“There’s no other person
so sweet and so kind,
There’s no other person
At least, on my mind.”
No One Like Mother”
By Gail Newcomb
My Mother’s Day started a little early, on Friday. When Hubby and I came home from shopping, there, on the porch, waiting for us, was a glass vase. In the glass vase were six gorgeous pink roses, with other small flowers. (They looked like small lilies.) The card said the flowers were from Holbrow’s in Quincy. I had no idea who would send me such a lovely bouquet. When I got inside the house, I looked at the card inside the little envelope. “I just wanted you to know that I was thinking of you.” It was from my niece Terri, who is now living in Colorado with her son Jeff, her daughter-in-law Samantha “Sammi”, and their four children. I was overwhelmed. She made my day. Hubby got his camera while I sat on the stairs with the vase. Sue sent the photos to Terri so she could see how pretty the vase of flowers was. Terri said she was happy to see that I was wearing a pink blouse with the pink roses. The vase now sits, in a place off honor, on our little marble table, in the front hall
How delighted I was to see Ed and Karen Crowley at a garden center last Sunday. Both Karen and Ed had shopping carts filled with flowers and bags of soil additives. Ed said that most were for his Mom’s garden. We were looking to find some more geraniums. We finally found four more geraniums, all red, that were scattered throughout the center. The red ones were just as pretty as the hot pink and white ones that we had purchased the previous morning. I must get the geraniums in the whiskey barrels quickly.
I also must mention that I met one of my former first graders, Barbara (Bates). She attended the funeral of Ann Pratt, my son–in-law David’s mother. Barbara was in my class room for about five months when her parents decided that she was too young. They took her out and started her the following year, where she did well. She was delighted to see me after all these years (probably 57 years ago). I asked her if I had frightened her. “Oh no! I liked you!” I breathed a sigh of relief. We chatted for quite a while. I asked about her brother Eddie, whom I also had as a student. He is also doing well in Texas, thank goodness. Their Mom Jeanne was my “Home Room Mother” for my first year teaching in Weymouth. Jeanne invited me to their home for dinner one evening. It was Parent-Conferences Evening and I didn’t have time to go home between the school day and the evening meetings with the parents. Jeanne was a lovely lady and so were her kids. I was fortunate that my principaI, Tom Stetson, had suggested that I ask Mrs. Bates to be my Room Mother. She was wonderful. I found out later that the Bates family was related to my future son-in-law David’s family. It is, indeed, a small world.
What a nice time Hubby and I had at the Irish Social Club in West Roxbury on April 10. We had three different groups playing music that evening: Colm O’Brien entertained us first. Then Margaret Dalton and Erin’s Melody took over. Finally, Devri came on the stage. We met Eileen Collins, Peggy Gorman, Marilyn Ferrara, Evie Dunne, and Phyllis Hartford, who were already there. It was a fundraiser for Lucy’s Love Bus. Lucy’s Mom, Beecher Grogan, told us that the fundraiser actually raises money to provide those children with cancer, up to age 21, some pleasant diversion from their treatments. One young man got up and told us how much he enjoys having art instruction, with his terrific instructor. Last year, Eileen Collins collected $10 a month from nine other women and sent Beecher $100 every month, for 10 months, for the fund.
At 7:30 p.m. the emcee for the evening, Matt O’Donnell, from the Irish Hit Parade on Radio Station WROL, (Saturday afternoons, from 1 to 4 p.m.), announced that dinner was ready. (Hubby took a great photo of Matt before we began to eat.) The chicken, broccoli, and ziti dish was very tasty. So were all the desserts. After we had eaten, we were treated to the wonderful Irish dancers from the Harney Academy. The kids are so well trained.
After we had a chance to look at all the baskets that were up on chances, a familiar face came to the microphone. Each Sat, at 6 p.m., I am usually in the living room, watching “Community Auditions” on the ME Network. I recognized Candy O’Terry, who often serves as one of the three judges on the show. Candy works at Radio Station “Magic 106.7 F.M.” Candy sang a song called “Butterfly,” the proceeds of which will be given to Lucy’s Love Bus Fund. A little later, Candy came walking by me. I stood up and told her that I wrote for the Dorchester Reporter. She ended up sitting down in Hubby’s chair while he headed off for the desserts. I told her that I often saw her on the “Community Auditions” Show on TV. She told me about the show and how they tape it at the Strand Theatre in Dorchester. She told me about the song she had written for the Love Bus. Candy also told me about her new album, “Dream Come True.” The album is to be released on May 30. (See : LUCYSLOVEBUS.ORG). Before she left me, Candy gave me a lovely autographed photo of herself with a sweet message for me written on it.
As I mentioned, there were so many prizes on chances. I was fortunate to win one of the many prizes in the raffle. It was two bracelets with summer-colored stones. They were a little tight for my wrist but I am sure they will look great on my granddaughter Erin.
I was sorry to read of the death of Michael Pembroke on May 6. Mike was the husband of the late Dorothea “Dotty” Pembroke, who died five months ago. (One of their children told me that Mike couldn’t live without Dotty.) They were married for an amazing 60 years! Mike was born in County Kerry, Ireland, in a town called Castleisland. He and Dotty were the parents of nine children: Joan and her husband Kevin Morris; Mary Ellen and her husband Kevin Deagle; Noreen and her husband Thomas Leahy; Carol and her husband John Harrington; Eileen, Denis, Patricia, Jean, and the late Jackie Pembroke. Mike, at times, worked three jobs to support his large family. He was a devout member of both St. Ambrose and St. Ann’s Parishes. He loved Irish music, dancing, and genealogy. He especially loved dancing with Dotty to Noel Henry’s Irish Showband.
After their children were grown, Mike went back to school and received his Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting from Bentley’s. He worked for the Boston & Maine and Amtrack Railroads for more than 40 years. After he retired, he went to work for H&R Block, preparing tax returns. Judging from all the people at Mike’s wake on Friday, most of Neponset joins our family in sending sympathy to his children and to the rest of the family. The Pembrokes are a fine family.
While I was at Mike’s wake with Eileen Burke, I saw my friends Sissy Mullane and Nancy Fosa. How nice it was to see them. Sis showed me the announcement for the newest editions to the Mullane Family. Her nephew Neal Mullane Jr. and his wife Gianna recently had triplets on Feb. 6. Photos of the triplets are on the announcement: Rosalie Angela weighed four lbs, 1 oz; Regan Elaine, three lbs, 13 ozs.; and Rocco Ronan, three lbs, 3 ozs. Sis told me that Rocco looks very much like his deceased grandfather Neal Mullane Sr. I send my best wishes to Neal and Gianna on the birth of their adorable babies.
If you were sorry to see that the A.C. Moore Co. at the Westgate Mall had closed, don’t feel bad. Hubby, daughter Sue, and I drove through the parking lot on the way to Market Basket last week. We noticed that the store, once again, is thriving. The store was not sold or rented in the interim so A.C. Moore has reopened it. We love the store because it has so many craft items. Hurray!
I was sorry to read of the death of Norah (O’Toole) Gorski, on May 7. I first met Norah through our mutual friend Nancy Harrington. Norah was the wife of the late Francis and the mother of three sons, Mark, Paul, and Francis. She leaves six granddaughters and one grandson. I send my sympathy to her sons and their families.
Here is a lovely saying for Mother’s Day week, by William Makepiece Thackeray: “ Mother is the name for God on the lips and in the hearts of little children.”
