On Motherhood

This will be my first Mother's Day childless. My 23 year old daughter Tori has taken a respite from her Big City Job and is off on another Great Adventure to explore the wilds of the Alaskan frontier, leaving me to be content with a card and assurances of her undying love and gratitude. To be frank, I'm thrilled for her and somewhat in awe of the fact that I managed to raise such an magnificent, accomplished, adventurous, and life-affirming young woman. Good for her ... and good for me!

For reasons that seemed rational at the time, I never planned on being a mother. Instead, I opted for being a godmother, an aunt, a mentor, an entrepeneur, and a philanthropist. It made for a rich and rewarding life, to be sure, but being Tori's mom has been the greatest gift of my lifetime. Hands down. No doubt about it. Take it to the bank. Put it in your pipe and smoke it (okay, that might be a bit much!).

Sometimes an unplanned life makes for the best life of all. The script I wrote for myself in my early 20's has long since been round-filed. In addition to being the mother of a remarkable human being, I am now the step-mother of 3, and grandmother of 7. I have been a single mom and a married mom, the foster mother and guardian of my niece, and a mentor to a number of young women teetering on the precipace of life's toughest choices.

So this Mother's Day, rather than sniffle into a kleenex because Herself is playing Eskimo, I'm going to tell my own mother that I love her, hug my sweet little granny, and lay flowers on the grave of the woman who gave life to My Beloved. And at the end of the day I'll breath a prayer of thanksgiving for one curly-haired bohemian with the voice of an angel and the unexpected blessings of an unplanned life.

Traditions

The last few weeks I've been blessed to have had a very special houseguest ... my 92 year old grandmother! No longer able to live on her home, my little Dutch granny has been staying with my hubby and me while my mother has been travelling overseas. We've been making the most of our visit together, taking afternoon tea in my kitchen each day and reliving special memories and grand adventures.

I used to ride the Greyhound bus each summer to my grandmother's home just outside Lebanon, Oregon. We would spend our mornings antique hunting at second hand shops and thrift stores, looking for wonderful treasures. One of our favorite haunts was appropriately called The Treasure House, an old, rambling two-story farm-house full of nooks and crannies. We could wander around in there for hours! On our way home, we'd often stop by the Brownsville Library, check out a good mystery, then head back to Granny's for tunafish sandwiches and tea in pretty cups.

Magdalena Wilhelmina Bakker Wolfe kept a warm and cozy home and had a special knack for making you feel welcome. There were ALWAYS cookies in her cookie jar! She's still a grand and gracious lady, and these past few weeks have reminded me how fortunate I am to have shared so many memories and traditions with my granny.

This coming holiday, Mon Ami continues it's annual tradition of hosting our Christmas High Tea on Saturday, December 12, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. This year's theme, A Celtic Christmas, will feature a festive menu sure to please even Robert Burns! Seating is limited so give us a ring at 541.997.9234 to reserve your place at the table.

I do hope you'll plan to join us ... and thank you, Granny, for sharing with me your gift of grace and hospitality. Warmly, Cindy

"I HAVE AN IDEA!"

That's how it all started back in 1998 ... four little words I shared with my husband that launched my creative passion and 11+ years of wonderful adventures and friendships. My daughter Tori says the only two words she dreads more than "I Have an Idea" are "Estate Sale"! (Where did I go wrong with this child?)

This afternoon, I spent a few hours planning the next two months of special events with Mon Ami's decorator-in-residence, Diane Archer (aka "The Starfish Girl"), who was there in the beginning when we first opened our doors, and we laughed and reminisced about how many Fabulous Ideas we've brought to life and shared with our friends in the ensuing years. This weekend, we hosted our 12th Annual Holiday Open House and shared our love for creating beautiful havens with many old and new friends who stopped by to share in the festivities.

Can't wait to share with you what's happening next! Wishing you Grace and Plenty, Cindy