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Mom Instead of Barry
With Mother's Day on Sunday the Gagnon family is scurrying around to make plans for our Mother's Day family dinner. Frankly, this event is getting more attention in our family than Barry Bonds' quest to outslug the Babe and more attention than the Yankees-Red Sox series.
In fact, last night the phone lines were humming with calls among siblings and phone call updates to Mom. It didn't matter to us that Barry almost hit home run number 714 (Way to go, Juan Pierre!). It didn't matter (that much) to us that the Red Sox were pounding the Big Unit and winning by 11 runs. What mattered was that we'd be treating Mom to a home-cooked meal on Mother's Day.
The site: Foxy's Den at Saratoga Court. The menu: ham by Fox (easy to prepare) (without cloves, without pineapples -- give me the plain old taste of baked ham!), potatoes (instant, of course! -- don't tell Mom, and I know my two grandmothers will be frowning down from heaven), cabbage salad (Goose's family speciality -- he could market it!) (we suspect that Theresa and Ashley help him make it), corn (niece Erin's responsibility), and dessert by Dar (one of her many baked treats, we assume, but always a nice surprise!). Nothing real fancy, just a nice home-cooked meal for Mom, prepared by her kids.
The conversation will be lively, the memories will be touching, and Sunday will be a special day for Mom, surrounded by as many in her family that can attend. It's a family tradition, and one that started generations ago. Growing up it was a tradition that on the day before Mother's Day we would get into Dad's Pontiac (first a Star Chief, and then, years later, a Bonneville) and drive to Rouses Point to see Dad's Mom ("Miner," we called her). It was a true family event with stories shared, past events revisited and great food, usually topped off with a bowl of popcorn before bedtime.
Then it would be Mother's Day Sunday mass at St. Patrick's Church in Rouses Point, with Miner wearing some flowery hat, often blue to match her eyes. She'd walk up the aisle arm-in-arm with Poppa, my Grandpa Gagnon, in front of the rest of us Gagnons.
After church we would drive across the border into Canada to Lacolle, to visit my Mom's Mom and Dad, Grandpa and Grandma Jock. Grandma would be wearing her apron, cooking up another great meal. Before we took our first bites we would say grace, thanking God for family and especially for our Moms. I always knew my parents were proud of their Moms. Neither of them ever said it, but you could just tell by watching how they treated them with respect and love, even though my parents were in their forties, and then in their fifties.
We Gagnons know we've been fortunate. Mom is now 84 years old. Sunday will be my 56th Mother's Day, although, admittedly, I don't remember the first several. I was born less than a month after what would have been my first Mother's Day. Mom is still as feisty as ever, loves her daily Press-Republican crossword puzzle, and will tell anyone who will listen that Derek Jeter is the best and most handsome baseball player ever. She even has his picture on the wall near her computer. Mom is still quick to give advice to her children (even though one isn't too far away from being 60!) and is always more generous than she needs to be. She still makes the greatest soup in the county and if she ever opened Vi's Chop Suey Hut, she would put the other Chinese restaurants out of business.
So, for this week, we don't care about Barry Bonds or the Yankees and Red Sox showdown in Yankee Stadium. We have other things to do, like vacuum Foxy's Den and clean the oven and organize the mountain of papers on the dining room table. And we've got cabbages to buy! And we've got more reminder phone calls to make so that everything goes smoothly on Mother's Day, an important day in the Gagnon Family.
Comments
Great article Foxy. A nice ride down memory lane for sure. I just happened to be online from Florida and happened to pull up the Press Republican online. Please say hello to everyone from me and wish Vi a Happy Mothers day as well. Your mom was always a very special person to me and all of my college friends at Plattsburgh State in the 1980's. She always made everyone feel welcome in her home and made us feel like family, a trait that is not often found anymore. I hope you all have a great Mother's Day Dinner. I'm sure she will enjoy all of her family on her special day.
Glenn Muccio
Posted by: Glenn Muccio | May 14, 2006 12:27 AM
As part of the Gagnon family, being the two oldest at 87 for Peggy and 89 for me Ralphe we will be honoring Mom Peggy also in California but in a different style than when we were younger. Since the loss of daughter Gail nearly 3 years ago and son Jim 1600 miles away we will only have son Michael and spouse Lynda and Paul, Gail's husband, present. Our Sunday brunch will be a Champagne affair at The Soboba Indian Country Club.
Not like the old days when Miner and Pop and brother Ray were with us. We were always travelers and our 2 sons and daughter were also, so with one in the Marines Recon group and one on a nuclear sub and daughter married to an Air Force officer we lost the family togetherness very early in our 66 years of married life. In any event we salute Mom Viola and Mom Peggy. May they have many more Mother's Days, blessed by the good Lord. Much love to a wonderful Gagnon family!
Father, Uncle,Grandfather and great grandfather Ralphe
EX Radolphe
(Foxy's note: My Uncle Ralphe is the patriarch of the Gagnon Family and it is great to hear from him in California. At 89 he still rides his bicycle many miles each week in the beautiful California sun!)
Posted by: Ralphe | May 11, 2006 1:53 AM