It's the middle of the night, actually early in the morning, and I am unable to sleep.  So, I decided to sit here and write the journal entry that I didn't attempt before going to bed.  This works out well, though, 'cuz my topic is my Mom's birthday (well, ONE of the topics).  I'll start with that one---

Today, December 18, is Mom's 88th birthday.  She was born in 1919 and has lived her entire life within a distance of less than 25 miles.  Oh, yes, she has visited other places, but her home has been in that area for all those years.

Mom was born in Larose, Louisiana, a very small community along the banks of Bayou Lafourche.  She is the eldest of four girls, all of whom are still living.  Her parents, my Gramma and Grampa, lived in this same area all of their lives as well; Grampa died one month after we were married (in 1964) and Gramma died on our second child's 2nd birthday in 1969.

Education was not a top priority in those days, and Mom had to quit school in the 7th grade, having to help take care of her Grandmother because her Mom was ill at the time.  Mom spoke French until she went to school and for much of her life after that until I was born.  My Gramma learned to speak English at the same time I learned to speak, or so I've been told, and I can remember Mom and her sisters (and her Mom) speaking away in French as I grew up.  In fact, in order to be able to "listen in" on their conversations, I quickly "picked up" the Cajun French that they were speaking.  I could not speak it, but I learned to understand what they were saying, similarly, I guess, to the way some kids comprehend via context.  I remember those "lessons" to this day!

Mom and Dad both grew up in this area, but they dated only a few months before they married.  Dad graduated from high school (which, at that time, was 11th grade) and took correspondence courses to learn what was to become his career--bookkeeping (accounting).

As I was growing up, Mom had a reputation in our little community as an excellent cake baker, and she was always called upon to bake cakes for various events--from baby showers (and there were many of those because all of our neighbors were Mom's age) to school functions.  It seemed that she was always baking, from scratch, and I think this is one of the things she misses most today--that she can't stir that batter and bake those cakes. 

Mom and Dad had six kids, with me being the oldest.  Between my younger sister and the "next group" of kids, there was a difference of about 11 years, so it was a 2-kid family followed by a 4-kid family, all kids having the same Mom and Dad, of course.

Mom was the disciplinarian in the family, though she wasn't one of those Moms that spanked us, at least not on any regular basis.  Silvia and I were good kids, though, so we didn't get many fussings.  When she said something, though, we knew she meant it, and that was that!  Dad came in as a back-up to Mom.  He was not the "fusser" of the two.

Mom and Dad had a good life together, but they also had some hard times.  Losing two daughters, a daughter-in-law, and a granddaughter could have brought them down, but they had faith, a faith strong enough to carry them through those terrible times.  Tears flowed, I'm sure, but they managed to survive it all.

I've mentioned BOTH Mom and Dad throughout this entry so far, and that is because Dad will reach his 88th birthday on January 17.  They have shared 68 years together, with all the good times and bad.  I pray that they can live the rest of their lives with happiness and all things good. I know that is not totally possible because of their health problems, but they continue to go on--and we are grateful for whatever time we have left with them.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOM!

Today was picture-printing day--some of the photos I took over the weekend.  I'll be bringing those with me to Lockport on Wednesday so everyone can get the ones of their kids. 

Today was also the day we tried out the rib rack that Steve and Ann gave us for Christmas.  We cut the steaks and prepared three of them for supper, knowing that we'd have some left for Sid to bring to work tomorrow.  They were delicious--and very tender.  Along with the cole slaw and the French fries we had, our meal was complete.  Thanks to Steve and Ann for that meat--we were able to get 11 nice-sized steaks from that rack--and we look forward to having more nice meals in the near future.

Before going any further, I want to thank our kids for the gifts they gave us for Christmas:  to Steve/Ann for the meat; to Bec for the little angel ornament for me and the coffee blends for Sid; to Jan, Troy, and Jess for the wall hanging for our barn.  Dad and I appreciate your thoughtfulness so much!

That's it for tonight (this morning).  Have a great day!

"Kindness can become its own motive.  We are made kind by being kind."                                          --Eric Hoffer