. In the early years, I remember her wearing the most beautiful dresses accompanied with a matching hat and never left the house without a brooch! Her mother (your Great Grandmother) went to town every Saturday from the farm and I recall her wearing her fur coat, her ruby red lipstick and beautiful brooches.
9. What was the best marriage/intimate advice you were given….
I always remember my mother saying, “Dad and I never go to bed mad at one another!”.
10. What would be the most important thing you would have me share or pass down to your grandchildren?
Well, definitely the beauty of family, spending time together, learning the value of work and the money that you earn and how to save and spend wisely.
11. What is your favourite memory?
Oh my goodness! I have so many wonderful memories that choosing just one is difficult. I guess one of my favourites is spending time on my Grandparent’s farm, with my cousins. The beauty of my Grandmother’s flower garden, playing house in the bush just near their house. We would scrape all of the dead leaves off the ground, find old bottles and cans and create our own individual homes within the bush. We did this for hours and it was one of my favourite memories growing up!
12. Do you feel connected to any particular land? People? History?
Well, of course growing up in the Prairies in Alberta I will always have a connection to the beauty of the big blue sky, the canola fields in bloom, the wildlife, the people, how down to earth they are, and how our ancestors paved the way for all of us.
13. How do we improve on our past and make the next generation even greater?
Well, actually we can only view the past as what it was and learn from it. One of my favourite mottos is, “Don’t look back; you’re not going that way”. I think for the most part what I am seeing within our family circle is that you’ve all learned the lesson of hard work, persistence and values. You are all teaching your children valuable work ethics, kindness, the power of love, and how to overcome adversities.
I am so thankful that I was able to sit down with my mom and ask her some of these heartwarming questions. I also have some very exciting news, my mom just added brand new prints to her Etsy store! Not only are they a beautiful addition to your home but they double as the perfect Mother’s Day gift without the shipping delays!
I am sending all of my love to you and those amazing women and role models in your life this Mother’s Day!
xo
Peggy & Jilly
