Happy Birthday, Mother!

**I started this on mother's actual birthday, March 7th, but it has taken me until now to finish it. So, I apologize that it's a little late, but I still wanted to wish her a happy day.

Mother, thanks for being your silly, sweet, warped, sometimes overbearing-but-only-because-you-love-us self. I love you better than REGULAR, HOT, NO FLAVOR ADDED lattes, quilts, Truman Capote and Harper Lee, making jelly (especially strawberry), watermelon, chicken and dumplings, and pork products all rolled into one. You know that's some crazy kind of love.

Thank you for teaching me that it is ok to be obsessive about all things old fashioned, for showing me that there is a fine line and a big difference between being "southern" and being "redneck," for instilling a love for good books and good coffee- or both together (even better), for reminding me that being weird does not necessarily mean being wrong, for saying it is all right to get teary when Mrs. Daisy tells Hoke he is her best friend, and for being the best mother I could ever dream of. I would be happy to be even half as good as you are.

I hope this birthday brings lots of happy moments for you- you deserve each and every one of them.

...AND, just for you, I got George Strait to pose for a picture on your lawnmower with the cows. He said to make sure you got the picture and to wish you a very happy birthday. He knows you are his biggest fan. He is really hoping to get to Pansey again sometime soon- I told him I didn't think you would be too busy for that visit! He might even decide to endorse something while he is here! Ha ha ha.

We love, love, love you!