I have a new gratitude journal and as I wrote today that was the quote. My mother, Catherine Rose Rahier Lillie died early this morning, November 6, 2011. I wanted to be there, but I didn't know her death was that eminent. My sister called me. She had just left the rest home and returned to the home where she was staying and received a call to go back. Mother died before she got back. I wasn't there ... This morning I was writing things I am grateful for and things that my "Charming Gardener" mother taught me or things she instilled in my soul that have made me blossom. I love sewing and above my sewing table I have a quote that says, "Thanks to my mother's tender care, for she materials did prepare, and taught my hands to sew!" She made me beautiful clothes for my Barbie doll and then had a milliner make matching hats with hat stands. I even had a wooden orange crate wardrobe for the clothes. I love flowers, I love cooking and entertaining, and finding and "stashing" the perfect new recipe. I LOVE history, and she would read roadsigns and tell me stories of "Indians" that lived by their home by the river (Carlton, Saskatchewan, Canada). We even would look for arrowheads and try and find the Indian burying ground. I want to relearn knitting and she was a beautiful knitter and crocheter. When she was in the rest home I would bring crotchet needles and knitting needles and try and have her knit. In the early part of her time there she tried, but later her fingers became arthritic and her arms didn't bend well. It was sad to see her not be able to do things that she loved; solitaire, scrabble, reading and reading and MORE reading, and there is no rehabilitation in a rest home, at least there wasn't for her. She even lost her voice after her stroke and when she would speak it would be very softly. She was, I thought, a great teacher. When I was young she would teach me French on a small chalkboard. Growing up she had limited schooling, some say she reached an eleventh grade level. I have some of her school books. She always spoke of her teacher, Doug Brown and I believe I have a picture of Doug Brown. I know she wished she had had more education, but it was the 30's and she had to leave home at the age of twelve to work. Education has and will always be very important to me. And I suppose most of all she, maybe not directly, taught me to love God or at least gave me opportunities to learn about and love God. As a child religion was important to her and her family, or at least she talked about her church and I am sure in a small community the church played an important part in their life. Her father was a Belgian Catholic, her Grandmother Minnie was a German Lutheran, her mother Isabella was an Anglican and when we were young we went to the St.James United Church at the corner of our street, Woodlawn Street, in St. James (Winnipeg), Manitoba, Canada. When the missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints came to our home, mother was home from work recuperating from foot surgery. She listened to them, Elder Bruce R. McMurtrey and Elder Benny Richard Smith. Sometimes she took us to church and often we went with others. My name is Sharon Arlene Lillie Hewlett. My mother is Catherine Rose Rahier Lillie. I am a Mormon and
I Believe that my mother is better than she was a day ago. I know that there is a post mortal life where our spirits live until the resurrection. I am still sad, but I prayed that she wouldn't have to spend more time in the rest home. I am sad that I didn't spend more time with her, but life got in the way and I could have put life on "hold" a little more. So
the most important things in my life I learned from my mother and owe to my mother and my father. They had little but they gave me a home, food to eat, a family, traditions and the opportunity to give my children even more. I have never complained about what I didn't have. I thought I had it all, at least in the things that count. Mother, I love you, I am grateful for your giving me birth and for you being my "charming gardener."I will blog for you and because of you ...
This I Believe! This is a Christmas and a Thanksgiving song. One of my new favorites. It has given me peace today
. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOEsbLSUDYY&feature=fvsr
I have a new gratitude journal and as I wrote today that was the quote. My mother, Catherine Rose Rahier Lillie died early this morning, November 6, 2011. I wanted to be there, but I didn't know her death was that eminent. My sister called me. She had just left the rest home and returned to the home where she was staying and received a call to go back. Mother died before she got back. I wasn't there ... This morning I was writing things I am grateful for and things that my "Charming Gardener" mother taught me or things she instilled in my soul that have made me blossom. I love sewing and above my sewing table I have a quote that says, "Thanks to my mother's tender care, for she materials did prepare, and taught my hands to sew!" She made me beautiful clothes for my Barbie doll and then had a milliner make matching hats with hat stands. I even had a wooden orange crate wardrobe for the clothes. I love flowers, I love cooking and entertaining, and finding and "stashing" the perfect new recipe. I LOVE history, and she would read roadsigns and tell me stories of "Indians" that lived by their home by the river (Carlton, Saskatchewan, Canada). We even would look for arrowheads and try and find the Indian burying ground. I want to relearn knitting and she was a beautiful knitter and crocheter. When she was in the rest home I would bring crotchet needles and knitting needles and try and have her knit. In the early part of her time there she tried, but later her fingers became arthritic and her arms didn't bend well. It was sad to see her not be able to do things that she loved; solitaire, scrabble, reading and reading and MORE reading, and there is no rehabilitation in a rest home, at least there wasn't for her. She even lost her voice after her stroke and when she would speak it would be very softly. She was, I thought, a great teacher. When I was young she would teach me French on a small chalkboard. Growing up she had limited schooling, some say she reached an eleventh grade level. I have some of her school books. She always spoke of her teacher, Doug Brown and I believe I have a picture of Doug Brown. I know she wished she had had more education, but it was the 30's and she had to leave home at the age of twelve to work. Education has and will always be very important to me. And I suppose most of all she, maybe not directly, taught me to love God or at least gave me opportunities to learn about and love God. As a child religion was important to her and her family, or at least she talked about her church and I am sure in a small community the church played an important part in their life. Her father was a Belgian Catholic, her Grandmother Minnie was a German Lutheran, her mother Isabella was an Anglican and when we were young we went to the St.James United Church at the corner of our street, Woodlawn Street, in St. James (Winnipeg), Manitoba, Canada. When the missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints came to our home, mother was home from work recuperating from foot surgery. She listened to them, Elder Bruce R. McMurtrey and Elder Benny Richard Smith. Sometimes she took us to church and often we went with others. My name is Sharon Arlene Lillie Hewlett. My mother is Catherine Rose Rahier Lillie. I am a Mormon and I Believe that my mother is better than she was a day ago. I know that there is a post mortal life where our spirits live until the resurrection. I am still sad, but I prayed that she wouldn't have to spend more time in the rest home. I am sad that I didn't spend more time with her, but life got in the way and I could have put life on "hold" a little more. So 
the most important things in my life I learned from my mother and owe to my mother and my father. They had little but they gave me a home, food to eat, a family, traditions and the opportunity to give my children even more. I have never complained about what I didn't have. I thought I had it all, at least in the things that count. Mother, I love you, I am grateful for your giving me birth and for you being my "charming gardener."I will blog for you and because of you ... This I Believe! This is a Christmas and a Thanksgiving song. One of my new favorites. It has given me peace today. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOEsbLSUDYY&feature=fvsr
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