Memories on my mom's birthday

My mom would've been 69 today.  I posted something on my Facebook account and had a couple friends post what they remembered about her and times when we were young, and I thought, "Why not put some more of those in a blog?"

1. I miss her homemade potato salad.  Julie and Brigitte have tried--but it isn't the same.
2. I miss harassing her about eating bacon grease sandwiches.
3. I miss the 12:01am call on my birthday and how she'd sing to me.
4. I didn't appreciate enough her willingness to have 4-8 teenage boys over on Fridays or Saturdays in the basement, playing loud music, being loud and playing games--and graciously buying pizza and pop.
5. I loved that when we visited Davenport, she still got excited when we got together and did stuff at The House.
6. I loved that she was always wanting to know how my friends were doing--not out of nosiness, but because she cared--but that sounds unfair towards their parents and that isn't the intent because my friends' parents all care about me and the other friends as well.
7. I loved that after my parents' divorce, they still were a united front when dealing with the incompetent administration at my high school (the original Satan's School on Earth, now renamed Rivermont).  Having taught, I've seen that many divorced couples don't do that for their children.
8. I loved that if my mom made a mistake, she owned up to it...except for the fact that she never ever ever punished my sister as harshly as she punished me.
9. I remember going into Taco John's with her when I was 19, placing the order, and having the worker assume it was 'to go'.  Oh, no.  It was just us....of course, those were the days when I had a metabolism!
10. Oh the arguments about her giving the kids ice cream three meals/day when they were in Davenport on vacation. 
11. I remember Julie was so nervous the first time she met my parents.  My mom saw her pull up in the car, when she got up to the house, she opened the door and gave Julie a big hug and treated her like family right away.
12. I miss arguing with my mom.  Nice, big arguments--loud, raucous.  And the best thing?  When it was done, it was done--you don't carry it in to the next argument, you don't take it out on someone else.
13. My mom always worked extra hours on holidays like Christmas, so that once we were in college, we celebrated at weird times.  What she never told anyone was that she took that extra OT money and bought presents for kids and patients at the hospital.  Everyone talks about giving--but to know that she did this and avoided ANY attention for doing it made me so proud of her.
14. I miss watching horror movies with her--the more gore the better.  I watched one this weekend (No One Lives) and I know she would've loved it/laughed hysterically.
15. I remember watching Borat with her and needing to pause the movie when she peed her pants.
16. For her last birthday, I drove up to the Quad Cities, bought her a movie (The Departed...she liked gangster movies, too) and Steak and Shake, and spent that evening just talking and watching the movie.
17. I think she loved her grandchildren more than she did anyone else.
18. Until she died, I don't think I realized how much she was hurt/saddened when my grandparents died.  I get that now.
19. I always liked that if my friends came over, once we were over 18, she'd treat them as equals.  I loved that my mom didn't give a crap how rich you were, what your job was--she judged you on how you treated her, the family, and people in general.
20. My mom was always proud of her strength.  As a nurse, she was able to lift 250+lb patients without assistance.  And her skill--she never, not once, had to try a second time with a needle on a patient.  Twenty or more years--perfect record.  I dare you to find a nurse that good.
21. I remember my 21st birthday, right after my Dad had died really.  The best gift--she handed me the keys to her car and said, "Have a good day".  That car was a 25th anniversary edition Mustang convertible.  Me and Erik Johnson drove that all over the place.  Of course, I also let his little sister Patty go for a ride in it, too.
22. I remember singing to the 8-track of Elton John on the way to/from school as a little kid.
23. Never compromise your values for anyone.  Pity people who think money can buy everything.  No better advice ever.

It still sucks four years down the road--but I think some of what bothers me is how much gets forgotten, the small stories.  Do her friends still think of her?  That doesn't really matter-- I think about her every day.  So does my sister, and no one truly dies until all memory of them are forgotten, and I'll try to make sure that never happens.