A Very BVG Mother's Day

We raised our children together, so shouldn't we be together on Mother's Day? The three members of the AMA Division of BVG (for abandoned mothers) spent the afternoon and evening together, husbands included. Meanwhile, Elletu was being wined and dined (and candied and flowered) by her daughters and grandchildren. She is fortunate in that two out of three of her children live very close to her, and by the way, they all love to be with her. She even has more celebrating coming up with one of her daughters next weekend. As for our Mother's Day, the six of us hung out at j's house, enjoying the beauty of her backyard for a few hours before driving to Tacoma's Ruston Way waterfront to eat dinner at the Ram, where they do not accept reservations. I do believe we waited nearly two hours for a table, and once seated, it was another good hour before dinner was served. It didn't seem to faze us or the guys, who, by the way, all get along famously and enjoy their own conversations. Something like 33 years ago we were getting babysitters and gathering together once a week for a couples' Bible study through Christian Women's Club. We didn't need to get babysitters yesterday, and we won't this Wednesday night when we all get together at our house for dinner before we watch this season's American Idol Finale. Cool, j and I are excited. My hubby and Cool's hubby are looking forward to it. I sense that j's husband is not that enthralled with American Idol. Let's just say he's 'not a fan.' Let's hope he gets with the program before Wednesday night, because otherwise he's going to stick out like a Cougar in the middle of a Husky pep rally!

Cool and Elletu: A Tale of Two Sisters

It's a little scary to me that j's daughter sent this to her because it reminded her of the BVGs. Both j and I wondered when Cool and Elletu posed for this picture. We had always hoped that our two younger Sisters would look up to their older, more mature Sisters and emulate us, but I guess that was not to be. Good for Cool, having her sunglasses on for the picture. Apparently Elletu felt safe because the picture was taken before she went in for her monthly dye job.

A Cool Concert

Cool is a bell ringer. No, I don't mean she volunteers with the Salvation Army at Christmas. She is a longtime member of an outstanding hand bell choir, and on Sunday both j and I attended their concluding concert of the season. The audience was treated to several numbers each by three levels of bell choirs, and a guest organist played four classical selections on our church's spectacular pipe organ. This concert exceeded my expectations of what I knew would be an entertaining and enjoyable event. I admire Cool's dedication to her skill with this group and to the group itself. She is a joy to watch when she is performing. The musical selections were, as usual, varied, and the capper this year  had to be "Stairway to Heaven." Yes, THE "Stairway to Heaven"! I don't know what Robert Plant would have thought, but I was blown away by it. And the closing piece, "Hallelujah," thrilled me on several levels. It was a fitting ending to an afternoon concert that had me enthralled. It was definitely a cool Cool concert.

Non-Spa Day

It was time for our annual BVG Spa Day, but arrangements weren't coming together with our usual massage therapists and, frankly, we were all feeling the financial pinch after our big trips. So, being both nifty and thrifty, we devised a Plan B that suited all of us. April 25 was our first 'Non-Spa Day,' and who knows, it just must end up being our 'First Annual Non-Spa Day.' Our theme this year, as lettered on a sign I put on my front porch to keep j's hubby from walking in on us, was: NO MAKE-UP, NO BRAS, NO GUYS ALLOWED! We were unpainted, untethered and unashamed. (I considered writing 'unundied,' but I was not sure anyone would get it. But then, knowing the BVGs, they would!)

I don't know how I missed taking pictures at Non-Spa Day, but the photo above, taken in retrospect, represents some of our props. Instead of Julene's fingers to massage us, we had j's back massager (not pictured because it's not here) and my scalp massager (pictured above). These two devices sent us into ecstasy, at least the scalp massager did. Quite a bargain at $5, I might add.

The little porcelain cupcake on the stand was a birthday present my friend Ruth sent me. The timing was perfect, because we used it to spear fresh strawberries for our first appetizer of the day, strawberries with sour cream and brown sugar, provided by Elletu. There are four individual picks in the cupcake, perfect for four Sisters. Our morning chef, j, prepared bacon in the oven and hashbrowns on the griddle, while Cool prepared our mimosas. Once we started sipping and nibbling, I'm not sure we ever completely stopped. I don't remember. My mind is a little fuzzy about details. Wow, those sure were good mimosas!!! I do remember the East Indian Pumpkin Soup I prepared and served, and the yummy pizza Elletu provided, and the scrumptious Thai Coconut Rice Pudding Cool concocted with rhubarb from her yard and fresh strawberries. Brought but not served was j's chowder. As I write this, my tummy is growling. Sure would love some of that chowder now! I messed up by not serving it on Non-Spa Day.

Since we began our Non-Spa Day at 10 A.M., we thought 4 P.M. would be a reasonable ending point. As it turned out, though, we extended our time because we just weren't through with relaxing our day away. I am constantly amazed at the lengths to which we Sisters can go just visiting with each other, with nary a cross word in all our decades of friendship. We can truly let our hair----and dare I say boobs???----down with each other. We never got around to watching a movie like we had envisioned, nor did we delve into the stacks of magazines I had on hand. A waste of time? No way! We did take time to celebrate our two April birthdays, j's and mine, both of us now being a young 67...............................................and half way to heaven, as I say!

Heavenly.....that was Non-Spa Day.