Happy Mother's Day to a Wonderful Woman!

Happy Mother's Day to all you mom's out there!

Biggest shout out to my own Mommie! I love you so much! 

My mom has always been there for me, and there are no words to express my gratitude for the sacrifices she made while raising me. I'm the youngest child of six, and by the time I came around my parents were going through tough times. They divorced when I was three, and my beautiful mother took on the task of being a single mom to six children! I can't even imagine that! 

What I do know for sure is this--I had the best childhood a kid could hope for.  Growing up in the country, swimming in canals, camping every weekend in the summer, barbecues, tree houses and flood irrigating. I'm sure we never had much money, but I never realized that. All I knew is we were happy. 

I remember my mom used to feel bad because as the three youngest, my brothers and I didn't get a stay-at-home mother like the older kids did. However, I remember coming home from kindergarten once a month and mom would already be at work (she worked shift work at the potato plant to support us). She would have lunch sitting out for me with a sandwich, chips, half a Snickers bar and half a Pepsi.  I used to love that. It made me feel so special that she took the time to do that before going to work and I got a special treat. She always felt bad because it was store bought stuff and not homemade. Funny the difference perspective makes.  

If you read my post yesterday about Grams, you know already that music was an integral part of my life growing up. At home, I never remember the radio being off. When MTV came out, we always had that channel playing if not the radio. I remember one year my brothers went to live with my dad in California, and my sisters were already all married and moved out of the house.  My mom and I lived in a little apartment in town for a couple months, just the two of us, and the radio was always playing.  Our theme song that year was Bobby McFerrin's "Don't Worry, Be Happy" (YouTube link to Don't Worry, Be Happy) and to this day I sing that when I'm having a bad day. In fact, it's the ring tone I have set when Mom calls me. 

The older I grew, the closer I became with my mom. I'm one of those fortunate people who didn't have tumultuous teenage years where I hated my parents. Instead, my mom has always been my best friend, teaching me right from wrong, championing me in all my life decisions, sitting on the phone for hours if I need a shoulder to cry on. She has always encouraged me and believed I could do anything. Everyone needs somebody like that in their life. 

She put herself through college while also working and being a wonderful mother. I don't know how she did it all.  I'm not sure she even slept during the years she went to college, educating herself to make a better life for us all. We lived a lot of places, we went through a lot of changes, but I always knew I could count on Mom. 

Thank you, Mommie, for being the strong, independent, loving woman you are, and teaching me to be the same. When God picked the family to send me to, he definitely chose right! I love you so much! Happy Mother's Day!!

Great books:

Growing Up Country: Memories of an Iowa Farm Girl, Carol Bodensteiner, A memoir of a happy farm childhood. http://amzn.to/xRpHuY


Michal's Window by Rachelle Ayala - Love, Betrayal, Redemption: King David and the daughter of Saul, E-book: http://amzn.to/yO2mPy Paper Amazon: http://amzn.to/JDklTG B&N  http://bit.ly/JPjoIF

Loyalty Binds Me by Joan Szechtman, A novel about Richard III in the 21st-century, E-book: http://tinyurl.com/79jxh8u Paperback Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/c563k48 B&N  http://tinyurl.com/bsxnaty


Life on the Edge by Jennifer Comeaux - A story of love and perseverence. E-book: http://amzn.com/B006T89A4Y Paperback: http://amzn.com/1470101777

After Ten by Michele Shriver- A story of acceptance, forgiveness and the bonds of friendship. Amazon: http://amzn.com/B005YD4V7Q B&N: http://bit.ly/IgCvvK

Always & Forever by Chantel Rhondeau coming summer 2012 - A suspected murderess must start over - romantic suspense. Excerpt http://awe.sm/5on16

In Memory of Grams

In the spirit of celebrating Mother's Day, I wanted to share a little bit about my Grandma Lillian (Grams to me).  Grams was a wonderful lady, whom I dearly miss.  I think all the humor genes in our family came from her. Unfortunately, my brothers and sisters got the biggest portion of those genes and I have to be content to enjoy the humor of others.  Still, Grams was the person who taught me my first dirty limericks.  She was always saying something funny, pure deadpan demeanor.  She was great fun.

As I little girl, I loved going to Grams' house. I sat for hours at her vanity, playing with the jewelry in her multiple jewelry boxes and putting on her makeup. Grams had narcolepsy and fell asleep at the drop of a hat. I'm not sure if I was supposed to be playing in her makeup, or she fell asleep and didn't know about it, but I had a lot of fun!

Grams really taught me love of all things creative and was the reason I joined band in high school. She wasn't a writer, but a musician. Boy was she talented. Her and my Uncle Mori played in a jazz band and performed at many events throughout our community. That woman had mad skills. She played by ear. Grams only had to hear a song once and could replicate it on the piano.  Even when her Parkinson disease became so bad that her head and hands had tremors, she would still slide up to the keyboard and treat us with a tune.

She also loved singing. My last few visits with her, the dementia had become so bad that I'm not sure she always knew who I was. However, she never forgot the words to her favorite songs:  Say Say Oh Playmate, Strangers in the Night, How Much is That Doggie in the Window (she loved the "woof woof" part--I can still hear her doing it), and some song about Ka-Ka-Ka-Katie, beautiful Katie (don't really know what this one is called). We had many more, but my brain can't remember the names of them.

She loved singing those songs and would sometimes remember who we were after singing. Then, she could be enticed to talk about her childhood and tell stories about the horse she used to ride to school, Buck. She loved that horse. She and the other children had horse races during lunchtime and Buck always won.

We lost Grams four years ago, but I am so fortunate to have had her in my life. This Mother's Day, don't forget to thank the women who may not be your mother, but had a significant impact on the person you've become.

The best thing Grams ever taught me? She was babysitting me one evening when I was eight years old. Of course, she was asleep, but I played on the floor in the same room as her.  I asked, "Grandma, what's twelve plus twelve?"  She opened her eyes, looked down at me and said, "Twelve plus twelve is twenty-four. Now shut your mouth and say no more."

She promptly fell back to sleep, but I never forgot what twelve plus twelve was!

I love you, Grams!



Great books:

Growing Up Country: Memories of an Iowa Farm Girl, Carol Bodensteiner, A memoir of a happy farm childhood. http://amzn.to/xRpHuY


Michal's Window by Rachelle Ayala - Love, Betrayal, Redemption: King David and the daughter of Saul, E-book: http://amzn.to/yO2mPy Paper Amazon: http://amzn.to/JDklTG B&N  http://bit.ly/JPjoIF

Loyalty Binds Me by Joan Szechtman, A novel about Richard III in the 21st-century, E-book: http://tinyurl.com/79jxh8u Paperback Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/c563k48 B&N  http://tinyurl.com/bsxnaty


Life on the Edge by Jennifer Comeaux - A story of love and perseverence. E-book: http://amzn.com/B006T89A4Y Paperback: http://amzn.com/1470101777

After Ten by Michele Shriver- A story of acceptance, forgiveness and the bonds of friendship. Amazon: http://amzn.com/B005YD4V7Q B&N: http://bit.ly/IgCvvK

Always & Forever by Chantel Rhondeau coming summer 2012 - A suspected murderess must start over - romantic suspense. Excerpt http://awe.sm/5on16