I rarely ever mention my mom and that’s because she’s just so undescribable. On Monday, Meg came to visit for a while and she had a message on her cell phone from my mom. She turned on the speakerphone so I could hear it. It was a warning about mad cow disease. My mom, God Bless Her, told Megan not to eat any beef in Washington because she was watching the news and there was a case of mad cow disease up here. She said she was worried because Meg moved out and she knows that Meg can’t cook so that could only mean Meg will be hitting the burger joints. Then she went on to say, ” …but pork is okay. Oh yeah, and buffalo is okay too, I think” The funny thing is that she was serious, about the buffalo.

Then lastnight I was talking to my cousin out in Boston and I told her about the message and she started cracking up. She told me my mom left a message on her cell phone too. Well, it wasn’t really a message, my mom sang “Do you know where my doggie went?” She said she let her mom listen to the message and when they returned my mom’s call, my mom said she was singing “How much is that doggie in the window” but by the time my cousin’s greeting had ended, she had forgotten the words so she made up her own words.

My mom is one of those with a huge heart but damn, you really need to look deeeeeeeeep down to see it. She always says what’s on her mind so you never need worry about where you stand with her. People usually perceive her as being standoffish. It’s funny because one of my friends here in Washington remembers my mom from years ago when she also lived in Nanakuli and she said my mom was the only woman she’s ever been afraid of. I know exactly what she meant because I was afraid of her too.

My kids tell me I’m like her at times, but I’m soooooo not like mom.