Hello, friends!

Today is Mother's Day in the U.S., and I'm thinking of my Mom, who lives just a couple hours away, but because of COVID restrictions, I haven't seen since last summer.

I think my favorite memory of my Mom in recent memory is this: back in 2019, when my husband and I bought our little teardrop trailer, my Mom was ecstatic. Now, Mom is a frugal woman, and isn't a fan of extravagant spending for non-essential items. But this was different: Mom was drawn to our camper, and she seemed enchanted by the idea of camping, although I had never known her to go camping as a child, nor as an adult. So when I asked her if she'd like to camp out with us at a pretty state park along the shores of Lake Michigan,  I admit—I was a little surprised she said yes!

That night, we sat outside by the fire and peered at the moon through a telescope. We slept snugly inside the teardrop, and the next morning we had hot coffee with our breakfast before heading out to walk along the beach. I don't think Mom stopped beaming the entire time.

Just thinking back to that campout makes me smile. It sums up what I admire most about my mother. She is always learning, forever asking questions, never turning down an opportunity to see or do something new. I grew up seeing her grow vegetables for our family, sew, knit, and crochet; she bakes her own bread, and still researches new and better ways to refine her recipe to create the ultimate loaf with a perfect crust (and she has several blue ribbons from the County Fair to prove it). She is a financial whiz who taught her kids to save and make wise investments. She takes art classes and works at a CSA farm. She's a can-do woman. "Can't" isn't in her vocabulary.

She lives a hands-on life, and says "yes" to experiences.

So, cheers to my curious Mommy. Thanks for showing me the way. 

xoxo,