from not so good, to good, to better, to best

The not so good: Technology and me. Not a good combination. When my toys don't work, I get cranky. All of a sudden, my laptop has begun to act up whenever I open the PSE program. For some reason, this is affecting my Yahoo mail and I've been receiving month old emails for the past week. How PSE and Yahoo are connected is beyond me. All I know is that I've got a problem and I need to figure it out.

The good: Let there be light! Our temperatures finally warmed up and I was able to open my curtains this morning. Additionally, after one full week of canceled classes due to the ice storm, the schools reopened today and my kids were able to go back to high school. We were all experiencing a bit of cabin fever, so the change in temperatures is very welcome.

The better: Because I woke up to bright light and warmer temps, I found a burst of energy that has been sorely lacking for the past several days. My creative juices are stirring and I feel a lot of productivity coming on. The timing for this couldn't be better because later this week I'll be heading off to Dallas to meet with team Luxe.

The best: This is my mom's birthday week. Thankfully, her gift was ordered via the internet, meaning the ice storm didn't keep me from getting to the post office. Unfortunately, due to the storm, I did not get a card mailed to her. But that doesn't mean mom's birthday hasn't been on my mind.

Because it is mom's birthday, I've spent the past several days thinking of her and reminiscing about my childhood. And as I've walked down memory lane, I was reminded of one thing: I had an idyllic childhood. Growing up on a farm offered a lot of opportunities to have fun, and my mom made sure that her kids experienced every aspect of country living to it's fullest potential. Some things I remember from my youth:

I can still clearly see my mom's face lighting up when we asked her if we could ride the horses, because riding horses was something she liked to do too. Five, ten, fifteen mile treks were her idea of a great ride.

I remember her packing a picnic lunch every single summer afternoon as we would don our swimsuits and head off to Peck's Pond or Reber's River to spend lazy days playing on inner tubes and splashing on the shore until it got too dark to play any longer.

I remember mom bottle feeding baby calves and mucking out stalls.

I remember her crocheting rugs and canning vegetables.

I remember her saying, "I love you," and "you are beautiful," every single day I was a child.

I remember that bookmobile day was like a holiday because for my mom, it was an event to head off to the library on wheels. If I close my eyes, I can easily recall her standing in line with an armload of books and I can still see her sitting at the kitchen table reading those books early in the morning - something she does to this very day.

I remember hearing the hum of the sewing machine late at night and seeing new clothes laid out on the ironing board the next morning. Mom loved to sew more than anything else on earth.

Each of these memories make me smile. And as I look back, I realize that it was because of my mother's zest for life that my childhood memories are so cherished and treasured.

As I have thought about my mother and silently celebrated her life this past week, I remembered something that I hadn't thought of for years. This childhood memory pretty much sums up my mom in all her glory:

When we lived on the farm, there came a time when my brothers decided they couldn't live without motorcycles. Since we owned a few acres, there was a lot of space for them to envision riding those bikes, and it was only natural for country boys to want country toys. My brothers begged and begged for the motorcycles. My mom, believing that life is for living, was all for it, because she knew that if you keep kids busy, kids stay out of trouble.

Eventually, the boys and my mom talked my dad into getting a motorcycle. They started out with a Honda 50 and soon worked up to Yamaha 80s and 100s and even 250s, which left that little Honda 50 sitting in the tool shed. It didn't take long for my mom to decide that riding the Honda 50 might be fun. And so wearing a borrowed helmet as she revved up the engine... off she went! I still remember standing there in my ten year old disbelief as I watched my mother ride a motorcycle.

Not long after her first spill (and yes, she fell off several times before she got the hang of how to shift the gears and turn the corners), mom could be found tooling around town on that little Honda. In addition to riding the motorcycle to the grocery store and to the post office, she would ride that motorcycle to and from church on weekdays (she couldn't ride it church on Sundays because wearing a dress and riding a motorcycle did not go well together). And to this day, I remember thinking that my mom was the coolest mom on the planet because she did things that made her laugh - she worked hard and played harder; a lesson that I still remember, and one that I try to apply every day of my life.

My mom taught me many valuable childhood lessons. But the lesson I cherish most is that life is for living - make each day an adventure, which is exactly what she did when she got on that motorcycle and rode for all she was worth.

And so today I wish my mother happy birthday. She is my best friend, my closest confidant, and the person I most look up to. PattyP - this one's for you! Enjoy your year and thanks for the memories. I love you.

Comments

[barb]

Happy birthday to lovely PattyP!

[Randi]

Happy Birthday to your Mom. I remember her from when you and I worked together. My nephews (Brandon) girlfriend is going to have a baby in June. This will be the first grandbaby in the family - first baby in over 16 years - Jordan was the last one. I am having so much fun spending money on my new great-nephew (yep its going to be a boy). All of my overtime money is being spent on clothes for the little bit. Kelli keeps reminding me that this baby is not my grandbaby and to watch the spending (thrifty Kelli), but it's so much fun buying baby things again.

[slammie]

Many wonderful birthday wishes to Kelly's mom!!!!

[Heather]

Happy birthday to Kelly's Mom . . .sounds like you have a lot of great memories with her.

Sent you an email (actually 2) regarding this weekend . . . guessing maybe you haven't gotten them. Hopefully, you'll get them before you leave.

[emine pala]

Happy BIRTHDAY TO YOUR BEAUTIFUL MOTHER... she looks so nice!
The things you wrote about her brought tears in my eyes. I have 2 little kids (i'm 24 years old) and I realize that love is details. I want my kids to feel about me like the way you feel about your mother...
thank you for posting this

Emine

[Amy Sorensen]

you know you're lucky to have such a fabulous mom, right??? ;) I remember the bookmobile, too, which is weird because we had a library, but I remember it. GREAT memories!