Blogging from A to Z: Gardening

My parents enjoyed gardening. Most of my life my parents had a garden and when they didn't they would grow plants, flowers and the such. The gardening has dwindled down due advanced age and health issues. The fruit trees still produce and a crop or two may pop up in the old garden.

To me it looked like too much work! They didn't do a small garden. My parents came from a generation that wasn't scared of hard work. The garden did provide my Mom and Dad something to do together. The garden produced a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. Produced enough to over flow their table. They would share their abundance with neighbors, friends and shelters.

I want to say the garden was probably my Dad's influence. I know his parents had a huge garden. My Uncle also has a large garden. My Grandfather was the first generation to leave the farm so I'm sure there is some tradition and heritage somewhere in the mix.

It could be mutual. I know my Mom has relatives in rural areas in Sweden. Whatever the case mght be my Mother enjoyed gardening.

Blogging A to Z: F is for Family

Family goes well with my theme. My theme is about my Mom and my Mom is family.

On my Mom's side of the family I'm not very close. The reason many miles and money being the primary reasons. Though through technology I have been able to connect with some. 

A to Z Challenge: Education

Education is very important to my Mom. She wanted my brother and myself to go to the best public schools we could go to. She was proud of me for getting my undergraduate and Masters degree. Yes having her children gain a solid education was important to her but there is more to the story.

Her education was important too! What she achieved really impresses my Dad. English is not my Mother's native tongue. My Mom gave up a lot to live in America. Life in her country isn't bad. She didn't come here to escape something. She didn't come here because America was better. She didn't come because she had to come. My Mom simply came to America to be with my Dad.

Everywhere we lived my Mom was working on her education. She could speak it when my Dad and her met. My Mom not only Mastered English but got a degree in it!

Now she is proud of her Granddaughter for her grades and wants her to continue her education into college when that day comes. Me, I am just dreading the expenses.

A to Z Challenge: Days and other D's

Nothing starts a day better than a sunrise.

The video is a sunrise over the Black Sea, my Mom doesn't live by the Black Sea but she does live near the Atlantic Ocean. Living close to the ocean she enjoyed having a cup of coffee and watching the sun come up.

My Mom is still alive. It is just more difficult to get around. You fight a disease without a cure. Sometimes those treatments damage things and make things more difficult.

We have good days, bad days, days that are a little of both. Life can be measured in days. We don't know how many days we have. We don't know what day will be our darkest. As I grow older I tend to realize that in my own life. We can watch the lives of our parents, friends and love ones go by day by day.

I've been able to share some days with my Mom.  We live in a time where if we can't share days we can share moments. We can send pictures instantly. We can talk in real time. Thanks to technology! We certainly can do more than when my Mom was born. Heck we can do so much more since I was born. Someway it is better and some ways it is a distraction.

Make the best of your days! Try to have more good days than bad! Because you never know how many days you can share. You never know how many days you have.

Days come to an end.

A to Z Challenge 2019: C is for Clapton

Over the years my Mom became a fan of Eric Clapton. My taste of music was a strong influence on my Mother's taste. She didn't like everything I enjoyed but their was common ground.


                                               "Motherless Child"

She saw Eric Clapton once with me and once with my Dad. She got to see him in Jacksonville with Derek Trucks....  "Why does Love have to Feel so Bad"

My Mom was impressed by Derek..

"Crow Jane"

But it was the Blues side my Mom really likes...

"Old Love"

Thanks for visiting I will be back tomorrow with a post for D!

A to Z Challenge 2019: B is for Birthday

Today is my Mom's Birthday! If my Mother is following my blog Happy Birthday!

Here is a song for you..

Plenty of B's to go around with The Beatles "Birthday"

Over the years my Mom has bought me concert tickets and has even gone to concerts with me. One of those artists was B.B. King.

"The Thrill is Gone"

I was lucky enough to see B.B. King several times and I was lucky enough to have seen one of those concerts with my Mom. Thanks for visiting and I will be back with a new post soon.

A to Z Challenge 2019 A is for ABBA and Battle of the Bands

"A" could be for Ambitious as I try to tackle the first post of the Blogging from A to Z Challenge with my Battle of the Bands blog hop. My song choice comes from ABBA so it certainly features the letter "A."

ABBA is from Sweden and so is my Mom so there is the correlation with how this post relates to my Mom. The song also has "Mother" in the title.

How does the Battle of the Bands post work? I announce a song, try to use the original as a reference, and it will be the first song. You don't vote for this one. I will have two contenders (sometimes more) that will battle it out. In the comments you vote on what version you liked best . You can expand on your vote and tell why, or you can share memories or what not when you vote as well. If you want to find out more about this blog hop visit here.

The Song: ABBA  "Does Your Mother Know

The Battle is between the next two!

Contender One: Cher

Contender Two: B*Witched 

Maybe it is also April Fools Day since I am using ABBA? Anyway please vote in the comments and I will count up the votes and post a winner probably on the 14th. It is usually sooner but with the A to Z Challenge the 14th looks like the best date!