Happy Mothers Day

Thursday February 18, 1993

Frank goes to his carving class at 8:30. I go back to bed at 8:45 to watch Regis and Kathy Lee. It's a real effort to climb the stairs. finally at 11 I take my shower. I suddenly feel terrible and go back to bed. I feel sick and weak. Frank brings me some orange juice, a banana and some yogurt. I turn off the pump and begin to feel better. It's 3:00 by the time I'm downstairs. At 3:45 we go to see a movie "Cemetery Club". It's a rainy day.

Later about 8 p.m. we go to Hudson's Grill. I order chicken fried steak. I eat most of it but really don't enjoy it. I feel yucky all evening.

It's no wonder Mom is feeling awful after pumping toxic chemicals into her body for months. The fact that turning on the pump helped her feel better immediately is telling. I wonder if she could turn it off during the day, and just pump the chemicals while she is sleeping?

As I write this entry it is Mother's Day 2014. I posted this photo on Facebook today and got so many responses I decided to post the photo on my blog as well. This photo was taken in 1974 on my graduation day from college (California State University Northridge). I love this picture, and apparently many others do as well. Mother's Day is always difficult to celebrate for me since Mom passed away. She passed away a few days before Mother's Day in 1993. That was the hardest one. I know one day I will see her in heaven and that gives me comfort. I do wonder if she is looking down on me from heaven sometimes, and I hope she is still proud of me. I know she still loves me, even beyond the grave. So Mom, on this Mother's Day I thank you for being the wonderful mother you always were on this earth, for all the sacrifices you made, for all the wisdom you imparted, for teaching me about faith in God, and for being a great example of a Godly woman. You encouraged me and inspired me and gave me the desire to be more like you in so many ways. I miss you and I love you.

Mother's Day

Sunday May 10, 1992 Mothers Day

We're up, feeling good and ready at 9:45 when Gary and Maria and the boys arrive to take us to brunch at Marie Callendar. Maria gives me a pretty bell from Avon. Gary gives me a blown-glass hummingbird. They all give me nice cards. Very nice. We have a great brunch with lots of good food. Later we go looking at furniture for Gary and Maria's new home. Then we go by their house for a bit.

When we get home at 1:30 we relax and take a short nap. At 2:30 we leave for Frank's folks house in West Los Angeles. We take them to the Olive Garden for dinner. My dinner is superb! I really enjoy it. We stay to visit til 9 p.m. We're really tired. I sleep on the way home.

Chris and Justin call. They went to Reno and Tahoe for the weekend and had a real good time. We have a good long visit.

When Mom passed away she left two collections, one of bells and one of hummingbirds. Maria got the bells, and I got the hummingbirds. The blown-glass hummingbird that Gary gave Mom is pictured above. It sounds like a perfect Mother's Day. She got a call from her daughter and lunch with her son, then dinner with Frank's parents. Marie Callendars and Olive Garden are two of my favorite restaurants.

Making Plans For Mother's Day

Monday May 4, 1992

Awoke feeling better today. Up and busy with the laundry and vacuum the house. By 2 p.m. I'm out of gas. I do some shopping, fix dinner, and we go square dancing. It's good to be back and see all our friends. We're both tired and come straight home after.

Gary left a message while we were out. I must call him back to check on his plans for Mother's Day next Sunday. We plan to take Mom and Frank's folks out to early 4:30 p.m. dinner.

In the above photo, my brother Gary and I are sitting between Mom and her mother Grandma Helen. Grandma lived in Desert Hot Springs, 3 hours away, so taking her out to dinner for Mother's Day was an all-day ordeal. Frank's folks lived near Los Angeles International Airport, not at all near Desert Hot Springs.

Now that we are in the final year of Mom's life, this journal will probably become more emotional for me. Mom died the following year just a few days before Mother's Day. After Frank, Gary and I visited the funeral home to make arrangements, we went to Marie Callendar's for lunch and there was a sign there about celebrating Mother's Day. I burst into tears at the restaurant, knowing I would not be celebratins Mother's Day with Mom ever again.

Mothers Day with Helen

Sunday May 12, 1991

What a glorious Mother's Day! It's sunny and 70 degrees. Frank has given me a beautiful card and a bottle of Obsession perfume. I have received very meaningful cards from all the family including Justin.

Mother arrives from Gene & Cathy's brunch at 1:00. We leave for Frank's folks where Gary and Maria will meet us. Gary gives me the "Best" card ever. It really has wonderful sentiment. It tells me he appreciates the kind of mom I've tried to be. He also gives me a sundress for Hawaii.

We all go to dinner at Charlie Brown's for prime rib and shrimp.

Back at the folk's house Betty and Al come over. We have a lovely visit. I'm tired. Mother is doing great considering she left the desert this morning at 7 a.m.

Grandma Helen lived in Desert Hot Springs in a senior community. She lived alone after the death of her husband Al some years earlier. In 1991 she was 83 years old. Her son (mom's brother Gene) lives in Pasadena where Helen went for brunch. Grandma Helen insisted on living on her own until health problems at the end of her life forced her to live in an assisted living home in Pasadena where Uncle Gene and Aunt Cathy could more easily visit her. She outlived her daughter and died at the old age of 89. The photo above was taken at Christmas 1988 at mom and Frank's home in Simi Valley. From the left are mom (Dolores Reina), myself, my brother Gary Lucky, and Grandma Helen Richardson.