She taught me my gypsy-ish ways...

1. Her wise words that I treasure.
"Take loads of pictures and be famous." "Make it a Wonderful Life."

2. The Secret Mother/Daughter meetings at the super market for hot chocolate and sausage baps.

3. When I first found husband it was online (shush!) and I didn't have money to visit him. I think my dad was glad but then husband told me he would buy my tickets. My mum talked my dad into letting me have the adventure. I deserved it after all. When she was the age I was she had her own American adventure. 

4. She's so cheeky. The morning I left home she climbed into my bed and licked my face to wake me up. She's a real rascal - in the picture she's planting bulbs in a friends garden when they were at work.

5. She's selfless. I've witnessed her deal with heartbreak - the loss of a child amongst other painful  things. The sadness and tiredness is evident in her eyes and yet she has a hug and a smile - maybe tense but still a smile - for everyone. Most people have no idea that she could use some help herself.

6. Whenever I see a burnt orange, rusty colour I think of her and her freckles, brown eyes and never dyed hair. She looks years younger than my dad. I can't tell you the age difference or who's older than who because I'd have to kill you. Trust me though, you'd be surprised.

7. When she tells a joke the punchline comes first making the joke even funnier - especially to herself which makes it funnier to everyone else. Countless times she's been crippled and crying with laughter, doing the pee pee dance before even getting to the middle of the joke.

8. I've never seen anyone knit like her. She doesn't have to even have her eyes open and her knitting needles are breaking all sorts of laws of physics. She knit her first adult size sweater when she was 10 years old. She's like a machine.

9. When she's in the kitchen she sings, usually Scottish songs. Songs I'll sing to my children when I have them. Especially the one about the blind orphan. How does that go again, mum? If I have a daughter and name her Maggie it's because of this song she always sings.

10. She's easy to love because she's so wonderful. If I'm ever a mother I'll be lucky if I'm half as good of one as her - my kids will be even luckier.

I love you mum and I'm sorry I couldn't keep my promise of never leaving home and staying with you forever and ever - is that why you sent me to America the first time? You beast! It's all becoming clear! I'll talk to you about this later ;)

Send us your mother inspired lists and pictures.

This post is part of a world wide blogging tribute to Moms led by TheBlogFrog