Monday, October 31, 2011

Outside/Inside

outside:
snow and cold

inside:
blooming cacti
red and pink and white
basking in sunshine
pretending it's summer

The sweet, smiling baby in the picture is my Granddaughter, Amanda, at 6 months. She's wearing a feed-sack dress that my Mother wore as an infant.  The material for the dress came from a feed bag, maybe one that originally held grain for the farm animals. My Grandparents were poor tenant farmers who had no money for store-bought clothing. My Grandmother hand-sewed a tiny bit of lace to the collar and sleeves to make the dress prettier.  My mother was born a triplet (she and two brothers) which was very rare in the early 1900's. They were born in the old farmhouse. Only one baby was expected - there were already two toddlers in the family. My mother was the last born and the tiniest, weighing 2.5 pounds at birth. She was swaddled and placed in the oven of the slightly warmed wood stove, which they used as an incubator to keep her warm. 

Amanda and her twin brother will be 9 in February. My Mother and Grandmother died long before any of my Grandchildren were born. So, I tell the old stories, recounting a way of life so different both from my own and from that of my Grandchildren. 

I started this post writing about the delicate blooms on my cacti, but, somehow, I got distracted by that photo and the feed-sack dress.  I have only a few mementoes from my Mother and Grandmother. However, I do have the stories and my memories. Here's what I hope: maybe someday Amanda's own daughter will wear the antique dress, and Amanda will pass along the stories of the capable women, her ancestors, who survived the odds and made a better life for themselves and for their families.

26 comments:

  1. a touching, endearing story it is. the story of your mother's birth gives me pause, to reflect on the circumstances of others who've had such hardships in life. I've known nothing of those hardships personally. though we had enough when I was growing up, we lived simply and there was always food on the table and new shoes and clothes for the school year. I can only imagine what it must have been like to be a poor tenant farmer, and how it felt to be sewing a bit of lace on the collar of a child's flour sack dress. a small part of me wishes I did know what that was like. we are rich in many ways, and these stories that you keep to tell your grandchildren are but one example of the depths of your wealth. happy day Barb.

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  2. my goodness Barb, the story of your mother's beginning is amazing. though hearing of her being in a warming oven did scare me a bit. I can see it was fine though. Thank you for sharing some of your history!

    your cactus blooms are lovely next to the snowy outdoors!

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  3. what a wonderful legacy of strong women to pass down. you need to write it all down for them to make certain it is as complete as possible. :)

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  4. What a great story! The spirit and endurance of your ancestors (and most of ours I imagine) is inspiring. The world has changed so much. Love the feed sack on your little granddaughter and all that it represents.

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  5. You can lose mementos, photos and other such things but memories last forever. And they're even better when shared. Thank you for that.

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  6. I guess the story of the feed sack dress needed to be told...and so you told it. :)

    Your November cactus look so beautiful in bloom.

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  7. Wonderful photos from outside and inside. Thank you very much for visiting my blog and your comment.

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  8. Your plants look wonderful. What a difference they make inside a home.

    When I was a kid, we still had feed bags like that. I have a quilt my mom made out of them. Did you know that quilt fabric companies have reproduced the old feed sack patterns? It doens't have the same feel though. The old fabric felt more like printed muslin.

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  9. That story is just "Cool" Barb. I wish I had asked my mother more before she passed. But I do have some memories. Love Di ♥

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  10. What a sweet story, Barb. It felt natural to flow from the photos of the gorgeous blooming cactus to the photo of your granddaughter in that special dress.

    That your mother was a triplet and so tiny, and survived, what a legacy she built for you to pass down.

    I think of your grandmother with three newborns, two toddlers, and all those diapers. She must have been amazing!

    Cherish those memories.

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  11. I would love to listen to those stories by the fire place! Ha!

    This is such a touching story. I hope too that Amanda can pass on that dress to her children (maybe another set of twins).

    I remember my post about Zee's graduation dress traveled from one cousin's house to another.

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  12. I was very touched with your story. Thank you for sharing the sweet memories,Barb.

    The outside photo is very artistic. The inside of your room looks so warm with Amanda’s lovely photo, blooming flowers and lovely furniture. Especially I like your stand lamp. That is a sweet looking lamp! I am hoping that you are doing well and enjoying your time.
    Tomoko.

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  13. Love the world of contrasts! That snowy sunflower is gorgeous!

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  14. The contrasts here are spectacular. From freezing cold, to cozy. It is very serendipitous that you posted the pic of the Christmas cactus. We may have killed ours last night. The pot broke and dirt spilled everywhere and we had to put cold garden dirt in with the warm cactus. We are watching to see if it lives.

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  15. I find it interesting that photos take us on trips we do not expect. The photograph was of the cactus (mine are flowering too ) but in looking at the photograph you realized it was really about something else. That happens to me too. I like to follow the wanderings of my thoughts as I sit to write.

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  16. It's wonderful to hear the story of the feed sack dress. I, too, hope that another generation is swaddled in it, and the story of your mother wearing it. She must have been a strong girl to survive after being born so small way back then.

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  17. Your granddaughter is a cutie, and I love the story of the feed-sack dress. It got me thinking about the fact that so many tangible mementoes from our predecessors simply vanish with the passage of time. That is sad. I am happy that the dress has not only survived, but has achieved "heirloom status" and is getting passed down through the generations.

    By the way, that first picture, of the wilted flower in the snow, is so good it should be hanging on people's walls.

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  18. Amanda is a litlle , lovely child...
    And your photos are so cosy!
    I would like to have some snow here...but it never snows...it's cold out there...but no snow at all....

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  19. Mine are blooming as well. I need to get a macro of my white bloomer before it's done.

    Lovely story about the dress. Love it! :)

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  20. Fantastic post! My dad is 88 and grew up on a farm during very hard times. He has been relating his memories to my children who are 19 and 21. Memories and stories of our ancestors are wonderful to pass along!

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  21. Just catching up while being away ... brrrrrr ... much better view inside!

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  22. Inside,outside, the stories of yesterday all tied together with your lovely writing. I do not know how I lost track of your blog. I am glad to have found you again.

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  23. Hi Barb
    that's a lovely touching story bringing the four generations and the propensity for multiple births together. Are there any twins in your family?

    My cactus flowered in the middle of our winter and added a lovely splash of colour to the winter.

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  24. Wow Barb, that is a wonderful story! I just loved it. The whole time I am picturing this tiny baby and the miracle of her birth and existence! Can you imagine the thrill and the surprise! ok now lets get some pictures! That would be fun to see!

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  25. What a wonderful post -- and more than one good thing are in it. I love everything about it. your home looks so warm and inviting on this cold day. And your family story is absolutely lovely and I'm sure your grand daughter (and her brother) will be thrilled to remember these stories now and in future years. I love that you have the dress!

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  26. Thank you for sharing your memories and oral traditions...our stories are our tribute to those who came before us.
    You came from amazing people....
    even today triplets are lots and lots of hard work to raise. Your Mother's life was a miracle. Wow...2.5 pounds...very tiny.
    May you and yours have a blessed Thanksgiving.
    Sherry

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Your comments are always one good thing for me!