I don’t think I can say it any better than I did last year. . . . .

It’s Mother’s Day! If you ask me, it’s a marketing gimmick! After all, isn’t every day mother’s day?! I don’t know first-hand, but I can sure tell you, now in my 40’s (okay, okay late 40’s) my mother has yet to get rid of me!

There’s so much to say about my mom that it is hard to know where to start and more importantly, where to stop!

My mom taught me compassion for animals…..she fed our cats fresh calves liver on the kitchen counter! She has always said “If I had a horse, it would live in the house!” You laugh, but I’m telling you right now, she means it! I’m sure there was a moment or two growing up when I wondered “the cats or the kids” but I dared not ask!

My mom taught me calm in the eye of the storm….like the time Gertrude the (male) cat brought a mouse home in the middle of my Brownie troop meeting! You can imagine the squeal of a bunch of little girls! The mouse ran one direction, we all ran another and my mother, with great poise, tracked down that mouse. As one little girl left that day she told my mom that was the best troop meeting she’d ever been too!

My mom taught me to appreciate what I have; that there would always be people in life with more and people with less…..there was the not-road-worthy panel truck she drove around Ft. Worth in the early 1960’s. No a/c and I don’t have to tell you summers in Texas and the lipstick melts! It didn’t have a rear view mirror so she’d park in front of the plate glass window at Roy Pope’s grocery so she could see to back out! She drove that truck up to ritzy Westover Hills and she’d pull in the driveway of her friend’s mansion, pass the tennis courts, right up the circular drive and park that rig smack-dab between the bubbling fountain and the grand front door!

My mom taught me to be considerate and have compassion for others…..she visited my grandmother in the nursing home every single day for too many years to count. Always bringing a stack of freshly laundered gowns and a box of my grandmother’s favorite chocolates to stow away! And there was always a funny story to tell so my grandmother would have something to laugh about.

My mom taught me the kind of love that really does last forever….she showed me how to be a strong woman in a strong marriage. How to use my humor to get through the ordinary days and how to circle the wagons when things get tough.

My mom taught me practical things….to this day she believes that a coke and two Bayer aspirin will cure pretty much anything that ails a person! Pick that special drawer in the kitchen for the used (but clean) tin foil. Fold it neatly and save it for the next dish! Pop open a can of green beans, add a chopped onion and a lot of s & p, then boil the living life out of it and it is possible to get rid of that tin-can taste! My mom taught me that love actually comes in the shape of homemade waffles dripping in real butter with warm homemade maple syrup!

She taught me to shop! And that chances are pretty good I’m never gonna like anything on the sale rack so don’t waste valuable shopping time looking for a bargain when I can just as well pay full price! And go ahead and get it now, why waste a trip back to the store when you know you want it. Surely it saves time and money in the long run! Her driving motto is keep moving! If traffic is backed up, get out of it. Cut through the neighborhood. It doesn’t matter if it takes you longer to get there as long as you’re in motion! My mom has a knack for hanging just one more ornament on the Christmas tree and our trees were always spectacular because of it. She taught me that the best snack in the world is Fritos and sour cream. And if you’re a little cranky, take a nap, chances are you’ll have a whole new outlook on life when you wake up! Oh and I almost forgot, there’s absolutely no reason to eat-in when you can eat-out!

My mom taught me about God…that Jesus Christ died on the cross for the sins of the world and all I had to do was believe…and I do! And if God can do that for me, everything else is small in comparison. She taught me that God’s perfect plan for my life goes on no matter what happens in the world around me. My mom taught me that, even though she can’t find it in scripture, she’s confident our animals DO go to heaven and I believe her!

My mom rocks! She’s the bomb! She’s the whipped cream on the banana split of life! She’s the glorious chandelier hanging in the middle of the ballroom. She’s the ironstone cake stand I cherish. She’s that fresh sprig of mint in a tall glass of ice tea on a hot summer day. She’s the queen of all she sees! She’s the nuts and bolts that holds this family together.

That’s my mom! She loves God, her family and this great country. She loves to tell stories and she really loves to laugh! And it would be unfair if I didn’t tell you her favorite color is orange. Should you forget, you’ll know the minute you meet her as her lips and nails will be an instant reminder!

So here’s to you mom and all moms! May your day be filled with whatever you want to do, something fun, something special or nothing at all! Job well done, thanks a million, kudos, outstanding, cheers….Moms are the BEST!

Today is my husband’s birthday! And he is….can you stand it….the BIG FIVE-O! Seriously! And, take my word for it, he doesn’t look a day over twenty-five and he doesn’t act a day over six!

There are many things to love about him….he’s honest, hard-working, funny, the life of the party, he’s a kid at heart and generous (to name a few), but my favorite thing about him is that he adores me! I’m one lucky chick!

Happy Birthday Bruce!

You’re not gonna believe it but there’s another birthday in the fam today! My niece, Marcie! She’s the daughter I never had! My sister did all the work and I reaped all the benefits! Marcie and I bonded the minute I saw her for the first time in the hospital. She was all dressed up in her tiny white and pink rose bud dress ready to come home. I’ll never forget it!

She’s beautiful inside and out! I’m very proud of her!

And I love her to pieces!

Last…but not least….it’s Father’s Day!

I wish I could tell you about my Pop. But I simply can’t. The wound still runs too deep.

I miss his dry wit and his smile. I miss his warm strong hand holding mine. I miss that he walked me to the car after a visit and I miss looking back and seeing him watch me drive away. I miss his wisdom and the calm, patient energy that surrounded him. He kept me safe and gave me unconditional love. I miss him every day.

I know, because my Pop believed in Jesus Christ as his personal saviour, that I will see him again. And I take great comfort in that fact. I’ve always hoped that he’d save a seat for me next to him in heaven, but now I just hope he’ll let me curl up in his lap like I did when I was a kid.

Happy Father’s Day, Pop, I send you my love on angels wings.