Mom and Dad at Sally and Luis's, 1987

One of my favorite pics of Mom and Dad.  The great Mike Larkin took this shot back in 1987 at Sally and Luis's house on Ramona Blvd. in Rancho Cucamonga.  I loved my mom's smile and my dad's verve in making the most out of a moment.  Thanks, Mike Larkin for snapping this photo.  These are two of my favorite photos.  I think of these two as best friends, for their loyalty lasted for 48 years and beyond.  I don't know what song captures their enduring love for each other. This one does, "It Makes No Difference," [see below] absolutely captures my enduring love for both Mom and Dad.  The lyrics to this one, The Pretenders' "I'll Stand By You," captures the enduring love of a mother to her son.  The lyrics are here:  Here is a stanza from the song "It Makes No Difference" by The Band:

"Without your love, I have nothing at all,
Like an empty hall, it's a lonely fall.
Since you've been gone it's a losing battle,
Stampeding cattle,
They rattle the walls . . .
And the sun don't shine anymore,
And the rains fall down on my door."

Mom's Birthday, July 15, 2009

My dearest and sweetest mother on her last birthday.  From left to right is me, Brianna, maybe Scottie, Sally, Mom, Cassidy, Megan, and Aaron.  I remember the grace, warmth, and tenderness that Hanna greeted my mom on her birthday.  Thank you, Hanna.  Thank you, too, to the very keen eye and loving heart of Kimberly Strickler-Larkin for taking this picture; for without it, we wouldn't be able to enjoy for hours one of the last great photos of my mother.  I arrived early on that day.  The morning was beautifully warm.  Tom was at work; he used to work the early morning shift at Target.  Chuck was running errands.  I showed up with my boombox and a Schubert CD sung by Ian Bostridge.  The music I played for Mom, which she told me she enjoyed, was Schubert's Winterreise, which means "Winter Journey," and his "Die Forelle," or "The Trout."  It was a pleasant moment because no one was in the house except for me and Mom.  The music made the house feel more spacious and open.  For that house, and all who lived in it and remembered Mom and Dad's big band favorites, the Schubert German lieder was an invigorating melody.  It made the air light as it fractured the nostalgia and recast the history of that house beautifully.  I asked Mom what she thought of the music and if I should turn it off?  She said, "No.  I like it."