My mother sucked eggs for my sister and me!
Anne, Smudgy and Karen
Probably about the time I was in second grade I came home from school to announce to my mother that I had to take an egg to school to decorate for Easter. (Yes, in the "olden days" this was perfectly acceptable!) The teacher had carefully instructed her students as to what sort of egg was needed. Empty! Poke a hole in each end of the egg... and then... well, this is where I went wrong with the instructions. I was just real sure that she said to SUCK the egg out of the shell. In all probability she must have said BLOW, but that message just did not come across to me.
My poor mother questioned me carefully as to the teacher's instructions, however, I was insistent that she had said SUCK. Bless my mother's heart.. she began the process of preparing the eggs for the big event. Two eggs had to be prepared as my younger sister (who always felt that she had to do everything I did) wanted one too. I hardly noticed the less than enthusiastic look on my mother's face. All I could think about was decorating the perfect egg at school. My mother asked me half-way through the ordeal if my instructions from the teacher were correct. "Oh, yes! Suck the egg out of the shell and then be sure to wash the shell carefully." I was reciting exactly what my teacher had told the class. My poor mother had an awful look on her face, but began the process. I'm not quite sure what happened after the second egg as that is probably lost to pre-Easter memories in outer space... but my guess is she made a fast trip to the restroom. No wonder from that moment on my mother always questioned what I stated to her as "fact". My teacher had said BLOW.
What a mother does for her children! Thank you, Mother. I miss you terribly.
Mother - ca. 1953
I am adding a posting that I deleted earlier because it sounded a little "off", however, I have decided to add it again. This incident brings back so much laughter we had together as a family. My mother sucking the eggs and my sister and I standing by her at the kitchen sink, wide-eyed and impatient, waiting for my mother to finish the deed. I can actually be laughing hysterically nowadays and my husband can just about bet that I am recalling the egg saga and the expression on my dear mother's face. Oh no... here it comes again... shaking all over with laughter... you'll just have to indulge me....
