Happy Birthday to My Mother

It was my mom's birthday.  What a range of emotions!  Do I drape myself in black and spend the day mourning at her recently-dug gravesite, or do we throw a giddy party with cake and ice cream?  The only thing I really know about grieving is that whatever you feel like doing, it's almost always OK.

We put up a happy birthday banner, and invited my dad over for dinner.  She would have been 68, so we pasted up a list of 68 things about her on the windows.  She was my mom, my dad's Sweetie, my kids' Grandma Susie, and an all-around, bona-fide amazing woman.

We love you, and miss you so much!

Top 68 Things... 

1. reminded us to take our medicine
2. loved to go out to dinner
3. critiqued our wardrobes and wanted a fashion show when we got new clothes
4. took us to the doctor (or strongly encouraged it) when we were sick
5. saved and planned all year for our Christmas gifts
6. giggled when her dad addressed her cards to her maiden name after she'd been married 30+ years
7. wrote out my - maiden - name in recent years
8. When she was done with a phone call, she would always hang up without saying goodbye
9. believed in doctors and modern medicine
10. encouraged us to learn musical instruments
11. taught us to play the piano
12. taught lots of neighborhood kids to play the piano - up to 30 at a time!
13. loved to listen to my brothers play songs they had written
14. did not care for the Ophir State Marching Band
15. liked to play the white elephant game at Christmas
16. paid the grandkids handsomely for doing little jobs around the house
17. always wanted a hug, but was satisfied with a high five
18. asked how we were doing in school - very concerned about our education
19. asked if the grandkids were having a good day
20. was happy to babysit grandkids (or at least never let on otherwise)
21. had a great Lego collection for kids to play with
22. rolled up her shorts to splash in the water with her kids even though she didn't have a swimsuit
23. looked up our grades on the school district computers
24. looked up our friends' (and our dates') grades and classes too!
25. called every week to see how we were doing
26. ate lots of Ritz crackers
27. made graham cracker sandwiches with frosting
28. hired grandsons to mow her lawn
29. kept a cookie jar full - usually sandwich cookies
30. had to read the comics and do the crossword puzzle before anyone else got them
31. was very kind to everyone
32. listened first, then talked
33. didn't often offer her opinion, but allowed everyone to live the way they saw best
34. played the organ in her church for... forever (40+ years?)
35. modeled modesty
36. loved deep, rich colors - like the red wall in her bedroom
37. was the epitome of political correctness
38. didn't speak poorly of others
39. "Spit in one hand and 'want' in the other and see which fills up faster."
40. "I'm going to hang you up by your toenails!"
41. "I'm so mad I could spit!"
42. did NOT like pickles or mustard
43. didn't like to talk about herself
44. was "a real looker" in her younger years
45. played games and read stories to her grandkids
46. always let us know if we needed a haircut
47. was a merit badge counselor for many areas, for many years
48. was the driving force behind her four boys' Eagle Scout awards
49. sneaky!  Especially with Christmas gifts
50. couldn't stand the suspense about gifts she was getting
51. welcomed daughters- and sons-in-law as her own children
52. was always learning
53. respected other people's thoughts, space, and families
54. seldom complained, but sometimes got a groove in her tongue from biting it so hard
55. loved to wear jewelry - long necklaces and pretty earrings especially
56. amazingly organized!
57. would rather do taxes than cook dinner, but was good at both
58. was very patient with people and situations
59. worked programming computers at the school district, and very tech-savvy at home, too
60. concerned about everyone around her - family, neighbors, visiting teachers
61. loved to watch movies
62. survived lots of tough times - she had grit!
63. was a night owl, and often had insomnia
64. always wanted us to be kind to each other, and was a real peacemaker
65. read books like crazy, and often couldn't put one down until she was done
66. liked church books, a good mystery, the newspaper... good thing she was a fast reader!
67. wanted us to know that she had a strong testimony of the Church, and of Christ
68. LOVED US!