Milwaukee Memories This Mother's Day

On Mother's Day, I always think of my mom and grandma who were domestic engineers extraordinaire. 

My grandma (Babcia) came to America at the age of 15.  My babcia was a seamtress who made me wool pleated skirts and wool bathrobes. This family was always styling.  I wonder what they'd think of my daily wardrobe of sweats or jeans and a tee-shirt. The entire family of women crocheted beautifully.  I've inherited bedspreads and tablecloths.  The stitches are so perfect you can't tell the right side from the wrong side (where stitches are finished off). I can't sew or crochet. But I can scrap some.

 

My grandpa died the year I was born.  My mom and youngest sister lived at home.  My aunt and her family lived in the flat upstairs.  My uncle died when I was quite young.  This was a matriarchal family.  So when my mom married in her late thirties and moved away, visits back to babcia's were quite special and eventful.  I remember the first stop was the deli/bakery on 13th Street for Polish ham and fresh kielbasa.

I struggle to make pierogi once a year on Christmas Eve.  But, unlike crocheting, this is one thing I was able to pick up from my mom.  Babcia could whip them up like nothing when my sister and I came to visit and requested them.  We'd sit at the table in the basement kitchen and visit with her while she made them for us.  In a matter of minutes, we'd be eating the best pierogi ever.  The fillings she made were typical of the region in Poland where she grew up: either cheese and raw onion or ground beef, hard boiled egg, and sauteed onion---never, ever mashed potatoes.  

This is my grandma in her garden.  It was a postage stamp sized garden in the city but it was filled with flowers.  Here she's standing in front of the trellis where she grew parsley and lettuce. I don't remember the veggies but I do remember row upon row of beautiful flowers.  I was always amazed that my mother could identify any flower.
This garden also is where family photos were taken.

What I remember best about the back yard are the kittens under the back porch and this bench where we always posed.

Note my crocheted sweater in the first photo.  Note my sis holding one of the kittens in the second photo.  This is my entire family plus my cousin Mary who grew up living in the upstairs flat with my aunt and uncle.

This seems so long ago.  I found a song by Connie Francis to play while this post is up.  She was popular when I was growing up, and I remember this song well.  "Mama" seems appropriate for today.