Happy Birthday, Marie!

My mother turned 86 today.

We had a hellaciously long phone conversation in the middle of the night, in which I read her horoscope for 2010 and 2011 to her.

We were both amused by the promise the years held forth in terms of new career moves and sexual spice.

We had no idea that this planet was conjunct with that planet in this month or that month, but now we do.

We both ended up singing "When the moon is in the seventh house..."

I couldn't convince her to go to the Tim Burton movie today but there's still a hope. I waited in the hope she might feel she can pull it off. It's one hour and forty-eight minutes.

Tim Burton, can you please recut this to about one hour fifteen minutes? She might go for it then.

Lee and I ran out in the morning and got her all kinds of goodies.

She already had two cakes but she didn't have a red velvet one with cream cheese icing.

I got her the Susan Boyle c.d. which she'll probably love. Her sister loves it and recommended it to her already. Hey, I don't have to listen to it lol.

Gourmet coffee. Seafood she can share with my brothers. A small painting she had admired in my house which I bought because it reminded me of her as a child. That made me smile that she wanted that. I'll miss it, but when your mom wants it...

I dropped a hundred but thank God for tax time, huh?

The bamboo I planted in her backyard when I first met Lee (it was growing wild down by his house) now looks like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. I screwed up that title, didn't I? It must be thirty feet tall out there.

I saw I started something as the neighbors a few yards back did the same thing and have their own lush grove now.

We're supposed to go to lunch tomorrow if she feels up to it.

I liked seeing all the pictures of her great-grandchildren.

She spends a lot of time with those.

I had hoped my niece's daughter would inherit my Mom's singing ability, and the kid can sing but now she wants to be a dancer.

I asked my Mom to gingerly explain to her that singers can get rich, but dancers can only get pregnant.

She's ten or so, so it had better be gingerly.

She looks like Sade a little bit.

I saw Sade had a new album too. I almost picked that one. I probably should have.

She's a recluse or something they say.

Hates interviews.

That's a singer whose songs never leave one's head once heard.

I didn't realize we had a whole other week of American Idol d.v.r.'ed but saw those this morning.

I was stunned to see the judges loved Lilly as much as I do.

She's my favorite by far but I don't expect her to win this.

Because as Kara points out, she's so "not" what they expected.

I love that she plays the melodeon, an old Moog and a bunch of other old instruments I love.

What pop songs feature the melodeon? A lot, I imagine. Didn't Duran Duran use one on Save a Prayer? No, I think I'm just remembering I would play that on a cheap green and white plastic melodeon I had. Okay, what melodeon isn't cheap? But mine was like dollar store variety. No melodeon on that song I'm sure. I'm just remembering playing that on it.

Depeche Mode. Everything counts. That sounds like a melodeon in my head. Is it?

I just woke up.

Dru has learned a new trick to sneak in my bedroom when I close the door.

He knocks things over in the upstairs bathroom then I go to investigate and he slips in.

Dee-vee-ous.

Kitty wits.