Mothers and Groundhogs ...

Well, the groundhog around here saw his shadow. Or maybe he didn't. I dunno, whichever one makes it spring early. Guess it paid off to buy a new bikini to encourage the weather, right guys?

In other news, it's my mom's birthday. You should meet her -- she never ceases to amaze me.

Like the time I threw her a surprise 50th birthday party. And she had breast cancer so she had no hair. When she got to the house (where the party was happening), she'd been too hot so she'd taken off her wig. She walked in and everyone saw her with 2mm long white-as-snow hair. And she still looked gorgeous. She didn't put her wig back on all night ...

Or the time she got a little tipsy at my brother's wedding. It was too cute.

Or the story of before her and my dad got divorced. They were in the kitchen and Willy (my father) was standing there being a complete asshole, telling her about his new girlfriend and being generally verbally abusive. My mom was holding a fork and threw it into the sink but it bounced out and stuck in his hand. I still laugh about that.

How about the fact that when I got pregnant at 17, and having a religious family, she never disowned me. She was disappointed at first (which is clearly worse than being angry). But she never was ashamed of me and she never gave up on me.

All the times I've been discouraged or worried she speaks encouragement into my life. She's a believer in Anika even when I'm not.



Mom, you are completely and utterly the most amazing woman I have ever known. And if I grow up to be even half the woman you are, I'm blessed.