Today is Mother’s Day. For me, it is a somewhat melancholy Mother’s Day. A few weeks ago my mother suffered what was likely a stroke. She lost a fair amount of her motor skills, plus her voice. She is not in pain and still seems aware of her surroundings. My father continues to devote his full love and attention to her care, but we were put on this earth for only a little time and I’m afraid that my mother’s time draws near. This is likely the last Mother’s Day that I will be able to wish her a happy Mother’s Day. I regret those Mother’s Days in the past that I was too callow to wish her well. I feel trepidation for those Mother’s Days in the future, where my thoughts for her will be thoughts of remembrance. So, for this possibly last one, Mom, Happy Mother’s Day!

The term Internet meme is a phrase used to describe a catchphrase or concept that spreads quickly from person to person via the Internet.

In this little blog’s dark corner of the World Wide Web what passes for a meme, would be laughable elsewhere, but since they can only be found here, you’ll have to laugh at it here. Two years ago on Mother’s Day, I made a post entitled; M is for the many things she gave me… The lyric is from the 1915 song, Mother. This is a song that Anne and her sisters have serenaded their mother with, much to her chagrin. Last year, at this time, I noticed some renewed interest in this post, but that was nothing to what this year has brought. Like everything else on the Internet, this post will live on. I’ll be curious in years to come to see if this little, sort of personal, meme becomes a real one.

Saturday morning, Anne and I went for a walk. It had rained just a little on Friday night. By the time that we launched, the clouds were beginning to disperse and blue sky and sunshine were arriving. We walked to Big Daddy’s Cheesecake, for breakfast. We walked three miles and did not partake of any of Big Daddy’s pastry treats. On the way we posted two letters, one to the general contractor and the other to the gutter company, marking them paid in full.

Anne and I went tree shopping next. We drove out to West County and went to not one, not two, but three different nurseries. We end up in Sherwood Forest in Manchester, Missouri, not England. We bought a five-year old red maple, of the October Glory variety. It is a fast growing tree that in late fall turns a brilliant crimson. It should be delivered and planted in about three weeks. It’s planting and some subsequent landscaping should conclude our storm damage repair effort that began after that stormy night in late February. Our repair effort will have spanned almost three months, for what was relatively light damage. My heart goes out to the people of north Saint Louis County and the people of Alabama, who have both suffered much greater damage than we did. Our own small rebuilding effort, gives us a better idea of the task ahead of them.

After an afternoon siesta, Anne and I launched on our bikes towards the Park. Even at five o’clock, the Park was still pretty crowded. There were lots of wedding caravans diving about, as per usual at this time of year. There was also a charity walk going on, which is unusual for that time of day. We got 10 miles.