Mom In Five Flavors is a crayola crayon drawing of John’s mom petting her cat in front of four pictures. Top right picture shows her in her eighties kayaking. Bottom right shows her on the same trip wearing panty hose instead of a suit because she’d refused to bring one. When she changed her mind and decided to swim she pulled panty hose high above her head, Mom being so short, then wrapped the hose around and around her torso for modesty.

Top left is an Outsider Art painting I’d made of a shadow. The shadow in flying- a bird shadow. Mom and I both made strange pictures for our walls. The picture on the bottom left is of a photo she’d taken years ago of Patty but showing only her skirt, knees and bare feet.. Her grand children would come to play often, dress up in her clothes, become princesses and dance in the backyard. Mom laughed and danced too while she snapped pictures. So for years I’d get an envelope in the mail stuffed full of pictures. Sometimes four inches of the top of a head labeled on the back,Chelsea, or feet, or knees, and always labelled with grand children’s names. Mom knew I’d treasure an interesting way of looking and saving memories.  nancymauerman.com

Mom In Five Flavors