I really enjoyed all of this Hannah, thank you! What a lovely tribute to your mother. My dad paid me for grades, I think it took me a long time to realise hard work is its own reward!! Also, re the short time between very young and not so young - I popped into M&S yesterday and ended up buying three items of clothing, and I love them. Now I'm in my (later 😱) 40s it seems I can get stuff there and have moved one step along the line no doubt heading towards Monsoon and Next and the wool catalogue my mum likes 😔
Thank you for reading!! How I longed to be paid for grades! Haha M&S is fine I think! But Monsoon, yes, worrying. I find myself coming back to quite a few things I rallied against when I was younger e.g. for some reason I didn't want to use washing-up sponges like my mum, but those washing-up brushes instead -- because we never had them, I think I thought they were more chic! But now I have to admit that nothing does the job like a sponge. Humbling.
My brother is 5 years younger than I am and I asked him if he ever thought our family was poor? He said no, he never thought that. That surprised me because I was always conscious that we didn't have enough money; possibly because I was an only child for five years? I too would have preferred washing-up brushes, to sponges. Your Mum would have bought gold-plated washing-brushes, if she could have; and so would my parents. Instead they gave us every part of themselves. Pretty good deal for us! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KuVs1iuZrg
I'm nearing 70, born in America in 1953. I have always tried to work smart, not hard. I was an excellent steward of my employers' resources and overcame the efforts of unfit managers to ruin the employers' business through ineptitude. Make no mistake, I was never perfect and I'd be the first to get my work done and look for a place to sleep. But I saved lives and always placed the patient first. Although "hard work is it's own reward is a nice mantra," it is false. Do good work, but get away with what you can get away with. It's fun and you can reflect on it and laugh in retirement. 99.9% of us work for Bozos our entire life; so allow them to do what they're good at---making us laugh!
A really lovely tribute to your mum, Hannah. What an amazing person. I hope she finds peace and contentment in her retirement, and enjoys the time to do whatever it is she wishes to now focus herself on.
I went to Lyon on a school trip once. I remember almost nothing of it sadly, other than thinking "this feels very French!" 🤣
Great description of your experience. Definitely on my list of places to return to.
Great tribute to your Mum; great photo of you and Mum on Trafalgar Square.
“Single moms: You are a doctor, a teacher, a nurse, a maid, a cook, a referee, a heroine, a provider, a defender, a protector, a true Superwoman. Wear your cape proudly. She has to have four arms, four legs, four eyes, two hearts, and double the love. There is nothing “single” about a single mom. Heavy is the head, forced to wear two crowns.” God Bless Your Mom.
You carry her genes and that is a great responsibility: ”Where much is given, much is required.”
“We went to La Mère Jean, a place so French that the fellow patrons looked like the image an AI generator would produce from the prompt ‘draw a French man’.” Hilarious!
I quickly went on Ebay to find a “pot lyonnais,” and I found two of them, but the shipping to the states cost more than the pot! It must be heavy!
“…the highlights of going to a protest is the merguez (spicy North African sausage), which apparently tastes even better when served with a slice of civil unrest.” I love spicy sausage and will have to look for merguez.
Your mother sounds marvelous. Best wishes to her for a fulfilling retirement!
Thank you so much! I'll pass those on!
I really enjoyed all of this Hannah, thank you! What a lovely tribute to your mother. My dad paid me for grades, I think it took me a long time to realise hard work is its own reward!! Also, re the short time between very young and not so young - I popped into M&S yesterday and ended up buying three items of clothing, and I love them. Now I'm in my (later 😱) 40s it seems I can get stuff there and have moved one step along the line no doubt heading towards Monsoon and Next and the wool catalogue my mum likes 😔
Thank you for reading!! How I longed to be paid for grades! Haha M&S is fine I think! But Monsoon, yes, worrying. I find myself coming back to quite a few things I rallied against when I was younger e.g. for some reason I didn't want to use washing-up sponges like my mum, but those washing-up brushes instead -- because we never had them, I think I thought they were more chic! But now I have to admit that nothing does the job like a sponge. Humbling.
My brother is 5 years younger than I am and I asked him if he ever thought our family was poor? He said no, he never thought that. That surprised me because I was always conscious that we didn't have enough money; possibly because I was an only child for five years? I too would have preferred washing-up brushes, to sponges. Your Mum would have bought gold-plated washing-brushes, if she could have; and so would my parents. Instead they gave us every part of themselves. Pretty good deal for us! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KuVs1iuZrg
I'm nearing 70, born in America in 1953. I have always tried to work smart, not hard. I was an excellent steward of my employers' resources and overcame the efforts of unfit managers to ruin the employers' business through ineptitude. Make no mistake, I was never perfect and I'd be the first to get my work done and look for a place to sleep. But I saved lives and always placed the patient first. Although "hard work is it's own reward is a nice mantra," it is false. Do good work, but get away with what you can get away with. It's fun and you can reflect on it and laugh in retirement. 99.9% of us work for Bozos our entire life; so allow them to do what they're good at---making us laugh!
A really lovely tribute to your mum, Hannah. What an amazing person. I hope she finds peace and contentment in her retirement, and enjoys the time to do whatever it is she wishes to now focus herself on.
I went to Lyon on a school trip once. I remember almost nothing of it sadly, other than thinking "this feels very French!" 🤣
Great description of your experience. Definitely on my list of places to return to.
Thank you for reading and for your kind words, I'll pass them on!
Great tribute to your Mum; great photo of you and Mum on Trafalgar Square.
“Single moms: You are a doctor, a teacher, a nurse, a maid, a cook, a referee, a heroine, a provider, a defender, a protector, a true Superwoman. Wear your cape proudly. She has to have four arms, four legs, four eyes, two hearts, and double the love. There is nothing “single” about a single mom. Heavy is the head, forced to wear two crowns.” God Bless Your Mom.
You carry her genes and that is a great responsibility: ”Where much is given, much is required.”
“We went to La Mère Jean, a place so French that the fellow patrons looked like the image an AI generator would produce from the prompt ‘draw a French man’.” Hilarious!
I quickly went on Ebay to find a “pot lyonnais,” and I found two of them, but the shipping to the states cost more than the pot! It must be heavy!
“…the highlights of going to a protest is the merguez (spicy North African sausage), which apparently tastes even better when served with a slice of civil unrest.” I love spicy sausage and will have to look for merguez.
Thank you for your lovely words! Hmm I hope you manage to track down a pot lyonnais somewhere!
Beautiful portrait of your mother. She sounds warm and wise - and huge fun. I love the note she wrote about herself!
Thank you! I love that note too! Merci for reading :)
Wonderful tribute to your mum's career. How special. Have a great time in Kenya.
Thank you!! Special Kay <3
Beautiful piece ❤️
Thank you!!
PS have an amazing time in Kenya!
Merci!