Mom and Me

The Hamburger Cake

Often Moms will do just about anything for their kids. Meet Barb James who crafted something very special for her son and he remembers it to this day:

When I was 7, my mom baked me a cake that was built to look like a hamburger for a cake-walk fundraiser at school.

I was so proud of that cake. There are lots of things I love about my mom, but whenever I want to feel happy for a few minutes, I think of all the time she spent on that hamburger cake. 

Sometimes it's the most simple of things we remember about...Mom. Thank you Phil James for the note and the memory that made us all smile.

If you've got a story (less than 300 words) about your Mom...send it along I'd love to share it with others. And because photos are an excellent way for folks to get to know Mom.  Send a snap along with your story...if possible.  My email is [email protected].

And...so it goes.

 

 

 

 

 

Trying to Keep Up

Over the past several weeks Mom has made the decision to eat less and less.  I keep trying to offer various things but, because her physical activity is nearly zero...she just doesn't eat much.

Last night when I got home from the station we were talking about what to have for supper.  The conversation usually goes like this:

Mom, it's supper time.  What would you like?

"Well, let's see.  I don't know what I have in there."

That's OK.  Just give me a hint of what you would like and I can make it happen.

"Is that cupie stand open?"

(It's at this time, and it happens several times a day, where I start a mental search for what the heck is she talking about!?  Keep up Michael.)

What is a 'cupie stand'?

"You know that hamburger place where we got hamburgers."

(I have NO idea what she is talking about.)

Uhm, I don't think so but there is a McDonald's right up the street.

Her eyes light up. "Oh yes, a McDonald's hamburger!"

Would you like fries?

"Well of course!"

So, back out I go to the local McDonald's and deliver on a warmed plate.

"What's this?"

It's your McDonald's hamburger and fries.

"Doesn't look like McDonald's." (I show her the bag.)

She shrugs and starts on the fries.  Five minutes later, after eating five or six fries and half a hamburger...

"Look at this!" She is holding up a piece of burger. "This is terrible.  They call this meat?"

I guess.

"Take it away, I've had enough."

Would you like something else?

"Nope.  I can't understand why you would think I'd eat that in the first place."

And...so it goes.

 

 

Open For Business...

Meal times around here and our question about "What's to eat?" and the answers Mom gives contain some humor.  Here is how the usual conversation goes:

Mom, would you like to have breakfast?

"What have you got?"

Well, you can have eggs, toast, high-fiber cereal, oatmeal, some coffee...

"Do you have bananas?"

Yes

"That's good.  Do you have prunes, whole prunes?"

No, we don't have prunes.

"Hmmmm, let me think about that."

Twenty minutes later:  Hey, Mom would you like some banana?

"Banana? I don't think so they tend to bind me up.  No whole prunes huh?"

No, but we do have prune juice.

"Prune juice.  Hmmmm...let me think about that."

And...so it goes.

My Personal Chef

Since being discharged from Mercy Hospice House of Johnston, Iowa Mom has started...eating.  It really has been amazing.  A week ago today I would have thought we were...done.  However, Mom has different ideas:

"I'm hungry."

This from a woman who stopped eating several days ago.

Hungry?  What would you like? (I try to have her think I can do...anything.)

"I would like (pause) well, what would you suggest?"

I can make a bunch of different things.

"That is exactly what I thought.  This is like having my own personal chef to make my food."

Yes, Mom...it is.

And...So it goes.

 

Got Wine...For Christmas

Several days ago Mom asked me, "Michael, when is Christmas?"

Uhm...in about five days.  Why do you ask?

"I'm ready for all the damn Ho-Ho-Ho music to go away!"

I understand.

"No really, why do they have to play this stuff non-stop for months? It take the specialness of the holiday away."

I get it.

But, don't think Mom is a scrooge.  She was up for a party on Christmas Eve.  Michael and Jody and Tina came over to the house.  Michael cooked and Mom had some wine!

Not kidding!  Dressed in her holiday gear she had a great time clowning around with us.

Family, friends, good wine, great food...yep...we'll take this holiday.

Merry Christmas to you and yours

And...so it goes.

Butter...

I don't know but, when Mom was growing up, getting "real butter" must have been expensive?  Whenever the local HyVee store has butter on sale I am sent to get a couple of pounds.

I'm not sure why.  Mom doesn't cook or bake anymore but when she did she was very clear that her dairy cookies were made with "real butter".  She would say, "As they are made with real butter."

I dunno....

All I can figure is that for a union organizer home in the 1930's "real butter" was hard to come by.  Today...not so much, but I'm glad to get it for her...no matter what she has planned for it.

And...so it goes. 

The Beets

"Are you going to the market?"

I sure can, Mom.  What do you need.

"Oh, I would love some fresh cooked beets."

OK.  Be glad to do that.

Off I go, but...I've never prepared beets...ever.  So, I asked how to do that an spent about an hour creating:

 

What you don't hear at the end is when I ask, "So how are they?"

"Well, they could have cooked a little longer but, they're alright."

Yes, I did laugh out loud...

And...so it goes.