A Mother's Day bonus in our family

It must have been a blessed morning today as Mom headed off to Our Saviour's Lutheran Church in Whitehall to hear an inspiring message from Pastor Tom.

May in Wisconsin can be a glorious time for folks who have endured another long, harsh winter. They are finally out of the woods again, so to speak, and the trees and flowers and lawns are speaking to them with promises that couldn't have been whispered only weeks ago.

And this bonus: Just a few days ago Mom became a great grandmother for the seventh time, as my niece Missy and her husband, Jamie, welcomed their first son into the world after two girls. That brings to 22 the family lineage begun by Gene and Mavis Smith back in 1947. Good work, Mom and Dad!

I found this picture of Mom taken around Christmas time last year. She was in the kitchen overseeing the lefse making by my sister Sue and myself. Hard as we try, there is no denying the fact that Mom is the master of this Norwegian delicacy, and we children are mere subjects who bow to her expertise. It's just a matter of time before she grabs the special grooved rolling pin to get the dough just right, or commandiers the wooden turner to expertly roll the lefse over on the grill -- and save the day.

No lefse today, though. With the Brewers looking for a home sweep against the hated Cubs at Miller Park, I'd vote for brats on the grill and potato salad. It's Mom's Day, though, and her call. Just keep her out of the kitchen, OK?