My mom's (Jean Burris Lensing) birthday was May 12, 1933. In anticipation of what would have been her 91st birthday, I am posting a picture of her celebrating her special day, and remembering her 80th birthday, her last one with us.
Some of her birthdays would fall on Mother's Day so we would get to celebrate twice. She always said she thought Mother's Day was a bogus attempt by the greeting card companies and stores to sell more merchandise. Well, I'm glad we had another special day to honor her! She was a spectacular mother!
This picture was of her on her 80th birthday in May 12, 2013. Mom and I drove to Highland Park, TX to celebrate the day at my sister Catherine Lensing Harper's home with she and her family, my brother Bud and his wife and my brother Eric and his family. Mom and all of her 4 kids together, and all but one of the grandchildren she loved so very much. We all had a wonderful time. Isn't she beautiful!!!
During the visit, we went to Abbot Park so my youngest niece, Ava could play and work off some energy. We enjoyed that morning, it is a park that my older niece and nephew played in when they were young, and mom spent a lot of time there with them when she would go to babysit.
The weather was spectacular and the spring flowers and trees were all in bloom. My sister arranged a special sit down luncheon for her, complete with white cloth napkins and the good day china. There was plenty to eat including a strawberry shortcake, mom's favorite birthday cake. We all got to talk and visit with each other and enjoy the day, singing happy birthday to her and giving her gifts. It was a lovely day, one I will always remember.
My brother Bud was with us on the ride back home, as he planned to spend some time in Little Rock afterwards. So on the way home we decided to stop in Arkadelphia and visit her parent's grave site. We put roses on the grave, mom blew a kiss to them and then we stopped by her old home at 808 Crittenden Street. It was vacant at the time so we walked around the property and took a good look at the home outside and peeked through the window to the inside, then we visited the garage. I will never forget the blue Plymouth my grandfather drove and parked in there. Old Blue is what he called it.
The house wasn't the same place she remembered. The white trim around the house that she knew was painted brown, the inside walls were all painted beige, and some of the concrete holding together the beautiful rock my grandfather had brought in from Hot Springs when the house was built in 1938 had started to crumble, especially on the front steps and the garage. As for the beige walls, my grandmother always had beautiful, tasteful wallpaper on the walls, (I'll never forget the little fishes on the bathroom wallpaper), and the two beautiful french doors separating the dining room and living room were gone. The house was 75 years old when we visited in 2013. Although change was not unexpected, mom decided that she wanted to remember the house as it was and never return, and I agreed. As it turned out she never did go back, as she unexpectedly died that following December. I'm so glad I was with her on her last trip to Arkadelphia. I have been back to the city for work a few times and I brought my dog Toby to the grave site after a vet appointment there (they have a great veterinary husband and wife team "The Bradshaw's) at South Arkansas Veterinary Hospital.) We put flowers out and visited for a few minutes, but have not been back to the house. Who knows if I will ever be able to do so.
Bud said he hadn't been back since grandmother's funeral in 1980. I'm glad he had the chance to go back and look around. Those two pear trees in the front yard took up a lot of space, the space they use to play touch football.
We drove home to Little Rock and I had no idea at the time that we had just celebrated Mom's last birthday on earth. God bless you mom! Your birthday on May 12th will always be special to me.
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