Mom's Memoirs

Winter, Winter, Why Are You Here?

2009-11-02T06:00:00.000-08:00

Wintry days, wintry days where do you begin
Right behind fall so severe and done in.

We feel so lost, so lonely and cold
Why do you come? Is it to rob our soul?
Even the Bible states so plain
Not in the winter our flight to begin.

Winter, Winter why are you here?
We say for glad tidings and to bring good cheer
But we often find doubt coupled with such fear.

You are so dark so cold and bleak
Flowers can’t bloom and birds hardly tweet.

Animals are cold in your wintry air,
They huddle and scurry for shelter somewhere.

Winter, winter why are you’re here?
It's God’s plan of that I am sure.

I’m sure you bring something nothing else can
You have a purpose throughout the land.

But, while I sit lonely in your cold grasp
I await your departure, your departure at last.

Winter, Winter, why are you Here?
Get out of my life…stay away from me
Go back inside from wherever you be.

Bring me the spring in its beauty so gay
Flowers all abloom and a bright shiny day.

Fall

2009-11-01T06:00:00.000-08:00

Did you see it? Did you catch it? Or, did it pass you by?
Why, it was a gentle stir as a bird flitting in the sky.
It was nature’s grand entry to a new day
The coming of fall… in all it’s array

It happens overnight or so it seems
Sneaking in behind a full moon
Maybe in a gentle breeze.

You can see it in your travels
It just suddenly appears
Perhaps in the leaves or the goldenrod spears

God seems to change the complexion of the land
So carefully, so subtle with his gentle hand.

He brings the red grass and gentle yellow blooms
To grace the countryside and lighten the gloom.

Summer with it arid, dry devastation
Seems to rob the beauty of his creation.

Oh, but alas, the fall, comes with freshness in its wings
Lighting upon our lives, it’s such a beautiful thing.

Haunted House

2009-10-31T06:00:00.000-07:00

My grandma wrote this... that makes it even more special!

The Haunted House by Hazel Chilton

My friends and I entered an old haunted house.
With a creaky door and a fast running mouse.

In the corner of this old room
Stood a witches’ hat on an old straw broom.

Before we knew it, she ran for the broom
And was off in a second straight for the moon.

We stepped to the window and looked to the sky-
All we could see was a silhouette sailing high.

I wonder where she will go and what she will do
You had better watch out
She might scare you!

I Love Fall

2009-10-24T06:00:00.000-07:00

I love Fall, so crisp and clean
Such an aura of excitement it seems.

The trees all glistening in their new found dress
Tending the squirrels in their cozy nests.

Hurry, scurry, scamp and run
It won’t be long till you’ll hear the gun..

Hunters all clad in their season’s best
Hearts all thumping staying ahead of the rest.

Tis a season to be free…
Fresh outdoors, a gentle breeze.

Frying up bacon, fresh in a pan
Eating sausages from a can.

It’s part of the season, pumpkins and all
Leaves all falling... fall... fall... fall...

Raking and burning, bundling up against the wind
Time for family, loving and friends.

I love the fall and all it brings, football, fairs,
Parades and things…

All too soon, it comes to an end…
then comes the winter
And nature’s new spin…

But, alas, I love you, Fall,
Please come again soon.

I’ll wait with patience your beauty to consume.
I will find you again
Through the window of a hot, summery day…
Ahh... Comes the fall
In it’s new array…..

Silly

2009-10-23T06:00:00.000-07:00

I love to be silly
No matter what age I may be.
Silly is so fun and
Breaks barriers you see.

Silly has no limits
As it can go anywhere.
It is so much fun to be silly
So much happiness there.

Got a sad situation?
And so much sorrow everywhere?
Just let silly in
Silly doesn’t care.

A smile it can bring
It knows no despair
Silly can help anybody
Turn any darkness into fair.

The Game

2009-10-22T06:44:00.000-07:00

Ummm, the smell of worn leather as I pull out my mitt
I thought I would toss around the ball a bit.

The overwhelming desire to score a run
To hear the coach say “well done.”

The crack of the bat, dug-out chatter
These are things that really matter.

You see, Spring’s in the air and my day has come
This is the year I’ll hit a home run.

Nine years old and full of vim
Nothing can stop me, I won’t give in.

To strike outs, double plays and trouble ahead
I’ll keep on going... that’s what I said!

I love baseball and all that it is,
Cheering fans and teams of kids.

It’s here we learn the principles of life
Like teamwork, sharing and taking a strike.

Thanks, Dad for taking me out to the field
For being there with me and teaching me skills.

A parent myself I use them today.
I take my boys and show them the way.

Things you taught me, too precious to name
I only hope I can help them throughout life’s game.

The Girl and the Sea

2009-10-21T15:43:00.000-07:00

High upon the hillside beside the seashore
I loved to watch the ships as they passed below

Carrying cargo to places unknown
This was my world, my palace, my home.

The whales were passing and spouting along
Jumping like dolphins; having so much fun.

It was here that I pondered what life would bring
It was here that I dreamed of faraway things.

Life was so simple and peaceful to me;
Just me and my animals high above the sea.

I hear the waves crashing and the sea lions roar
The shore was my playground; I played upon its floor.

Here I could be whoever I pleased.
There’s no one to challenge or hinder me.

The rocks held such mystery that was mine alone to hold
Its crevices filled with treasures of gold

Such things as starfish, and sea anemones..
Mine alone to touch, to savor, to feel.

Soon the spell is broken as her voice I do hear
It is mother calling… calling me from here.

Back to reality….. to supper and bedtime.
Once again I will rest and tomorrow will rise
And run to the sea that is all mine!

Life Is A Challenge

2009-09-24T07:07:00.000-07:00

Mom is not the only inspired writer in the family. Dad composed and emailed this to us a while back... I love it because our parents words live on forever when we have them in written form. I'm so thankful for godly parents!

Life is a challenge

Childhood, teen survival, marriage, kids and times that are sometimes hard.
You have to be strong,

It takes faith, courage, commitment and a great big wonderful Lord!

God is our Refuge,
From every trial big and small.

From misfortune, unfair circumstances, broken promises, things we don’t understand,
He is always with us through it all.

I thank Him for my family,
My spouse and all the wise Godly counsel I have heard,

For all the blessings God has sent my way
But most of all for His Comforting and Powerful Word.

It is a lamp unto my feet,
A light to my path, it shows me the way.

It helps me to overcome,
Every untrue and deceitful thing that people do and say.

His Word is true,
If two agree in prayer, truth and purpose of life;

It will come to pass,
And for that I have the blessing of a wonderful agreeing and praying wife.

We stand firm,
Integrity, truth, faith, character, trust and love;

Thank God for providing me,
With a wife Heaven Sent from above.

From her own words…”Never give up,
Never let your expectations take a dive.

There is always that chance,
Good fortune or a miracle may arrive.

Time passes, changes take place,
Surprises are never out of sight.

A shocking and surprising miracle,
May come to you as a thief in the night.”

God is in control,
We should never question Why or When?

We may not understand,
But we know who wins in the end.

The Neglected Yellow Rose

2009-09-23T11:15:00.000-07:00

High against the window sill
Growing and thriving as if tended still

Time has come and gone
And left the paint all cracked and dried

The windows are all broken
And the wind lows inside

Though unsightly and abused
The outside seems to be

The neglected yellow rose
Still blooms beautifully.

Old toys strewn about
tell of childish encounters galore

A place where once were fun times,
adventures and more…

Where did it all begin?
The ending I do mean

How did once a place so lively
become so gaunt and so lean?

It’s a story so familiar
as time races by

Left empty and unattended,
devastation takes a rise.

Perhaps the yellow rose
has a story it can tell

Of how it survived,
though left abandoned, yet does so well.

Drinking in the rain,
and the sun as it does shine

Living out its life,
one day at a time.

Through A Mother's Eyes

2009-05-19T08:32:00.000-07:00

I saw you today in your manly attire
And could not believe it
How you’ve aspired

To lofty heights and places unknown
With wisdom and stature
My little boy was gone.

Where did you go in so short a time?
Where’s my little boy with his nursery rhymes?

Who played at my feet with a twinkle in his eye?
When cowboys and Indians were his favorite pastime?

Now you’re a man and how you have grown!
You’re busy I see with your own home.

But, you’ll always be just my little boy
I’ll always see you as before

That same little face and impish smile
Those cute little hands…so cunning and sly.

I know you are in there
You are the same to me
I love you still as when you were three.

Mother's Day

2009-05-14T05:58:00.001-07:00

To the most wonderful mother in the entire world! We love you, Mom!

Me, Mom, Damon & Darrin

Dave

Me & Mom

The Mirror

2009-04-01T10:50:00.001-07:00

I looked today, what did I see?
Why I saw my Mom looking back at me!

I thought she was forever gone
Never to be seen
But I was fooled, she lives today
She is living through me.

How did that happen?
How can this be?
I thought she was her and that
I was me.

But, suddenly it happened,
Overnight it seems
The little girl in the mirror
Is she not me!

Life

2009-02-25T09:46:00.001-08:00

New and fresh, smells so sweet
Soft and gentle, innocent it seems.
Days of birth are happy times, times of giggles
Laughter and nursery rhymes.

Than comes teens with difficulties galore
Mom and dad screaming and slamming the door
Misunderstandings and tears it brings
Along with growing and learning things.

Finally it comes though I thought it never would
Confident and sure I’ve reached adulthood.
I enjoy my new life with its wisdom and fun
Only to learn it was short, it’s almost done!

Just when I thought I knew it all
Along comes old age and a great pitfall.
I don’t see things like I used to see
Where did life go? How can this be?

Life is short, but can be sweet
Live every day with love and belief.
Raise great kids and carry them through
Before you know it, they’ll carry you.

The Blind Date

2009-02-19T08:23:00.001-08:00

This is the true story of my parent's first date. They are truly a match made in Heaven... a perfect balance. She wrote this today and I absolutely love it!

The Blind Date...

Well, she told me he was great and used such adjectives to describe his talents that I thought, “Surely, if he is in his right mind, he would never ask me for a date!”

What is the problem? Can this be? Why would someone so handsome and debonair desire a date with me?

I saw by his picture that he was someone to be desired, but did some other mysterious problem lie behind this elegant disguise?

His eyes were to “die for” and that handsome little smile I am sure he was his mother’s favorite… and the envy of all the other guys.

Is he short? Does he studder? Does he have no teeth? Surely something is amiss if he has asked you a date for him to seek.

I will take a chance. I am sure I will not like him. Why, with all his boastful talents his ego seems pretty frightful.

Seven o’clock came and I waited patiently, pondering if I was smart to agree to such a thing.

When there he appeared at the door just as we had planned, but something special caught my eye and I must admit it was truly grand.

In place of a grand entry, he stumbled instead… trying to maintain his composure, his face a crimson red!

Ahhh… I said.

Why, this is no egotistical snob as I supposed he would be, he is just a real person… just the one for me!

I saw in that very moment, a destiny it seems. This is the one I want… perhaps for all eternity.

I cannot explain it… it is silly it seems. But in a fleeting moment I had to grasp what was meant to be.

Yes, I was young and I know we had only just met.
But this would be one of the moments that I would never regret.
What I saw that night is hard to describe, but this beautiful person was truly hiding in disguise.

Beneath that façade lay a heart of gold… one who loved little children and had respect for those that were old.

He cared about the poor and could mingle with the rich… he truly has a talent; no I would call it a gift.

It proved to be true and it’s been 42 years you see, since my Prince Charming stumbled into my heart..

Stumbling time was over
and we moved on to greater parts.

There came four children and a menagerie of pets
Lots of fun with heartaches, but never any regrets.

Some things in life just happen, but you must be willing to take a risk
Even when you can’t figure out every little bit.

You have to go with the moment and don’t let it pass you by.
You’ll never know what you miss, if you don’t give it a try.

As Far As I Can See

2009-02-13T09:52:00.000-08:00

Just imagine if you will
What life would be like
If we could be still

Just who we imagined that we could be
Instead of turning out like you see.

Well, a princess is what I would choose
With royal robes and servants to boot!

Why the palace so regal with windows so high
I would have to hire someone who could fly.

To clean every crevice and entryway hall
Oh it would be grand, I’d have a ball!

I would eat caviar and drink wine to excess
And would never do a dish and would make such a mess.

There would be someone to bathe me and fix up my hair
I would be so giddy and wouldn’t have a care.

My dreams would never end and happy ever after I’d be
Because my imagination can take me as far as I can see.

Past Scents

2009-02-11T11:08:00.000-08:00

Today I caught a whiff of somewhere long ago
A familiar scent of some place I use to go.

It brought a warm feeling
That flowed over me
I could see myself somewhere else
I could sense a place I use to be.

Maybe the seashore on a warm balmy day
High above the cliffs where I use to play.

It flooded me with memories of days and happy times
With me and my family all out in the sunshine

Mom and dad were fishing while we all played along
Tossing rocks and skipping, so carefree and strong.

Scents are wonderful things to take us to the past
Where we can relive moments that we wish could ever last.

Tribute to Hazel Chilton

2009-02-09T06:57:00.000-08:00

Today is actually my birthday so I feel really sentimental... I wanted to share this tribute to my grandmother that Mom wrote last year. We miss her terribly. She was so funny and so full of life!

I THOUGHT OF YOU TODAY

I thought of you today, mom
When I saw the flowers blooming so
It made me think of you from days not so long ago.

I remembered how you loved them and tended them with care
It makes me sad in a way
How I wish you were here!

I see your smile and patient way that only you could give
Those are things money cannot buy
You showed us how to live

Your life was one of simplicity that loved the little things
You were thankful in so many ways for all
That life could bring.

Complaining was not your plight
Though circumstances could demand
You chose rather praise and good deeds were in your hand!

You always brought us laughter, fun times and
Goodies to eat.
It was in your little house we’d gather….such a royal retreat.

Though your face I cannot see today your memory runs clear
Someone I shall never forget someone who is so dear!

Tribute to Hazel C. Chilton – Born 1-07-22
Lived a rich, full, wonderful life until 5-12-07
Leaves a legacy of love to, Michael, Delaine and Suzanne, her grandchildren, great grand children and one little great, great grand child.

To Go Free

2009-02-07T09:36:00.000-08:00

How did I get here? When did it start?
Time is fleeting, like a dart.

I was alone and then it appeared
Just as a sunrise so predictable and clear

It came as a wind so quiet and still
I hardly noticed…
How do I get out of here?

It’s like a web, spun so fine
I can’t find the beginning nor the line.

How did it start, what did I say?
I didn’t mean it… that was yesterday.

I thought I was safe, I thought no one knew
But then there it was in plain view.

Just like the headlines, blaring at me
On the front page for everyone to see.

It’s the deceiver who deceived
He made me do it and now it’s conceived.

No, it wasn’t. I must admit.
It’s my own ambition that gave me the slip.

I thought big thoughts only for me…not thinking of others
Or what things should be.

Father, forgive me….take it away..it is my sin…I must pay.

No, He says, give it to me..
I’ll make nothing of it for you see…
I gave my best so you could be
The one who does wrong ...but gets to go free.

Fool's Lament

2009-02-06T07:30:00.001-08:00

In the shadows of a lonely night
I clung to my pillow
And fled the light.

The pain was too deep my sorrow to sore
No one could help me open the door

Leave me alone, let me be
I want my pity, just pity me.

I am alone and no other can share
For no one knows the pain I bear.

By intruders I am captured, my soul is enslaved
I am a prisoner of my own doing
I have dug my own grave.

Here I will lie till destiny calls
To a deep dark crevice
Of hell’s great walls

To live out eternity forever to die
Among those who were as foolish as I.
Author: Suzanne M.

A Place I Can Go

2009-02-05T06:53:00.000-08:00

There is a place that I can go
A place that no one else knows.

A place for me, it is all mine
Things done there no one will find.

I can travel far or just stay near
It is all silent, no one can hear.

Where is this place, a haven you see?
It is in my mind, it is the real me.

It is here that I soar
And climb mountain tops high.

I fight my own battles
It is here that I cry.

I am not ashamed for no one else knows
Who I really am or where I really go.

Who are we really or do we know
They say it is when you are alone that your real self shows.
Author: Suzanne M.

Father Time

2009-02-04T05:25:00.000-08:00

Emerging from the shadows a stately form appears
From out of the darkness into the hemisphere.
With a long flowing robe and a great staff he stands
We cannot cease his coming though sometimes we do command.
His presence is always with us and carries on through the years
He marks our days and watches
Marching on to eternity.
Keeping tabs of every moment
Trying to catch us in our tracks.
He is Father Time and we must keep moving and not fall into his grasp.
He came in days of youth when we were young and knew no cares
And stayed throughout the ages till old age did appear.
It is he who will one day catch us and send us from here
Ever, ever marching, marching forward in despair.
Author: Suzanne M.