My mom, Marcella Mae Pontious McNally was born in 1918. Here she is in 1944. Big smile, fancy hairdo of the times. She looks like fun. And she WAS fun!
My mom did so much for us as we were growing up. The family finances were such that vacations were camping/fishing trips to the rivers, forests and mountains from CA to Yellowstone Park. I'm certain she would have loved to have stayed at the resort....being served her meals instead of pumping up the Coleman gas stove and fixing us three squares a day. She made life around the campsite fun. We would go on scavenger hunt hikes, fish in streams, play with the worms (!), look at all the wildflowers and feed peanuts to the squirrels. There are family pictures of myself and my two younger brothers...some in diapers.....those were cloth diaper days and our campsites boasted a family-sized canvas tent, a fire ring and a wooden table. Down the road somewhere there was an outhouse and a cold water spigot. Mom did the laundry, cooked the meals, tended to the diapers, bandaged up the scrapes, cleaned the fish AND had us bathe in the tent each evening before we went to bed. And I think I rough it with a 30' trailer complete with microwave, air conditioning and a nice shower!
Mom was a whiz at cards. Pinochle, Gin Rummy, Bridge, Shanghai, Spite and Malice. Oh, my, was she good at cards. Here eyes would light up and she'd hear all the news, get you to bare your soul while she played cards. She could to the Sunday New York Times Crossword puzzle in INK. She also loved jigsaw puzzles.
Mom was involved in our activities...Camp Fire, Little League, Room Mother, you name it...she participated. She was a good cook. Not a gourmand, but she cooked good, solid food well. Growing up we loved her Tamale Pie, Chili-mac, Jello Poke Cake. She made marshmallows!
She excelled at being a grandma....I learned so much from her in my life: how to live honestly, to be kind and a good friend to others, to serve those less fortunate. How to be a good mother and wife. I miss her each and every day.
In 1992 Bill and I began a tradition of yearly visits to Maui with my parents. We cherished those 2 weeks in Paradise with my folks. Mom and I had so much fun visiting with each other, sharing family news, trips to the Farmer's Market to get whatever was fresh and cook it up. We'd eat on the lanai, on the beach, wherever. Dad and Bill snorkeled and explored as guys will do. They did do the barbecuing. I think we were able to make 7 or 8 trips together.
Mom---you enriched my life in so many ways.....I am who I am because of you and I hope I made you proud.
