Welcome (back) to the . . .
You most likely haven’t even noticed or missed it, but I had to shutter my Museum of Me for a couple of months while completing some maintenance on the photo archive portion of the collection. (Y’know, it’s nearly impossible to put together a decent Museum of Me exhibit without photos. . . ) But I’m back up and running now, just in time for a brand new exhibit.
This month . . . the exhibit is all about those expressions from our childhoods that still echo in our memories.
When I think back to my growing-up years, my mom’s voice echoes above all others in my memory. My mom was gentle and loving and full of fun. But she was a mom, still. And she had her limits! Here are five expressions my mom said . . . over and over . . . to me as a child.
“You are slower than molasses running up a hill in January!”
And, looking back now, I’m sure I WAS that slow. Especially when she wanted me to do something I didn’t want to do. But this expression never worked to get me moving. (Sorry, Mom. It was just not motivating.)
“Go outside and blow the stink off you!”
She employed this expression whenever I was under foot. Or whining about having nothing to do. Or if I’d been stuck inside for awhile. Or when I was turning cartwheels in the living room. Again. (And my mom knew best. Getting outside always DID “blow the stink off.”) (Still does.)
“When I was a little girl, all I ever wanted was a sister!”
My mom was an only child. She really didn’t understand sibling dynamics at all. Not even a little bit. So when my sister and I squabbled or picked at each other, she could not relate. It drove her right over the motherhood edge . . . and she always brought out the old “all I ever wanted was a sister” line. (And you might be able to guess what my sister and I always replied – at least in our minds . . . Oh yeah? You could have MINE!)
“If [fill-in-the-name-of-a-friend] jumped off a cliff, would you want to jump off too?”
Oh, this one was the bane of my tween years. Because, yes, Mom. I probably would. (But, again, she was right. And I didn’t jump . . . very often.)
“Don’t worry. Everything will be JUST FINE.”
And, yes. It usually was. But as an awkward teenager, this expression used to frustrate the heck out of me. Because I wanted an immediate solution — and (usually) justice. Not the Pollyanna treatment. (But she was right again. It always was.) (Eventually.)
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How about you? Do any of these sound familiar to you? What expressions from your childhood still echo in your memory?
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The photos in this post aren’t necessarily “great” photos . . . in a “photographic” sense. But each is very dear to me because they capture the true spirit of my mom. She was such fun, so full of joy. I miss her every day. I’d love to have her tell me – right now – not to worry, and that . . . everything will be Just Fine.
I love these photos and they really capture what a fun mom you had! Most of these expressions are familiar to me but not the one about going outside to blow the stink off – that one is brand new to me! I mostly remember being told I sounded like a “herd of elephants” when I came down the stairs!
I do love these photos, Kym! Molasses… why did it have such a prominent place in so many households!? lol And no cliffs in my house… it was all about bridges! Like Carole, the blow the stink off phrase was a new one to me as well!
I’m another one who never heard of “blow the stink off” – but I like that phrase! And I love your pictures. What fun! As I mentioned on Bonny’s blog the other week, I can’t really remember any phrases that my Mom or Dad used with me (or us counting in my brothers). My parents were both very easy going. Maybe I didn’t really listen though?
I also heard about molasses and jumping, but in our house, it was the Brooklyn Bridge rather than a cliff. “Go outside and blow the stink off” is new to me also so maybe that one is original to your Mom! I would have loved to hear that “everything will be just fine” or maybe I’d just like to hear it now.
YES! And some were similar if not exactly the same, mine had her own version of blowing the stink off but I have to say yours nailed it with that phrase!
It was well worth taking the time for these photos… and they certainly show up here beautifully, especially the one of your mom sitting in the dim light. That style of ice cream carton brings back memories!
Similar to the last expression you shared, my mom’s was ‘It will be okay.’ And I can’t think of a time when, eventually, it wasn’t.
A fun topic, Kym! The photos are wonderful and what you’ve remembered about the expressions is, too. Strange, I don’t recall ANY expressions from my childhood. not a one!
Love those photo’s! Lucky you to have such a Mom.
My mom, the widowed mother of 5 used all of those sayings plus some more colorful ones.
One that I think of a lot in these days is her phrase:
“Fool’s names and fool’s faces always seen in public places.”
Heard mostly when she was reading the local newspaper. I wonder what she would think of all the social media stuff these days.
(Of course she didn’t say that when any of our names were in the paper for the honor roll 😉)
“If it had been a bear it would have bit you!” when I was searching for something in plain sight.
“A whistling girl and a crowing hen always come to some bad end.” Whenever I tried to whistle. Sheesh, talk about keeping females in their place!
“Don’t tough that — you’ll break it!” As if my gentle touch was the kiss of death for some treasured tsotchke.
These photos really do seem to capture your mother’s spirit (or at least as far as I can tell, being a person who didn’t know her except through what you’ve shared with us). I do remember my mother telling me to stop being so dramatic from time to time, including once when I said I felt faint and then proceeded to actually faint. But she wasn’t one for using expressions when I was growing up, other than regularly telling me to “buck up” when I was upset about kids being mean to me (yes, I was a sensitive child).
My mom’s dad had a version of “blow the stink off.” When it was time for a drive to the store or to the beer garden, he’d say to my grandmother, “Come on, Ma. Time to get the bed smells blown off.” (They were first generation Swedes in Minnesota.) Other than having to repeatedly tell me to “stop dilly-dallying” Mom had (and still uses) one expression that continues to save my sanity. “This time (tomorrow, next week, next year, or whenever) it will all be over.” It keeps me going when things are too hard, and I’m ever grateful. I loved meeting your playful mom here.
Slower than molasses in January and blowing the stink off are expressions I remember my grandmothers using. My parents, especially my dad, were easy going. I said on Bonny’s blog that two expressions I remember were “You don’t know what it is like for that person, you don’t walk in their shoes.” and “Settle down kids, silence is golden.” We all used to laugh at that second one!
I had a fun mom, too! She often told the four of us to “go outside and blow the stink off.” “Worry about the edges, the middle will take care of itself” applied to both cooking and cleaning. If one of us forgot what we were going to say, she would smile and say, “ It must have been a lie.” Imagine my horror when my employer and I were having a conversation and he lost his train of thought. As soon as he said, “ I forgot what I was going to say,” out of my mouth came, “ It must have been a lie.” After some explanation, all in the office had a good laugh. My mother died when I was 32 and I have many great memories of her. I can still hear her say, “ this, too, shall pass” when facing a difficult time. Wisdom passed.
My mom would say “If you’re bored, you’re boring.” And who wanted to be boring? She said many of the sames things your mom did, but I didn’t hear “blow the stick off”. Usually we were outside and she had to call and call to get us to come back in. Thanks for sharing your mom with us. It’s amazing how we all grew up in the same environment no matter where we were.
I love your Mum’s turn of phrase. Mine used jump under a bus rather than off a cliff..same meaning. Lovely post.