BIRTHDAY GIRL AT 90

     Our Mom turns 90 today or as she likes to say (nodding to George Carlin) 32 celsius.
     
     Unconditional love, devotion, determination and great humor. 

     Lost her vision to the inherited disorder Retinitis Pigmentosa (ruined retinas due to the inability to metabolize vitamin A).  Completely blind for the last 30 years. 
    With equanimity and grace, accepting that which she could not change. Relinquishing the pleasures of the visual arts, live theater and shopping. Mom has never seen most of my books.
    Yet still taking great pleasure in music and conversation and family adventures. 
Interested in politics, the Franklin Institute Red Tail Hawks and the internet among other things.
     
     In fragile health these last few months.  
     Celebrating your milestone birthday with all our love, hugs, kisses, gourmet lunch and sweet potato pecan cupcakes with cream cheese icing!!


               ❤❤ HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DEAR MOM!! ❤❤

                                                   
   

Spork Maestro

Recently, searched the Net for a combination fork 
and spoon eating utensil. 
Thought it might help my blind Mom eat more
comfortably.
Discovered the spork.
Familiar to kids and campers.
I wanted one that fit in with regular silverware.
Discovered the ETSY shop bosen / handcrafted
http://www.etsy.com/shop/Bosen

Mom's first Bosen made spork, photo ⓒ Bosen 2012, with permission

 Bosen, the shop proprietor and craftsperson, recycles

old worthy teaspoons of "good quality and with character",

painstakingly searched for in thrift stores and garage sales.

Then careful grinding, sanding and filing transforms them into

these useful and unique utensils. Often completing the

transformation by engraving a word like "NOURISH" or 

"Eat" on the stem. 

Bosen credits trying to eat penne pasta at lunch with 

a rounded spoon. Studying bronze casting at a foundry at

the time encouraged the thought of creating tines on the front

edge of the spoon. 

And it works magnificently! 

My Mom started raving immediately!

Amusingly, she was eating a penne pasta dish 

at the time.

I immediately sent for 2 more of Bosen's sporks for Mom.

Now I want some of my own.

These 2 Bosen sporks arrived yesterday, photos ⓒ Bosen 2012, with permission

When not "sporkifying" spoons, Bosen restores older steel 

bicycles and finds them new owners in the small town in

on the North shore of Monterey Bay in Central California

where Bosen lives. 

Bosen writes, "I am passionate about sustainable human 

powered transportation which means keeping every last 

bicycle out of landfills and scrap piles. I make a life of 

turning beat up, neglected old bicycles into smooth running, 

useful machines that will serve their owners for decades to come. 

I suggest you bring along your trusty unique Bosen spork 
for when you stop for lunch and/or dinner. Enjoy your meal.

Thanking its enigmatic, conscientious creator/ recycler.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/Bosen

Happy Mother's Day, Mom

I share my Mom with my sister 
and two brothers. She's been my 
Mom longer because I got
here first. Not that it really matters. 
She always tells us she loves all 
her children equally.

Mom lost her sight completely a 
number of years ago. 
Listening to my war stories, she takes 
my side but can't see my art work or 
how gray her 4 children have become. 


Memorizing all her numbers, credit cards, 
phone numbers, anniversaries, birthdays, 
medical appointments. Mom carries on 
with few complaints and lots of laughter. 

Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

For Mother's Day

The way we were.......

As her parents would put it, my Mom is "smart as 12 colleges", good looking, and has a great sense of humor. All came in handy as, despite a bad marriage, she some how got her four kids raised and college educated with no money but stubborn determination, sacrifice and so much love.

She produced (in birth order) a published children's book illustrator

and author, a top administrator at a major university, a greatly

respected pediatric dentist and another town's beloved general dentist.

All of whom get along, enjoy each other's company and look out for each other.

She could definitely write the book.

All the time she was also losing her eyesight to Retinitis Pigmentosa.

An inherited disorder that slowly but surely destroyed her retinas

until she was blind.

She has not been able to see anything for 20 or more years.

Not my books or the beautiful faces of her grandchildren.

I joke that she has also missed seeing her middle aged children's

silvering and in some cases, receding, hair.

Despite everything, Mom lives her life with immense grace, courage

and always, humor.

Happy Mother's Day to my dear Mom.

My Mom's wonderful Chinese charms necklace restored at last. When I was little she always let me handle this necklace with its enchanting beads.

So much loving attention eventually loosened the charms from their original chain, but Mom saved the pieces.

As this necklace marks the beginning of my interest in beads, there is some satisfaction in having been able to restore it for my Mom. She was pleased, though now she can only "see" the necklace with her fingers as Retinitis Pigmentosa has stolen her sight.