Too many mamas, never!

     I have been blessed in my lifetime to have three beautiful moms. First and foremost my birth mother who I miss terribly. I miss our long conversations at the kitchen table where she taught me to respect others and always try to consider their feelings. I often would take opposite sides of a debate just to continue our talks. She had four boys so there was always friends over and she always welcomed them. She served in the Women's Army Corp during WWII and was one of the most independent women I have known. What I could say about her would fill volumes but this story is not about her.
      I also have a wonderful mother-in-law. She welcomed me into her house as if I was one of her own children. Even before she had to! You see since I married her daughter she sort of had to accept me, right? No matter, Donna had four siblings so there were always many additions around her moms' dinner table. My mother-in-law always made them and me feel welcome. I did learn to watch what I say to or about her though, one cup of coffee thrown across the table in my face was enough for me to learn that lesson! Again though, this story isn't about her.
     This story is about another mama. Mama Cook as she was known to me. She has a large family of girls and at least one that I am very proud to say calls me her friend. We were in the same class in school but actually I consider all of her daughters to be friends although I know some better than others.
     Right after high school I had to have a surgery and spent a few days in the hospital. Nothing major just a "procedure" that had to be done. Near the end of my stay, one of the nurses said to me that I must be quite a Casanova. I asked her why she would say that? I hardly knew what Casanova meant. She said because there was a seemingly endless stream of girls coming to see me. I never told the nurse any different of course, but truly I didn't know most of the girls. You see Mama Cook had a "Baskin-Robbins" ice cream store across from the hospital and she enlisted the aide of the girls to deliver ice cream to me. Some I believe worked for her and others friends of her employees. Mama Cook just wanted to ease the pain of my hospital stay with a little company and a lot of ice cream. I'll never forget this simple act of kindness! Over my lifetime I have challenged myself to try to live up to that kind of compassion and kindness for others. I'm afraid I have come up short but I'll continue to try.
     Pralines and Cream is my favorite flavor of Baskin-Robbins' ice cream. This last week while visiting my son in Tennessee I made some homemade vanilla ice cream and made pralines to add to it. The recipe for the vanilla ice cream came from the "White Mountain" website. I used Ty's "White Mountain" hand crank ice cream maker to freeze the ice cream. The praline recipe was from the "All Recipes" web site.                                                                                                                                           This summer I'll challenge you to make homemade ice cream and also to be kind to someone. Mama Cook can be your example! Or just get to know her daughters for examples, I believe Mama passed that kindness and compassion gene down to all of them!