Happy Birthday 92 To My Favorite Mom

The Skagit Valley entity known as Linda Lou called this morning. During the conversation's course I made mention of the fact that today is my mom's birthday.

How old would Shirley be today, asked Linda Lou?

I replied I don't know for sure, but I shall consult the family history book once I am off the phone.

And so, I did.

To learn my mom's precise birthdate of January 30, 1933.

I used my phone's calculator to subtract 1933 from 2025 to get a calculation of 92.

Difficult math problems are not one of my many fortes, but, I think 92 is the correct answer to my mom's age question.

In the photo documentation above we are at my mom and dad's 50th Wedding Anniversary Party. With mom and dad opening presents.

I was a surprise appearance at this party.

This was on August 11 of 2001. My birthday, five days after mom and dad's actual anniversary date of August 6. 

This roadtrip back to Washington was the last time I drove from Texas back to Washington. 

Solo.

It was a great roadtrip. One month before the infamous events of 9/11 changed our world.

Earlier today I blogged about a New Zealand family crossing the I-90 floating bridge. And making note of seeing Mount Rainier hovering to the south of Lake Washington.

On that 2001 roadtrip back to Washington I'd been in Texas long enough to have my senses altered. As in, I so clearly remember how weird it was crossing Snoqualmie Pass over the Cascade Mountains, on Interstate 90, with the air smelling so strongly of Evergreen fir trees. I never made note of this, to that noticeable a level, whilst living in the Evergreen State.

And then heading west across the I-90 floating bridge over Lake Washington. I had never so greatly enjoyed being slowed by heavy traffic. The air seemed so crystal clear, everything looked so shiny and bright, as if it had just been washed and polished.

Talking to Linda Lou this morning made me feel a bit homesick. Linda Lou made mention of the Skagit Valley Food Co-Op, in Mount Vernon. No such thing exists at my current location. I've seen no such thing anywhere I have been in Texas.

Linda Lou also made mention of a new thing in Mount Vernon. A Mexican market, located on Riverside Drive, selling crafts and other Mexican type goods. I would hope maybe tamales. There used to be a Mexican market, of sorts, in the Texas town I am currently in, Wichita Falls, but it got itself turned into one of those ubiquitous Dollar General type joints.

One would think there would be many Mexican markets in Texas, what with the source nation being so close, that and there are many of Mexican descent in Texas.

Anyway.

Happy Birthday, mom. I hope you and dad are having yourselves a mighty fine time today!

Mom & Dad Together Again

I reunited with my phone shortly after 9, Friday evening. I saw there were several text messages.

The first text message told me mom has passed, peacefully, minutes ago. A couple minutes later my brother called. He and my sisters were with mom when she joined dad. Jake, Nancy, Jackie and Michele had spent the day with mom.

Sister Jackie got back from Vegas, in time, whilst my two Washington sisters flew in to Phoenix today.

Which had me the only sibling not in Arizona with mom today.

I do not remember ever typing through tears before.

Shirley Louise Wilder Slotemaker

January 30, 1933 - September 20, 2019

Since I moved to Texas I have gone through various stages of calling mom and dad.

It used to be when I got gas I would call with the gas price and the temperature. Usually mom answered. If dad answered we'd talk for a minute, or so, before dad would say your mom wants to talk to you.

In the two plus years since dad has been gone if I was going to Walmart, or ALDI or the library, or driving to DFW,  or somewhere else I would call mom and ask if she'd like to ride with me to Walmart, or ALDI, or wherever.

The past month or so it has seemed like something is missing because I will have the impulse to call, and then remember mom no longer answers a phone. So, I would call sister Jackie and ask if she wants to ride to Walmart or the library or wherever with me.

Mom being gone is gonna take some getting used to. I will never get to drive Miss Daisy again. I'm so glad way back in February of 2018 I talked mom into getting a transport chair. That made the trips to Arizona way more adventurous.

One such adventure came to mind this evening whilst talking about mom. Last October, hard to believe that is almost a year ago, Big Ed and I took Miss Daisy to Piestewa Peak and rolled her on a long desert mountain trail. Mom had fun that day, memorably telling us she never thought she would ever get to do anything like that again.

When I was in Arizona in March, with the temperature comfortable, I rolled mom around Sun Lakes. Mom had been obsessing about wanting to talk to Bill, the neighbor across the street. So, I saw Bill had just gotten home, his garage door was open. I rolled mom over there, rang the doorbell. No response. Saw another button at the end of the garage, by the garage's door into the house, which I assumed was a doorbell. So, I rolled mom to that button, pushed it, and the garage door came down.

Mom did not get too panicky, what with her macular degeneration she didn't realize how dark it was, and that I had trouble seeing. But, I got the garage door back open and we escaped, without seeing Bill.

Suddenly the sky is crying. First rain in a long time, with thunder rolling...