Mother Goose Costume

Mary Engelbreit's Mother Goose

Ten reasons why Mother Goose is my Hero.

1. She's old but still productive.
2. She compiled historic events, political cartoons and accounts of daily life into easy-to-remember rhymes.
3. She understands women who have "so many children" they don't know what to do.
4. She says, "Leave them alone, and they will come home . . ."
5. She "wanders" in style.
   
6. She encourages "Merry Old Souls."
   
7. She has a healthy fear of spiders.
8. She has an antidote for stress: "Bake me a cake as fast as you can!"
9. She gives wise marriage counseling. (Analyze Jack Sprat at your next book club.)
   
10. She might be made up, and she might be real, but she's worthwhile either way.

This is my signature Halloween costume.

A few years ago
"I sat on a cushion and sewed a fine seam,"
literally, and without a sewing machine.

There are some special touches with symbolic meaning:

"Diddle Diddle Dumpling . . . went to bed with his stockings on,
one shoe off and one shoe on . . ."

"Ladybug, Ladybug, fly away home . . ."

"Lucy Locket lost her pocket . . ."

These details might be lost on the general population, but among my favorite fans, they get noticed.

This lady knows about stuff: bare cupboards, contrary children, what little boys are made of, what to do with left-over pumpkins—OK, so, she's not Winston Churchill, Socrates or Eleanor Roosevelt. But I bet you quote Old Mother Goose occasionally. How else would you remember how many days April has?

Who will you be this weekend?