Mother's Day

Mother's Day visitors at the Fremont Street Center for Healthy Aging included Susie, Tom, Charlie, Sam, Joy, and Bart. Susie brought her second "hands on" art project designed to re-waken the senses and engage the stultified creativity of Fremont Street staff. The first time she wore her "art therapy' hat during a visit to Mother, she brought the raw materials for individual newspaper and magazine photo collages. One result still hangs in the living room, a beautiful collage Mother often studies intently. This time Susie brought the raw materials for individual fruit collages.

We covered the dining room table with newspaper, and Susie set out two cantalopes, two oranges, two baskets each of raspberries & blackberries, and an enormous box of strawberries.

We supplied everyone with table knives (we shared cutting boards ) and plates, and the food art began. Sam made spaceships. Marcie made the face of Harpo Marx, with blackberries for his curly hair. Joy and Bart kept everyone supplied with cut up cantalope. Mother followed the action, and ate a fair amount of fruit.

Tom arrived after the fruit collages were consumed, and the food artists dispersed. But he had his own gifts for Mother - a bouquet of flowers and an apple pie. Dennis was making tuna noodle casserole for dinner, a Mother's Day menu choice designed to honor Mother's magic recipe which both Tom and I remember being served in white casserole dish shaped like an ocean liner. He stayed for dinner, and told us about the bike ride he and Patti are planning in Iowa this summer.

Mother got calls, visits, fruit sculptures, flowers and a pie. Overall, I think she had a very satisfying day.