HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MAYBELLE!

I just want to wish my little mother, May Rose Salkin, a very Happy Birthday! Besides being my mother, she’s also the former “poet laureate of Aspen,” a retired English teacher (which is why I’m always annoyed with bad grammar and pronunciation,) a water color artist, a New York Times-published poet, and still the funniest woman I know! (And yes, I have met Lily Tomlin.)

One of Maybelles's water colors; she usually paints flowers, but I especially love when she branches-out with special subjects like this Rhode Island lighthouse.

Every time I go to NY for a month (which is usually three times a year,) people ask, “oh, you have to go see your mom?” No–I don’t have to–I want to! She’s my mother!

She’s also the strongest woman I know. My father died eleven years ago, and she’s continued on since then, without complaining, staying in our same house, and being content with whatever she’s dealt. It does help that she gets to talk Mr. X a lot, who she’s happy to say is her favorite person, (well, you didn’t think it was me, did you?,) and has lots of people who care about her and check in when they can. And she has syndicated series that she’s happy to watch repeatedly. And me to fight with every day!

So, happy birthday, Mom! I’ll see you this summer, so we’re putting Brooklyn on notice now that the dynamic duo will be back in action then!