Meet the Cast Monday #8: My Mom

Well today you all get to meet my Mom. Say, "Hi mom!" Anyway, just a little background--my Mom taught English and history for about 33 years to junior high and high school students. I think she has literally taught everyone in the county where I grew up. She's one of those moms that all kids need to have--she loves you and supports you but is always right up in your business and you wanted no part of her when she got mad! She's pretty famous for her ability to turn any situation into a "life lesson" and she didn't disappoint me in her answers to the questions in this regard.

So....meet my Mom!

What’s the funniest story you remember about me when I was little?
There are 2 stories. You had an imaginary friend named Gloff. Anytime you did something wrong or made a mess and we would get on you about it, you would argue with us that you did not do that…it was Gloff who did it. (Sidenote: Dad and I take partial credit for your becoming a lawyer because you have argued with us your entire life!) Poor Gloff was blamed for many things. We finally convinced you that we needed to get rid of Gloff and had you lock him in a closet at Nannie’s house in town. {It's really a miracle I don't have some sort of abandonment issues after this parenting move....}
The other story is that when you were little, you sucked on a pacifier. When you were about 3, we needed to get you to get rid of the pacifier. We went to Tatum for Christmas. We told you that for Santa to bring you anything in Tatum, you needed to leave a gift for Santa. We had you wrap your pacifiers as a Christmas gift for Santa and put them under the tree for him to get when he brought your gifts! You never asked about them again. {I have always been so giving...} What was your favorite part from 33 years of teaching?
By far and without any doubt, my favorite part of every day of teaching was the students! I loved working with the young people I was fortunate to teach. I found so much good, right, and positive about students. My students from all that time honestly captured my heart. I still love them! {My original question was what was the FUNNIEST part, but she modified. Go figure.}

You weren’t a farm kid when you married Dad…what was the hardest thing to adjust to?
The aunt and uncle who raised my dad lived in the country and worked as sharecroppers on a plantation in Tennessee. As a child, I remember going there and really liking the country. When we lived in Cloudcroft, I was in 4H and showed pigs. My family raised pigs and we made and sold whole hog sausage to restaurants in Cloudcroft and Alamogordo. So, “country” life was not completely foreign to me. I have loved living on this farm from the beginning of our marriage.

This was a neighborhood that was a perfect place to raise you and Little Brother. We have had the most amazing and special neighbors through the years. I don’t know that anything was really hard to adjust to. I guess one thing I did not realize was how much work there is to do here. Your dad amazes me at what a terrific farmer/rancher he is “in his spare time.” We have all stayed very busy “on the farm and with all the animals,” but I would not have traded it to live anywhere else.
What is one secret for a successful marriage?
I would say, “Marry the right person and BE the right partner.” I honestly believe that God directed your dad into my life. I thank Him every time I pray for your dad, our marriage, and you and Little Brother.
You love to shop (a trait which is apparently NOT genetic)..give everyone a shopping tip for finding a great deal.
Okay, the deal about being a good shopper is that you have to be vigilant about shopping ALL the time! You have to be able to spot deals that are too good to miss! Shopping for items out of season is a great money saver…like buy ski coats on sale at ski shops in March! When I go to “expensive” stores, I only shop the sale racks. Also, never think you are too good to shop at discount stores…there are some amazing deals. One time I was offered a job to be an international buyer for a store in Dallas, that may have been my “lifetime calling.” It is true that I love to shop! {When I was a kid, I never worried about losing my mom in a store, you just had to be quiet and listen for the click, click click of hangers being moved through and you'd know right where she was.}

What is one (or more) item (s) on your bucket list?
I really never had a bucket list. When I was young, there were some things I thought I wanted, but now I think back on those and am thankful I did not do them. (I was headed for California when your dad proposed!) I’m basically a very simple person who finds much happiness in small things. I can remember that watching how much my parents loved each other and us kids, I always hoped that I would marry a special person and have children. I have been completely blessed with Dad, you, and Little Brother. There really is no place I want to go, nothing I want to do, or no material thing I really want to own that could hold a candle to the happiness I have found right here at home. Maybe I am just very fortunate that I got everything I wanted without having to work at completing a list! {See? Life lesson. As a sidenote, when I was looking for pictures for the blog, I came across these two below that show what fantastic children she has.}