Today’s post is hard to write. Brain Candy’s been online about 10 months now, and I have a small core of loyal readers. I haven’t tried to expand my outreach much, but rather just enjoyed the process of building content instead.
But I knew I had one reader who scoped out every post, even if she did so days later. That reader was my mom. She’s chastised me for bragging on my dad’s cooking and knocking hers. She’s made suggestions about family recipes I should share with my readers. But most of all, she just stopped by to see what silliness I’d posted for that day.
Three years ago, she underwent a bi-femoral bypass. The surgery went fine, but she almost didn’t make it off the ventilator and was in the hospital for over two months. She fought and eventually returned home. But we all knew she still wasn’t in the best health. That’s what 50+ years of smoking does to a person’s body.
About three weeks ago, on May 20, she was rushed to the hospital with breathing problems and subsequently suffered a heart attack. From there, her organs began to slowly go offline, and she passed away in the early morning on May 24. It was quick, shocking, but not completely unexpected.
I haven’t begun to process all the ways I’ll miss my mom. The big breakdown hasn’t happened yet, and I’m expecting it when I least expect it.
So from today forward, Brain Candy is dedicated to Patricia Brown, the woman who taught me every thing I know about being a good listener and a great mom.
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Today is National Peanut Butter Cookie Day. Unfortunately, I haven’t cooked many peanut butter cookies in the last 12 years because Smarty Boy was allergic to peanuts. Hives and potential anaphylactic shock do not make for a great dessert. He’s outgrown his allergy now, but I still stay away from cooking with peanuts. That’s why I have to grab these cookies on the sly when I’m eating out. They always bring back good memories of when Mom cooked them, always, always with the fork criss-crosses.
