Dia De La Madre

Since today is December the 8^th my Favorite Panamanian and I have our annual discussion concerning Mother’s Day. Today is Mother’s Day in Panama and it is a lot bigger deal than it is here, a bona fide national holiday. Family is still revered down there, kind of why I like it so much. Our discussion centers around whether she wants to celebrate Mother’s Day in May or in December. As a cold weather averse personality, May always wins out. That is the deal we’ve always struck, if we were in Panama on the 8^th, we would celebrate it and vice versa in May. I always try to make her feel special on this day because she’s kind of a great person who deserves every day to be Mother’s Day. She’s upstairs right now continuing to bake Christmas cookies (I said she was great, didn’t I?). I feel like I put on a couple pounds just walking through the kitchen and inhaling the wonderful smell of the cookies.

My Favorite Panamanian Moms

She used to have a very truthful T-shirt that said, Army Wife – Toughest Job in the Army. As I said, truthful, because I dragged her out of her native country and around the world wile I left her to raise two high spirited kids while I was running around less nice parts the world and the surrounding woods with well-armed friends for long periods of time. One only has to look at the resulting adults, my Favorite Son and Favorite Daughter to realize what a fantastic job she did in that effort. So happy Mother’s Day to my wife as well as all the other Panamanian mothers who’ve made such a difference in my life: my Mom-in-law (90 years and going strong), Tia Loca (still crazy after all these years), the Neighborhood Mafioso (great neighbor, the reason we live in Worcester), the various and sundry other members of the Panamanian mafia (great party animals as well), the various PanaGals (foremost amongst them being my wife’s cousins), oh, and that daughter I mentioned above (could not be more proud of the mother she is).

Two movies fell in my A-Z effort, both keepers, Congo (Laura Linney should do more action – she was awesome) and Cool Hand Luke (one of greatest movie characters of all time and definitely the best car washing scene ever filmed)

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RECURRING CHARACTERS:                                     

ABFA – Amazing Best Family Athlete - my daughter in law; BR3 – Blog Reader #3 – granddaughter #3; BRS - Blog Reader the Sequel - second granddaughter; Cantankerous Friend – friend since grade school who likes to argue about everything, poses as radical leftist to attract women; Connecticut Riverboat Captain – another close friend from high school, renowned sailor of the big river; Curbside Girls – close friends of my daughter acquired during him her single days in Brooklyn; Deckzilla – our backyard deck which grew to monstrous dimensions once my wife got involved in planning; Favorite Panamanian - the wife (of course); FBR - First Blog Reader - first granddaughter; First Friday – celebrations to mark the First Friday of the Week; Great Aunt - my elder sister; Keene Friends 1 & 2 – friends since high school from my home town of Keene, NH; Kindergarten Friend – friend since kindergarten whom I reunited with after many years; Maine and Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife – her US sisters, my wife is the 3^rd Musquetera (musketeer); Namesake Nephew – son of Great Aunt and Soxfather named after me; Neighborhood Mafioso - wife's close friend and Panamanian mafia member; PanaGals – female relatives /friends of my wife from Panama; Panamanian/Latin Mafia – inevitable group of Latino friends my wife accumulates wherever we have lived & their spouses; PCR - Pittsburgh College Roommate– high school friend, also a “Minor Celebrity” in Pittsburgh; PCR+1 - Pittsburgh College Roommate’s wife; Riggins - also known as the Grandpuppy, son's dog; Soxfather - my brother in law; Tia Loca – wife’s younger sister; Wingman – my son in law; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course