Contests by Sheila Roberts

MOTHER'S DAY

5/1/2018

When I think of May I think of Mother's Day. My my mom was the best. (I'm... not the best but I try.) Momhood is a stressful, trying, and rewarding. It's a job with no raises and no time off. I love being a mom! And I can't say enough good things about my mother. How about you? Did you have a great mom? Someone who came into your life and filled that role? Here's your chance to give that woman her props. Share what's special about your mom or the mother figure in your life and you might win this pretty drink mug and a copy of WELCOME TO MOONLIGHT HARBOR. We'll pick a winner when I come home from my travels on June 1 and announce. U.S. residents only (I'm sure it says that somewhere in the small print.) And guys, if I contact you get back to me promptly with your mailing addy. You'd be surprised how many winners we never hear back from. (What's with that?!)
Okay, that's the whole thing in a nutshell. Good luck!

Ann Ciampa

5/1/2018 08:25:05 am

My mother is still with us..she’s 94 yrs old... still sharp as a tack but loaded with rheumatoid arthritis ...a disease that I also suffer from... she is a mother of 8....grandmother of 25..great grandmother of 21.... visiting with her is done in shifts but family gatherings happen in a function hall.. there are just too many of us! She still cooks for family members who visit... sauce and meatballs are her speciality... in a nut shell the traditions she started with us as children continue with us and our children...thankfully pleasant memories bring pleasant time spent together

Jody Hunt

5/1/2018 09:23:58 am

My mom passed away 20 years ago, and I miss her just as much today as I did the first year she was gone. My mom was amazing. She had 8 children, and with 6 of us still living at home, my dad passed away and mom was left to raise us. She worked two jobs to support us and never complained about being to tired to come to a sports game or band concert. There isn't a day goes by that I don't wish I could pick up the phone and just hear her voice. Love you forever mom!!

Sarah Shepard

5/1/2018 09:37:36 am

A Longer Shelf Life

On January 11, 2012, the Hostess Brand Company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Twinkie sales had ended December 25, 2011.

The Café was a favorite of my friends. It had bright red vinyl booths, white Formica tables with art deco from the 1940s. We four women in our fifties were celebrating my birthday.
“There are no more Twinkies,” Martha said.
“What?” I asked, picking off the last of my fries.
“You know, the golden sponge cake with creamy filling," she said in her Texas drawl.
“Hostess went bankrupt,” Sheila said.
I didn’t believe them. “That’s like saying there’s no more baseball. Twinkies never die.”
“Where have you been, Sarah? It’s been all over the news.” Martha said.
I started to cry.
My friends looked at me with concern. I wiped my eyes.
“Boy, you must really like Twinkies,” Bev said.
I didn’t like Twinkies, but I loved them when I was a kid.

James Alexander Dewar, a baker for the Continental Baking Company, invented Twinkies in Schiller Park, Illinois, on April 6, 1930, the year my mother was born. He named them when he saw a billboard with an ad for “Twinkle Toe Shoes.”

I explored my grief while they continued to chatter, giving me space to contain myself.
Why was I having such a strong reaction to such trivial news? Birthdays can be emotional.
“Someone should do something,” I said.
My friends looked concerned.

The Twinkie defense is a term used when a criminal declares that they did something because of allergies, coffee, nicotine, but mostly too much sugar.

My mother was a health food nut. She was religious about it. When I was ten my neighbor gave me a coke. Her waffles were so heavy from whole-wheat flour and extra protein powder I broke a tile in the kitchen when I dropped one. I was grateful she didn’t make a birthday cake for me. It might have broken my foot.

The most famous trial that used the Twinkie defense was the trial of Dan White who shot San Francisco mayor George Moscone and city supervisor Harvey Milk in 1972. Dan White was also formerly a health food advocate but had begun eating junk food.
A few years after our celebration at The Café my friends gave me a birthday lunch once again.
“Did you hear that Twinkies are coming back?” Martha said.

It’s a common urban legend that Twinkies last for years, maybe forever. I’d heard as a child they were used as rations in WWII because they could not go bad. I thought Twinkies couldn’t die, but Twinkies only last for a short time and are taken off the shelf within ten days.

Sheila said, “I hear Twinkies are going to have a longer shelf life. They put something in them that makes them last longer.”

I wondered what made Twinkies have a longer shelf life.

With some “improvements” in 2012 they were able to keep Twinkies fresh for forty-five days.

Every year my mother gave me a Twinkie on my birthday. My mother would buy one. Just for me. She’d put a candle in the golden sponge cake with creamy filling and my family would sing happy birthday.

2001: “There’s a Twinkie in the bottom drawer of the fridge. I hid it for you.” My mother sat at the table in a wheel chair hooked up to a portable oxygen tank.
“Let’s wait until my birthday, Layla. It will last until then.”
She studied me, her tears pooling in her eyes.
Years later I had a dream. My dad was screaming, “Help!”
I called him at three a.m. He was full of small talk about bridge and tennis, the family and friends. “Oh, and your mother’s sick. She has the flu.”
By the time I caught the first flight out to make the 3000-mile trip home, she had pneumonia and was on oxygen.
“How long are you staying?” she asked me.
“As long as you need me.”
She didn’t need me long. I nursed her in the loft, then we moved her to the living room, and finally made a bed up in the basement. As she got sicker she descended another layer.
Her feet turned blue.
I asked her if she wanted to lie down as she labored to breathe. I put my arms around her and eased her on the bed. We heard the sirens blaring louder. Hold on Mom. She talked about angels and scripture and Jesus and made jokes about my dad. Hold on Mom.
“Sarah,” she said. Her heart stopped. She fell onto my chest with her last breath.
Peace descended on me even as she slipped through my grasp. I couldn’t hold her weight. She seemed to drift to the floor like a feather. My father came down with tea. When I saw his face I pulled her flat and performed CPR. He looked resolved but later helped me. We took turns while we waited for the firefighters to arrive. They gave her CPR and cut her dress off and shocked her with those cups. It had been beautiful until then.
I knew she was

Jennifer Essad

5/1/2018 10:11:32 am

I didn't realize what my mom meant to me until I became a mom myself. She's been a patient teacher, I wouldn't be the chef that I am or the creative seamstress or the homemaker. Mom is still baking and cooking for dad and their circle of friends. She is my mentor

Melanie Guevara

5/1/2018 10:35:14 am

My parents were divorced & I didn't see my mother who lived in another state. My dad was my mother. Shopping for my 1st bra was hilarious! He's been gone for almost 24 years & I miss him so much.

Robin in NC

5/1/2018 11:27:06 am

I was so lucky to have a stay at home mom! She was always there when we got home from school, when we were sick or just needed our mom for any reason. She fixed each of us our favorite meal for our birthdays & I still miss it every year since she's been gone. I don't think you ever grow too old to miss your mom.

Chelle

5/1/2018 11:37:15 am

I know it sounds cliche to say my Mom is my best friend, but she truly is. She worked hard as a single divorced parent and always put my and other’s needs before her own. I was diagnosed with pneumonia in 1988 and have suffered the after-effects of fibromyalgia ever since. Who has been with me on numerous trips to the doctor in search of an elusive cure? Who always remained my friend when friends my age disappeared? Mom!
This year my Mom turned 90 and I’m taking her to doctor appointments and taking care of her as best I can. We make quite a pair! Lol. But we also shared many fond memories that would give Lucy and Ethel a run for their money. Like her driving under a construction ladder beneath an underpass with a worker looking down from the top rung because we were engaged in conversation as she took me to work when my car was in the shop. Or us going to see a guy about a retired race horse in a somewhat questionable house with a MAF 1 license plated car in the driveway. Hmmm...NJ mobsters? We never found out, but it made quite a dinner story.
I thank God for giving me such a great Mom. I never had kids, but I’m a dog and bird mom.

Gail Hollingsworth

5/1/2018 03:46:00 pm

My mom was such a giving person and tried to help anyone that needed help. She had a tough life, worked all the time, never had enough money to do what she wanted to but felt rich with love.
She developed lots of physical disabilities and dementia in her later years. Jan 2017 I had to move her in with my husband and me because she could no longer safely live at home. She passed away on Thanksgiving Day 2017 at my home with me holding her hands. I’m dreading this first Mother’s Day without her.

Denise

5/1/2018 04:13:57 pm

my mom taught me to bake. she wasn't demonstrative with love, but she did teach me to bake, especially chocolate chip cookies.

Debbie T.

5/1/2018 04:54:07 pm

My Mom was the best! When I was a kid, my house was where my friends wanted to be. Mom would even play basketball with us. She was a great cook and a great Christian role model. She died 4 years ago at the age of 91 and I miss her every day. Happy Mother's Day to all!

Diane Sallans

5/1/2018 05:38:01 pm

My Mom has been gone almost 18 years. I miss her laugh, I miss her hugs, I miss her pot roast. She was caring and hard working - she was fairly mallow, but we know she would stand up for her family and what was right. She would be so thrilled with her three great grandsons - I hope she knows.

Sandy Hamilton link

5/1/2018 06:54:41 pm

Thanks for this opportunity, Sheila.....
My mom was no 'Harriett Nelson' (Ozzy & Harriett) but she was perfect in my eyes. Picture this: WWII, her husband...My Daddy Mike....being patriotic like so many other American men, went off to war even after already serving his normal obligation. At the time he had no idea my mom was pregnant with me. He probably wouldn't have re-enlisted. Mom was left at home to take care of my two brothers...and me on the way. Unfortunately, his plane was shot down in a raid over northern Italy. There she was, husband gone and soon to be mother of three boys. My grandpa Griswold, her dad, even though being a laborer, was our hero and made sure we had a home to live in and food on the table until about four years later when my mom married my stepfather, an old friend. They had a child a couple of years later, my half-sister. My mom, Ethel, made sure we had a good life and participated in activities at our schools, was treasurer of the PTA and kept us going, even though my step father was a cranky, unloving guy who hadn't married until he was 40. She was both mom and dad to us. And, she never....ever complained or patted herself on the back for all she did. She sewed clothing for lots of people...even bridesmaid dresses...to make extra money. We had very little but never knew it. It still brings tears to think of what she was to me.....and still is. in my heart.
While other kids in middle school complained about their parents, I simply couldn't understand that. I always said..."my mom is great". I felt very lucky. And, now I am missing her so I will end this.
Mothers and grandmothers are the greatest!!!!

Have a great day.....mom!

Gale Sroelov

5/1/2018 06:57:43 pm

My mom has been gone for almost 20 years now but I still think, "I have to call..." Not a bad way to remember her and it makes me smile. My mom and I were always at loggerheads -- my dad used to say it was because we were both "thickheaded"; probably true! What always makes me smile is that she would deliver/send care packages after I moved out of state. You never knew what would be inside but you always knew they'd be fun. When I lived across the country from her, when the packages arrived (at my work, so they wouldn't sit outside my house all day), my co-workers would all come to my office to see what goodies were inside. They always made me (and everyone else!) smile and boy do I miss the surprises. And, okay, I miss my mom and dad, too. :)

Pat McCrayM

5/1/2018 09:51:19 pm

I feel very lucky as I had 4 mommy's let me explain - I was adopted right after I was born to a couple who couldn't have children due to my mom had a blood disease that normally men carry plus my dad new she would not live a long life. I never knew my birth mom but I respect her for doing what she did and it was like a private adoption with our family doctor helping.

My mom died 3 1/2 months before I turned 6 - I remember many things about her some of the good stuff and some of the bad stuff like her going to the hospital as she was real sick. That's when my 3rd, mommy, my dad's mom came to take care of me till I'm 18 as Dad was in the military. My 4th mom came when my dad remarried 5 months after I graduated from high school.

Those 18 years were the best I've had and the 3 mommy's were awesome even though I never lived with my last mom she was an awesome mom. What more can a girl ask for when her dad is in the military and is gone a lot or where his family can't go? She is left at home with a great mom, or grandmother (mom), yes there were ups and downs but I was loved and I knew it

JEAN MESS

5/2/2018 12:11:51 pm

I LIVED WITH A MOTHER AND GRANDMOTHER THEY BOTH WANTED TO DO THE COOKING AND HOUSEWORK SO I NEVER LEARNED EXCEPT BAKING. I APPRECIATED HAVING TIME TO READ AND DO THINGS I WANTED TOO. THEY BOTH GAVE ME LOVE AND HAPPINESS.

bn100

5/2/2018 03:22:31 pm

she's caring

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