Happy Mother's Day Mom!

Happy Mother's Day Mom!

This is my favorite picture of my mom. It was taken from a snapshot of her and my dad when they came to visit us here in Texas many years ago.  I loved my mom.  She was a wonderful person. However, we were very different. 

Mom was friendly (would talk to anyone about anything), sociable, and loved to dress up. She believed things were black and white - no in-between. We differed. While I'm not unfriendly, I tend to be quiet (more like my British dad), could care less about the social aspects of things, and really don't care to dress up. And when it came to black and white issues - IMO, everything is gray.

My mom was a good cook. Her signature dish (if one wants to call it that since we all requested it annually) was her oyster pie. We always had oyster pie (not oyster patties as is the norm in N.O.) on Thanksgiving and Christmas. She also made wonderful oyster stuffing. But I don't think mom liked to cook as such. She could cook, but it wasn't her favorite thing to do. And she kept an immaculate house. We used to call the front room 'the museum' when I was growing up. Of course in the 50's and 60's we had formal living rooms... which were only used for company. Mama was the typical 60's house-wife - always dressed well and had dinner on the table for my dad when he came home from work. 

Growing up in New Orleans in the 50's and 60's was good. We weren't rich, but dad had a good job and we didn't go without. Life was different then. Integration and segregation was an issue. We lived with it, but being children, we weren't totally aware. Looking back, it's sad how unaware we were. I don't recall mom (or dad) ever commenting on the issue - at least not in front of me. 

But no matter our differences,  I do miss her. She moved in with us here in Texas when she was 80... and lived with us until she was 93. The last few years were difficult as mama was diagnosed with Alzheimer's (which explained a lot in retrospect) and since I was working, eventually went into a 'memory care' unit at at really nice nursing home nearby. However, I regret to this day that I didn't just quit my job and keep her at home with me. Hindsight. I'd visit every day and we'd have tea on the porch. But she was never happy there. Don't think she'd have been even at home, but still... 

Happy Mother's Day Mama! 

Overdue post...

My daughter ad her baby girl 16 years ago (2001)

I just realized that it's been over a week since I've posted... but occasionally life gets busy and things you planned to do, don't get done. 

Happy Mother's Day a little late! I did plan to post that day, but somehow it didn't happen.  I got flowers, taken out to dinner, cards, etc. - so all in all we enjoyed the day. I hope all of you did too.

Facebook occasionally pulls up past pictures and this one above  was one it pulled up from last year for Mother's Day for my daughter (whose baby girl in the picture above is now 16 and just went to her first Prom this past Saturday). I thought it would be nostalgic for all of us.  So I reposted it to family members.

grand daughter and her dad before Prom  (2018)

And I can't remember if I mentioned it in a previous blog, but you know how things sometime happen in 3's? Well, we had three house-hold problems in the last month or so... dryer went out, garbage disposal broke, and sprinkler system needed repairs.

Thought that was it, but this past week our big screen TV started having problems. It has this huge red stripe down the middle of the screen. Repair man came out, fiddled with it, and basically told us we need to get a new TV. Part of the problem is that it is 10 years old (not that old for a TV I would think?) - and it's a 42 inch Panasonic Plasma. Apparently Panasonic no longer makes TV's and so the 'board' we would need is no longer available. We decided that we can live with the red stripe for a while.

Came across this picture on Pinterest that looked so much like our Tux that I had to copy it on my computer and add his black nose, chin, and 'smudge' on his left cheek with my stylus. 

original cat pic

our Tux with black added

We called him Tux at the time since it was apropos for his markings and he was one of 5 kittens (3 of them black and white). But sometimes we call him "Smudge"  as it looks like someone took black ink and touched his cheek (possibly an angel?) Anyone remember that poem about where a baby's dimple might be?

And lastly I wanted to show this other picture of a 'cat feeding station' that I thought was a wonderful idea. Don't know why more places wouldn't do this. (Actually I do know why - some people wouldn't like the idea) 

Isn't this neat?  I imagine some people wouldn't like the idea as it would draw other animals to the area...  but I still think it's a great idea.  There were places we went to in Europe years ago that had a great many cats around. The people there didn't seem to mind. They even let dogs in the pubs and on the trains... 

Well, I'm going to close for now. I enjoyed catching up on all your blogs. Hope you all have a great week!

Happy Mother's Day to all...

Me and grand kids awaiting a table in restaurant 

It's about 7:30 am Sunday morning and I'm busy 'catching up' on all the posts over the last 2 weeks that I missed reading while on the cruise. And I'm still trying to get back to normal routine...

But I do want to wish everyone out there a Happy Mother's Day!  We all went out to eat last night at Chuy's (Tex-Mex).  Son took this picture of me and 3 of my 4 grand kids.  My daughter, her husband, and grand daughter live in San Antonio, so we just spoke by phone. But we all had a good time, returning home to carrot cake and ice-cream.  Baby girl has decided that she LIKES ice-cream.

My body is back home, but my mind keeps returning to Alaska... so much natural beauty... such clean air... no traffic. I'd never survive the long cold winters, but it's a great place to spend some time. Do you know that Juneau, the capital of Alaska, has no roads in or out (well, it may have a road that goes about 15 - 20 miles out from the town, but then it just ends).  The only way in or out is by plane or boat. So the crime rate is low... they have 'no place to run'.

Huge handsome Seagull

But I digress...  I will start with Seattle.  I took this photo of huge Seagull in Seattle and could swear that he was posing for me.  He definitely knew he was handsome.

Seafood at the Fish House in Stanley Park, Vancouver

Nesting in tree

For the next two pictures, you really need to click on them and make them large to see how beautiful they are...

Trees are also in Stanley Park, Vancouver

And lastly for today's post of Seattle, here is a picture of  Dungeness Crabs at Pike's Market - huge, sweet, and delicious!

Again... Happy Mother's Day!  And my trip photos will continue another day.  Please bear with me, but I need to share.