Time with my mother and a long wandering story

[boss mare]

In another post, I said that we are eating out of our freezer. Here in the Pacific Northwest, we have all kinds of awesome fresh food at our fingertips. We have the Pacific Ocean at sea level... and just a short drive we can be in the mountains. My parents would take us fishing, crabbing and clam digging (Salmon, trout, cod and back in the day... smelt. Dungeness crab and razor clams) There is nothing better than fresh seafood... If you like seafood... which we all do.

I invited mom over to have clam chowder with Razor clams that we dug earlier this year with us on Friday night. knowing that she is not comfortable with driving at night, she spent the night.

Backstory... My Grandmother (her mother) was my idol. She had pierced ears back in the day when " proper" women didn't have pierced ears. She was also divorced twice back in the back when that was scandalous. She was about to divorce #3 but he was killed in a logging accident. I absolutely loved her pierced ears. Mom said that I could have mine done when I was 16 (1977). Well, I went to a well-known department store, lied about my age and got them pierced at age 13. It was not a very good job and from the time I was 13 until my early 20's I struggled with the right side that was a cluster (f) to deal with. Mom knew when I was 13 what I did and never said anything. And when I gave up, she never said anything either. Now I will digress.... Fast forward to my early 30's when I met my current horse trainer family. Patty, the matriarch of the family is extremely detail oriented. To. An. Extreme.
My first show with her: Where are your earrings? Where is your lipstick? Why do you have wisps of hair hanging out? Where is your Dippty-Doo? Aqua-Net? Bobby pins? Where is your hair net for huntseat equitation? The more she asked of perfection, the more I fell in love with horse showing at a high level.
That right ear lobe became my level of perfection. I had to " self-pierce" it at each show. Blood and pain??? Thats the small price to pay. Clip on earrings were not an option. In my mind those were for women who couldn't " cowgirl up". And it served me well until 2018. My MIL passed away and left behind a hoard of cheap flashy 1980's Avon Jewlery with clip on earrings. That was OK until I lost a clip-on earring on course this year. Since I decided not to show this year (2022) it was not my radar.
This morning, mom mother announced that she looked up the best rated tattoo/ body piercing parlor in my area and wanted to pay to have my ears re-pierced correctly. They opened at 12 noon today, she paid for it, and I have an appointment for Thursday night. My 81-year-old mother and I, at age 60 walked in. I picked the color of earring i wanted and explained that this is a department store correction. She asked point blank just how do gauges work and what happens if you decide you don't want them anymore. He explained and showed her his own ears that he took the gauges out 3weeks ago...

It was a wonderful 24 hours:)

[razz]

Love that story of a mother's loving kindness in so many different ways. Didn't know that tattoo artists also pierce ears. Is that something new that they do?

[happystuff]

Wow! Thank you so much for sharing!! What a wonderful story!

[boss mare]

Love that story of a mother's loving kindness in so many different ways. Didn't know that tattoo artists also pierce ears. Is that something new that they do?

Here is Washington State they seem to go hand in hand. Since I have been in the dental field for over 35 years, they passed my questioning on sterile. He even took my on a "tour" of their sterilization process. I was very impressed. And I am not easily impressed when it comes to that

[iris lilies]

Nice story!

wow what a level of perfection is required in the show ring.

[sweetana3]

I wish I knew a lot more of my mom's history. After she died, I found out she was divorced twice in the 40s and had a nice pile of earnings saved up when she married my Dad. She must have been a hot chick back then. But life was kept secret and not passed on in our family.

[Tradd]

Great story!

[catherine]

What a great story. Thanks for sharing those memories. I loved hearing about your grandmother and your mother coming around at 81 with her approval, and her facilitation, of getting your pierced ears fixed. So sweet.

[beckyliz]

Thanks for sharing - your mom has a tad of her mom in her!! I, too, had to wait to get my ears pierced. I was 15 in 1974. Mom insisted we have it done at the doctor's office. The nurse did it - one is off center just a smidge. On well.

[catherine]

Thanks for sharing - your mom has a tad of her mom in her!! I, too, had to wait to get my ears pierced. I was 15 in 1974. Mom insisted we have it done at the doctor's office. The nurse did it - one is off center just a smidge. On well.

My mother gave in when I was 13. I desperately wanted pierced ears. One of those iconic Twiggy photos shows her with pearl earrings and that's what I wanted. So my mother and I went to her friend's house, whose daughter had pierced her friend's ears. We sat and chatted at their kitchen table holding ice cubes to the front and backs of our ears, and then the daughter sterilized the sewing needle and stuck it in. She told us to clean the holes with rubbing alcohol for two weeks and to this day, I can't smell rubbing alcohol without being transported to that time.

I am going to get one ear repierced next week because I must have slept on it too often with a heavy earring. DH bought me beautiful gold bee earrings for Christmas that I want to wear but they won't look good until I fix this earlobe.

[Alan]

I had one ear pierced shortly after getting out of the Air Force, it was one of those rebellion things along with growing your hair out after not being allowed to for so long. A potato behind the ear, a rusty needle and a couple of pre-piercing rum & cokes made short work of it. I proudly wore that one earring for several weeks before taking it out and allowing the piercing to close before an important job interview.

[Ultralight]

I had one ear pierced shortly after getting out of the Air Force, it was one of those rebellion things along with growing your hair out after not being allowed to for so long. A potato behind the ear, a rusty needle and a couple of pre-piercing rum & cokes made short work of it. I proudly wore that one earring for several weeks before taking it out and allowing the piercing to close before an important job interview.

We all want to see a pic, Alan!

[Alan]

We all want to see a pic, Alan!
Sorry dude, I don't think any exist with both hair and earring. Believe it or not, in the 70's we had to buy film for our cameras and then pay to have it developed, even the out of focus ones, so selfies were rare.

[Ultralight]

Sorry dude, I don't think any exist with both hair and earring. Believe it or not, in the 70's we had to buy film for our cameras and then pay to have it developed, even the out of focus ones, so selfies were rare.

Come on, there has gotta be at least one pic of you with hair and earring, like at a Bad Company concert or something!

[Alan]

Come on, there has gotta be at least one pic of you with hair and earring, like at a Bad Company concert or something!
Imagine a stud in the miniscule portion of visible left lobe and that's about the best I can do.

https://scontent.fluk1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t31.18172-8/176165_1625745529643_3835631_o.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-5&_nc_sid=de6eea&_nc_ohc=KYPk87NOwHAAX_wWLOJ&_nc_ht=scontent.fluk1-1.fna&oh=00_AT-2aF854YxJIr0ldocKL29hQ6b0GyRBXWDE9qLmdf3f8g&oe=621F8E33

[Ultralight]

Imagine a stud in the miniscule portion of visible left lobe and that's about the best I can do.

https://scontent.fluk1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t31.18172-8/176165_1625745529643_3835631_o.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-5&_nc_sid=de6eea&_nc_ohc=KYPk87NOwHAAX_wWLOJ&_nc_ht=scontent.fluk1-1.fna&oh=00_AT-2aF854YxJIr0ldocKL29hQ6b0GyRBXWDE9qLmdf3f8g&oe=621F8E33


Dude! This is so great!

[iris lilies]

DH, fashion conservative, got his ear pierced in the late 80’s (obviously not on trend like rebel Alan.) When visiting his mom, conservative Midwestern farm wife, he wondered what she would say about it.

uh, ok so what? was her attitude.

Her father and her uncles had long dangly earrings like the one shown below. The Swiss Mountain men wore them. She is from Switzerland. DH’s tiny diamond ear stud barely registered with her.

4188

[Teacher Terry]

That’s funny IL. Alan your girlfriend is wearing bib overalls. I had a pair of those. Very fashionable:)).

[Alan]

Alan your girlfriend is wearing bib overalls. I had a pair of those. Very fashionable:)).
Yep, she loved her overalls and continued to wear them from time to time until well after becoming a grandmother.

https://scontent.fluk1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.15752-9/256042823_1073499320166694_5961463356564104032_n.p ng?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-5&_nc_sid=ae9488&_nc_ohc=XftSF8zE_fkAX_yoJya&_nc_ht=scontent.fluk1-1.fna&oh=03_AVJEKS_PsWDh-dq_NUGWKemQ3hGQ-pihuZbIh3k9zZogXQ&oe=621D1C4B

https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.15752-9/p206x206/257461465_348341650481518_1967306146704421720_n.pn g?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-5&_nc_sid=aee45a&_nc_ohc=VQUh9ABmwlwAX9_iIMb&_nc_ad=z-m&_nc_cid=0&_nc_ht=scontent.xx&oh=03_AVKfRoXfBnTO5i3ILnEcJkpGFWgGLrfOFVBSDIBxjS87 xA&oe=621ED66A

[rosarugosa]

Alan: I do believe that is your current flame, and I hope she is doing well.

[happystuff]

Great pictures, Alan. Thanks for sharing.

We, too had to wait to get our ears pierced until we were 13 - right of passage type thing. We actually used "sleepers"... thin round metal things that you would put on the earlobe. One end had a very sharp point and the other had a loop opening for the point to eventually go through. You placed the "sleeper" on your ear and just wore it, pushing the pointy end every now and then until it eventually went through the earlobe. I can't remember how long it took - less than a week with lots of pushing?

[iris lilies]

Alan: I do believe that is your current flame, and I hope she is doing well.Me too!

[Alan]

Alan: I do believe that is your current flame, and I hope she is doing well.
Yes, she's been my only flame for the past 46 years and still burning bright. She's currently doing well and has her first follow-up CT scan in a couple of weeks, thanks for the good thoughts.

[rosarugosa]

Yes, she's been my only flame for the past 46 years and still going strong. She's currently doing well and has her first follow-up CT scan in a couple of weeks, thanks for the good thoughts.

Glad to hear it!

[rosarugosa]

Great pictures, Alan. Thanks for sharing.

We, too had to wait to get our ears pierced until we were 13 - right of passage type thing. We actually used "sleepers"... thin round metal things that you would put on the earlobe. One end had a very sharp point and the other had a loop opening for the point to eventually go through. You placed the "sleeper" on your ear and just wore it, pushing the pointy end every now and then until it eventually went through the earlobe. I can't remember how long it took - less than a week with lots of pushing?

That sounds like prolonged unpleasantness! I am an outlier and did not get my ears pierced until I was 28. I worked at a medical center at the time, so I had my ears pierced by a surgeon with 2 RNs in attendance and it didn't even cost me anything.

[happystuff]

That sounds like prolonged unpleasantness! I am an outlier and did not get my ears pierced until I was 28. I worked at a medical center at the time, so I had my ears pierced by a surgeon with 2 RNs in attendance and it didn't even cost me anything.

Interestingly enough, those were the first of my ear piercings and they are the straightest and best positioned! LOL. (FYI - only have three in each ear)

[razz]

I got my ears pierced in my early 30's because I got tired of the clip-ons. I had it done at a jewelry store. She watched my face and as soon as the colour in my face disappeared, she moved me outside to lean on the store window. I have never been worried about needles, wasn't worried about the piercing and still got close to fainting. I rarely change my earrings as the holes are hard to access.
Would I be worried about my kids getting their ears pierced, no. When I see the tongue, lip, nose and belly button getting pierced, I shake my head to myself very quietly. The tongue earrings really rattle and damage the teeth eventually so I rarely see those today.

Today, getting whole body tattoos seems to be the thing to do to be different except that a lot of people are doing it.

[nswef]

I pierced my own ears at 16 with the ice cube alcohol sterilized needle . one was fine, the other always a little off center and got infected once and irritated if I used earring with too thick stems. That ear closed up- after50 years of wearing earrings, then 1 1/2 years without due to hip break. I went to put one in when I emerged from not using them and one was shut! I asked around and the advice was tattoo parlor. I called. $60 for one ear...haven't made the appointment yet, still thinking I could just finish it off myself. I may go to the tattooist when I am ready to wear earrings regularly again.
What a great mom, though, to make your appointment at 81. Pretty cool. My mom got hers pierced at 70 I think as she had diamond earrings from her sister.

[JaneV2.0]

I pierced my own ears at 16 with the ice cube alcohol sterilized needle . one was fine, the other always a little off center and got infected once and irritated if I used earring with too thick stems. That ear closed up- after50 years of wearing earrings, then 1 1/2 years without due to hip break. I went to put one in when I emerged from not using them and one was shut! I asked around and the advice was tattoo parlor. I called. $60 for one ear...haven't made the appointment yet, still thinking I could just finish it off myself. I may go to the tattooist when I am ready to wear earrings regularly again.
What a great mom, though, to make your appointment at 81. Pretty cool. My mom got hers pierced at 70 I think as she had diamond earrings from her sister.

That was pretty much my story, and I need to get them re-pierced some day.

[happystuff]

I've (so far) never had to deal with any of the holes closing, as I wear the same posts continuously. If I'm going some place special or getting dressed up or the unlikely event that a whim hits me to change them out, I always end up with the same posts back in.

[rosarugosa]

I like earrings, and I have lots of earrings; I am not even remotely an earring minimalist. I wear earrings every day to match my shirt or my mood or something, e.g. full moon earrings when the moon is full, enamel oyster shell earrings for eating oysters, lol.