A Special Day
This might be just another day to most people, but it is special to me.
Even though she can't read this blog -- actually, she would have called the whole concept of the internet "science fiction" -- I want to wish my guardian angel the happiest of birthdays.
My mom would have been 86 years old today.
I have precious few photos of her, mostly because she was always the one taking pictures; she was always behind the camera. Anyone in my family can attest to that.
Many of the pictures I personally took of her aren't very flattering. Most capture her scowling at the camera with her mouth wide open, most likely yelling at me to "hold the camera still!" or to get my "damn finger off the lens!"
Hey, I was just a kid. And those Polaroids were huge... and tricky.
But today I started rummaging through some of my old photos, determined to find a couple that captured Mom as she really was. I actually had some luck.
This first one was taken in October of 1975; Mom would have been a month shy of her 47th birthday here. A genuine smile and rocking those '70's glasses:
The following picture was taken Christmas of 1989. I surprised Mom with an exercise bike, which is what she had been wanting for a long, long time. This photo was snapped the moment she first saw it.
As you can tell, Christmas was a very informal time at the old house. Mom's shirt is stained from cooking all day, but (as she would say) "If you don't like it, lump it."
This was our last Christmas with her. She would be gone five months later.
Lastly, I finally found this photo... I had been looking for it for weeks. I wanted to post it with my October 15th entry. As they say, better late than never.
The original photo is blurry, but it is the only picture that I have of just the two of us playing together. It was taken in May of 1980 (I am 10 years old here). When I look at this, I notice I am playing with brushes (on my original Maxitone snare drum, which I still have today), probably because I always played "too damn loud," according to Maestro Mom. She was not known for her subtlety.
We are performing at the Horizon Manor in Bertha, MN, which is where my grandmother lived.
Just for fun, I found this old photo today as well. It is interesting how things come full circle.
This was taken in the summer of 1989 at my Uncle Kenny and Aunt Bev's place in Hewitt, MN. They had a party in their backyard and the first (skinnier) version of "DB and the Family Jewels" made an unrehearsed appearance. Notice how happy Mom looks as she plays keyboards to the far right. She was, as she would say, "Just chording along..."
Happy Birthday, Mom.
In other news, The Girl performed at a Veteran's Day concert on Thursday. She was a featured singer on Woody Guthrie's "This Land is Your Land," and she did a great job.
After taking a survey, she told me she was the only third grader in her entire school that had a grandfather who served in World War II. Now, I'm not 100% sure if that's accurate (I'm sure it wasn't a scientific survey!), but considering my father (who served in World War II) was three months shy of his 55th birthday and a grandfather when I was born, it may very well be correct!
Even though she can't read this blog -- actually, she would have called the whole concept of the internet "science fiction" -- I want to wish my guardian angel the happiest of birthdays.
My mom would have been 86 years old today.
I have precious few photos of her, mostly because she was always the one taking pictures; she was always behind the camera. Anyone in my family can attest to that.
Many of the pictures I personally took of her aren't very flattering. Most capture her scowling at the camera with her mouth wide open, most likely yelling at me to "hold the camera still!" or to get my "damn finger off the lens!"
Hey, I was just a kid. And those Polaroids were huge... and tricky.
But today I started rummaging through some of my old photos, determined to find a couple that captured Mom as she really was. I actually had some luck.
This first one was taken in October of 1975; Mom would have been a month shy of her 47th birthday here. A genuine smile and rocking those '70's glasses:
 |
| October 1975 |
The following picture was taken Christmas of 1989. I surprised Mom with an exercise bike, which is what she had been wanting for a long, long time. This photo was snapped the moment she first saw it.
As you can tell, Christmas was a very informal time at the old house. Mom's shirt is stained from cooking all day, but (as she would say) "If you don't like it, lump it."
This was our last Christmas with her. She would be gone five months later.
 |
| Christmas 1989 |
Lastly, I finally found this photo... I had been looking for it for weeks. I wanted to post it with my October 15th entry. As they say, better late than never.
The original photo is blurry, but it is the only picture that I have of just the two of us playing together. It was taken in May of 1980 (I am 10 years old here). When I look at this, I notice I am playing with brushes (on my original Maxitone snare drum, which I still have today), probably because I always played "too damn loud," according to Maestro Mom. She was not known for her subtlety.
We are performing at the Horizon Manor in Bertha, MN, which is where my grandmother lived.
 |
| May 1980 |
Just for fun, I found this old photo today as well. It is interesting how things come full circle.
This was taken in the summer of 1989 at my Uncle Kenny and Aunt Bev's place in Hewitt, MN. They had a party in their backyard and the first (skinnier) version of "DB and the Family Jewels" made an unrehearsed appearance. Notice how happy Mom looks as she plays keyboards to the far right. She was, as she would say, "Just chording along..."
 |
| Me, my brother Dale, Brian and my mom. Summer 1989. I wish I could go back in time and do it again. |
Happy Birthday, Mom.
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In other news, The Girl performed at a Veteran's Day concert on Thursday. She was a featured singer on Woody Guthrie's "This Land is Your Land," and she did a great job.
After taking a survey, she told me she was the only third grader in her entire school that had a grandfather who served in World War II. Now, I'm not 100% sure if that's accurate (I'm sure it wasn't a scientific survey!), but considering my father (who served in World War II) was three months shy of his 55th birthday and a grandfather when I was born, it may very well be correct!
 |
| The Girl singing her heart out! November 6, 2014. |
