ANIMATIONS AND OTHER CLIP ART FROM: CLIP ART CENTER |
LITTLE GIRL PICTURES: FROM LISE'S GARDEN FREE GRAPHICS AND BORDERS |
COTTAGE PICTURE: AUTUMN AT ASHLEY'S COTTAGE BY: THOMAS KINCAID |
POETRY: TO MY MOTHER: AUTHOR; JANET RITCHIE LOVE UNFORGOTTEN: AUTHOR; MAE LAFFERTY |
MUSIC: WIND BENEATH MY WINGS |
Thank you Mae for letting me borrow your words to tell my Momma how "Special" she is to me. |
FOR YOUR VIEWING PLEASURE, WAIT FOR ELEMENTS TO LOAD AND MUSIC TO PLAY THEN MOVE CURSOR OVER PICTURES FOR MESSAGES. ENJOY AND GOD BLESS! |
WHEN I THINK OF MOMMA, I THINK OF HER AS BEING A PERSON WHO INSPIRED ME TO BE ALL THAT I CAN BE. I THINK OF HER BEING A WONDERFUL HOMEMAKER, A SKILLED TEACHER, A FRIEND TO ALL WHO ENTERS HER DOOR, A FAITHFUL AND LOYAL WIFE, AND MOST OF ALL A SPIRITUAL LEADER TO FAMILY AND FRIENDS ALIKE. LIKE IT SAYS ABOVE, SHE IS JUST THE KIND OF PERSON THAT "YOU GOTTA LOVE!" |
MOMMA'S FIRST LOVE IS HER LOVE OF THE LORD. HER GOAL IS TO SHARE THAT LOVE WITH EVERYONE SHE MEETS. IT IS HER GREATEST DESIRE TO GREET ALL OF HER FAMILY AND FRIENDS AT THE THRONE OF GOD WHEN LIFE ON THIS EARTH IS OVER. |
TO MY MOTHER By Janet Ritchie I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU MORE THAN WORDS CAN SAY. YOU GAVE ME LIFE, WATCHED ME GROW, AND NEVER LOOKED AWAY. |
MANY TIMES I THINK OF YOU, WE'RE NEVER FAR APART. TIME CAN ONLY MAGNIFY THE LOVE WITHIN MY HEART. |
THE MEMORIES WE CHERISH, DISTANCE CANNOT ERASE. I ONLY HAVE TO CLOSE MY EYES YOU'RE THERE WITHIN MY SPACE. |
LOVE HAS A WAY OF BONDING TWO, UNITING THEM AS ONE, AS THOUGH IT WERE INTENDED AS THE EARTH IS TO THE SUN. |
Thank you Janet for letting me use your words to your mother as a tribute to mine. |
My Momma has survived three husbands all of whom she loved very much. The first was my Daddy, David Baughman; The second was Bill (Pap) Pfeifer; and the third was Hank Turney. The picture below is of Momma and her Hank. Jesus is the first love of her life but Hank takes second place only to Him. |
LOVE UNFORGOTTEN By Mae Lafferty YOU CARRIED ME FOR MONTHS ON END, AWAITED MY ARRIVAL AS A LONG LOST FRIEND. YOU COMFORTED ME, HELD ME TIGHT, KEPT ME SAFE FROM THE NIGHT. |
YOU PACED THE FLOORS WHEN I WAS ILL, KEPT ME COVERED SO I WOULDN'T CHILL. THROUGH HOPE AND DESPAIR, GOOD TIMES AND BAD, YOU'VE REMAINED THE BEST FRIEND I'VE EVER HAD. |
I LOVE YOU MORE THAN MERE WORDS CAN SAY, IF POSSIBLE, MORE WITH EACH PASSING DAY. AND IN MY HEART THERE COULD NEVER BE ANOTHER WHO COULD EVER REPLACE MY SPECIAL "MOTHER." |
Thank you Mae for letting me borrow your words to tell my Momma how "Special" she is to me. |
Just like the God she loves so much, Momma seems to have an never ending supply of love. Through the years Momma took in numerous children, nephews, neices, cousins, friends, and neighbors, to compliment her own family. None of us ever lacked for anything even though money was scarce. Somehow Momma had a knack for making ends meet and for spreading enough love that we didn't know we were missing anything. She often had to prepare food and do laundry and all those other things for as many as twelve of us at a time, and I never heard her complain. She taught us how to be responsible children and then how to grow up to be responsible adults. If any of us have failed it was not due to a lack in guidance but to our own choices as adults. Momma knew when it was time to cut the apron strings and give us the chance to make our own way in life, even mistakes, without interference. She has continued to be a comfort and a mentor and always ready to help us pick up the pieces when our choices sometimes led to brokeness. In this list of loves we may come third, but I don't think any of us ever felt that we took third place in her heart. The picture below is of Momma and my daughter Kelly Ann. I'm letting Kelly represent all the children and grandchildren because it would just take too much space to put everyone's picture here. I sure am glad Momma's love never ran out of space for us. |
When listing the loves, I mustn't forget the four-legged critters and creatures that invaded her life from time to time. Sometimes these animals were forced upon her and other times they entered her life by choice. She never was too fond of the field mice that I tried to raise in my dresser drawer but most other pets were tolerated pretty well. There were some very special ones though and the last of these was the Alaskan Malamute that she got for Hank for his birthday one year. Pokey grew from a tiny puppy into a very large dog, which puppies have a way of doing. Pokey may have been Hank's gift but she always knew Momma was her special pal. They shared many walks and talks and even the household chores together. Below is a picture of Momma and Pokey as they put the finishing touches to the Christmas decorations and as they enjoyed that big snow of 1992. |
Momma has always loved her home. She is a wonderful homemaker and is very skilled at all the aspects of keeping a home. Many of the houses we lived in, especially in the early years, left a whole lot to be desired as far as asthetics were concerned. However, it didn't matter if the house started out as the milk house or the barn itself or a shanty or a grocery store or an upstairs apartment or a falling down rambling house, my Momma had a way of turning that spot God put her in, into a beautiful home that anyone would be proud to hang their hat in. As you can see below, in the garden of love, her marigolds always grew bigger and brighter than any seen elsewhere. I can't find a picture of any of those houses right now but the Thomas Kincaid cottage included here depicts the quality of light that always shown in them once she had turned them into her home ( or my dreamhouse). |
It was my goal to have this page on display for Mother's Day this year (2001) but life's circumstances interupted me. However, every day is a good day to tell Momma she is loved and give her a hug so here's your hug (((((((((((((((((((((Momma.))))))))))))))))))))))) I LOVE YOU ! |
CREDITS MY MOMMA ALWAYS TAUGHT ME TO GIVE CREDIT WHERE CREDIT WAS DUE. |
MUSIC: WIND BENEATH MY WINGS |
POETRY: TO MY MOTHER: AUTHOR; JANET RITCHIE LOVE UNFORGOTTEN: AUTHOR; MAE LAFFERTY |
COTTAGE PICTURE: AUTUMN AT ASHLEY'S COTTAGE BY: THOMAS KINCAID |
LITTLE GIRL PICTURES: FROM LISE'S GARDEN FREE GRAPHICS AND BORDERS |
ANIMATIONS AND OTHER CLIP ART FROM: CLIP ART CENTER |
LARGE FRAMED PORTRAIT: OLAN MILLS STUDIOS |
SNAPSHOTS FROM MY PERSONAL COLLECTION |
FROM GOD'S HEART, THRU' MINE, TO YOURS |
THIS PAGE PRESENTED: JUNE 14, 2001 PAGE LAST UPDATED: 07 - 22 - 2001 |