Liv's questions

1) What was a favorite outfit of yours to wear in high school?

Oh, honey...what you see me in now is what I have always lived in. Jeans and tee shirts. Mostly tee shirts with rock bands on the front. When I wanted to get gussied up, I sometimes wore a skirt with a something funky like a vest and a man's tie. Remember when we watched the movie, ANNIE HALL and you commented that the female lead dressed a lot like me? That was the kind of stuff I wore. I was a big fan of wearing a skirt with combat boots. How my mother detested that! In the winter, I often wore a man's lumberjack shirt with jeans and hiking boots. And yes, I still do. Except now that I am working, you see me wear lots of business suits to the office. But, the only ones that I really like are my Chanel ones. So, no. You have no fashion role model in me, toots.

2) What was a typical Saturday like when you were growing up?

Chores. My sisters and I were not allowed to go play or do anything until our Saturday chores were done. We had to clean our bedroom (not so hard because I never had my own room growing up, I shared with your Aunt Celia) and we each had our own chores. Growing up, I had to dust all the baseboards and chair rungs in the house since I was the youngest until I was nearly ten and then your Aunt Jessie was born. After she was born, I had to take her everywhere with me. Bugged me to no end. We didn't have a dishwasher, so every night I either had to set the table, wash dishes or dry them. I liked setting best because I could get it out of the way.

3) Did you keep your room clean?

Absolutely. Which is probably where I learned the rule that you do not get playtime on Saturday until your sheets are changed, your bedroom furniture dusted and the room tidy. It was my mother's rule and now it is my rule. I know that you are not neat by nature, but I think it is a good rule, Liv. If you can be disciplined enough to keep your room clean, you can learn to be disciplined enough to study for a test. Sorry. When you move out, you can do as you please.

4) Did you have pets?

Not like you have Socks. I grew up on a farm. We always had a dog but she lived in the barn with the horses and cows. The dog who lived the longest was Wendy. She was a copper colored big mutt and as far as I remember, she never had even one shot or even went to a vet. She never ate dog food, she ate our leftovers or caught food in the woods. We had several cats that were never named. They lived in the barn too and were not like the cats you see at your friend's houses. They were pretty feral. They did not allow you to pet them usually.

5) Did you help around the house?

Absolutely. And no, I didn't get an allowance as you do. It was just expected of us. In the summer, my mother used to get us up at 5:00 a.m. to go work in the garden before it got too hot. I used to swear that I would NEVER EVER have a garden. Isn't that funny? Now, you know how much I love working in our garden. I don't remember my mother ever singing to the vegetables like we do, though. She would have thought that was preposterous. I had to help fold laundry and my mother ironed everything, even our SHEETS. I learned to iron when I was about your age and I HATED it. I also learned to cook and bake from my mother but never enjoyed it much. Now that I am older, I CAN cook and bake but I still don't enjoy it much. Now, your Aunt Patrice? She loves to cook and bake and you know what a meal she can put together. My mother was only a passable cook and baker, though. She used to cook all meat well done. No juiciness at all. And she wasn't very imaginative. I never had cookies or bread from a grocery store unless I went to a friend's house. My mother baked two dozen cookies every Saturday and when they were gone, they were gone for the week. She baked her own bread too. I used to covet the Wonder bread sandwiches of the other kids in school. Now, I shake my head because homemade bread is so much better, don't you think?

6) Did you have an outside job in high school?

Yes. I worked as a hotel maid on Sunday mornings. Um...I was fired because I was not good at cleaning bathrooms and too many people complained. It was the only job that I have ever been fired from. I was a senior in high school. I also worked summers as a roller skating car hop. I was good at this job except for the one time that I accidentally spilled an entire tray of malts on a woman who had taken her 5 grandchildren out for malts. I developed really good muscles in my legs from skating and nice arms from carrying trays of food whilst on roller skates! When it was slow, the other car hops and I would have races in and around the car stalls. I never won, though. I was never the fastest.

7) Do you remember your first day of school?

Not well. I was in kindergarten. We didn't have pre-school when I was a kid. I remember my teacher's name, though. It was Mrs. Howard. She was old and I loved her so much. We were her last class. She retired after us. That was the only time that I went to a public school and that was because the Catholic school didn't start until first grade. Mrs. Howard taught me how to skip. She saw me practicing outside with the other children one day and I just couldn't get it, so after school, she would hold my hand and skip with me for ten minutes after everyone left. She was a very kind teacher, very loving and warm hearted. I was so lucky to have her. She also was very impressed that I came into kindergarten already knowing how to read. When I told her that my Da had taught me by pointing to the words as he read books to me, she was intrigued. I hadn't learned in the usual way, she said, but had learned in my own way and that was just as good. She also was asked by my mother to make me write with my right hand but she refused. She said that I was a lefty and that was no big deal. She was right. It wasn't. I am really, really relieved that you are right handed, though, Liv. Books, notebooks, everything is set up for right handed people. I almost always had ink on my hand because I am left handed.

8)Did you wear make up and nail polish in high school?

Very little. My mother thought it vain. I've never worn foundation makeup. In high school, I was allowed to wear lipstick for special occasions and blush. Absolutely no eye makeup. When I got to college, I went a little nuts with it, I confess. I used to wear heavy black eyeliner all the time and red, red lipstick. I LOVED playing with makeup. I still love makeup, but now only wear lipstick and blush usually. Eye makeup occasionally. I am kind of glad that you seem to have very little interest in it because honestly, honey? Too many high school girls just don't know how to apply it properly and look really stupid. A little will go a long way.

I was allowed to wear pale pink nail polish. I still only wear pale pinks and clear. But, if I had long nails, I think you would see me wear brighter colors. I am a nail biter, so I don't have pretty fingernails. But, I do like to wear fire engine red on my toenails, you know that. And when you were little, I often let you play with my makeup and polish and make me up. Once when you were about four, I let you paint my face with makeup and let you put all these little barrettes in my hair. I was just getting over a bad cold and I was SO tired and you were SO energetic. I just sat on the floor and let you have at me. Then you tired and I put you down for a nap. I tried to sit on the sofa while you were sleeping and read a book, but I sort of conked out. The door bell rang and the fed ex guy was there with a package for me. I kept wondering why he was staring so oddly at me. It wasn't until after I came back in from signing for the package and caught a look at myself in the hall mirror that I realized that I still had big freckles that you painted on my face with eyeliner, two big red circles on my cheeks and big freakishly painted lips. And um...my hair was covered in barrettes of every shape and size. I'm sure that fed ex man had a lot to talk about at dinner....:0

Okay...sweetie...I'll answer more tomorrow.

I love you,

Mama