Mother's Day 2017
To my dearest darling dear mother like no other...
Mother Maxfield (name I used in grocery stores to find correct mother when I was lost)
Sondra Kay Shaw (maiden name ... except for the "o" for "a" wink)
Sonrot (special name given by Megan)
| Do you remember being a mother for the first time? Well here are some old photos to jog the memory! Thanks to the fact that "aunt Flo" did not come to visit in Sept 1962 ... I get to be your first child! I have to laugh at your clever attempt to tell Bob (when you two were with your friends at dinner) that you were pregnant by ordering "MILK" ... no light went on upstairs ... or the fact that when he learned you were pregnant he went to bed for days ... I have to smile about how young you two were starting this big adventure of being parents. So here are some pictures of you visiting family at Great Grandmother Maxfield's and the lodge when I was a baby. | ||
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| Can you believe all the mothering that you have done ... I can't ... because I have just one child and I hardly make it through the day. You had 4, plus you were working and volunteering. How the heck did you do it all. You are an incredible woman! I remember when I was in high school you telling me a saying "If you think you can or you think you can't, you're RIGHT!". I know that you think you can do anything ... and you do. Awesome! I have always been so proud of having a mom with so many talents. Able to organize and manage anything (children center, Houston Racquette Club, museum of science fund raisers etc), able to play piano with seeming no effort, able to manage huge groups of kids and/or adults, able to take your ideas and turn them into awesome events (Tons of Fun in '81 parties, King Tut trip, Apollo launch trips with dad, Mama mia trip to NYC and all those awesome events for the HRC ...) My mom, Sondra Maxfield, can do anything ... she can even use computers and has since 1980's even even though she says she is not "technical". My mom keeps up with the times and that keeps her modern and young. How did you ever manage so many children's birthday parties in May ... one on the 6th then on 23rd and then again on 28th. It takes me weeks to get over Robin's birthday! I never ever even heard you complain. I wonder how you coped with Tom (or was it Jim) who climbed on the counter and sat on my birthday cake (did look like a booster seat) minutes before the guests arrived for my birthday party. Or how did you cope with JR never showing up for my 10th birthday to take my friends flying? Did you just have infinite patience and energy? Now being a parent I really have sooooo much more respect and understanding how that must have been to be our mom. Every weekend on the road to look at farms (to fullfill one of Dad's life dream) ... or cocktail parties where you would make dacquiri's and margaritas ... You organized fund raisers like the St. Francis auction. You took us everywhere for ballet, gymnatics, swimming, soccer, band practice ... and then again to all our our meets/football games/performances etc! You even coped with losing Bill. Oh my, what a full life you and dad lived. You both somehow financially were able to buy many houses and the farm ... something that I can only dream of. You were able to send us to great private schools and summer camp ... something that I can't imagine to be able to afford with 4 children. We had holidays in Arkansas with fresh bread, barley candy, onyx eggs (not to eat, of course) and the smell of wind onions when we hiked through the property searching for caves. We fished. You took us to San Diego where we all got sick in the DC3 while Dad flew dips into the grand canyon ... but all was OK because we got to learn about "bubble up" on that trip. Lastly, when we found our farm ... we had weekends at the farm with the wonderful smells, gardens, nature and the quiet sound of bugs buzzing. Thanks mom for such a great childhood! | ||
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| Last of all ... on this day, we can't forget your mother ... Leslie Lee Ladd! Here is a photo I found when she was a pilot in the WASP (I think) ... and this would be around the time of your birth (or am I wrong? because she looks the same as when she was my grandma, timeless). Since I could not resist her gorgeous red hair ... I had to put one in of Leslie and Tom shaw in their sleep clothes where you can see her lovely red hair! What a great and dynamic mom you had! We (here in Berlin) still celebrate her life by making her salad dressing and "shake like hell" and her pinto beans (which Robin can never get enough of!) ... and when I see persimones in the turkish markets I have to think of her putting them in the freezer because in Texas it never gets cold enough for them to become sweet. Everyday when I bathe I get to gaze at her big blue mexican bottles that she kept by the fireplace ... a I think of her. I wish now that I could ask her about her adventures ... Do you think that is Jacqueline Cochran with her in that photo???? | ||
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Well YOU are my favorite mother! |
Let me make you a cocktail (notice your bride photo in the background) because as you can see I got an early start with this hobby and sit back and enjoy all the family memories that flood in ... |
Please come visit me soon in my little garden house ... in Berlin! Yes, thanks to you and dad I have a little house tick which started quite early in life! |
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Have a wonderful Mother's DAY! Your flagship Miss Missy Michelle ... moo PS ... and just for fun ... here is a picture of me being a mom for the first time ... with Robin! The cycle goes on ... and on ... | ||
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