A Mother's Journey

by Jeannine Carroll

I wrote this poem on Mother's Day in 2005.  My daughter had called  to wish me a happy Mother's Day.  She, also, had a surprise for me!  She was expecting her second baby!  What a wonderful surprise!! 

My mother has Alzheimer's and although she is still with us, we have lost sharing memories with her.  I thought about my daughter beginning motherhood, the joys of being a grandmother, and my mother at the end of her journey.  This is what I wrote:

A Mother's Journey

by Jeannine Carroll

A young mother, intoxicated with the joy of motherhood,

begins a journey across the mountain tops

and valleys of her heart.

Does she now this is forever?

Through love and nurturing, her children grow, as she has grown.

Gone are the nighttime feedings, diapers and story times.

Her children are entrusted to others- teachers, peers, coaches...

Do the entrusted know they hold her heart in their hands?

The time comes to share her children with their "life's love".

Vows are exchanged at "happily ever after" weddings.

Mother rides in the backseat

as her children take their place in the front.

Do they know how long the road ahead will be?

Her children become parents.

Oh, the joys of being a grandmother!

Tiny bundles of memories- How fast time went!

Do they know how soon today will become yesterday?

Now, Mother needs "mothering".

How hard it is to accept the help she needs.

How beautiful to see how lovingly it is given!

Being a mother was the journey of a lifetime!

How had she known?

Mother's do not get paid for their work because it is priceless!

Happy Mother's Day and never forget how important the job you are doing is!!

Easter Wreaths

My favorite store is our local DAV thrift store.  When I was in the store last week, I bought a bag of miscellaneous Easter things for $3.99. 

I loved the eggs and all the little Easter toys that were in the bag!  I decided to use some of the things in the bag to make a wreath.  I have made Christmas wreaths before, but I have never made any other kind of wreath. Guess it was time to give it a try!

I went to Michaels to pick out a wreath and some flowers.  Luckily they were on sale!  When I picked the flowers, I could see that there were enough flowers in a bunch to make two wreaths.  I decided to buy another wreath (less than $4) and make one to give away. 

I'm hoping to brighten someones day!

Secret Good Deed Idea:

When you take the time to make something special for your family, consider making two or a double batch.  Brighten someones day with your thoughtfulness and remember to involve your children!

A Simple Truth!

I love this simple truth! 

Best Sugar Cookie Frosting Ever!

I love making sugar cookies for so many holidays- especially if I have a helper!

I have a great cookie recipe - there are many out there!   What I needed was help with the frosting.  Mine never got hard enough to be able to wrap the cookies or stack them without the cookies sticking together.  I finally came up with this recipe.  It is a glaze and has no butter, which is what keeps the frosting from getting firm.

Here is the recipe:

Cookie Glaze

1 cup Powdered Sugar

1 Tablespoon Milk

2 Tablespoons Light Corn Syrup

1 teaspoon Vanilla

Add Food Coloring after other ingredients are blended.

Mix ingredients until smooth.  Add more milk, if needed.  (You can use any kind of milk, including canned, evaporated milk). 

Jessie helping me with cookies on Valentine's Day-2013

My Favorite CHRISTmas Tradition!

This blog is about families and making childhood memories that will last and be passed on!  I hope we can share ideas and learn from each other.

I have to start with my favorite tradition.  This tradition is why I named my website and blog "Secret Good Deeds". 

When my children were young, I put out a small manger and a bag of straw at the beginning of the Christmas season.  I told them that we were going to start doing "Secret Good Deeds".  Every time we did something that helped someone and didn't let them know that we were the one who did the good deed, we got to put one piece of straw in the manger.  By Christmas morning, the manger was full because of our kind deeds, and it gave baby Jesus the gift of a warm bed.  Of coarse, we, also, know that Jesus is the Best Christmas Gift of All!

I love this tradition and I wanted to share it with other families and it took me many years to decide to write a story and put together a set with everything a family would need to start the tradition.  This was a bigger job than I ever imagined but what a feeling of acomplishment when I completed it!

This tradition helps families to think about the Real Reason for Christmas and helps them to look for ways to be kind, especially during the Christmas season!! 

When my children were young, we didn't really have a manger, we just had a small basket.  I'm not sure where I got the straw, and our baby Jesus was a cake decoration.  It didn't matter!  If you choose to find your own manger, straw and baby Jesus, that's great!  One of the reasons traditions bring families together is because it's their story and no other family has exactly the same story.  So make the traditions you choose for your family, your story! 

Some families choose to use a different color of yarn for each family member.  This makes it easy for them to see how their good deeds have played a part in giving a gift to baby Jesus (and to each other).

I hope this blog can be a place to share how you have used this and other traditions to create family togetherness and show God's love  Thank you for visiting!  I'd love to hear about your traditions!