The day began with creamy apple cinnamon oatmeal for breakfast, gourmet for Mom’s birthday.  She turned 82 today.  The extended family in Utah gathered for a celebratory dinner.  Cards and gifts piled up on her lap.  “I think about you every day as I go about my day.”  Later came chocolate mousse birthday cake, and candles to blow out.  “I love you with all of my heart.”  So many thanked her for their happy memories: camping trips in the mountains; picking blackberries and wild asparagus; surgically pressing the “record” button on a cassette tape player to sensor the song’s profanity; playing badminton in the back yard; watching for bats at twilight; playing owl calls so the owls would come; teaching us to read; directing the church choir in which we all sang; teaching us the family songs.  “I really like Grandma’s hugs.”  She raised six children and suffered with us and cried and laughed with us.  She served dinner promptly at 6:00 every evening, and drove us to our music lessons and sports practices.  She called a soprano “Yoo-Hoo!!!” when it was time for us to come home.  Her favorite flower is the yellow rose.  “My love always.”

Mom and Dad with me and three sisters on her 82nd birthday.