16 candles and then some.

Today my mom, Toots is 89.

 

I am blessed.

I have a great mom.

She raised me in a home filled with love.

She taught me many things.

She taught me to respect your husband

and put your relationship first.

She was married to my dad for 71 years

and demonstrated that over and over.

She schooled me in the art of housekeeping,

the creativity in decorating,

and the practice of homemade meals.

She makes the best potato salad and coconut cream pie.

Sadly not as much now that she lives in assisted living.

I am hoping my sister, Judy takes over again.

Ain't nobody got time for that.

Except Judy, I hope.

One of my favorite things about her is her fun-loving spirit.

 

She loves to have a good time.

She went crazy every year for Halloween.

There was a contest for best costumes at the school

and she was always vying for us to win.

She square danced and she yodeled.

I can't say I always appreciated the yodeling

but now I see she was finding her joy

and it made her a happy camper.

She moved furniture every week.

You never knew where your bed would be.

Once she told Dad I'll race you to bed.

He took off before she warned him she had re-arranged the room.

He dove for the bed.

and found the floor because the bed was moved.

 

 





(Her kitchen band. She is on the far right)

 

She also taught me to love God.

I remember many times walking into the living room

to see her in a chair with her bible in her lap.

She has one of those great bibles that is falling apart from use.

I think it is one of the reasons I collect discarded bibles.

I love that they have been read so much

 they are dog-eared and tattered.

When Stuart and I had our twins

and were in those dark days

waiting for them to go home with the Lord,

I had a doctor ask me where I got my faith.

I answered "my mom".

She led by example.

It's one of the reasons I sing hymns as lullabies to my grands.

Start a chorus of He Lives or Trust and Obey

and you will see little Cliff's eyes grow heavy.

Then again, maybe he just gives it up to sleep so I don't start yodeling.

You  have heard the saying

Mirror, mirror on the wall

I am my mother after all.

Or the one...

I open my mouth and my mother comes out.

It's true.

My mom is famous in our family for her "Tootisms".

She has her own lingo.

She calls Dollar General, the General Dollar store.

She takes Tidelenol and has been known to plant clitoris(clematis) in her garden.

She told me last week she would like to get a coral cardinal for Spring.

She is jonesing for a coral cardigan for those of you who don't speak Toots. 

Truthfully, it runs in the family.

Remember the time I told the waiter I wasn't sure

whether I was to pay my bill at the table or the counter because

I didn't know the roll call.

Then realized oh my gosh... Er, protocal.

My sister Linda cannot talk about Dancing with the Stars

and not mention Chrisitie Allen.

Translation...Kirstie Alley.

Today, she and I are taking Mom to lunch,

shopping and to a movie.

We are taking Linda's husband, David along

as our translator.

If you see us out and about

give a shout out to Toots.

She is my favorite.

 

Her children arise and call her blessed...

Proverbs 31:28