I don’t see a Mother’s Day post in the works in the back room, so this will have to do.
So Happy Mother’s Day to all our BJ moms – including moms like me whose ungrateful furry babies never plan a surprise for this special day – and to BJ peeps who had moms, if anyone wants to share memories.
My mom’s name was Blossom, and she gardened on our rooftop because she didn’t have a yard, so I will post a few flower pics, taken just now, in her honor.
Open thread.
WaterGirl
My mom’s gardening was featured in the local paper. I still remember the name of the article: Blossom Flowers the Rooftop.
SiubhanDuinne
Since this is a Water Girl post, I’ll pull up my comment from the dying thread below:
And a happy Mothers’ Day to all who celebrate! May you enjoy breakfast in bed every day.
SiubhanDuinne
@WaterGirl:
I love your mother’s name! And your flowers are gorgeous. What a beautiful memory of her!
WaterGirl
@SiubhanDuinne: The post about the apocalypse goes up at 1pm blog time.
narya
Thinking of my mom right now! She’s managed to get an esophageal candida infection–not uncommon for solid organ transplant recipients–though she had/has no symptoms. (Long story.) Helping her sort through it, because of concern of interactions between treatment meds and immunosuppressants. Also glad I remembered to get a damn card and send it in time, and she loved it, which is the most important part.
I’ve also been thinking of her, and my grandmother, because I found an old crewel kit that my grandmother must have purchased (in 1978 . . .) but never completed. I started doing it, partly in homage to my grandmother, partly to get back to doing needlework without having to come up with the design myself. It reminds me really profoundly how needlework of various kinds is interwoven with my memories of my maternal line as well as with my own life.
JaySinWA
@SiubhanDuinne: It’s appropriate, Watergirl seems to have become the blog’s adopted stepmother
ETA and we are her sometimes less than grateful step children. Thanks WG.
WaterGirl
@narya: Good job on getting the card and mailing it on time. I am so not good at that. In my 20s I didn’t really understand why that bothered my mom. Duh.
raven
ma and my mom, Champaign Il, 1950
WaterGirl
@raven: Happy boy! And your mom was beautiful. You talk about your old man a lot more than your mom.
Omnes Omnibus
My mom is also a flower. A specific one, not general though.
raven
@WaterGirl: Since I was separated from her at age ten maybe there is a reason. She quit the U of I to get married and it cost her for the rest of her life.
narya
@WaterGirl: I am TERRIBLE at it! But I’ve been making a concerted effort to be better–it’s such a small thing, but it means so much to her, which makes it a big thing.
WaterGirl
@narya:
Yes, we get smarter as we get older.
SiubhanDuinne
@WaterGirl:
Ah, didn’t mean to prestomp or anything. I look forward to your own vivid recollections!
SiubhanDuinne
@raven:
Oh, what a great picture!!
WaterGirl
@raven: That’s a tough thing all around.
WaterGirl
@SiubhanDuinne: Not to worry!
Nukular Biskits
It’s been almost two years since Momma shuffled off this mortal coil.
If I may, I’d like to share a couple of remembrances I posted on my Twitter account:
https://twitter.com/BoAlawine/status/1657755246662148097
https://twitter.com/BoAlawine/status/1657764442279489544
NotMax
Mama eu quero.
:)
evap
My second Mother’s Day without my amazing mom. I still miss her so much.
On the other hand, I climbed Errigal mountain in Donegal, Ireland this morning with my offspring. They are grown and living on opposite coasts of the US, and it was so wonderful to be with both for Mother’s Day and to experience this beautiful part of the world together. Although I have seen Errigal before, it was the first time climbing it for both me and my daughters.
Happy Mother’s Day to all the BJ mothers of children and furbabies!
WaterGirl
@Nukular Biskits: What a lovely tribute!
Almost Retired
Alas, my almost 90 year old mother in flyover country will be celebrating with three of her friends — all of whom, like her, have ungrateful children who moved to the Coasts as soon as they graduated. We sent flowers and some top-shelf champagne for their mimosas.
Nukular Biskits
@WaterGirl:
There is far more that could be said but I don’t think I could ever do it justice.
As for Pushums, he passed away a couple of years before Momma. There were many fur-babies before and a few after, but I think Pushums was her real baby.
He was a rescue from a local dumpster. Some jackass had shot him and he was near death. Someone found him and brought him to a vet where some kind-hearted individual paid for all medical expenses if Momma would take care of him.
It sounds strange to put it this way but that one-eyed, three-legged cat was the luckiest cat in the world.
Ohio Mom
Ohio Son and I are waiting in the car in the parking lot of MIL’s retirement home while Ohio Dad fetches her. This isn’t in the holiday spirit but she has been a thorn in my side my entire married life.
Actually, it started almost as soon as I met Ohio Dad. Oh well. We are going for lunch at a lovely middle-eastern restaurant and I will enjoy the food.
As Connie Schultz would say (haven’t checked her twitter on a few days, she may have already have said so), Happy Mother’s Day to all who celebrate, and for those who are struggling, may the day land gently.
UncleEbeneezer
My mom, Theresa “Terry” Jackson passed away in 2012. She was a big reason I have such profound love for tennis and music. I spent many Summer days mostly with her, going to hit at the tennis courts or going up to the beach (Plum Island) and often getting some frozen-yogurt (which was the new-fangled rage, at the time) as a treat. She loved humor and musicals and was all-around a decent person and a great mom. Like many, we grew much less close once I went to college and moved West, and later in life I mostly-dreaded our phone conversations (she was very judgmental, catastrophist and not a very good listener) but I still miss her, especially the version from when I was a kid and things weren’t so complicated. Her life was undeniably constrained by abuse that she suffered as a kid, mental health struggles and a world of Sexism. But she did the best she could and I always knew she loved me, no matter how much we may have bickered or disagreed. Today I’m definitely missing her.
Alison Rose
Happy Mother’s Day to all the jackal moms, and love and support to those for whom this is a difficult day.
My mom is a huge fan of Carl Sagan–he was basically her favorite person and she continues to admire him years and years after his death. I got her this cool shirt with the text of his “Pale blue dot” quote done in subtle art and she absolutely loves it. Her exact words were “This…shirt…is…AWESOME!” Score one for me :)
My cat didn’t get me anything, but I’m sure she feels that her mere presence is gift enough, which is true.
Josie
My mother had the proverbial green thumb. She could stick anything in the ground and it would grow. She talked to her plants and to the little green anoles that kept her company in the yard. I try my best, but I will never be the gardener that she was.
Ceci n est pas mon nym
Our kids are not big on what they refer to as “Hallmark holidays” but we just had a visit from one daughter, and my wife got a bunch of text greetings from our other daughter and various relatives, and she’s feeling very happy about being remembered.
Layer8Problem
@Nukular Biskits, @evap:
Jeez, same here for me as for the both of you.
Scamp Dog
I’m spending a month in Michigan with my 91 year old Mom. She now needs to be on oxygen and probably won’t be able to live on her own much longer.
She’s enjoying the visit, and so am I, even if it’s not very exciting. I brought my dog with me, and she and my Mom are getting along famously.
WaterGirl
@Nukular Biskits: You mom sounds like quite the person!
dnfree
Here’s my mother-adjacent and flower-adjacent story.
At birth, I was given a first name that was extremely common among girls born in the early part of the baby boom, and no middle name. However, my version of the name was spelled differently (fancier).
By the time I was starting school in the early 1950s, my parents had figured out that I was going to have to spend my entire life spelling my first name for people, because everyone already knew the common spelling. So they decided to change my spelling to the usual one, which in those days they did simply by spelling it that way on my school records.
Consequently, my parents asked five-year-old me what I would like for a middle name, since I didn’t have one. I chose “Flower”, that being the prettiest name I could think of. After due consideration, my parents rejected my selection and gave me my mother’s middle name. And I’ve been grateful for more than 70 years that I don’t have to spell my first name every time I give it to people.
As a corollary, we tried to choose less common names with known spellings for our children, because I hated being one of three people in a class of 30 with the same name. That worked well until we named one of them Caitlin several years before that name became popular (and misspelled in numerous creative ways).
ETA maybe I should have asked for Blossom!
WaterGirl
@Scamp Dog:
Who needs excitement? What you described sounds wonderful. I’m sure you mom is having a wonderful day. I am sorry her time of living on her own is growing short.
Nukular Biskits
@Layer8Problem:
Yeah. For some reason, this year it’s hitting me harder than it did last year, the first Mother’s Day without her. I guess part of it is because I’m on business travel in VA and, while waiting for my laundry to finish here at the hotel, I’ve been looking at some of the photos I had scanned in for her memorial.
Nukular Biskits
@WaterGirl:
If you only knew … LOL!
twbrandt
My mom died 8 years ago on her 85th birthday. Everyone called her by her middle name, which is also the name of a type of plant – Fern.
WaterGirl
@twbrandt: Maybe they have a club in heaven? Blossom, Fern, Violet, Rose…
Ruckus
Everyone celebrate mother’s day, even if she’s no longer with us. They created us and gave us life, the vast majority of them did amazing jobs of raising kids, which is absolutely not easy. Some of us can only celebrate memories, so do that. She more than likely deserves that. Mine did. Mom has been gone for 11 yrs now, she went the day before her 95th birthday. Oldest sister went with cancer 15 yrs ago, middle sister has the same terminal cancer as older sister and is not doing well. Dad’s been gone 22 yrs. I will be the only family member left and very soon. All my aunts and uncles are gone, mom was the oldest of her family, so cousins are all younger and doing OK, the oldest 2 cousins are also retired. I was the youngest in my family and I’ll soon be the oldest extended family member. Life goes on, remember those that went before, there were good times and not so good times, all of this is part of the circle of life.
A woman from anywhere (formerly Mohagan)
The peonies are looking great; mine are just growing their buds right now. And what are those amazing daisy – Fried Egg flowers?!? My husband spread a bunch of native wildflower seed last fall and now we have several patches of large Tidy Tips, Baby Blue Eyes, etc. We are both very pleased. And the CA poppies are going great.
pieceofpeace
@raven: What a fun picture – you’re looking so excited and pleased with yourself, perhaps you envisioned the future and all you could do this upright way
You did good with saving your photos over the years as well as the memories attached to them. I’m envious…….and not nearly so good at that…..
Lymie
My mother, also a flower – Rose, has been gone 15 years, hard to believe. She was a master gardener. We just had to put down the dog that I got as a puppy the summer she died. A confluence of sadness.
Once every seven years, like today, my birthday and Mother’s Day align. #1 son went with us to a lovely brunch. It’s a beautiful day. My other two dogs are bouncy and happy and we are getting back to agility this week. I have a new electric bike. Many good and wonderful things.
WaterGirl
@A woman from anywhere (formerly Mohagan): Those are peonies, too. I forget what variety they are!
The pink peonies are tree peonies.
WaterGirl
@Lymie: Many good and wonderful things, and a confluence of sadness at the same time. It’s complicated!
BigJimSlade
Very nice!
Dr. Jakyll and Miss Deride
@WaterGirl: Also the child of a Blossom. (Actually her middle name, but she disliked her first name even more.) And since she was born in April . . .
A woman from anywhere (formerly Mohagan)
@WaterGirl: Thanks!
BigJimSlade
This is late for this thread, but in case anybody sees it… there’s a song where Eddie Harris mentions Happy Mother’s Day to the audience, then says, and guys, I’m not referring to you as muthaz. But I’m not sure which song that’s in, so enjoy this one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oE0NNVFQro
Gravie
Your agapanthus are gorgeous! I’ve been trying unsuccessfully for three years to get mine to bloom. At least I’ve managed to keep them alive.
WaterGirl
@Dr. Jakyll and Miss Deride: Wow, I have never even met someone who knew another Blossom. Nice.
WaterGirl
@Gravie:
kalakal
I was very lucky with both my mother and my MIL.
My mother was so supportive to us all, and looking back, one of the happiest people I ever met. She was a joy to be with. She was ‘sort of’ named after a flower – Lilian – but hated it as people shortened it to Lil and so went through life by her second name Joyce. It’s from her I got my love of gardening.
It would have been my MILs 100th birthday last Tuesday ( she got very close) so Mrs kalakal and I went to the beach, had a drink and a grouper sandwich, and watched the sun go down over the Gulf of Mexico.
She and my FIL were so welcoming to a rather nervous English immigrant and unknown son-in-law. They were my second family.
I can’t thank them all enough and wish I’d done so more when I had the chance
cain
I think my wife is probably the best gift I can ever give my mom – they have been as thick as thieves. My mom sees her as a best friend and they tell each other everything – this mother’s day is probably the two of them trading big affections. :)
NotMax
@WaterGirl
Also too, Hyacinth.
;)
@WaterGirl
Always found it amusing the actress who played Grandmama in TV’s The Addams Family was named Blossom.
prostratedragon
@WaterGirl:
Do you know of Blossom Dearie?
“Blossom’s Blues”
“Try Your Wings”
rikyrah
@WaterGirl:
Awe🤗
rikyrah
Mama passed June 2008. Just 3 months after Peanut was born.
I miss her so. She loved sports and politics. I miss talking to her about both.
MomSense
@narya:
💕💕
MomSense
@raven:
That’s such a sweet photo.
MomSense
@Nukular Biskits:
That was such a lovely tribute.
MomSense
Oldest, youngest and GF are here for dinner. My mom is with my sister today. Middle and DIL are taking me out to dinner on Wednesday night which should be fun.
Mother’s Day is complicated. I love my mom. She lives with me and loves me but it has been tough. Alcohol became more important to her than anything or anyone else – so it’s not a Hallmark holiday. I guess we all have to figure out how to love, find joy, and navigate life broken and flawed.
WaterGirl
@MomSense:
Amen to that.
Mel
@raven: What a wonderful photo. Your Mom was so beautiful (what a lovely smile!), and she sure looked proud of her little boy!
Mel
@MomSense: Sending you peace and love.
Mother’s Day is a hard day for me, as well. My mother was a Category 5 destructive force, wrapped in a public veneer of beauty pageant looks and sugar sweet manners for people not in her family. It has taken years to come to terms with the damage she inflicted on me and on my sibling.
I thank the universe for our grandmother, Birdie Rose, who stepped in long after she should have been finished with the hard work of raising small children and gave her all to try and counter the damage that my mother inflicted. Summers and weekends spent at Grandma Birdie’s saved my life.
To you, MomSense, and all the Moms out there who love their kids so much and work so hard at the difficult labor of love that is parenting, thank you from the bottom of my heart for the love you give to your families and for the unseen sacrifices, emotional and otherwise, that you make to give them the foundation that they need to flourish.
To all the Grandmas, Aunties, big sisters, non-biological Moms, and Chosen Family Moms out there who step up and give so much love every day – thank you from someone who knows with absolute certainty that your love is life-affirming and in some cases life saving for the children you love.