Another Mother’s Day is upon us, a time to bask in the love of your offspring and/or to honor your Mom and make her feel special.
As most of you know, I lost my mom in 2010, but not a day goes by without thinking of her.
On the heels of last week’s Wordless Wednesday and the creative rainbow chalk art, I have more chalk art offerings for you to ooh and aah over.
For many years, my daily walk took me through various neighborhoods. My route to/from Council Point Park was a two-mile round trip and I only swapped out walking for driving that short distance when the mechanic said “Linda, you must drive this car more or it will develop electrical issues!” So I complied even though I thought it was kinda cool to tally up more miles on two feet than on four tires.
But despite this warning, occasionally I still do my morning meander on foot to my favorite nature nook and such was the case last year, on May 15, 2023, the day after Mother’s Day.
Along my route I pass a church and the volunteer gardener there is a member of the parish. This time of year she is always out tending to the garden, so on occasion I stop and chat with her. On that Spring morning, however, instead of feasting on the usual eye candy of colorful blooms and flowering trees, my eyes focused on the cement walkway to the church which was covered in chalk art honoring mom. Lucky for me, the artwork had not been smeared by footprints or doused by rain.
Any and all chalk art I see on my walks is a treat and I am quick to capture a picture of it, so I reached for the camera in my pocket and decided these images would be featured in my Mother’s Day 2024 post.
Steppin’ back in time for a quick minute ….
When I was a kid, creative drawing with chalk was not a “thing” that I can recall. I didn’t have a chalkboard easel at home, so likely the only connection to chalk was at grade school when every morning after we sang “God Save the Queen” the teacher would select a student to clear the blackboard of the previous day’s lessons, then open the window and clap that chalkboard eraser against the brick wall to free the chalk dust.
I remember creating greeting cards for Mother’s Day in grade school using construction paper, mucilage glue and crayons, then after the grand presentation at home, along with a hug and a kiss, my artwork was displayed for a few days.
As an only child, I was always very close to my mom.
With the advent of electronic greetings, I wonder if sending a Hallmark card is as important today as it once was? There was/is even a phrase called a “Hallmark moment” which all the online dictionaries identify as “a memorable moment or event, one which would make a poignant greeting card.”
After I began buying a greeting card for my mom, thus forsaking my sweet and simple artwork, those Hallmark Mother’s Day cards I purchased got a little more elaborate every year. Most were steeped in sentiment, beribboned and often on parchment paper, always prominently displayed on the kitchen corner cabinet for about a week’s time.
So where did those pretty cards end up?
Mom kept those cards in a folder in her room. But as the years went on, that folder grew because all her meaningful birthday cards were also stashed in the same folder.
I’m sure I am not the only person who bought a card and signed it with a pet’s name. Those greeting cards, made to look like a child picked them, were added to Mom’s card collection, as were a few cards that said “To Mommy from Sugar” or a few cute teddy bear greeting cards which I signed “To Mommy … Love, The Bears” and I liked those vintage teddy bear cards or Boyds Bears cards best.
Eventually Mom’s card collection folder was bursting at the seams, so she used a paper gift bag to contain them all and, it was then I decided to put all MY cards from Mom, similarly tucked away for safekeeping, into Mom’s bag.
A few weeks ago I opened that gift bag, which contained about 75 greeting cards, each dated the year it was given and going back several decades – what a treasure trove of memories!
There were too many to get into one photo, so I grouped the Mother’s Day cards I liked most together.
Also embedded in that card stash were a few vintage cards from a long-gone great uncle who opened an antiques store in Vancouver, British Columbia and sometimes sent Mom and me unique vintage cards, a few which I photographed to use sometime in my blog. (You may recall the little girl with her dog I used in my recent pets-through-the-years post – that was a card from Joe.)
So I spent a delightful afternoon going through that bag of greeting cards to select some for this post. There were both smiles and tears as I read those sentiments. Though I am striving mightily to clear my house of clutter, I know the gift bag spilling over with cards and cherished memories will be tucked away forever.
I hope to be joining Terri Webster Schrandt’s Monthly Color Challenge: Cobalt Blue but with an asterisk as I have no cobalt blue images from my excursions and even a perfect, cloudless sky could not possibly achieve cobalt blue hues. However, I photographed the greeting cards against a cobalt blue dress – will that suffice Terri?
Mom might approve of that cobalt blue background as blue was her favorite color and, just like the song “Five Foot Two, Eyes of Blue (Has Anybody Seen My Girl?)”, she was short in stature at five foot two, with very blue eyes and a big heart.
“Mothers hold their children’s hands for a short while, but their hearts forever.” ~Anonymous
Happy Mother’s Day to those who celebrate!
Linda Schaub
WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY 
Happy mother’s day. Nice you sharing. Beautiful pic.
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Glad you liked the post and the pictures Raj.
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Lovely post!
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Glad you liked it Anne – I knew you would enjoy seeing the chalk art especially! A little fun and a little nostalgia as well. Happy Mother’s Day to you!
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ooh and aah❤️
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Glad you liked these kids’ chalk art – they were fun to see. That’s one thing I miss in the Summer walking to/from the Park as there is lots of fun chalk art while kids are on Summer vacation.
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I just sent you an email that I hope you will be able to respond.
I only remember white chalk as a kid playing hop scotch. I loved the cards and I wondered about the heart necklace that your mom is wearing. I miss my mom! And I had a wonderful visit from my grandma and great aunt in my dreams last night! I woke up so happy!!
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I have just responded to your e-mail TD. I forgot – we did use white chalk for hopscotch at the schoolyard. There was a hopscotch drawing in the Mother’s Day chalk drawing but I didn’t put it in as it didn’t pertain to Mother’s Day. As for the locket, I will send a separate comment about the locket that I wrote last year for Valentine’s Day. The person who gave my mom this silver locket also painted the picture she is wearing. He was her friend, a special friend she said. I had a dream last night as well – a former coworker and a friend I’ve not seen since high school … they don’t know each other and it was downright strange.
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TD – this explains the locket and what happened to it (sadly):
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“Truthfully, I’ve often wished Harry would have become her husband – perhaps she would have had an easier life than that with my father, but of course my musings are silly because I wouldn’t be here then.” I loved this! But also I don’t because than you and I would have never met! Egads!!! I wouldn’t want that!
I’m also an Amethyst, Aquarius!! And I had a tiny silver ring with a heart in the middle that my grandmother gave me when I was very young. I lost it. When I was an adult at the age of 50 I saw a James Avery with the exact copy of that ring I had lost. So I purchased it for myself and I still have managed to hang on to it! I have list many many things and a lot of jewelry given and purchase by me along the way. It just happens…
Thanks for sending the link! I love you and all that you share. ❤️
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I am sorry to reply to the earliest comments almost 24 hours later. I cannot access the “Comments” section like I used to be able to, so have to work my way down the Notifications area from most recent to earliest and hope I didn’t miss anything.
Earlier I did comments on today’s blog post by going to the actual post in Reader. It is painstakingly slow doing it like this – they have made some changes to the interface. But anyway,
…
When I first got here around 3:45 I went to “Comments” and wrote a reply to this comment, but it did not go through – I got the equivalent of a failed mail. So I am now just answering again and hopefully it “takes” this time.
Thank you for saying that TD – I do wish my mom had married someone like Harry or someone who treated her like a queen, like all the husbands of her friends treated them. But instead this is what she had … her lot in life had been difficult enough.
I am glad you found a duplicate ring to replace the one your grandmother gave you – yes, the actual ring was gone, but you recreated that memory.
Thank you, I will send you another link, another favorite post which explains some things in a separate comment.
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TD – here is the post I referenced:
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Lovely post Linda
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Glad you liked it Brian – sometimes I like to mix a little nostalgia in with the fun stuff. 🙂
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For the last ten years of her life, I sent my mom a card on my birthday since she shared that special event. She always enjoyed that.
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I like that idea Kate and I wish I had thought of doing something special like that. After my father left, every year I sent my mom a card for Father’s Day as I said she had become both mother and father to me. And for Father’s Day every year after he left, my mother would buy me a yard tool … she started off small with one of those tools that you used to get weeds out of sidewalk cracks kind of as a joke, then she graduated to a gizmo called a “Weed Hound” to electric or lithium-powered weed eaters. This started because my father dug out weeds with a knife and I said if I was going to do yardwork, I was not going to use a knife, nor those edgers that looked like a pizza wheel like he used. Mom was all about “no weeds first, then make it pretty.”
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Those are great customs too. Sounds like we both had close relationships with our moms.
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The chalk scribbles are so sweet. And how wonderful to have all your mother’s cards to look back and remember. When my mom and dad died I found all the letters I had written to HER, wrapped up with string in her desk. Made me cry. I also found letters she had written to her mother from back in the 60s and 70s, also wrapped up in string. Odds are she got those when her mom died in the 80s. The birth of the internet and email kind of lessened our mailing back and forth but we were women that grew up in letter writing times, and to this day I still like to do that with certain people.
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That’s really a nice story Dawn … the letters meant a lot to your mom and I would have cried too at both finds. I was close to my grandmother and wrote her weekly after we moved to the States, as did my mom, then we used to call every Wednesday night instead, but that was after many years of letter writing.
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It’s hard when they’re gone. I feel your pain, Linda. oxo
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Yes it is Pam and I thought of you when I wrote this post because I think I’ve mentioned before that we first connected here from our respective Mother’s Day posts. XOXO
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wow how time has flown. 🙃
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Indeed Pam and it seems since I’ve been retired, the day is half over before I know it, something that never happened when I was working. Does it seem that way for you as well since you’ve retired?
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I am unbelievably busy, almost moreso than when I was working, Linda!
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That is incredible Pam – how did we do it before I wonder? For me, I feel my life was more regimented than now … at least that is what I tell myself. 🙂
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It totally does. I shoot for a couple things a day so I don’t disappoint myself, Linda. 😂
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I may have to adopt that idea too Pam! 🙂
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It helps keep the anxiety of not “doing” down. 😂😂😂
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Indeed!
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It is fun to see children’s artwork drawn upon the sidewalk. Like you, I don’t remember having sidewalk chalk when I was young but do enjoy drawing scenes now-a-days with my grandchildren. It makes you feel young again. 🙂 I know your Mom cherished your cards. I enjoyed reading about your fond memories of her.
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It is fun and I have to see if the local library is still having “storytime” down at the River because one of the librarians was an artist and did some fun chalk art. Thank you Rebecca – I am glad you enjoy reading about my memories with my mom – sometimes it feels like it was only yesterday.
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Kid’s chalk art is the best! I have a huge collection of cards from friends and family. I still love getting a physical card on gift giving occasions.
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I love kid’s chalk art Linda! I always photographed it when I walked through the neighborhoods during kid’s Summer vacation, but even as early as their Easter school vacation. It is always so carefree and fun. So you keep cards too – it’s nice to look back on them. I don’t get too many Christmas cards, but one friend always sends unique nature cards at Christmas, so I keep them and put them up – festive yet natural. E-cards are nice, but physical cards are way more personal.
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I like the chalk art but love the keeping of cards. I had a bunch of cards from grandparents and other family and my dad mailed me a postcard whenever he traveled on business. In a rush of cleaning out my room when I was getting ready to leave for college, I believe I got rid of them. I wish I hadn’t. Mom kept some of her favorites. I remember her keeping more than that but there were just a few I found in her dresser.
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I guess we are both sentimental because we both liked this idea of keeping those cads and postcards. When I found the chalk art last year I decided I should include a grouping of these cards and I’m glad I did.
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Me, too.
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What lovely memories you’ve shared, Linda! Your mom was a stunner in that last Pic. Yes the cards against the cobalt blue are a nice touch especially since Sunday Stills date fell on Mother’s Day 2024. Love all those chalk drawings, too!
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Thanks Terri, I’m glad you enjoyed my memories. My mom had a friend years ago that painted two portraits of her and one is this photo. Growing up I always wanted my mom’s dark curly hair and blue eyes, but I looked just like my father with stick-straight brown hair and gray eyes. I am always on the lookout for chalk art now that the nicer weather is here. I struggled to find cobalt blue, then realized my Tree Swallow pics are perfect for the Challenge, so that will work for Wordless Wednesday. P.S. I already have my photos for June’s Challenge already – all pretty in pink. 🙂
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I’m so impressed that you planned this post a year in advance and combined your decluttering efforts to create this sweet and tender post to share a tribute to your mom. That photo of her is beautiful. I love that you kept the treasures and shared them against the cobalt blue dress, nice touch! I confess to ‘smelling’ the mucilage glue when reading that sentence. 😂 The chalk art was a lovely addition to this post. Hugs to you as you remember the special memories of your mom. 🥰🤗
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Thank you Shelley – yes, I saw that chalk art the day after Mother’s Day and decided it would be perfect for this year’s Mother’s Day, then decided to add the greeting cards as my own sentiments. Originally, I wasn’t sure if the cards should stand up on the kitchen corner cabinet like we always did for our cards, then when Terri’s cobalt blue challenge was the same day as Mother’s Day, I thought I’d try this cobalt blue dress in the background. I have some cobalt blue and white birds for tomorrow – Tree Swallows, so I will hit the cobalt blue twice! I can smell that mucilage glue too! We had that and construction paper for cards and I can remember making something once out of paper mache but I can’t remember what it was – thinking a pencil holder or holder of some kind? I did like evoking a few memories for this post … I’ll try to remember a few more, or … there are always goslings and ducklings and their mamas to photograph for a post. 🙂
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You’re welcome. It was a brilliant idea to combine it all in a Mother’s Day post. And to get double the cobalt blue!!
It makes me wonder how many chemicals we were exposed to as kids. 🤔😆 The glue, the printing machine, the construction paper, etc., my mind races back to those days just thinking about it all.
That’s great you have so many memories to work with – I look forward to seeing more of them. 😊
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I have cobalt blue today too with the swallows …. so double-dipped, kind of. That glue did smell didn’t it? And the mimeograph ink smell when it was fresh. I hope I don’t run out of memories down the road.
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The cobalt blues against the white bellies on the swallows were perfect for double-dipping!
Yes, that glue and the mimeograph (thanks for reminding of the name!) smells are permanently ingrained in my brain.
I don’t think you’ll run out of memories, Linda, your creative brain is a treasure trove of moments captured! 😍
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I was lucky I remembered and today I was at Lake Erie Metropark and the Barn Swallows are back – also blue iridescent with peach instead of white. I hope to get enough shots of them later (they didn’t perch today) for the Peach Challenge. I didn’t know if they still used mimeograph machines for school when you attended as you were younger then me. Yes, the smell of those childhood school items is ingrained in my brain too! I hope not – I think I only have a couple of “grandmother memories that I can recall” unless I can come up with a few more.
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Ah, that’s the peach you were referencing for next month’s color challenge.
Yes, our school was an older school and the mimeograph machine was in the teacher’s lounge in the basement. I was chosen to help with getting the papers ready for each assignment. I got to smell them all the way to the classroom and sometimes even pass them out. 😊
A little sprinkling of a memory here and there is fun to do!
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That’s why you knew about mimeograph machines then … yes, that unmistakable smell of the fresh ink. At our law firm, before fax machines, e-mail and PDFs, one of our major clients wanted to be able to transmit things instantly to us, so we had a Quip machine which worked on a drum, which you had to wind up like a Victrola and the more you turned the handle, the hotter it got and transmitted the information to the recipient. It smelled like rubber burning for an hour after each transmission was done. The good ol’ days and going down memory lane never gets old!
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Yes! Ah…makes me realize that we have come a long way since those machines, so fun to think about it again, thanks for sharing! 🤗🥰
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I like the chalk message of the one who thought their mother was a lucky charm. Your mother was so beautiful, inside and out. You’re fortunate to have so many saved cards to stir up the pleasant memories you shared with her. The paper gift bag is definitely one important thing you should keep as you declutter!
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I thought that was a nice sentiment too Barbara – very heartfelt and it’s not a phrase that you’d think a child would use. Thank you – that was one of the two portraits her friend Harry had painted of her. I liked this portrait better than the other where she was in a suit. And this showed off those bright blue eyes. I looked nothing like my mom as I had gray eyes, glasses and mousy brown, stick-straight hair. Yes, I even had to put the bag into a larger gift bag as the original bag was starting to tear – those cards were heavy! I found one card I had forgot about and tried to photograph it but the photo looked out of place in this post. It was a teddy bear’s face and it was three-dimensional, a woolly brown chenille with black eyes … it was sweet, but not for here and photographed too dark. I used one for Valentine’s Day vintage card years ago – my mom’s birthday was Valentine’s Day and the card was an antique bear in a red coat holding a valentine or a box of chocolates.
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I looked nothing like my mother, too. Except I have her wavy hair, brown eyes and the shape of her hands and feet. But her hair was black while mine was blond until it got light brown in my teens.
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Every time my mom set my hair in pin curls, I would tell her how much I wanted curly hair like hers, so she told me she ate a lot of bread crusts growing up and that is why she had curly hair. 🙂
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I love that explanation! 🙂
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What a sweet post. Your mother was beautiful and how lovely to have those cards.
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Thank you Ally – I thought I would combine all the sweet sentiments into one memory-filled post for Mother’s Day. My mom’s friend Harry painted this portrait and I thought she looked beautiful here too. The blue blouse enhanced her blue eyes. Through the years, I coveted her naturally curly dark hair and blue eyes, but had to settle for stick-straight, mousy-brown hair and gray eyes … I looked just like my father. I’m glad she kept the cards, as did I, when I got older anyway. It was nice looking at those cards after having them tucked away for so many years.
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It’s so special your mother kept all those cards over the years and now you can look back on them and remember her!! Your mother was beautiful and kudos to Harry for painting the portrait!!
I’m collecting the cards too that both kiddos give me and I cherish them.
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I thought it was special too Esther. I really enjoyed looking through the cards and there were others for birthday and other events. For example, I gave my mom a Father’s Day card every year after my father left. I really like that portrait of my mom – it shows off her blue eyes perfectly and that dark curly hair which I coveted for years since I had/have mousy brown, stick-straight hair. Harry did a wonderful job. The portraits are actually 8″ by 11″ paintings, which I have thought of framing and may still do so.
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That’s thoughtful of you to have given your mother a father’s day card too! Shows what a wonderful and thoughtful daughter you are. You guys had a special relationship.
The portrait is wonderful and maybe when you get a chance you can get it framed. That would keep it safe.
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Thank you for saying that Esther – we did have a good and close relationship. When my mom quit smoking in 1985, I was proud of her so always bought her a card and a present on that anniversary date to acknowledge that she quit cold turkey. She kept a pack of cigarettes in the freezer for a long time, but never went into them. Yes, it is probably a good idea to preserve it before it fades.
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See, you are so thoughtful to commemorate the day that your mom quit smoking! That must’ve felt so validating and encouraging to your mom. Just in case, she had to have some cigarettes in the freezer.
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Yes, she finally threw them away, but what she did when she craved a cigarette after quitting cold turkey was to chew on frozen large marshmallows that she kept in the freezer as well. When the craving hit, she ate it frozen and I brought her home some plastic coffee stir sticks from work and she would put one in her mouth. She would chew so hard that all the enamel came off her teeth.
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