94 AND STILL USES HER WOODEN SPOON!

Today is Mom’s birthday. She is indeed 94, and sharp as a tack.

Reaching her age and knowing what she does, all the things she lived through and did for her children is remarkable. Maybe someday I will sit down and write about it, but now, she is still making history.

When I think about what a scooch I was as a child, with sisters in my world, and being the only boy, I was bound to get into trouble with mom. I think the secret to her longevity is exercise. She would chase me with her wooden spoon and this would usually occur around the dining room table for some reason. It was my turf, it had a great escape route nearby (a long deep narrow closet that I could hide deep into) and it also had the exit to the apartment on the opposite side of the room.

“WAIT, JUST WAIT TIL I GET MY HANDS ON YOU!”

This was sound advice she was giving me, as I took off with her in hot pursuit!

Of course it wasn’t always a wooden spoon, sometimes it was a cake, or cupcake she made, maybe a pudding, and almost always a laugh. She did find me amusing at times, but she was always a pushover in the end.

Mom was a great cook. I never saw her with a recipe book; she cooked out of her memory and still does. She could bake, cook, knit, love and hit, a five-tool mom so to speak. She had it all.

Mom was slow though, as my sisters would complain to me that she took forever to shop with, even in her younger days. Maybe that is why she is still going. I took advantage of her lack of speed around the dining room table, but her reflexes, especially with the spoon were very good.

Many years later, when I was working and had a high-pressured job, late in the afternoons, I would shut my door and no secretary assistant or colleague would bother me. I would hear little bits of laughter coming from behind my door, and there was this one woman who sounded just like Mom when she laughed, I would sit back and take the moment to think of Mom.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOM, I LOVE YOU!

No Pets Allowed Two buddies were out for a Saturday stroll.  One had a Doberman and the other had a Chihuahua.  As they sauntered down the street, the guy with the Doberman said to his friend, "Let's go over to that restaurant and get something to drink." The guy with the Chihuahua said, "We can't go in there.  We've got dogs with us." The one with the Doberman said, "Just follow my lead." They walked over to the restaurant and the guy with the Doberman put on a pair of dark glasses and started to walk into the restaurant. The waiter at the door said, "Sorry, Mac, no pets allowed." The man with the Doberman said, "You don't understand.  This is my Seeing-Eye dog." The waiter said, "A Doberman pinscher?" The man said, "Yes, they're using them now.  They're very good." The waiter said, "OK then, come on in." The buddy with the Chihuahua figured he'd try it too so he put on a pair of dark glasses and started to walk into the restaurant.  He knew his story would be a bit more unbelievable.  Once again the waiter said, "Sorry, pal, no pets allowed." The man with the Chihuahua said, "You don't understand.  This is my Seeing-Eye dog." The waiter said, "A Chihuahua?" The man with the Chihuahua said, "A Chihuahua?!?  A Chihuahua?!? They gave me a Chihuahua??