Happy Birthday Mom!

Today is my mom's 81st birthday. I am six hours away with freezing weather between us. Since I can't be with her this weekend, I'd like to honor Mom on her special day.

Mom...loves flowers and plants and can make anything grow or bloom. Her green thumb is evident throughout her home. Her kitchen window sill often holds "starts" from plants in little jars of water. Her African Violets flourish. She has resuscitated dying plants and flowers that friends and neighbors have brought to her for help:)

On the front of her fridge is a photo gallery of her kids and grandkids and great-grandkids- and friends and magnets and scripture verses and sayings from her church bulletins! It is a collection of the faces of family and friends that she loves, but also a kind of prayer list for this prayer warrior. I know that we have been protected and blessed by those earnest petitions on our behalf.

She likes hymns and country music- mostly the old songs. She can do the two-step, and often dances in her kitchen with any grand kid who's available-- did I mention that mom has had two knee replacements?--Hasn't slowed her down! Any of her grandchildren, from age 33 right on down to the youngest, can tell you what a cookie from Grandma costs: 1 hug please:)

On Thursdays , she does her grocery shopping. She used to take two of her best friends with her each week, because they didn't drive. They would talk and laugh and eat lunch at Hardy's or KFC. (Mom got her first driver's license at age 49.)

On Monday, Wednesday or Friday she might just be visiting with her friends over lunch at the senior meal at the local cafe that serves home cooking.

Mom and Dad moved to town about 12 yrs. ago, after living in the country all of their lives. She misses that farmhouse and it's big rooms and the private backyard ... and the garden and her chickens...

...And her clothesline ...

...and especially Dad-- who went on ahead to Heaven two years ago.
In the summer, you will find her tending her small garden with it's tomatoes and corn and green beans and onions and lettuce. The Concord Grape vine gives her sweet grapes for the grape jelly that she preserves. She makes plenty to share with family and friends.

In the front yard she waters her rose moss in the tractor tire flower bed and the hanging plants and potted flowers placed around the back porch area. Some of those plants have lived on her three season porch all winter. Also on the wall of that porch is a "can crusher"where all of the grandchildren have waited for their turn to "smash" a pop can "as flat as a pancake":)

She watches the bird feeder outside her kitchen window, and taps on the window to chase the crows away.

If the church doors are open, Mom is there. She loves her church family and is always ready to help with anything she can do. She sends the church bulletin and Sunday School material to anyone on her list that wasn't there. Many names of adults and children of the congregation are noted on her calendar, and a birthday or anniversary card arrives right on time. Her chicken salad sandwiches, seven layer salad and deviled eggs are favorites at the monthly church fellowship dinners.

If your birthday card doesn't arrive right on your birthday or before, there are only two reasons possible-- the post office made a mistake, or Mom didn't have your current address and the card was returned. My sister and I have noted that this gene did not get passed on to us:) Last year for her 80th, she received over seventy cards!

Mom loves her family more than anything, and over the years has taught us about love and Jesus and how to stretch a penny, and raise children and cook and work hard and serve others...
...and have fun:)

This is mom a few months ago with one of her youngest grandchildren, Shiloh.

I love you, Mom! Happy Birthday and have a wonderful day:)

See you soon!