Happy Mother's Day 2019

 

Wishing all the mothers in my life a happy day,

With the hope our rotten children won't forget to say

"Thank you Mom, for all the many things you've done for me

Because, without mothers, where would any of us be?"

"Mother" isn't just a word for women who gave birth,

She's the one who loves you more than anyone on Earth.

Mom's the one who props you up when you aren't feeling strong,

She's the one who has your back when everything goes wrong,

I know that I'm very lucky...  My Mom's still alive:

Healthy, active, social, and alert enough to drive.

Her son and her daughters count our blessings every day,

Not just on some random Sunday in the month of May.

Happy 80th Birthday Mom!

(Can you believe this woman is 80?)

My mom is extraordinary. Don't take it from me;

Anyone who's ever met my mother would agree.

She raised six kids on her own.  She's always in the loop.

She holds us together and we're still a tight-knit group.

Mom is a retired nurse. I'm told that she was great.

It was her vocation and, although she started late,

All her patients loved her because she would start to sing

Anytime a phrase reminded her of anything. 

She is warm and nurturing; a "Mom" to many strays...

Strangers she would welcome to our home on holidays.

It's a compliment when someone says I have her face.

(She was once a beauty queen who finished 2nd place.)

And my mom's still beautiful, although she's 80 now.

When we went to school together, I remember how

Handsome, younger men would flirt with her - 'cause she was fun...

Never mind the fact they weren't much older than her son.

My mom is a lady though; she oozes upper class.

Always gracious - even dealing with a horse's ass.

Calm in any crisis.  I am always filled with pride

When I have this stylish woman walking by my side.

She's been slowing down of late, but I still can't keep up.

Do her loved ones know we're lucky that we've got her? Yup!

Happy Birthday Mom!  May you have many, many more:

Healthy, happy, knowing you're the one we all adore.

Making King Converts

 

I love it when people say they don't like Stephen King;

That a "scary monster" story ain't their kinda thing.

I just smile and - maybe - ask which novels that they've read

And I recommend his mainstream books to them instead.

In the past, Shawshank Redemption always changed their mind.

Now (although I much prefer the scary monster kind)

Stephen's latest trilogy is what I recommend...

Where you don't discover there are monsters 'til the end.

My mom is a recent convert... Working on my spouse

But he's kind of busy doing work around the house.

After he's retired though, and has some time to spare

I suspect my love of Stephen King is one we'll share.

The World's Best Mom

 

I know many people think their mother is the best,

Standing head and shoulders higher - above all the rest.

Hate to be the one to tell you this...  It isn't true,

Not unless my perfect mother is your mother, too.

True that my mom cannot cook a meal to save her life,

That she made a better mother than she did a wife,

But she taught us loyalty, compassion, how to share,

Honesty, determination, love (she's lots to spare)

Courage in a crisis, taking time to hold a hand,

Making do when things aren't working out the way you'd planned.

My mom does all that and more and thus, by any test,

I feel confident in claiming, my mom is the best.

Happy Birthday Mom

We're having a party tonight;

A birthday for our guiding light.

When everyone comes

To celebrate Mums.

It's her who has kept us so tight.

My family's a big one and we

Aware that, were it not for she,

And all that she did

When we were a kid

And huddled about at her knee

Would never have turned out so well.

For, though we put our Mom through hell,

We always knew that,

At the drop of a hat,

She'd come bail you out of a cell.

I'm kidding - No-one's been to jail.

But Mom's always there...  Without fail

She's holding your hand,

So she'd understand

If we'd had to ask her for bail.

Luckier Than Most

Yesterday was Fathers' Day; we had a party here.

In attendance were the people whom I hold most dear.

Brothers, sisters, sons and husbands, nieces, moms and dad.

When I think of those who don't have this it makes me sad.

Sometimes I forget how very fortunate I am.

I obsess about something that doesn't mean a damn...

What a politician says, elections overseas,

Or the fact I'm getting old and have arthritic knees.

Next time that I'm ranting, feeling mad about the news,

I'll remember someone wishes they were in my shoes.

Member of a close-knit clan and, though I hate to boast,

I need to remind myself; I'm luckier than most.

Backyard Wildlife

 

We get lots of wildlife in the backyard of our house

And, no...  I'm not talking just your average, country mouse.

We get deer.  I've seen a fox.  We've even had a bear.

Right now it's a turkey with her 7 chicks out there.

Yard is always full of rabbits; I've seen 10 or more.

There's a good sized snake who's living under my front door.

My mom won't come in that way because she's scared of snakes.

She would rather take the stairs, despite arthritic aches.

We have got coyotes, too.  I see them now and then.

There's a lot of woods out back where they can make their den.

Our dog won't stop barking when they get too close and howl.

When it comes to predators, I much prefer our owl.

Birthday Season

Happy 75th Birthday Mom...  I hope I got your genes.

This is birthday season; we'll be celebrating 4.

We've already had 2 parties - Sunday there's 1 more.

Last night was my mother's; she turned 70 + 5.

(We are very lucky; she's continuing to thrive.)

Dad's was here last weekend and my sister's party's next.

That one is at her house because everyone suspects

That I don't enjoy the fact the party's always here;

Think I'm lying saying it's my favorite time of year.

All I have to do is cook a meal and bake the cake.

While my sisters do the cleaning up, I take a break.

I enjoy the cooking part...  I really hate to clean,

But my sisters are the best at that I've ever seen.

One is great at decorating, one at mixing drinks.

I have much more fun at these than any of them thinks.

Plus, my house is cleaner than it was before they came.

Going to my sister's home will not feel quite the same.

The other 2 March birthday girls (and a very close approximation of my Dad.)

Black Friday - Not Even On A Dare

Christmas shoppers flock to malls and find no parking there.

Stores could give the stuff away for free; I wouldn't care.

I have never liked to shop...  It drives my mother nuts.

She is one of those who's there until the last store shuts.

Now I won't get near the place; the traffic is insane,

Crowds and lines and dealing with the subsequent back pain.

Christmas was  the time I'd let her drag me to the mall;

Thanks to my computer I don't have to go at all.

I expect to do most of my shopping while on-line.

Ordered gifts through Amazon last year and it was fine.

Only one was not on time - it came from overseas -

And I ordered very late.  There were no guarantees.

Cannot say what I will buy. My children will (sometimes)

Check and see what nonsense I've been saying in my rhymes.

Half the fun of Christmas gifts is that they're a surprise.

You get to experience the joy in someone's eyes.

I'll be home with eggnog and enjoy this Christmas season.

Thanks to Amazon and UPS there is no reason

That I'll have to face the hordes out hunting for a sale.

Sorry Mom but, I'm afraid, this  year I'm gonna bail.

Race for the White House - Paul Ryan Goes To The Convention

Paul Ryan addresses the convention in Tampa.  (Photo credit: Mary Altaffer/AP)

Yesterday I promised I would try to keep it nice;

Said I'd pay attention to my mother's good advice.

Then I watched Paul Ryan's speech and good intentions flew.

Once again Republicans won't tell us what they'll do.

Pundits say the gauntlet's thrown on Medicare...  So what?

Everybody knows it's broken.  Tell me how a cut

In the tax of wealthy folks will help my mom and dad?

We've tried "trickle down" before and the results were bad.

Saying that you've built a business doesn't pave the streets;

Doesn't pay for teachers, cops, or any Naval fleets;

Doesn't keep your parents covered now that they are old.

That, my friends, takes government - and, government needs gold.

Loyal opposition is another thing it needs.

Currently, though words are speaking louder than their deeds,

G.O.P. - with faces straight - accuse the President...

Blaming him for failures when that isn't how it went.

I don't see John Boehner having any kind of luck

Leading the Republicans and, thus, Obama's stuck.

They have been disloyal; offered nothing but complaint.

Yes, I know that isn't nice but, hey - I'm not a saint.

Happy Mothers Day

Happy Mother's Day to my mom; Laurel.

Wishing Happy Mothers' Day to those of us with kids...
Even those, like me, who wish (at times) to open bids;
Sell the rotten child who's talking back to me... And then,
I remember why I love the stinker once again.

May be something simple like an extra hug or kiss...
Thank yous you do not expect; the fact they didn't miss
Telling you, on Mothers' Day, how special that you are.
Little things like that (with mothers) get you pretty far.

Hope your children don't forget... And, for the rest of you;
'though I'm not your mother and can't tell you what to do,
Still, I'd strongly recommend that you take my advice;
Call your mothers Sunday... And, some flowers would be nice.