YewNorkBabe TItle!!!

I wrote this post as a guest on my friend's blog, The Write Jerry the other day and it got me thinking that I want to start writing my own blog:

The ten things that remind me of my mother by TJ:

1. Bloomingdales: Mom loved to shop at upscale stores. I hate shopping. Mom grew up in a upper middle class Jewish household; she raised me and my 4 siblings in a middle class Baptist household....go figure. She forever tried to instill in her five children the importance of good quality and the finer things in life; she thought that shopping at Bloomingdales was as important as going to church. Our Easter bunnies always came from "Bloomies." In fact, the only chocolate we would ever get was the fancy kind from "Bloomies." Although I never did get her shopping gene, I do love good chocolate every once in awhile.

2. Church pews: Mom was the parent who would take us to church on Sundays. I remember one particular Sunday when we were all sitting in one of the back pews, Mom, me, my sisters and brothers. I got a bad case of the giggles, you know the ones when you just can't stop? Well, she caught them, then down the row my little brothers and sisters caught them. Soon the whole pew was shaking, which made us giggle harder. Although no sounds were coming out of our mouths, the congregation began to turn around to see what the ruckus was about. Taking Mom's lead, we all got up and holding our mouths, and left church. I remember thinking that day that my mom was so human.

3. Turning 25: I remember Mom turning 25 years old. I was 5. I remember sitting at the turquoise kitchen table with Mom, talking to her about her birthday and asking her how old she was. She answered, "25" and I thought, "I'm going to remember this moment always." I don't know why it was such an important event for me to remember at age 5, but last year my twins turned 25 and it hit me, "Wow, my twins are the same age my mom was that day" and it brought me right back to that kitchen table.

4. The Village People: Man, my mom loved them. She would blast their music in the kitchen. It made her happy. In the midst of her chaotic life she found happiness in The Village People. I remember being in awe of her, in awe that she actually liked something so much that it made her so happy.

5. Lasagna: Mom is famous for making lasagna that cuts the hell out of the roof of your mouth. I am a good cook. I, thank God, didn't inherit Mom's inability to cook. Many times as the good cook I've become I've tried to teach Mom to smooth the sauce over the entire top of the upper layer to prevent the razor sharp noodles she creates; she just doesn't get the concept. Having Mom's lasagna is a comical, yet painful experience.

6. Those Kosher jelly rings: I don't understand why, but she just LOVES them. She'll eat the whole box right then and there like it was nothing.....and not gain a pound. That just pisses me off.

7. Mexican food: She loves a good Meson Ole.

8. Old photographs: She collected photographs of other families. You know the ones where no one is smiling. She was fascinated with those families. We had other families hanging on our walls. I always thought it was kinda weird.

9. Pond's Cold Cream: Whenever I smell Pond's I think of her. Mom was never very affectionate. We didn't get kisses goodnight or hugs and such. But I remember at night I would sometimes get close enough to smell the Pond's she religiously put on her face to prevent wrinkles. Oh, I love that smell.

10. Horses: Mom loves horses, go figure. She even loves mucking the stalls. When Mom and Dad retired and moved from Long Island to South Carolina, Dad took up a hobby that lay dormant for 70 years, horseback riding. After two years of Dad hanging out at the barn all day and leaving Mom alone in the condo, Mom got a great idea....she would learn to ride too. This way she could make the same friends that Dad had made and she wouldn't be so miserable in her retirement years. I was very proud of her. This was a woman who grew up in Brooklyn in the 40's, never got dirty in all the years that I knew her, and didn't have the coordination to even master riding a bicycle. Mom learned everything she could about caring for horses. She even bought a couple. She would call me sometimes to tell me the strangest things sometimes..."Dude has an infection in his private area and I've had to keep cleaning it" (eeewwww, too much information Mom!).

Last month Mom got thrown from her horse, Mickey. She sustained all kinds of injuries including brain injuries which required surgery to remove damaged tissue and blood clots. Being the strong and physically fit person she is, Mom is regaining her strength and motor skills with the help of a rehabilitation facility. Mom's short term memory has been affected. This past month has been a nightmare and a blessing. I never realized how much Mom means to me and how important she is in my life. Mom is never, never going to get on another horse, and I've decided, neither am I.I'm flying out to help take care of her and Dad this Friday. I want to be there for Mother's Day. My sister is coming with me. We've been taking turns flying back and forth with our siblings. It's been rough on us all.So you "TheWriteJerry" readers, I'd like to know, what things remind you of your mothers?

I got a lot of good feedback and it felt kinda nice. There are so many great blogs out there that I love to read everyday. So I'm gonna give it a try and blog away with the rest of them.......wish me luck.