Up, Down and Around Our Town

February 25, 1924. Calvin Coolidge was President, the price of a gallon of gas was 11 cents a gallon and a new car cost less than $500. Dollars didn't go much farther then than they probably do now. But, on this date, something special happened.

A lovely lady was born in Scranton, PA who eventually was one that I called Mom. And those 85 years have probably passed for her as quickly as my time with her has done. Perhaps that is the joy of looking at such generations. What we do know is that hitting 85 is no small affair and was due for some major celebrating. Which we did.

The "we" described was a small and intimate group. Both siblings and their spouses (mine was preoccupied and couldn't make it because of a well-deserved Florida trip) and one nephew and my mother's youngest sister. The venue was ripe with the wonderment of being in Upstate New York in February. Mother Nature didn't disappoint. Although I wished that it had.

For you see, when you head east in February, you run a better than average chance of seeing what winter is all about. Those of us in the Midwest gripe about winter, but mostly about the cold and gray part. The snow part we generally have little reaction towards. But not this time.

From that wretched St. Louis airport to Detroit Metro in an hour. Wonderful. Connecting flight to Handcock Field in Syracuse and the folks at the Detroit end announced that visibility was crappy, winds were blowing from the NW at over 30 MPH and that the airline was going to fly to Syracuse regardless and "see" if they could land. Now that's a confidence builder. Imagine, snow in Syracuse in February.

Plus, with the antics of the industry over the last month clearly on the minds of the 76 aboard, the Captain was very supportive and literally described the last half of the 56 minute flight in a play by play mode. "50 miles out - snow and wind. Getting better, though. " 10 miles out and the sun is peaking through and we have been cleared to land." (Oh, lovely!). Dropped it on the ground smoothly with the snow going in a horizontal fashion and I knew I was in Syracuse. Fortunately, my brother and his wife were there and explained (again) to me the thought of "Lake Effect Snow." Which, loosely interpreted means that, "as long as there is a Lake there and its winter, it will snow most every day." And they were right. Even more, once we got 20 miles east, we were in bright sunshine. Perhaps God just doesn't like Syracuse.

The best news was the reunion and the excitement that goes with doing something nice for someone you love. She was overwhelmed and anxious and quickly reverted into Mom mode. "This is great, but it will be over way too quickly." Funny, I have used that thought for other events. But not this weekend.

That's the beauty of a small town. Our generational cache is still felt and as my brother and I shared coffee early Saturday morning, we informed the locals that we were in town to celebrate the 85th. On the return visit that featured breakfast, the owner of the restaurant informed her that "breakfast is on the house for those celebrating this particular anniversary of their birth. " Ah, to be 85.

But the best was yet to come. Watching her accept the gifts and joys of those close to her was both beautiful and tough. Face it, there isn't a lot that an 85 year old needs; the sentimental value is strong. But, flowers always work, jewelry is timeless and the flash of digital cameras captured the event in spades. Dinner at a wonderful local place capped off the evening in style, complete with good stories, great smiles and a sense of accomplishment. Why? Because she deserved it.

And with those memories, we headed back to reality on Sunday. 90 miles of snow back to Syracuse, followed by howling winds and a bumpy start. And since Murphy's Law never goes out of style, the concluding leg of the flight was cancelled due to "mechanical" problems. And in this day and age, no problem. That extra 90 minutes until we found other equipment was time well spent. Back to that miserable STL a couple hours late and home somewhat later.

The weekend spoke volumes. A lady well-deserved for the praise that she received in a life well-lived that is now deep in the 4th quarter. The reunion of my own generation cannot be underscored and the presence of that distance seemed more real than before. The food (and there was lots) was a binder that brought good conversation to the tables and the farewell, as most good ones are, tended to be a little sad. But not for long.

So, Happy 85th Birthday to my mother. Or, as Yogi once said, "I would like to thank all of the people who made this day necessary." Amen to that. It will give me a great story to share with my hero and her comedian brother. Sooner rather than later.

Back home safely and that counts, we'll get back to the things that others may enjoy, but for this week, thanks for indulging. Till then and as always, I remain......