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by Jennaya Dunlap at age 11 Since our mothers do so much for us, it is nice to honor them on Mother's Day. This is what my brothers and I do every year. About a week ahead, we all make homemade cards for Mama. We cut out pictures of flowers from old seed catalogs she has given us, and use them to make the cards. We write notes of appreciation for what she has done for us in each of our cards. A few days ahead, we plan the menu so Papa can buy all the ingredients. Then on Mother's Day morning we tiptoe out when Mama is not up yet and begin making a fruity muffin recipe. Next we set the table with our best dishes and decorate it with pretty flowers and the cards we've made. We gather flowers from our yard, usually based on a certain color scheme. If you use pink dishes, for instance, you might pick pink roses, white jasmine, and purple salvia. Sometimes we use our yellow patio dishes, and pick yellow oxalis, golden-orange California poppies, and purple solanum. We arrange some of the flowers in a vase, some around the outside of Mama's plate and around some of the serving dishes, some edible flowers on Mama's plate and around her cup, and some on each person's napkin. Mint leaves also look nice on each person's plate. (Edible flowers include nasturtiums, violets, violas, oxalis, calendula, and lavender, among others.) We make either regular tea or rose tea (from rose petals) and some punch. Sometimes we cut cheese into shapes and cut pieces of cucumbers, tomatoes, and green olives and arrange them on crackers with sour cream or cream cheese, but this is optional. When the food is ready, we put on classical music (one of Mama's favorite recordings) and then call her in. We greet her with shouts of "Happy Mother's Day" and lots of smiles, and hugs. Then we all sit up and enjoy the tea with her. Proverbs 31:28 Her children rise up and bless her; her husband also… |
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You may make a copy for a friend. Permission is granted to publish only in full (don't omit or edit anything), and only with this notice included: Copyright 2001 by James and Joy Marie Dunlap. Excerpted from Family Discipleship Magazine, a quarterly Christian publication. Write to James Dunlap, 2586 Pampas St., Orange, CA 92865-2116 for current cost of sample / subscription, or e-mail to: familydiscipleship@disciples.com |
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Jennaya, now age 13, publishes her own magazine for girls age 7-17 called Roses in God's Garden, with crafts, recipes, quilt patches, drawings, and articles for girls by her Mama, Joy Marie. |
