MIRROR, MIRROR…

Tags

Beauty, family, Health, inner beauty, Martina Reisz Newberry, Mirror, self-confidence, women

Got up this morning and waded in to my morning routine.  Usually starts with washing my face.  This morning, I washed my face, looked up in to the mirror and it spoke to me.  It said:

Good morning,Martina!  I was just noticing that you share a smile with your Aunt Jan and you and your favorite cousins all have that same little twinkle that cause a little wrinkle on the sides of your eyes.  And, for heaven’s sake, look there:  You have your mother’s smooth forehead, like a young girl’s–isn’t that nice?  I couldn’t help but notice, Martina, that you have that same self-conscious look about you that your mother had as well.  (You probably should get a little confidence under your belt and get rid of that self-consciousness. Just sayin’)  Your skin looks pretty good for 68 years old.  Got that from your Grandma Martina on your father’s side, didn’t you?  Nice coloring and soft to the touch.  Lucky you. 

I also noticed that you’re still biting your nails and it looks pretty awful. You’re a good person, quit being scared and stressed.  Everything will work out. I like the new cleanser you’re using.  Smells good.  I like the way your eyes are clear and bright most mornings.  

Fact is, I think I like YOU, Martina.  Keep comin’ back.  

That isn’t my usual conversation with the mirror, but it caught me off guard today in a real good way, so I thought I’d pass it along.

Things I Wanted to Do Today…

Tags

family, ice cream, Martina Reisz Newberry, onion dip, Potato chip, Scrooge, sons, Time-Warner, Wind chime

Things I Wanted to Do Today But Didn’t:

1.  Eat ice cream  
2.  Dance 
3.  Say “B.S.” to a BUNCH of people  
4.  Make onion dip and eat potato chips with it.  
5.  Say “B.S.” to some more people  
6.  Call my son and implore him to come visit me.  
7.  Go tell my neighbor how wonderful I think he is for saving and worrying about all the animals he saves and worries about.  
8.  Call Time-Warner and ask them to turn a couple of my movie channels back on.
9.  Make one of my mom’s comfort dishes.  
10. Get more wind chimes.  I LOVE wind chimes.  
11. View my last two poems with a critical eye.

 
12. Beg my rich great- uncle for the ton of money I need (Wait!  I don’t have a rich great-uncle.  

I KNEW there was a reason for that one)

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The Apron

Tags

child-rearing, family, Home economics, love, memories, Middle school, motherhood, Sewing machine

When I was in Junior High School, I took “Home Economics.”  We were taught the basics of cooking and sewing.  In my sewing class, I made an apron.  I did not work awfully hard on it, just did what I needed to do to get by and finish the damn thing.  I took it home when the school year was finished.

My mother, an artist on a thousand levels (sewing, sculpture, painting, upholstery, pottery, etc) looked at it and said, “You’ll need to make this over again.”

I teared up, ran to my room, and sulked for an hour or so.  Soon she came in with
the apron.  She had undone the sewing–the apron was in pieces.

“Come into the sewing room and we’ll do this over again,” she said.

I said I don’t want to do it again.  I hate sewing.

“I can see that,” she said.  ”You don’t have to ever sew anything again if you don’t want to, but you’ll make this one and only thing over again and this time we’ll do it right.”

And I did.  She helped me and I redid the sloppy, half-hearted work I thought I was done with and, when it was done, it looked pretty good. In fact, it looked very good.

My mother smiled and nodded at the apron and at me.  ”It’s good,” she said.  We ironed it and my mother hung it over the hook near the stove.  She put it on to make dinner that night and many nights after that.  It was worth wearing.

I’ve never developed a love for sewing.  But, I have developed a desire to do whatever it is I am doing with some pride.  Dislike doesn’t cancel out the personal pride factor.  It was a good lesson.