Just gonna say

1. I'm really grateful my mom is still around and still in good health
2. I'm really glad I have a good relationship with her - I don't think I ever "rebelled" in the way that some girls do against their moms.

But, my mom is a pretty wonderful person. The card I picked out for her this year played on the old joke about how women eventually turn into their mothers, but the twist - on the inside was something like "So I'm lucky, because you're an awesome mom."

I liked the card because it was heartfelt without being goopy (I don't do the goopy sentiment ones) but it was also funny without being unpleasant-funny. And it's true - a lot of the better parts of my personality are things that were heavily influenced by my mom. 

I guess she was touched by it because she mentioned it a couple times when I called today to wish her a Happy Mother's Day.

I also sent her a set of quilt-design printed microfiber cloths (for cleaning eyeglasses and the like. We all wear eyeglasses and I know how frustrating it can be to need to clean them and not be able to find a suitable cloth). And from the same catalog (Isabella), an "Angry Mom" microwave cleaner - a little silicone rubber figure of a cartoonish angry woman that you fill up with a mix of vinegar and water and boil in the microwave so steam comes out of the top of her head. (Angry Mom - get it?). I have one myself and besides it being funny, it does work well to soften up the "crud" you get in the microwave if something pops in there. And I suppose, you could use it after cooking something stinky to get the smell out, because vinegar is good for absorbing odors.

The last thing was just a silly thing - at one of the local chain places, I found a toy that was a cat's paw on a trigger mechanism. Pull the trigger slowly and it meows. Pull it fast, and it snarls like a wildcat. It was dumb and kind of funny and I thought she might find it amusing so I bought one for her.

I don't tend to do the "traditional" gifts - my mom is not big on chocolates, and I know my dad likes to get jewelry and flowers for her, so I leave that for him.