Today is Mom’s BIG DAY!!! Whoo hoo, she’s doing so awesome as she starts her 9th decade. Much, much merriment, including a delicious fish dinner that Kevin prepared last night (a very historic event, indeed); we took the food over and ate at Mom’s house, also kind of historic, and then the three of us watched two more episodes of “All Creatures Great and Small” which Kevin and I are highly addicted to now. Mom has always liked it.

We just went out to lunch to Lime Street, and we’ll go to dinner tomorrow night, and the celebrations continue…

Here are a bunch of random photos throughout the years…first, this was Mom when she was living in NYC, being a painter.

Five years old, in the backyard with a cat. It’s name was Puff, says Mom. Plus I’m pretty sure we still have the Raggedy Ann doll.

Swimming at the lake. But hmm, she didn’t have a diving board so that must have been at somebody else’s house around here. Mom says her dad made some kind of ersatz diving board. Interesting…

She wasn’t even a year old here, so darling, this was in St. Louis, where she was born and lived for the first few years of her life. I haven’t seen that book she’s holding but once again, pretty sure the stuffed toy is somewhere close at hand. Because nobody around here ever gets rid of anything.

Some dance, some fella, and quite a dress! Mom says his name was Dan Cleary, and that was her Sophmore year in high school.

It’s funny to me that this photo says “back yard,” in quotes. Age four, on her scooter at her Uncle Marshall’s, who lived on a farm outside of Xenia, IL.

That is quite a trike! Still at Uncle Marshall’s.

Here she is with some good old dog, also on her Uncle Marshall’s farm. The dog’s name is Betty! In the background is a huge flower and vegetable garden that Mom’s Aunt Iva planted.

I love this picture because why is the cat Puff out on the frozen lake? It must have been a very intrepid kitty . Plus, of course, Mom was out there on the ice appearing to have a grand, grand time. She says she was wearing ice skates that strapped over her shoes. The ice was six inches thick. When she was a little older, Mom tried to skate across the lake but her Mom started yelling at her so she had to head back.

It’s funny that all these pictures are outdoors; she was quite the outdoorsy type when she was young. Mom, on the right, was with her friend Shirley Ann Whitsell.

And finally, on her sixth birthday, she looks dubious about the whole endeavor.

Realizing as I type I don’t have much info about many of these photos, so you should check back here later after I’ve talked to Mom and she’s filled me in a little.

UPDATE: Mom filled me in! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOM!

OK then,

G.