My Mother's Notebook

About the Book

You may wonder about My Mother's Notebook. My mother was terrifi ed of losing her memory. She watched Dad's mental decline for six years as he suffered the indignity of Alzheimer's.

She wanted no part of that!

To keep her mind sharp, at 85, she picked up an old spiral notebook and began: "There was a time when". I believe she felt good about this project, and just continued remembering and making lists and comments.

Before she died, she told me about the notebook and asked me to take it, as there was a message in it for me. You'll be able to recognize it, and I hope you will have one for your family. You might notice I did not write something of my own under every category, but I have allowed room for you.

About the Author

Born in Chicago in 1908, Virginia Stanton Cutter spent her childhood hopping street cars, exploring the city. Her great interests were cinema, theatre and ballet and the Chicago Cubs in the summer. She married young and moved to Oswego, Illinois with her husband and five children. It was a huge adjustment but in time she rallied and loved it. After her husband's death, she began travelling and enjoying theatre again. She died happily in 1996 at age 87.

Patricia Cutter Reynolds, born in 1934, was raised in Oswego where her freedom knew no bounds. Her mother shared her interests with her, so much so, that after college she headed for the city, married eventually, had six children and when her husband died prematurely, she created a new life. For the last twenty years, she held interesting and varied jobs, earned a Master's degree and did her major work in grief counselling. She now spends time in a big city - Chicago, and a small city, Vero Beach, Florida.