My Mom is turning 88 on Monday, so the family is gathering in Park City, Utah, to celebrate. B and I are going to drive there, listening to books while on the road, and coming home by way of Portland to see the Grandboy on the return trip.
If you’ve read my post about my “Book Club Mom,” you already know that she’s a pretty amazing 88 year old. I had to chuckle at her recent email to me after finishing the last Harry Potter. She was the only one in her retirement home reading it…
Hi Robin,
I just stood up from finishing Harry Potter. I’m bleary-eyed from reading non-stop for hours. (I’m not a fast reader, more like a plodder, which makes me way behind others.) I believe in magic spells since I’m in one still, as nearly as I’ve ever been! I’ve declared this book quite brilliant and the one I like best of all. It will take a while to get my eyes unglued. And may even take longer to find myself back in my world. No one else here that I know of is reading it. As I talk about reading it, they only laugh and several confess to never finishing the first book.Now I must try to get back and catch up with life. I haven’t had my TV on in hours and days. I oughta find out what’s going on out there.
Love,
Mom
When I pulled out the photo above to include in this post, I understood why I don’t remember ever actually learning to read. I was a 1-year old in this photo, and it looks like Mom was well on her way to teaching me how to read.
I may not be able to post or visit your blogs until we get back at the end of next week. So, if you don’t hear from me for a while, we’re in Park City celebrating with a very special lady!
A Fondness For Reading 
A very happy birthday to your Mom! I just love her letter about Harry Potter – just wonderful. I’m glad she’s still reading and enjoying it so much.
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Wish her happy b-day for me and be very careful. Oh, and tell her I think she is awesome and we could use her reading influence here in Mississippi! 😀
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Happy Birthday to your mom!!! What a cool mom 🙂 I wish I could get my mom to read Harry potter :p
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Thanks, Tara, Maggie and Chris! She’ll be pleased with your birthday wishes.
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Happy Birthday to your mom! My mom was a big reader but it was mostly mysteries, she never would’ve read something like Harry Potter!
Hope you have a wonderful celebration!
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What nice greetings. Thank you, Tara, Maggie, and Chris for your greetings. Never dreamed I’d have your special wishes.
Robin, you chose one of my favorite pictures. I’m am so fortunate to have a beautiful, intelligent daughter. I, too, can’t remember when you started reading or when you couldn’t read, but now you’re leading me. I can’t keep up with you, but I love following you.
I’m so looking forward to seeing you and B. Soon will be a rare moment when we are all together. C&N have just left Richmond, Virginia for Utah and will be here by lunch time. Again thanks for your birthday wishes. I love you.
mom
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Now that I’m really awake, I can’t resist visiting your blog again, Robin, and tell you what a happy surprise to find our picture and such nice greetings from you and your book friends. And now I find tanabata has added birthday greetings, too. Thank you kindly, tanabata.
Robin, I know you and B will enjoy your trip with time to visit, and share some fun listening. I am so looking forward to our time together.
mom
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What a sweet photo! Happy early birthday to your mom and hope you have a wonderful time celebrating. I’m taking my mom out today for her birthday. I’m sure a bookstore visit is in the plan 🙂
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Happy birthday to your mom! She sounds a bit like mine where the reading is concerned. Mine still happily scarfs down novels of all sorts, and had me reading simple things by the time I was two, at least.
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Happy Birthday to your mom! What a chorus of good wishes. I know it isn’t always the case, but most readers are the product of readers and the photo is such a good example of sharing the joys of reading!
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Holy Cow! You 88 yo mother does email. That is so awesome!
Happy Birthday to her.
I gave my 88 yo grandfather HP1 and he loved it. I wish he lived long enough to read the others.
Have a great trip.
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Your mom is great! Have fun celebrating and wish her a happy birthday! Number 7 is my favorite Harry Potter, too!
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Happy Birthday to your mom! How cool that she likes Harry Potter–and I know what she means by being disconnected from the world while reading him!
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Happy Birthady to Robin’s beautiful mom. I hope you have a wonderful birthday celebration on Monday with all your family gathered round. I quit reading Harry Potter after the 3rd one, but I’m rethinking things. As soon as hubby finishes book 7 I’m going to read it, too.
Robin, this is such a sweet, lovely post dedicated to your mom. I enjoyed reading it and seeing the picture. Have a good trip. I don’t envy you the Nevada part of your drive, but do envy the Portland part. Congrats on you new grandson.
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Wish you a pleasant and safe trip home, and happy birthday to your mom. So, if you’re rockin’ girl blogger, then your mom must rock. 🙂
It’s another celebration of life.
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Wow! Thanks so much to all of you for your very nice birthday wishes for my mom. She’s thrilled with the outpouring of warm wishes. It will be a nice celebration, and I’ll share it with you when I return.
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What a lovely post and a fabulous picture! I hope the birthday celebration was grand!
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We have such similar mothers! Mine is 72, but she seriously looks like she’s in her 50’s. She has a passion to read such as your mother, and taught me at a similar age as you are in the picture. I can’t ever remember not knowing how to read, or not believing in God, thanks to her teaching. I’m so worried about tests she has this Wednesday, but ultimately, we are in His care. Your post touches my heart.
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Happy birthday to your mom! She does sound like a very special lady! And I echo Chris’ thoughts – I wish my mom liked Harry Potter! Have a wonderful week, Robin 🙂
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She’s just wonderful, and you are so, so lucky Robin. As she is to have you for a daughter. I love the photograph so much. And her letter was great. She knows the secret of life, that’s for sure. I wish her many, many more birthdays,
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Third time a charm, I hope! I’ve tried to leave an address, and part of it was missing so I deleted the other two comments. I’ve given you an award, and you may “pick it up” here:
http://lettersfromahillfarm.blogspot.com/
2007/08/nice-matters.html
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Happy Birthday to your Mom!!! I stumbled onto your blog today by way of Letters from a Hill Farm….I am so happy that I get to go through your posts and I love the blog you had done for your Mom’s book group. Your Mom sounds so totally cool!! I want to be like her when I grow up!!!! Thanks for making my day more happy!
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Again, thanks to each of you for your birthday wishes for Mom. She was delighted with all your greetings. We had a wonderful celebration, but bittersweet after the news arrived that her sister had passed away. But it was so nice that the entire family was able to get together, and that we could spend some time with this very special lady.
Nan, thanks so much for the award! I’ll check it out.
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What a wonderful way to be at 88!!!! We would all hope to be thus.
Please wish her a Happy Birthday from this gal, in her 70’s. And tell her that she’s an inspiration to me. {Who is also a ‘plodder reader’. -smile-}
Mari-Nanci
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Thanks, Mari-Nanci! I’ll pass your good wishes along to my Mom. She’ll be pleased. I’m glad you stopped by. I can see by looking at your blog that we share a love of art. I’ll be visiting often now.
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