Mom's Thoughts

Years ago, Mom and I talked about some of the things in her life that were important to her. This is some of that list and in no particular order:

One of the highlights of her life was sitting on the front porch in Arkansas with family. She remembers the family trips, fishing and swimming in the lakes and river there. She talked about how Erma would say "Kid, while you are up would you get me a beer too?"

When it comes to spirituality, she was a member of almost every kind of Baptist Church and finally a member of grace Community Church in Topeka.

favorite things - family and animals. I know that in spite of Chevy Kitty being kind of mean she loved that fool cat. Like everyone, the last pet, Sassy Kitty was the love of her life. She had many friends that she loved to visit with.

In the area of Friends, she was a member of the Eldorado High Class of 1940 and as often as we could, drove down to Eldorado the last Friday of the month to have lunch with them. I think the numbers finally got so few that that ended but she sure loved them

You all know mom was an LPN nurse for many years and she loved meeting patients. I think she was a crappy patient herself but she talks about the pink ladies she met in the hospital and the joy they brought to the patients.

Until her vision gave out, she read everything she could. Once things got hard to read, she became glued to the TV. We were in the waiting room at the cardiologist one day and they had a Big Screen TV. She looked at me and said, "Denny that's what I want." I got her one that day. It was on 24 hours for the last 5 years. At the nursing home Becky got her a little TV and mom told her to take that Big Screen TV home with her. I hope Becky smiles every time she turns it on knowing that mom loved that TV almost more than anything else she owned.

Mom said that the 10 years in Arkansas living near Erma and Curly was such a treat. She also said that hen parties with the daughters was pretty special. Her favorite times were when the whole danged family would get together near Holidays.

These are not listed in priority but were answers mom gave me to a guide the funeral home provided.

She ended it with the comment that she was so proud of her children, step children, grand children and great-grand children. Just a note to all the Petty women, there are some pretty special Petty boys out there too. Even if she did call me Ricky and call Rick, Denny. She loved us just the same. Dad came to understand that names weren't all that important so long as she didn't call him Rex.

MUD