Vicks Vapo Rub and Hot Glue, Grandma's Tools!
When I think about my parents, I am flooded with all all kinds of memories. Memories, and pictures are all I have left.
Because my dad used to be a long haul truck driver, my mom had to be self sufficient, which, she was. She raised four children, and she was busy cooking, cleaning, doing laundry, baking, cutting the grass which, I believe was a couple of acres, all with a push lawn mower.
Consequently, if something broke, and was in need of repair, it was my mom who usually fixed it. Her go to tools, were contact cement and duct tape.
If wallpaper, was peeling off, she would glue it back on with contact cement, if a part of our aluminum patio set broke, she would repair it with duct tape. Those were staples in our house, both were in our basement tool room, as well as in the kitchen junk drawer. If my children were asked today, what tools grandma used to repair torn or broken items, they wouldn't hesitate on their answer. Contact cement and duct tape.
Yesterday, my granddaughter came for a visit after school, She wanted to play on her Leap Frog. My husband and I bought that for her a couple of years ago, it helps her with her alphabet, numbers, colours, shapes, etc. Now, she is into the reading program. It's a great little tool for learning and she loves it. Somehow, we misplaced the charger for it. We were on a hunt, looking for it. We opened up my junk drawer, no charger, just stuff. My granddaughter's craft drawer, which is filled with every colour of sparkles known to man, construction paper, glue, paint, brushes, miscellaneous things I see that she may like to craft with, hot glue gun, and Vicks Vapo Rub, no charger. We looked in the living room cabinet, but that was filled with phone books, magazines, paper, more Vicks Vapo Rub, no charger. next, we looked in my bedside table, more magazines, my Bible, more Vicks Vapo Rub, no charger. We looked downstairs in our family room. She hit the cache cow down there, another glue gun, and yes, more Vicks Vapo Rub, plus, all sorts of treasures, she wanted, but still, no charger. We even looked in my salon station, colour swatches, end papers, combs and a glue gun, no charger.
My granddaughter looked at me, curling up her nose, and asked "Grandma, why do you have so much Vicks, and so many glue guns?" I had to admit, I did seem to have an over abundance of both.
I reflected on this, and said to myself, "I have become my mother!" Instead of contact cement and duct tape, I had hot glue guns, and Vicks Vapo Rub! I realized, these two things, we're going to define me as a grandma! My grandchildren, like my children, will remember me for hot glue guns and Vicks Vapo Rub.
It could be worse, besides, both of these items are useful. Hot glue, can repair a multitude of broken things, I know, because I have fixed them. Vicks Vapo Rub, well, it's not just for colds. It eases aching muscles, it can relieve a headache, if rubbed on your temples, it's an effective itch reliever, and I know itching! I also use it to keep my cats off of things. I rub it on a rag, and place the rag anywhere I don't want my cats. They hate the smell, it works great. If I could catch mice, bats, and squirrels, I would rub it all over them so my cat Torro would stop bringing them into my house and car! It has about 1000 different uses.
We had found three hot glue guns, multiple sticks of glue, and four tubs of Vicks Vapo Rub, but no charger. My son, came in, and asked what we were looking for, he asked if it was white. Seems, he had it upstairs in his room. Apparently, he found it after he cleaned his room. He thought it was a phone charger for one of his friends phones. The lost was found, she was happy and I thought about my mom.
My mom, was a wonderful, strong, opinionated, independent woman. She was used to doing things on her own, while my dad was away. Some of her methods, were drastic, but she always got the job done. I, have inherited her genes, I use different tools, but I have the same attitude, I can fix that!
My mom, if she could have, would have used contact cement and duct tape, to make my niece well, repair my dad's heart, as well as my heart, and heal her body from cancer. If she could have, she would have. Unfortunately, not everything can be fixed with contact cement, duct tape, a hot glue gun, or even Vicks Vapo Rub. Some things, just can't be fixed.
I looked over at my granddaughter, smiling, content with her charged Leap Pad. I know one day, she will have a broken heart, from someone who has hurt her. My hot glue gun, and Vicks Vapo Rub won't heal it, but they will glue someone's mouth shut, so they can't scream, and the Vicks? It will hide the smell of a dead body! Yes, these are my go to tools, I keep them everywhere!
Because my dad used to be a long haul truck driver, my mom had to be self sufficient, which, she was. She raised four children, and she was busy cooking, cleaning, doing laundry, baking, cutting the grass which, I believe was a couple of acres, all with a push lawn mower.
Consequently, if something broke, and was in need of repair, it was my mom who usually fixed it. Her go to tools, were contact cement and duct tape.
If wallpaper, was peeling off, she would glue it back on with contact cement, if a part of our aluminum patio set broke, she would repair it with duct tape. Those were staples in our house, both were in our basement tool room, as well as in the kitchen junk drawer. If my children were asked today, what tools grandma used to repair torn or broken items, they wouldn't hesitate on their answer. Contact cement and duct tape.
Yesterday, my granddaughter came for a visit after school, She wanted to play on her Leap Frog. My husband and I bought that for her a couple of years ago, it helps her with her alphabet, numbers, colours, shapes, etc. Now, she is into the reading program. It's a great little tool for learning and she loves it. Somehow, we misplaced the charger for it. We were on a hunt, looking for it. We opened up my junk drawer, no charger, just stuff. My granddaughter's craft drawer, which is filled with every colour of sparkles known to man, construction paper, glue, paint, brushes, miscellaneous things I see that she may like to craft with, hot glue gun, and Vicks Vapo Rub, no charger. We looked in the living room cabinet, but that was filled with phone books, magazines, paper, more Vicks Vapo Rub, no charger. next, we looked in my bedside table, more magazines, my Bible, more Vicks Vapo Rub, no charger. We looked downstairs in our family room. She hit the cache cow down there, another glue gun, and yes, more Vicks Vapo Rub, plus, all sorts of treasures, she wanted, but still, no charger. We even looked in my salon station, colour swatches, end papers, combs and a glue gun, no charger.
My granddaughter looked at me, curling up her nose, and asked "Grandma, why do you have so much Vicks, and so many glue guns?" I had to admit, I did seem to have an over abundance of both.
I reflected on this, and said to myself, "I have become my mother!" Instead of contact cement and duct tape, I had hot glue guns, and Vicks Vapo Rub! I realized, these two things, we're going to define me as a grandma! My grandchildren, like my children, will remember me for hot glue guns and Vicks Vapo Rub.
It could be worse, besides, both of these items are useful. Hot glue, can repair a multitude of broken things, I know, because I have fixed them. Vicks Vapo Rub, well, it's not just for colds. It eases aching muscles, it can relieve a headache, if rubbed on your temples, it's an effective itch reliever, and I know itching! I also use it to keep my cats off of things. I rub it on a rag, and place the rag anywhere I don't want my cats. They hate the smell, it works great. If I could catch mice, bats, and squirrels, I would rub it all over them so my cat Torro would stop bringing them into my house and car! It has about 1000 different uses.
We had found three hot glue guns, multiple sticks of glue, and four tubs of Vicks Vapo Rub, but no charger. My son, came in, and asked what we were looking for, he asked if it was white. Seems, he had it upstairs in his room. Apparently, he found it after he cleaned his room. He thought it was a phone charger for one of his friends phones. The lost was found, she was happy and I thought about my mom.
My mom, was a wonderful, strong, opinionated, independent woman. She was used to doing things on her own, while my dad was away. Some of her methods, were drastic, but she always got the job done. I, have inherited her genes, I use different tools, but I have the same attitude, I can fix that!
My mom, if she could have, would have used contact cement and duct tape, to make my niece well, repair my dad's heart, as well as my heart, and heal her body from cancer. If she could have, she would have. Unfortunately, not everything can be fixed with contact cement, duct tape, a hot glue gun, or even Vicks Vapo Rub. Some things, just can't be fixed.
I looked over at my granddaughter, smiling, content with her charged Leap Pad. I know one day, she will have a broken heart, from someone who has hurt her. My hot glue gun, and Vicks Vapo Rub won't heal it, but they will glue someone's mouth shut, so they can't scream, and the Vicks? It will hide the smell of a dead body! Yes, these are my go to tools, I keep them everywhere!
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