A great memory of my Mother.

QUOTE from The Talmud: "God could not be everywhere, so therefore he made mothers."


Today I went back and read the introduction to my BLOG, I wrote it on November 23, 2010. In my introduction I expained the reasons for starting my BLOG at age 70. After writing three books I decided to try something different and a BLOG appealed to me as "the something different." My niece Jane in Wisconsin is the one who planted the seed in my mind to give it a try. When I told Brad and Carron what I was thinking about they also encouraged me to go for it.

In the introduction I identified six topics I wanted to write about. My goal was to make it something POSITIVE. Those six topics were:
1. At age 70 I wanted to keep learning new things and tell what I LEARNED.
2. I wanted to show I still have a good sense of HUMOR by including a joke or something funny in each post.
3. I would include a QUOTE to make me think and reflect.
4. I wanted to include some of the people who and things that have enhanced and inspired me during my seventy years.
5. I wanted to write about some of the good memories I have.
6. And I would include some of the ways I have brightened someone else's day or vice-versa.

I know I've BLOGGED more about what I've LEARNED than any of the other five topics. So today I'll do something different and write about a great memory I have of my Mother.

Mother died at the Martin Luther Nursing Home in Bloomington, Minnesota, on November 20, 1991. It is easy for me to remember because that happens to be my birthday - I was 51 that day. (Eleven years later my mother-in-law died on November 17th, 2002 and was buried on November 20, my 62nd birthday). I don't think there are many people on this planet who can say that their Mother died on their birthday and their Mother-in-law was buried on their birthday. So the message is for those reading this, "Don't be around Pete Bungum on November 20th, you'll either die or be buried." However, this is not the memory I want to write about.

The good memory happened about five years before her death. I had driven from Anamosa to Bloomington to stay with sister Jan and husband Don. I was able to visit Mom several times and it also allowed Jan to get a little break from visiting Mom every day.

So the GOOD MEMORY is: While visiting Mom one day the converstion was getting a little slow so I tried a new approach. I asked Mom, "What did you and Dad do on your first date?"
Mom looked me straight in the eye and said, "Peter, it is none of your business."

I was laughing so hard I about lost it. Then she got this nasty grin on her face and I felt like I could read her mind. She was telling me, "I guess I showed you." I didn't pursue her first date any further as it was obviously top secret.

This is one of the absolute best memories I have of my Mother. I've told it to hundreds of people and I laugh every time I tell it.

HUMOR for today:
Teacher: Now, Peter, tell me frankly, do you say prayers before eating?

Peter: No sir, I don't have to, my Mom is a good cook.