My mother didn't have Ann Romney's privileges. But her story is better.

[Faygo Kid]

Mom had a high school diploma, but that was it. She was a Rosie the Riveter type in WWII, working at Packard (see below). She married a very bright guy who was an abuser, and my earliest memories are of sheltering my little brother before the police came as he beat her. But that's another story. Since she never received a dime from her abusive ex-husband, she went on welfare (gasp!) for about six months. Then she got a job doing laundry at a high school for 20+ years, and was beloved by all, even if she didn't make hedge fund manager wages. We were never hungry, and lived in our tidy and clean house.

My brother and I went on to be the first in our family to get college degrees, and more. In retirement, she was a nationally recognized doll maker, subject of many articles. I've never met a better person, and the HELL with those like Mitt Romney who spit on women trying to raise their kids alone.

Oh, I forgot to mention: Mom was the first woman in the USA to win the War Production Board award in WWII. You may recognize the other woman congratulating her.

[kentuck]

1. Excellent!

Kick and recommend!!

[Faygo Kid]

2. Thanks. Time to recognize women other than Ann Romney.

I hope DUers will share many stories like this.

[snappyturtle]

3. K&R...wonderful! Thanks for sharing. nt

[southernyankeebelle]

4. Your right your mom is better because she had to do it all by herself. Great lady for sure.

Oh by the way not bad looking woman.

[MADem]

5. Where did your mom keep her Caddys and horsies?

Oh wait--she didn't have time for that kind of luxurious foolishness--she was working for a living!

Your mother is the coolest! You should be VERY proud!

[Faygo Kid]

6. Her first new car ever was a 1963 Mercury Comet.

Sweet little car, with no extras. But that AM radio turned my brother and I on to the Four Seasons, Motown, and then the Beatles. And Mom let us listen! Pretty cool, I would say.

I am proud. She was made of stern stuff, a child of the Depression, not highly educated but bright as hell. And a Dem. Always an FDR Dem.

[MADem]

9. Aww! I can picture her in it!

A sturdy little car! Get a load of this "Comet" tale: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_Comet#1960.E2.80.931963

In July 2010, USA Today reported on a 91-year-old Florida woman, Rachel Veitch, who still drives her 1964 Comet Caliente daily. The car was purchased new in 1964, and Veitch had recently set a record by accumulating over 562,000 documented miles. Veitch said all her car needed was "TLC" (tender loving care) for it to last that long. She claimed she drove it once at 120 mph "just for a mile," and had to have cruise control installed because she kept getting speeding tickets. On March 9, 2012, Rachel Veitch, then 93, applied the brakes on her beloved car for good, after she realized her eyesight was too weak to continue driving. The Caliente had 576,000 that day. [7]

I come from a line of FDR Dems, myself. And those children of the Depression knew how to make do and get by, didn't they?

[Faygo Kid]

10. Loved it, thanks for sharing!

Although I think the '64 Comet was a styling clunker. I remember the one we had was some sort of sand color.

[MADem]

20. I know that color--my dad had one of the later "clunkers" of that exact sand color!

Some jerk hit it and totaled it while it was parked. He liked that car--good on gas, for the times, and mechanically reliable.

[KT2000]

7. That is great!

What a beautiful tribute to your mother.
And it is not easy to make a doll much less be good at it.

WWII in itself created many single mothers as not all the fathers returned home. Your post is a good reminder that single motherhood did not start recently.

[MADem]

21. Yes indeed. The Civil War produced a huge number of single moms, as well, as did WW1.

It's a fair point you make.

[malaise]

8. Lovely post

Rec

[secondwind]

11. What a lovely post about your mother! And the photo too!

[Faygo Kid]

15. Thank you. But get ANGRY about Romney!

Mom was gracious. I am not. Get ANGRY about Mitt Romney's demeaning comments about women and the "dignity of work" for those women not born of privilege, like all those he knows. I grew up with Gov. George Romney and his wife, Lenore. George Romney was a fighter for civil rights and against the war in Vietnam; Lenore was a passionate supporter of the ERA.

Mitt is fraudulent, and could even be worse than his fellow child of privilege, W. We are in grave danger. That's why I posted this, for all the Moms trying to make it today.

[AllyCat]

42. Thank you for sharing this wonderful story of your mom! And yes, I am angry at Mitt!

We need constant reminders and need to remind others.

[Marrah_G]

12. Great story !!

Thank you for sharing that with us.

[RainDog]

13. k&r n/t

[lunatica]

14. Wow! The way you just told her story and the photo brought tears to my eyes

What a wonderful thing to say about your mom.

[Faygo Kid]

18. Thanks. You would have enjoyed her cooking!

Swedish food to die for. Except lutefisk, which I never developed a taste for. Swedish meatballs, pickled herring, and all the cookies - sublime.

[treestar]

16. inspiring story!

[Faygo Kid]

17. Thanks. We have GOT to win this presidential election!

For Mom's legacy and all the other Moms out there. The Kochs are looking to make this nation one of gated communities. We have GOT to stop them.

Mom was never political. Ever. She was part of the Greatest Generation, but she was always an FDR Dem, and I remember her distrust of Nixon long before 1968.

[MADem]

22. +1,000 nt

[Warpy]

19. That's a much more typical story

although anybody doing laundry these days at a big plant is not going to be making enough to keep everybody housed and fed. You were all lucky enough to grow up under the New Deal, as was I.

These days the stories are much, much sadder, but Romney is old enough to have grown up under the New Deal, herself, and undoubtedly thinks things are much the same, today. The woman is so insulated from reality that she has no clue how harsh her husband's policies have been for women.

Were it in my power, I'd put all these right wingers on a subsistence pay scale for a year. Then I'd see how much of their prejudices against ordinary people remain intact.

[CatWoman]

23. but

where does Granny Clampett figure in all this???

[Faygo Kid]

26. Well, doggies - she was better at spring tonic than Mom

But it's always about family, isn't it?

[CatWoman]

28. ....

[opihimoimoi]

24. KnR :o) a priceless story....

[Historic NY]

25. We need more FDR Dems to step up to the plate.

[DURHAM D]

27. Wow - great pic/ great story.

Thanks for posting.

[The Wielding Truth]

29. Wow, what a life! She was made of great stuff and she was acknowledged by Eleanor Roosevelt.

[rufus dog]

30. Great story

My mom didn't have it as hard, but basically worked 40 hours a week from the WWII until she was 65 (then she cut back to 24 hours a week until she was 73) and raised seven kids. She rarely talked bad about anyone but I can hear her response to Ann Romney, "pretty lady, but she wouldn't know a hard days work if it smacked her in the ass."

[Faygo Kid]

31. Your mom and mine would have been friends.

Mom would have one cigarette a day. I bet she would have enjoyed it over coffee with your mom.

They were women who rolled up their sleeves and got the job done. Grandma was like that, too.

[SunSeeker]

32. What a great woman. (sniffle) nt

[Tikki]

33. Look how pretty your momma is....such a sweet smile.

Hugs for grand memories of moms.



Tikki

[Faygo Kid]

34. Mom was no Rita Hayworth. But she was Mom.

You didn't cross her.

[indepat]

35. And the HELL with those like Mitt Romney and others of his ilk and cloth

who spit on and otherwise denigrate women trying to raise their kids alone. A pox on their houses. And kudos to your gallant mother (and that other gallant mother shaking her hand).

[UHURU]

36. BEAUTIFUL OUTSIDE & INSIDE

What a wonderful mom. I know her struggle, because my very similar. Left a rich abusive & alcoholic hubby with very young children, a high school education, and workplace skills ten years old. Intimidating! As with your mom, I never regretted it even though I remember working as many as four jobs at one time.

I am the Canadian mother of American children. My son is a doctor saving YankeeDoodles, and my daughter a fund raiser for a non-profit org in Canada. Ah, struggles make us stronger, no?

With a good mom, life is sweet. Lucky you & thanks for your memory of her.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

37. This is beautiful. Thank you! nt

[William769]

38. Recommended.

[TBF]

39. Wonderful post -

thanks for sharing your mom with us! I love that photo

[JNelson6563]

40. No surprise here.

Long time Faygo Kid fan here, I knew you had at least one great parent!

A great story and LOVE the pic!

Julie

[LeftishBrit]

41. k&r for a truly great mother!

[noiretextatique]

43. great story

my mom and all my aunts worked, like most women. they didn't have the option to devote themselves solely to child-rearing. great for the women who have that option, but most women don't.

[yesphan]

44. Excellent post and photo.

[FailureToCommunicate]

45. Marvelous story!

Thanks for sharing!

[Avalux]

46. Thank you for this. What a great story and love the photo!

I too am offended and angry by the notion that a single mom can't succeed and raise great children. I'm one of them; I've worked my ass off to provide for my children and make sure all three of them get a college education and follow their dreams. Two are well on their way, the other is almost through high school.

I am much better off now than when they were younger; we had nothing. I honestly don't know how I made ends meet at times. My youngest daughter (16) and I were looking at an old photo album this weekend and she said "we didn't have much, but it didn't matter. We had fun no matter what." I agreed with her.

[Faygo Kid]

47. Congrats and good for you.

Your children are fortunate, and you can tell them I said so.

[tru]

48. shaking hands with Eleanor

That would be one of the highlights of my life.

[mgc1961]

49. That's a similar story to my Denise whom I've known for 25+ years.

Her late ex-husband was born to wealthy parents. He was abusive in non-physical ways. He was an alcoholic. He couldn't hold on to a job no matter how well it paid and he put them into bankruptcy court with his profligate spending. Although their two children did live with their father for a while after they separated, he was unable to provide significant support to the children either under his roof or while they were in Denise's care. Consequently, she mostly raised them by herself while working however many hours she could scrounge together. Sixty and seventy hours a week at our mutual employer was not uncommon.

She voted for Obama and she'll vote for his re-election.

[Horse with no Name]

50. K&R

Very nice.

You come from good stock...

[sonias]

51. One hell of a woman

I salute your Mom! Thanks for sharing.

[Odin2005]

52. WOW!!!

You mom was awesome!

[Taverner]

53. Cheers to you MOTHER!!!

[AnneD]

54. My Mom was single for my early years......

and she did a damn fine job. I was a single mom and put myself through Nursing school and worked a full time job. Later, after I took ex to court to do what was right, I worked a job and a part time job to make sure my daughter was well care for.

I am lucky that there is only 18 years difference in my Mom's age and mine. I still call her for advice. She has been my rock. My daughter is graduating from college next month. Mom is so excited. She is a very brilliant woman but never got the chance to go to college. She is so proud that her first born daughter graduated college and now her first born daughter's daughter is graduating from a very prestigious college in California next month.

One of our topics of frequent conversation is how our society sets up single moms for failure and how much more harshly they judge single moms as opposed to single dads.

I am happy to report that my daughter has started having long phone calls with me now (as opposed to dufus dad). I get the good calls like; what is the best way to write the resume, how do I budget, how can I invest, when am I ready for sex (I am a nurse after all) and any health questions. I have gone from mother to trusted friend and mentor-just like MY Mom is to me. She set the example and set the bar high.

I am glad to see that your mom set a fine example and over come her adversities to do such a fine job. I am sure she is as proud of you as you are of her.

[paulinegaines]

55. Two Heroines

So moved by your mother's story. The omission of the privilege in this absurd Romney-Rosen mishigas has infuriated me. Raising kids with no help and no cushion is an entirely different experience from raising them with all the privileges, or at least access to privileges money can buy. I know. I've done it both ways. The real heroes, in my opinion, are ones like your mom. I've always thought that Eleanor Roosevelt related to women outside her social class because she was marginalized in her own family. Anyway, this picture is awesome. I hope you have it framed.

[JustAnotherGen]

56. Thanks for letting me

Get to know your mother! What a sensational person she was!