Mother's Day In Georgia

Martha, a dear friend sent me a text the other day and said, "I remember the day you became a mom."   That was thirty-three years ago and only god knows how many diapers.  Now my children are grown, only when they left home did I realize it went by way too fast.  I look back on those years like it was yesterday.  Like the time an elderly man says to Malia you are so cute, what is your name?  She had this look on her face like she couldn't believe he didn't know who she was.  With her hands on her hips and attitude in her voice she says ugh, Malia Girl!  And Abby Gail who would go to the grocery store with me wearing a tutu on her head all the while thinking it was a normal thing to do,  and in her eyes it was.  Or Lora Beth who was afraid when someone would vomit.  If we were in the vehicle, she would beg to be tied on top of the roof, if someone was car sick (Abby Gail) promising not to fall off.   Of course this we didn't do.    And lastly Michael, the only boy who was raised by not only mama, but three sisters.  One day he came home from little league football practice and said, "mom don't clean my football helmet with comet anymore, it makes it look like I don't get to play."

There are so many memories, many that I photographed.  All the birthday parties, the occasional trips to the beach.  The homework and meals shared around the kitchen table.  And yes many tears.  I think back at all the halloween costumes I made, enjoying every stitch.  They would return from a night of trick-or-treating and trade out the candy they didn't like.  Anything with coconut would always come my way.

They have their own lives now with careers, spouses and obligations.  The days of me braiding hair and running them to practice are over.   They are at the age that they do not need me anymore, but not a day goes by that I do not think of them.

Me with Malia 

 Jim and Malia

Stone and I

Malia Girl

We gathered on their rooftop patio to catch up and eat pizza as we watched the sun set.

Pizza on the roof.

The view from the rooftop patio.

Albert 

Smushie

Monster Cat

For Mother's Day weekend, we toured ten homes that were sponsored by the Atlanta Botanical Gardens.  Among them were some of Atlanta's finest private gardens.

For Mother's Day brunch Jim had made reservations at Lure, a seafood restaurant in the heart of Midtown on historic Crescent Avenue.  After touring five gardens we had worked up an appetite.  I began my meal with the fried rhode island calamari, it might had been the best calamari i'd ever eaten, and i've had plenty.  For my entree I chose the steelhead trout, although I thought about getting the seared scallops that Stone had ordered.  From the looks of our plates you couldn't have made a bad choice.  Lastly three scoops of Rocky Road ice-cream.  This I had picked out before I arrived at the restaurant.

 Steelhead Trout

Stone's Seared Scallops

Rocky Road