Happy Mother's Day

I think one of my most favorite things in writing these blog entries is finding the pictures/graphics to use. There are so many out there that sometimes it takes me more time to pick the one I want than to write the entire post. So consider this flower pot filled with flowers as my Mother's Day gift to all of you mothers out there who read my blog because it took me almost an hour to decide on this one.

I had a delightful Mother's Day which was celebrated yesterday in New York with Liz, Bryan, Michael and Bob. They had brought all of my presents there so I got to open everything yesterday. I loved everything so much that I don't even know where to begin.

I'll start with the basics, something I really wanted, something I use all the time and something that just broke last week....my electric frying pan. This one is even better as it has a glass cover so you can see what you're cooking without having to take off the lid. Then I got a new running/walking watch. I'm always using Bob's when I take Belle out on one of our extended walks so it's nice to have one of my own. This one is purple which makes it even more fun and I know Bob will never use mine now. Since I'm always watching Netflix movies, Michael bought me two DVD's...one of which he's been telling me for weeks I need to see and that is Charlie Wilson's War. The other one, Holiday, with Cameron Diaz, is a movie he saw on a plane and he said he knows I will like it. Between the next two gifts, I can't decide which is my favorite. They are both going to be so much fun for me.

First is a scanner and I don't think they realize how much fun this is going to be at their expense. My girlfriend Joann's daughter, Laura, has one of my most favorite blogs to read everyday. And yes, I said everyday because Laura had made it her New Year's resolution to write something everyday. Well lately, Laura has had a lot of old photos on her blog....some of her prom, some of her earlier days as a figure skater and even some of Joann's older relatives. I asked Joann how she got these photos onto her blog and she told me one word -- "scanner". So now I have my very own scanner. I can see it all now....pictures of Liz with her braces, pictures of Bryan as the wannabe rocker he aspired to be, pictures of Michael ad nauseum, pictures of Keith with blonde hair, pictures of Bob "with" hair and pictures of me, young and thin, of course. I could go on and on and I will with my new scanner.

The next present was from Bryan and I do believe he has trumped everyone this Mother's Day. He's so clever and so good with graphics. He gave me a laminated ticket to the Borgata to play in a poker tournament "with him". I know most of you won't appreciate this (Joann) but to me this is the best gift. I get to do something I love with someone I love. That's always the best present of all. So I thank you dear FSIL for your very unique and very special gift.

As if the day hadn't been special enough, when we got home there was a box on our front porch. I opened it up and it was two dozen red roses. Who gets 2 dozen roses? Well I guess I do. This was from Michael's friends and ordered by one of my very favorites, Josh. I do a lot of the searching out and leasing the houses they use in Vegas all summer and this was their way of thanking me for my efforts. So I thank all of you boys and can't wait to see you this summer.

And last but not least, when we were growing up, on special occasions, my mother used to make this bacon, egg and onion sandwich for us on a kaiser roll which she got from my Nana who used to make the same thing. Well, when I got up this morning, my house smelled like my mother's house on Hausman Street as Bob was in the kitchen making me that very same sandwich. So this gift just might have beat them all. There's nothing like bringing back memories of one's childhood.

I think this post is getting rather long and if you've made it this far, I thank you. I wanted to devote the rest of this entry to my own mother and wishing her a very Happy Mother's Day. She's now living in Pennsylvania in an independent living facility called Twining Village. It's really beautiful and I'm happy she's there. Unfortunately for me, she never wants to leave and as much as I beg her, it's like pulling teeth to get her to come here for any of the holidays. I think Christmas and Thanksgiving are the only two days she will join us for dinner. They just installed a computer center in Twining Village so, when I go there, I'm able to show her this blog. Now that I have a scanner, I'd like to show everyone my favorite picture of my mother and me. This is also her favorite picture of the two of us. And, since my Aunt Margie (my mother's sister) is also one of my readers, I know she's really going to appreciate seeing a picture of her sister. By the way, this picture was taken twenty years ago and I do not look like this any longer but, thanks to my scanner, today I do.

So Mother's Day 2008 ends up being quite a hit for me. But even with all the gifts, my favorite gift of all was spending it with my family. They made it quite a special day for me.