By Kathy McCarty
Staff Writer
Mother’s Day brings with it years of memories — of family gatherings and celebrations with mom serving as hostess, to those quiet or fun moments shared with her child or children. For four local women, those memories bring smiles as they recall the special moments with their mothers or a child and how, despite the years, a word or action can bring those memories back to life.
A Mother’s Love Lives On
Tammy Ladner-Scott said she has a lot of things she remembers about her mom, even though her mother, Germaine Ladner, died of cancer when Tammy — oldest of four girls — was just 13.
Tammy’s memories begin with her mother’s morning routine and continue through the late-evening hours, when she and her sisters were tucked in for the night.
“I can remember how her breath smelled of coffee every morning when she kissed me before school. When my Nana would visit, she’d only speak French, so mom always let me sit on the kitchen floor and listen to them talk on the phone, because she knew I didn’t understand a word,” said Tammy.
On another occasion, Tammy said her mother’s rescue mission ended with a trip to the hospital.
“When my sister, Margo, was little, she was sitting on the lawn on a Saturday morning and a huge crow landed on her head and started to peck at her hair. I went running into the house to get mom. She came out running, slipped on the dew and broke her arm,” she said.
Tammy also recalled what a fantastic cook and hostess her mother was.
A seamstress in her own right, Tammy said her mother was forever surprising her and her sisters with new outfits.
“Dad (Dan Ladner) would play piano at the hotel on Thursday nights. While he was gone, mom would sew. When my sisters and I would get up for school on Friday mornings, we often found new dresses hung on our bedroom doors that mom had sewn the night before,” said Tammy. “Oftentimes they’d be identical; my sisters and I would line up and look like matching stepping stones.”
She said although the time was brief that they shared and she wished there had been more of it, she’s grateful for the memories that remain.
“The memories are still as vivid today as the day they happened. Mom will forever be in my heart,” said Tammy.
A Child’s Gift
Laurie McLellan, of Ashland, said her love of jewelry is no secret to anyone who knows her, especially family. But of all the pieces she’s had over the years, one of very favorites was given to her by her son, Aaron.
“Aaron knows I love jewelry. Even when the school did Santa workshops, he’s always gotten me rings over the years. When he was 6, we went to Walmart — he had his own money, had been saving. It was the week before Mother’s Day,” said McLellan.
Wanting to shop for his mom and not wanting her to see what he was getting, Aaron requested a bit of privacy.
“He said ‘Mom, I want to buy a gift so I’m going to the jewelry department.’ I said, ‘Aaron, you are only 6; I will have to go with you.’ He said ‘No,’ so I watched him — kept him in my sight. A few minutes later, he came back with a big smile on his face and a bag,” said McLellan.
The family went home and Aaron went to his room to hide the bag, telling his mother “You will love your gift.”
But being a typical child, the anticipation of seeing his mother’s reaction when she opened her gift got the best of him.
“Well, a few hours later he came out with a small box wrapped and said, ‘I know how excited you are, so I will give you your Mother’s Day gift now.’ I said, ‘But it’s not Mother’s Day.’ Aaron said, ‘Oh, I know you can’t wait any longer for it,” McClellan said. “He was so excited. I opened the small box and in it was a small ring with a red ruby heart and a small diamond on the side.”
The memory remains and is often remembered, when McLellan looks at the ring she still wears.
“Today I wear that ring on my pinky finger. Aarons’ now going to be 18 and I love my gift and him more and more every year.”
Date Night
Billie Brodsky, of Presque Isle, said one of her most memorable times spent with her mom was following a blind date.
“My mom (Doris Silver) was my best friend and we talked about everything. Once in my early 20s — I was still living at home — I had a blind date which turned into a very weird evening. My parents’ room was opposite the front door, so I sneaked in very quietly at 2 a.m. and walked to my room at the back of the house. When I turned around, mom was standing in the doorway, smile on her face, and said, ‘So?’ I hesitated for only a few minutes, then we both sat in the middle of the bed and talked about my date till dawn,” remembered Billie.
Billie said her mother was also a firm believer in discipline, so when she and her sibling got out of line, there were consequences.
“Another incident I recall occurred when my sister and I were young. We fought verbal wars. Mom threatened to wash our mouths out with soap if we continued saying bad words. True to her word, a bar of Ivory soap was put into my mouth,” said Billie. “That sure cleaned my language right up.”
With a daughter of her own, Billie said also has memories of what it feels like to be a proud mother.
“From the other side of the fence, when my daughter, Kim, was about 8, she entered a contest for ‘Best Mom’ by writing an essay about me. She won and presented me with the prize of a huge bouquet of flowers,” said Billie. “My heart still sings for joy with the memory.”
The Great Butter War
Jennifer Perkins, of Easton, said her mother has always been a help when it came to tackling what life dishes out. What she remembers most about her mom is the laughter they’ve shared.
“My mom has always been very helpful with all of life’s problems. But the things I remember best are the times when she just gave us a glimpse of her weird humor,” said Perkins, of her mom, Mona Bossie.
Such was the case when Bossie found a rather unconventional use for butter — cooking up some laughs and creating lasting memories in the process.
“I remember the time we wasted a whole pound of butter in ‘The Great Butter War’ — just because it was fun to smash warm, slippery butter into someone’s face and hair,” recalled Jennifer.
The pair, like many mother-daughter relationships, also have a shared interest in cosmetics — but not for the use most would assume.
“Later in the year — after the Butter War — we had an infamous uprising we refer to as the ‘Battle of Lipstick,’ where our brown couch took the brunt of the blows,” said Jennifer. “Those were good times with a mom who knew how to let a kid just be a kid every now and then.”
