Happy Birthday Mom....
Monday, 4. September 2006, 22:48:54
Today is my Mom’s birthday – her birth certificate states she was born in 1931 so that makes her officially 75. That sounds ‘old’, but as I age I am finding that the definition of old is not a number. In my line of work I see people who both look and act old when they are in their 40’s and I see others in their 80’s and 90’s come striding in to the Lab wearing fashionable clothes, smiles on their faces and eager to make conversation. I want to be like them when I grow up. My Mom is like that. She is uncomplaining and generally a ‘modern’ woman.
She grew up in Winnipeg, the only daughter of two immigrants from northern Europe. Her father worked as a cook and her mother in the garment industry. She says she didn’t miss having other siblings – she had lots of cousins and didn’t ever have to share a bedroom. One of her first memories is her first day of school. Her father took her, dropped her off and left. This small 6 year old who didn’t speak a word of English. She managed to learn English and get through school but she admits she wasn’t much of a scholar. Sister San says she found Mom’s high school transcript a while back
and she had barely passing grades. But… she did get an A in PE. Which is too funny to think of our Mom excelling in physical education – nowadays her idea of exercise is shopping!
Anyway, she did graduate from high school and hit the road soon after.
She and a girlfriend hitch hiked west to Calgary to start a new life. This was in the early 50’s. And get this – she got a job in a bank – someone who barely passed math. Now, I might make fun of my mom for her poor grades because in fact she is quite intelligent – she did the accounting for my Dad’s business for many years, she can complete very difficult crossword puzzles and can keep all her on-going contest entries straight in her head.
So, the things I love and admire about my Mom:
-she was always a stay – at – home mother
-she made the best desserts
-she made home made bread
-she learned to drive only a few years before me:yikes:
-she let me make my own mistakes
-she made all of my clothes while I lived at home – even matching panties for my micro mini dresses!
-She successfully raised 4 children even though she says we were all accidents:eyes:
-She can program a VCR
-She started playing video games as soon as they got a computer –Leisure Suit Larry, I think. It was quite something to have her grandchildren phone her up to ask how to get to the next level of a game.
-She grows the most amazing flowers, saving seeds year to year to scatter about
-She is the ‘contest queen’
-Amazingly, she doesn’t have a belly button
Anyway Mom,
I love you
and Happy Birthday 
She grew up in Winnipeg, the only daughter of two immigrants from northern Europe. Her father worked as a cook and her mother in the garment industry. She says she didn’t miss having other siblings – she had lots of cousins and didn’t ever have to share a bedroom. One of her first memories is her first day of school. Her father took her, dropped her off and left. This small 6 year old who didn’t speak a word of English. She managed to learn English and get through school but she admits she wasn’t much of a scholar. Sister San says she found Mom’s high school transcript a while back
and she had barely passing grades. But… she did get an A in PE. Which is too funny to think of our Mom excelling in physical education – nowadays her idea of exercise is shopping! Anyway, she did graduate from high school and hit the road soon after.
She and a girlfriend hitch hiked west to Calgary to start a new life. This was in the early 50’s. And get this – she got a job in a bank – someone who barely passed math. Now, I might make fun of my mom for her poor grades because in fact she is quite intelligent – she did the accounting for my Dad’s business for many years, she can complete very difficult crossword puzzles and can keep all her on-going contest entries straight in her head.
So, the things I love and admire about my Mom:
-she was always a stay – at – home mother
-she made the best desserts
-she made home made bread-she learned to drive only a few years before me:yikes:
-she let me make my own mistakes
-she made all of my clothes while I lived at home – even matching panties for my micro mini dresses!
-She successfully raised 4 children even though she says we were all accidents:eyes:
-She can program a VCR
-She started playing video games as soon as they got a computer –Leisure Suit Larry, I think. It was quite something to have her grandchildren phone her up to ask how to get to the next level of a game.
-She grows the most amazing flowers, saving seeds year to year to scatter about
-She is the ‘contest queen’
-Amazingly, she doesn’t have a belly button
Anyway Mom,
I love you
and Happy Birthday
WIDGETIZE