Happy Birthday Blogless Sharon!!!!

I happen to have the most wonderful mother on earth- she's free-spirited, intelligent, sweet, loving, thoughtful (and zany like me.) And today is her birthday!!! So I thought I would share some of the wonderful memories and gags that come to mind. (And sorry for stealing the photo, but it just captures her so well.)

1) She is kind and graceful- with her influence even her rough and tumble sons have grown up to be sensitive and giving young men.
2) She spent years organizing a team of women and going to schools to teach children about the dangers of drug abuse.
3) When she enters a room she brings grace and dignity. I love how my mother takes pride in herself-unlike stories I heard from other kids, I was never embarassed to be caught in public with my mom. In fact, when she was a field-trip chaperone, all the 'cool' kids vied to be in her group. Afterwards, the 'cool' kids would give me the proverbial pat on the back and talk about how great my mom was, or perhaps something funny she did or said.
4) She would do anything for us kids. She would sew any Halloween costume we so desired, or spend hours creating an authentic gladiator costume for Ed's latin class (haha, Ed. Do you watch movies about gladiators?) She would wake at 4AM for hockey practice. She would drive to the college library for desperately-needed and last-minute research.
5) She's so creative, off-beat, and takes everything in stride, whether it be having an alligator chase her and a stroller in the everglades, having a team of oxen unexpectedly dropped off at the farm, or coming home to hear chainsaw being started up in her bedroom...
6) She can't say no to a puppy or kitten. Or racoon. Or flying squirrel.

7) Mom is beautiful. Without even trying.