Mother's Day

My very first Mother's Day 1992



Today is mother's day and according to Wikepedia, Mother's Day is...
The United States celebrates Mother's Day on the second Sunday in May. In the United States, Mother's Day was loosely inspired by the British day and was imported by social activist Julia Ward Howe after the American Civil War. However, it was intended as a call to unite women against war. In 1870, she wrote the Mother's Day Proclamation as a call for peace and disarmament. Howe failed in her attempt to get formal recognition of a Mother's Day for Peace. Her idea was influenced by Ann Jarvis, a young Appalachian homemaker who, starting in 1858, had attempted to improve sanitation through what she called Mothers' Work Days. She organized women throughout the Civil War to work for better sanitary conditions for both sides, and in 1868 she began work to reconcile Union and Confederate neighbors.When Jarvis died in 1907, her daughter, named Anna Jarvis, started the crusade to found a memorial day for women. The first such Mother's Day was celebrated in Grafton, West Virginia, on 10 May 1908, in the church where the elder Ann Jarvis had taught Sunday School. Originally the Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church, this building is now the International Mother's Day Shrine (a National Historic Landmark). From there, the custom caught on — spreading eventually to 45 states. The holiday was declared officially by some states beginning in 1912. In 1914 President Woodrow Wilson declared the first national Mother's Day, as a day for American citizens to show the flag in honor of those mothers whose sons had died in war.Nine years after the first official Mother's Day, commercialization of the U.S. holiday became so rampant that Anna Jarvis herself became a major opponent of what the holiday had become. Mother's Day continues to this day to be one of the most commercially successful U.S. occasions."

Now, I don't know about uniting against war outside the occasional bickering I've had to disrupt. And I am all for peace and quiet and against any 'weapons' they may use on one another...like the bopper sword Pat made at a day long program at MIT.
As for sanitation ... I find myself today sanitizing the counter where someone made waffles last night and then someone else made brownies. I've put to work the masses this morning in unstacking the dishes so I could sanitize the sink and then rallied the troops in getting out the lawnmower so the jungle (lawn) can be tamed and trimmed!

Mother's Day is today though, and its a day that I have found myself with baby books and tissues, looking back on those early years when I held those swaddled little ones in my arms. Those precious little bundles who gave me the opportunity to be called in sweet little voices "Mama, Mommy,and Mom"




Mom and Sam 1993






Mom and Pat 1991








Mom and Meri 1995

Today we spent the day together as a family. We went in to town to see the closing of "West Side Story" and then had a fun dinner at Fire and Ice with my parents, my sisters, my father in law and my nieces.

While I miss those early years that seem so much more simple now than they did then, I truly enjoy the camaraderie I share with them and listening to their ideas and thoughts.

Way off Broadway and dinner to boot!

Last night, I took my mother in law, Sam and Meri off to Patrick's school to see this wonderful play. We had a great evening out. We drove into Boston and made our first stop at Fire and Ice.

This was our first visit and being the 'spur of the moment person' I am, I did not make reservations.

We walked in all excited to be there and were told we had a 45 minute wait by the young man at the counter. I politely asked, "are you serious!?" To which he suggested we sit and order appetizers and drinks at the bar. I tried to play my 'mother in law' card... "Is there any way you can get us a table quicker? My mother in law has hip issues and can't stand around that long." This was countered with a response by the second young man at the counter who said, "Sorry, the wait is an hour and 15 minutes and the bar has tables." Being confused at this response and uppage of time frame, I pointed at the first young man and whined.." But he said 45 minutes!" We were then handed the light up space disk and ushered toward the bar. As I began walking away with a resigned 'okay then', we were quickly asked back as the table opened up for us!! Whoo hoo!! Upon arriving upstairs we were in awe at the sights and sounds of the place! Wow!! a GIANT grill.... where can I get one of those!? The smell was incredible with all those dishes cooking at once.

Waiters were joking with the customers and singing. What a fun place!!

We were seated at our table and our waiter then took us on a tour of the establishment. The choices were endless! My mother in law was amazed with the size of the shrimp. After our tour, we were let loose. We grabbed bowls and headed off in different directions picking and choosing what we wanted to be grilled up. I chose lots of veggies, chicken, sirloin and sweet potato with a mustard sauce....YUM!

Our selections were tossed onto the grill and set to sizzling. It was fun to watch the chefs circling the grill and cooking.

I loved watching the faces of the people as they watched the cooks!

After this wonderful dinner is was time to head over to Patrick's school for the play. After some issues with traffic (what traffic in Boston ha!...well for starters we ended up in a turn left only lane...but the cars PARKED in front of us didn't know this so we missed two cycles of the light until the doorman and valet parking man for the hotel there realized why so many of us were beeping and yelling at them!) and some exit issues... did you know that going south on the expressway, they skip from exit 15 to exit 12! There is no exit onto Morrisey Blvd!! We finally arrived and made it with minutes to spare.

The play was a wonderful success. Patrick played the part of detective Shrank. He didn't sing or dance in the play. He had large monologues reprimanding the Jets and Sharks and questioning Maria. He played a great cranky, mean and racist detective!

Patrick's girlfriend Shannon played a Jet girl and danced and sang with the group.

The young lady who played the part of Maria had an incredible singing voice and did a duet with her twin sister who played the part of Bernado's girlfriend. (Bernardo is Maria's brother). The cast was talented vocally and in movement. They worked hard to put on this production well and it showed! Here is a photo of the cast singing the song before the intermission...

And a photo of 'Tony and Maria" singing "There's a place for Us" Well done ladies and gentlemen, well done!