Mom was a Packrat

Mom would have had a good chance of
winning the contest mentioned in #4...

My parents built onto the house in the mid-70s, a new kitchen and a downstairs bedroom. Mom used the old kitchen for her sewing room; virtually all the cupboards were filled with fabric.

It came from various sources - recycled old clothes, remnants on-the-cheap, sales.  Mom used some for quilts, as well as tablecloths decorated with a particular (and very beautiful) style of cross-stitch.  A few pieces were made into dresses for her granddaughter.  Much of it was never used; the various solids, florals, checks, and calicos remained snuggling side-by-side, tucked away in the cupboards...in the quiet dark.

1's and 0's

Hopper created COBOL

I recently shared on Facebook, about one of the paths I took earlier in my life, "I learned all about Adm. Grace Hopper, Ada Lovelace, the ENIAC, the UNIVAC I, and more when I took a two-year Associate Degree in Programming. Computer history was one thing we were taught. Our instructors also felt it was important to learn the basics - we had to learn Assembly, which was basic machine language. It was very abstract to many of us, but we learned it. Then we went on to higher level languages like COBOL, which I really loved. If I had continued on that path, I'd be one of a small percentage of women today that are programmers. I often wish I could have. It was fascinating!"

My daughter, Eva reacted, saying, "The cool thing is your Grandson is very into computers and I think will go on to do amazing things...and you did and became what you were meant to be, and inspired a love of computers, technology, and creative thought in me, and in turn in him."

Google Doodle (12/8/13) of Hopper using COBOL code that would display her age...

Their Song

You are My Sunshine is a well-known song.

Written by Oliver Hood on a paper sack in 1933 before copyright laws, it was also a song that meant a lot to my parents.  You could call it their special song.




It was so special to them, it became impressed upon me enough to have the chorus lyrics engraved on their grave stones.

It has become a special song to our whole family...

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
You make me happy when skies are grey
You'll never know dear, how much I love you
Please don't take my sunshine away