Life of Wry

There were a number of years when my nickname for mom was Marm. She loved it and signed her name on cards and notes to me as Marm. So it stuck.

Today’s her birthday; she’d have been 92. And I wish she were here as a more vibrant version of herself (the last couple of years were not so easy for her, physically). Though I’d take the 92-year-old version, especiallly if her mind and humor were as they were at near-88, when she died.

Here are a few slices-of-life of mom and me. Smiling with you, Marm. Miss you madly.

In a fancy stroller, on the boardwalk in Manhattan Beach, with bunny. Why didn’t I get her smile?

I like this one, even though you can’t see much of her (in red dress). She outfitted me, so this is a dress she’d have picked out for a Family Open House event at TRW. I’m probably in junior high, judging by the hair and I’m quite sure I’m messing around with the fixtures on my garter belt. Yes, indeedy. I’m probably wearing white fishnets or maybe nude stockings, but this was a pre-pantyhose era. Can you imagine? Takes some concentration, apparently, to keep those stockings firmly grasped (the horrors if they dropped!).

Always a hoot getting her to smile into a phone for a selfie (getting her to relax into a natural smile for a photo at any time! Which was always hysterical.) This was on the Esplanade, of course.

Got some serious patterns going on here. This was actually a Mother’s Day party at Eric’s and Staci’s. This was right before the moms-swing-at-a-pinata thing. Which was hilarious (and scary to see mom, blindfolded, swinging a bat at a moving target, when she shoulda used a walker to even get around, but wouldn’t).

This photo is everything to me. It’s her dad, whom she adored, who died young (49), in time to meet me, barely. He called her chicky-baby.

A cute one at our house in PV. Peter’s probably about two.

Well, we are all gathering for a group shot: Grandma and Grandpa with their 5 (at the time) grandchildren. Mom’s fixing some problem.. and everyone’s watching, maybe searching for something? Chris is checking his pocket? Jay’s looking at his feet? Matt, in the red Keds, is getting a diaper check? I remember her sandals. I believe Grandma and Grandpa had just returned from Hawaii!

Graduating from UC Davis in 1979. I wish I remembered more about that day, but so glad Grandma was there. Dad and Grandpa must be somewhere. I have no idea who took this picture or what else happened that day, but mom looks fabulous.

And finally (this time around), this photo that I just posted to Facebook, as well. It caught my eye today because, by my calculation, she is as old in it as I am today. This was taken at John’s and my house on Guaymas. A brief window in time, probably not long before we split up. (And now that I do that math again, she’s probably closer to 60-63. When I figured this out earlier today, I was using dad’s date of birth (eye-roll).)

So… yeah, Happy Birthday and Happy Mother’s Day. I love you and think of you all the time. xo