{"id":87,"date":"2011-05-08T10:32:00","date_gmt":"2011-05-08T14:32:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/?p=87"},"modified":"2025-09-14T14:24:18","modified_gmt":"2025-09-14T18:24:18","slug":"tribute-to-my-mother-on-mothers-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/tribute-to-my-mother-on-mothers-day\/","title":{"rendered":"Lynda’s Journal – Tribute to my Mother on Mother’s Day"},"content":{"rendered":"

Who are you as a person? <\/b><\/p>\n

How did you become the person you are today?<\/b><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/b><\/div>\n
My thoughts go back to childhood memories of my Mother. I recall the hours I spent with my Mother. Her marks on every aspect of my life through the lessons, training and ideas she handed down to me. <\/b><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/b><\/div>\n
Mother’s Day seems like the appropriate day to reflect on her- <\/b><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/b><\/div>\n
\n
Esther Luella\u00a0 Kirker McKinney <\/i><\/b><\/div>\n
(1920 – 2007)<\/i><\/b><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/i><\/b><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/i><\/b><\/div>\n
From the earliest years of my childhood, I recall spending time at my Grandmother’s house. On one occasion I was there with my Mother and we were beginning a new project. My Mother was teaching me to do embroidery. She had bought a white linen tea towel that was marked with a stamped on pattern. And, the embroidery floss we were using was various shades of blue and gray. I would begin learning how to do embroidery. My Mother was my teacher, and my first Muse.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Mother not only made lovely embroidered items, she is usually best remembered for her soothing and flowing alto voice. Mother was a singer. She sang solos, and duets, and in the choir in our church. But it didn’t stop there, where she had an audience. She sang every day in our home. Our house was filled with her songs. It would have been impossible to spend any amount of time at our house, without hearing my Mother singing.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
In the final years of life, after Alzheimer’s took away her ability to communicate through words and conversations, she still was able to sing the old songs of the church that were in her soul. We would sing as we drove down a highway together. and then we would burst out in laughter as we forgot a line or a word. Then, we would just make it up, and laugh some more. She never lost her ability to sing until her final days on earth.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Back in my Grandmother’s house, so long ago, the blue embroidery threads were put through the eye of a silver needle. We began the exciting new project. One by one, Mother taught me the different ways of working the thread to create patterns on<\/div>\n
the tea towel. She was patient and I was excited to be learning this new craft. I was mesmerized as the smooth thread went in and out of the creamy white linen cloth; my arm moved up and down in rhythm as the pattern began to take shape on the cloth; blue threads wrapped around the slick needle and was pushed through the crisp cloth. I was creating a design! I was hooked on fibers, threads, and cloth. I was becoming ONE with my work.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Mom created lovely “pictures” out of embroidery techniques. Her pictures hung in our home. there was a Crewel embroidery piece that became a clock in our living room. Then, one by one, Mom made pictures of red cardinals and bluebirds using Crewel techniques. The bird pictures joined her clock. There were lavender-scented \u00a0pillow cases lovingly made by Mom and we slept on those freshly ironed pillows at night. Mom’s art was comfort under our heads, and soothing.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
I have always had a love for fiber arts since that time. My idea of heaven is to spend the rest of my life in a yarn shop, surrounded by the most beautiful yarns imaginable.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
I find that I simply love everything about yarn. It engages all my senses. TOUCH; SMELL; VISION. Most of all, it is my IMAGINATION that kicks in the moment I walk into a fabulous YARN SHOP. When I pick up the skeins of yarn, I begin to envision what that yarn will become once I take it home and begin to work with it.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Colorful yarn was a part of my Mother’s life, too. She crocheted afghans in the later years of her life. She left behind a legacy for me. It is the LOVE for fiber arts in my heart. Often, when I pick up my needles and begin knitting, I think of her and how much she loved handmade things. Her embroidered pictures, her afghans, were her treasures.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
And, one of the greatest treasures my Mother gave to ME, is the love of things hand-made. There is something to healing and so important of the touch of a human hand that is left in a piece of fiber art. Sometimes, when my heart is still and listening to spirit, I believe I hear her singing as I touch my knitting needles and move them softly through the luxurious silky yarn.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Happy Mother’s Day, Esther Louella Kirker McKinney<\/i><\/b><\/div>\n
from <\/i><\/b><\/div>\n
he Village of Wurtemburg, PA.<\/i><\/b><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/i><\/b><\/div>\n
When I grow up, <\/i><\/b><\/div>\n
I want to be just like you.<\/i><\/b><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/i><\/b><\/div>\n
May 8, 2011<\/i><\/b><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/b><\/div>\n
\n
\u00a0<\/b><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/b><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/b><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Back in my Grandmother’s house, so long ago, the blue embroidery threads were put through the eye of a silver needle. We began the exciting new project. One by one, Mother taught me the different ways of working the thread to create patterns on<\/p>\n

the tea towel. She was patient and I was excited to be learning this new craft. I was mesmerized as the smooth thread went in and out of the creamy white linen cloth; my arm moved up and down in rhythm as the pattern began to take shape on the cloth; blue threads wrapped around the slick needle and was pushed through the crisp cloth. I was creating a design! I was hooked on fibers, threads, and cloth. I was becoming ONE with my work.<\/p>\n Continue reading →<\/span><\/a>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2522,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-87","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-trusting-god"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/WBIV_PHOTO_DedicationPage_Parents.jpg?fit=1239%2C1873&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4gbwn-1p","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":9929,"url":"https:\/\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/afternoon-embroidery-lesson-poem\/","url_meta":{"origin":87,"position":0},"title":"From Lynda’s Journal ~Afternoon Embroidery Lesson ~","author":"Lynda Lambert","date":"May 5, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Poem, \"Afternoon Embroidery Lesson.\" American Author, Lynda McKinney Lambert shares this poem and the recording of it by California actor, Lillian Yves. This poem appears in the new anthology, \"_Poetry Treasures 2: Relationships_ by Editors Robbie Cheadle, and Kaye Lynne Booth. Just published! This poem is also featured in the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "#Trusting God"","block_context":{"text":"#Trusting God","link":"https:\/\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/category\/trusting-god\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/thumbnail_PT-2-Promo-3-002.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/thumbnail_PT-2-Promo-3-002.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/thumbnail_PT-2-Promo-3-002.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/thumbnail_PT-2-Promo-3-002.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/thumbnail_PT-2-Promo-3-002.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2195,"url":"https:\/\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/afternoon-embroidery-lesson\/","url_meta":{"origin":87,"position":1},"title":"An Afternoon Embroidery Lesson","author":"Lynda Lambert","date":"May 1, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Needles, cloth, scissors, floss Objects are symbolic metaphors Powerful as distant legends","rel":"","context":"In "#Trusting God"","block_context":{"text":"#Trusting God","link":"https:\/\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/category\/trusting-god\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":12466,"url":"https:\/\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/from-the-professors-journal_sassy-red-hat_-in-memory-of-my-mother\/","url_meta":{"origin":87,"position":2},"title":"Lynda’s Journal – Sassy Red Hat – in Memory of my Mother","author":"Lynda Lambert","date":"May 10, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"\"Tiny red roses bloom on leafy ivory vines like delicate crewel embroidery of finest thin wool yarn stitched over black silk background....\"","rel":"","context":"In "#Trusting God"","block_context":{"text":"#Trusting God","link":"https:\/\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/category\/trusting-god\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/SmallJoyCover_thm-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":57,"url":"https:\/\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/57\/","url_meta":{"origin":87,"position":3},"title":"Lynda’s Art Studio – Our Mother’s Gifts","author":"Lynda Lambert","date":"July 7, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Painting With a Needle... the EXQUISITE \u00a0art of Lynda McKinney Lambert\u00a0 \u00a0 I was thinking this morning about our influences, and how we got to where we are today as artists.\u00a0 Have you stopped to think about where the ideas come from when you are creating your own art? \u00a0I\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "#Trusting God"","block_context":{"text":"#Trusting God","link":"https:\/\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/category\/trusting-god\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-5-vCa4nGqmg\/Udl0zuOFSpI\/AAAAAAAAAcQ\/I9SZJYJNS_4\/s320\/Fiber_IlsaButterflyGarden_DONE_Compressed.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":13911,"url":"https:\/\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/peonies-in-winter-a-book-review-by-lynda\/","url_meta":{"origin":87,"position":4},"title":"Peonies in Winter – A Book Review by Lynda","author":"Lynda Lambert","date":"February 24, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"As the book ends, Sally shares her days of contemplation and loneliness after her husband\u2019s death. This is so relevant as most women will live longer than their husbands and find themselves living alone in their final years.","rel":"","context":"In "#Trusting God"","block_context":{"text":"#Trusting God","link":"https:\/\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/category\/trusting-god\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Cover of Peonies in Winter, by Sally Rosenthal. ","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/71BgcRe8OZL._AC_UY218_.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":18830,"url":"https:\/\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/lyndas-journal-of-blessings_763_mother\/","url_meta":{"origin":87,"position":5},"title":"Lynda’s Journal of Blessings – #763 – Mother’s Day","author":"Lynda Lambert","date":"May 9, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Books and reading are important,\u201d Mom said, as we traveled back and forth on Saturday mornings, to our local public library. I can still remember the beautiful smell of entering the old building that was our hometown library. The library was located on one floor of the Masonic Temple, at\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "#Trusting God"","block_context":{"text":"#Trusting God","link":"https:\/\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/category\/trusting-god\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/DSC04471-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/DSC04471-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/DSC04471-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/DSC04471-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/DSC04471-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=87"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17530,"href":"https:\/\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87\/revisions\/17530"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2522"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=87"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=87"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=87"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}