tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post4730725591386061204..comments2024-03-28T12:00:47.858-04:00Comments on Jungle Red Writers: Edith Maxwell--Breaking a Rule for her MomJungle Red Writershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16646429819267618412noreply@blogger.comBlogger42125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-29074024562452998992015-06-04T18:48:25.646-04:002015-06-04T18:48:25.646-04:00Mar - that was her Girl Scout Leader of the Year s...Mar - that was her Girl Scout Leader of the Year statue - not of her. More like a trophy. All her quilts were that gorgeous, and I have a book of photographs of at least fifty.<br /><br />Grandma - Love your description of your mom! I'm pretty short, myself.<br />Edith Maxwellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01388006370860482509noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-82353569842417530642015-06-04T11:37:47.517-04:002015-06-04T11:37:47.517-04:00Thanks so much for sharing. I always put my mom i...Thanks so much for sharing. I always put my mom in my school stories about my favorite person, the most brave person I knew, anytime we had to write she was my subject. She raised 4 of us (one born after my father died) with a very domineering mother of her own hovering around. I did not realize how brave she was until I was an adult and had some perspective.<br /><br />She was a feisty little person and a lot of fun. I remember when my family took her to DL and she was like just another little girl wanting to get near Minnie and standing on a chair (she was very short!) to see the parade.Grandma Cootiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10709540756822695170noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-61944317086810937322015-06-04T07:16:05.205-04:002015-06-04T07:16:05.205-04:00Edith,
I enjoyed your memories of your Mom - she ...Edith,<br /><br />I enjoyed your memories of your Mom - she sounds like the Mom all your friends would want...I'd have loved if my Mom had been so active in my life<br /><br />The pictures are wonderful and OMG the quilt is beyond Impressive, just gorgeous. What a treasure for all of you to have one of her works of art from her Heart.<br /><br />She sounds like an amazing, Mom, wife, gram and friend.....you have some very lovely memories <br /><br />Thanks for sharing your Mom with us <br /><br />Mar<br /><br />I love the bronze statue - was that done of your Mom ?Rosie123https://www.blogger.com/profile/11528374618939863598noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-58355874126521726232015-06-03T20:55:19.672-04:002015-06-03T20:55:19.672-04:00Xoxxo to you, too, Reine. I got the positive in yo...Xoxxo to you, too, Reine. I got the positive in your post. Edith Maxwellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01388006370860482509noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-38017525404101618552015-06-03T20:50:50.432-04:002015-06-03T20:50:50.432-04:00Lucy/Roberta, thank you. My mother had a lot of go...Lucy/Roberta, thank you. My mother had a lot of good. In our case conferences where I did my post-master's field placement, we were told to look for a mémère. :-) <br /><br />On rereading my original comment, I realised it wasn't as positive as I had thought and meant it to be. I wish that it looked more positive. When my mother was able, she was great. She just wasn't able. xoxxoMaureen Harringtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03499876353651763590noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-87774761947010474052015-06-03T15:57:03.230-04:002015-06-03T15:57:03.230-04:00Here's to them all, Debs. And thanks again for...Here's to them all, Debs. And thanks again for having me to visit - we've had quite the day of stories here!Edith Maxwellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01388006370860482509noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-21213625886022426842015-06-03T15:53:51.677-04:002015-06-03T15:53:51.677-04:00Edith, sorry to be so tardy today! It has finally ...Edith, sorry to be so tardy today! It has finally quit raining here, and the landscapers showed up first thing this morning to finish all the big month-delayed projects. I am just now getting a chance to sit down at the computer. (And boy am I dirty and sweaty...)<br /><br />Thanks everyone for the lovely tributes. Mary, your poem made me cry, too. I spent lots of time just sitting with my mom.<br /><br />Judy, I'd forgotten about the wheat germ on cottage cheese! Not doing that anymore, thank goodness, but the healthy eating thing is still very much ingrained. <br /><br />So interesting to hear how different everyone's mothers were, and what different gifts they had to offer. My mom and dad had their own business, so I grew up with my mom working. She had NO interest in crafts, or Girl Scouts, or gardening, or camping. But she loved to travel and to try new things. She spent her whole adult life diligently studying Spanish--although her accent was always atrocious. She had a great gift for making friends. She was always interested in people--she'd talk to complete strangers anywhere--so I think I probably own my novelist's curiosity to her.<br /><br />Here's to Mary, and Marilyn, and all those moms out there.Deborah Crombiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16988750789088153601noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-81666800477331570752015-06-03T15:32:35.090-04:002015-06-03T15:32:35.090-04:00Mary, your poem made me cry. It's lovely.
Jud...Mary, your poem made me cry. It's lovely.<br /><br />Judy - I still put wheat germ on my cottage cheese and in my homemade granola (although that recipe is from Diet for a Small Planet).<br /><br />Julia, thank you. I so agree. Edith Maxwellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01388006370860482509noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-73159703364531752322015-06-03T15:00:51.218-04:002015-06-03T15:00:51.218-04:00Edith, what a wonderful tribute to your mother. It...Edith, what a wonderful tribute to your mother. It struck me, reading about her, how some of the most important things we will ever experience in life aren't valued by the powers-that-be, aren't for pay, don't garner anyone acclaim or prestige.<br /><br />I'm sure every mom reading your account today hopes she'll be remembered as lovingly as Marilyn Flaherty!Juliahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09553268569509053159noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-45391053585693148042015-06-03T14:07:02.701-04:002015-06-03T14:07:02.701-04:00LOvely tribute, Edith. My mom was an Adele Davis f...LOvely tribute, Edith. My mom was an Adele Davis fan too, so we had wheat germ and lecithin and similar things. A doctor once said to me, "Now I know you're mom has some strange ideas about food...." They weren't strange ideas, and I've carried them on--but no lecithin or wheat germ, thank you. <br />Glad you have such wonderful memories to share with us and to bring your mom to live in a novel.<br />judyalterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13767466505891813090noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-33550411929585959632015-06-03T13:40:07.918-04:002015-06-03T13:40:07.918-04:00What a lovely way to honor and share your mother! ...What a lovely way to honor and share your mother! I did enjoy meeting her in Farmed and Dangerous, and will now have to take a second look. <br /> When I began teaching, and became aware of some of my students' lives, I would periodically thank my mother for the "boring" life I took for granted, and she would proudly tell her friends. Mom was always there to hear about our days at school, offering advice sometimes, but mostly listening. A cousin once skipped school and walked the two miles to our house to talk with my mom. Mom, of course, immediately called her home to reassure my aunt, and then listened my cousin's trouble out. I didn't hear about it until much later, when Mom was in assisted living. I visited her almost every day, knowing I was storing up memories for later. <br />I'm going to paste in a poem I wrote for her, if I can:<br /><br />Sitting by Mary Garrett<br /><br />We spent so much time sitting,<br />Sitting in doctors’ offices, <br />Sitting in medical labs,<br />Sitting in hospital rooms.<br /><br />During better times we sat in your kitchen, talking;<br />Then in the dining room at Harvester, both talking;<br />As you tired, me talking and knitting, you listening;<br />As you became too tired to even listen, just sitting.<br /><br />You sat in your wheelchair to visit restaurants, <br />Shaw’s Garden, the art museum, the zoo,<br />(where I nearly lost you on a steep hill),<br />the Goldenrod Showboat,<br />(where Mr. Yamamoto taught me to back down steep hills).<br />Doug called you “love on wheels.”<br /><br />Returning from the doctor’s one day, <br />We visited the mama killdeer <br />Who built her nest next to a parking lot.<br />You could sit in the car and see her through your window:<br />Drive-through bird watching!<br /><br />At the end, we sat by your bed,<br />Holding your hand, smoothing your brow,<br />Saying I love you.<br />Then we were sitting by your still form, <br />But you? Surely not still sitting --<br /> Soaring, flying free <br /> From this world to another,<br /> Released from all bonds,<br /> Too full of joy to sit.<br /><br /><br />Verna Fussner October 8, 1924 - August 14, 1999<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-72420278749740868532015-06-03T13:38:24.261-04:002015-06-03T13:38:24.261-04:00Aw, thanks so much, Kathy. I so agree about all th...Aw, thanks so much, Kathy. I so agree about all the little everyday things. I hope you find time to get to the Local Foods mysteries, and I look forward to seeing you down south in the fall.Edith Maxwellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01388006370860482509noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-50426278024788812142015-06-03T12:39:47.003-04:002015-06-03T12:39:47.003-04:00Edith, what a beautifully written love letter to y...Edith, what a beautifully written love letter to your mommy. I called my mother "mommy," too, and I still do when talking about her with my siblings. Your mother, like mine, was a fully involved participant in her children's lives, and I think that there's a certain sense of love and security gained from that which lies a foundation for us in being able to love others, too. Like you, I remember the girl scouts with my mother there and the boy scout meetings at our house when Mommy was a Den Mother. There are so many ordinary things that mothers can do to make a child feel loved and safe, things that we remember as adults as the acts of unconditional love. I just had a memory of my mother putting Mercurochrome on a scraped knee and covering it with a bandaid as I sat in a chair on our front porch whimpering. Her loving touch was so gentle and her voice so soothing, the very essence of what my mother was to me. My mother has been gone for 20 years this past February, and I still long to hear her voice and talk to her. I wish that she could have seen my children grown and now my grandchildren, but the disadvantage of being the youngest child born to parents who were 44 (mother) and 53 (father) is that you don't have them as long as you'd like. <br /><br />I have the first two books in this series, Edith, and although I've been remiss in reading them, yet, I will definitely have read them by Bouchercon this fall. I loook forward to meeting you in Raleigh and chatting. Putting your mother in your books as a character is a great idea and way to honor her importance and influence in your life. Congratulations on the new book! Kathy Reelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17004247271452356577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-76331055383172196072015-06-03T12:22:04.902-04:002015-06-03T12:22:04.902-04:00Pat, how wonderful you still have a mom who is thr...Pat, how wonderful you still have a mom who is thriving. Yes, dementia is a tough, tough thing. My mom's second husband developed Alzheimer's, and after he was in a care facility and she went to see him, every time he'd take her hand and say, "Marilyn, will you marry me?" She always said, yes, of course.<br /><br />Mary - sounds like you had a great mom. A Basque school - incredible! So glad you had such wonderful conversations with her.Edith Maxwellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01388006370860482509noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-23250888078373754522015-06-03T12:18:26.257-04:002015-06-03T12:18:26.257-04:00This is such a beautiful tribute to your mother. ...This is such a beautiful tribute to your mother. I also lost my mother last year in August and I know I will always feel this loss but at the same time as time goes by I feel so comforted by the time she was with me and always in awe by what a wonderful person she was. My mother had an incredible courage and intelligent resourcefulness, always guided by her education in a strict Basque school, her sense of protocol and diplomacy, and a natural grace, always doing what is correct, thoughtful and kind. She taught me to be understand others, to be forgiving, to be strong, to always present myself well. My mother was always dressed with care and elegance, and had an elegance and graciousness of manner that was ingrained and sincere. Day-to-day we spoke on the phone and shared thoughts and news, I, in North America and she, in South America. The visits I made to see her are such treasured memories of outings, and lengthy conversations, I wish had never ended.VintageCrafts17https://www.blogger.com/profile/12973075609330111035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-71840289371027253812015-06-03T12:06:46.654-04:002015-06-03T12:06:46.654-04:00I'm glad Great Uncle Albert is getting such a ...I'm glad Great Uncle Albert is getting such a wonderful girl friend. I've been waiting impatiently to see what Cam is going to do about her jealous chef and her new potential interest. I know who I'm voting for! Your mom sounds like she was a true wonder, Edith. My mom is 95 now and still cracks me up with some of her stories and observations. Thank God she is in pretty good shape. I lost my dad in November, and my father-in-law 2 weeks ago, so I'm not in the best place right now. My mother-in-law has dementia and it has worsened so quickly since her true love died. No short term memory at all. But she was quite a character in her day and it just hurts so bad to see the shape she's in now.Pat Dnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-44153771811169988822015-06-03T11:39:11.000-04:002015-06-03T11:39:11.000-04:00Thanks, Mark! She was remarkable in her very modes...Thanks, Mark! She was remarkable in her very modest way.Edith Maxwellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01388006370860482509noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-27247093143120241212015-06-03T11:34:32.881-04:002015-06-03T11:34:32.881-04:00Wow, Edith. What I loving tribute to a remarkable...Wow, Edith. What I loving tribute to a remarkable woman. I'll look forward to getting to know her better when I read this book.Mark Bakerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11567392254011373198noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-54608048436610554172015-06-03T09:55:37.333-04:002015-06-03T09:55:37.333-04:00Vickie - yes. I'd have to check but I think I ...Vickie - yes. I'd have to check but I think I included that name in the book. If not, I will in the next one!Edith Maxwellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01388006370860482509noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-91467169625256829952015-06-03T09:54:38.245-04:002015-06-03T09:54:38.245-04:00Karen, you are so right about Girl Scouts. There&#...Karen, you are so right about Girl Scouts. There's a whole group of girls I grew up with in California who I'm now Facebook friends with, and they always say how much they liked my mom and coming to our house. It's very sweet. Edith Maxwellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01388006370860482509noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-15760744045094851322015-06-03T09:53:05.897-04:002015-06-03T09:53:05.897-04:00I know that feeling, Mary. My dad died when I was ...I know that feeling, Mary. My dad died when I was pregnant with my first son, who actually is very much like him. I tried to keep his memory alive for my sons by talking about him a lot. Not the same, though.<br /><br />Thank you, Susan. Yes, it's just hard.<br /><br />Congrats on your mom getting to 90, Denise. Happy birthday to her!<br /><br />Libby - it's my pleasure. I have two more quilts that she never finished, and one of these days...Edith Maxwellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01388006370860482509noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-53038673910523939922015-06-03T09:50:09.886-04:002015-06-03T09:50:09.886-04:00Thank you, Brenda. I hesitated for a moment before...Thank you, Brenda. I hesitated for a moment before including her, but it just felt right.<br /><br />Hallie - I appreciated my mother more and more the older I got, and especially after I became a mother myself. I didn't even mention what an awesome grandmother she was. She and my older son used to work all kinds of hilarious side deals during Monopoly games and try to pull bluffs during Scrabble, and he still does.<br /><br />I love that line, Hank! In our later years, Mommy used to say, "I'm just going to say a motherly thing, but you can ignore it." I still have a bottle of Woodhue with a few drops in it, and when I smell it I smell her.<br /><br />Edith Maxwellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01388006370860482509noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-38186677184096745192015-06-03T09:43:20.544-04:002015-06-03T09:43:20.544-04:00Thanks for sharing your mom's story with us, E...Thanks for sharing your mom's story with us, Edith! Stitch and Bitch Quilters -- love it :-)Vickie Feehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04117236123870072148noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-25394959313234805112015-06-03T09:43:04.217-04:002015-06-03T09:43:04.217-04:00Edith, what a gift your mother was to you and your...Edith, what a gift your mother was to you and your siblings. And, may I say, to all the other Girl Scouts she led, who, I suspect, would tell you how much they appreciated having her in their lives, as well. My own mother was the opposite of yours, but fortunately I had other "moms" in my life who filled in the gaps, much as your mother may have done. <br /><br />Because my mom was so different from yours, I tried really hard to be more hands-on, and I hope my own girls feel compelled, some future day, to give tribute as you've done here. So knowing how proud I would feel if they did, I feel sure your mother is beaming in Heaven, knowing her job was well done. Karen in Ohionoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-12214651686645758172015-06-03T09:41:55.955-04:002015-06-03T09:41:55.955-04:00I have all the Adele Davis books on the shelf abov...I have all the Adele Davis books on the shelf above me as I type! They are well used paperbacks from many years ago.<br />Your mother's quilt is beautiful! Some of my favorite colors.<br />Thanks for sharing it all.Libby Doddhttp://www.libbydoddart.comnoreply@blogger.com