Happy Mother's Day

Ann Marie Reeves Jarvis, the mother of 11 children, only four of whom lived to adulthood. Prior and during the Civil War, Jarvis had seen enough death and decided to do something about poor sanitation in her hometown of Webster, Va.

So along with other mothers, Jarvis organized groups that inspected milk given to children, provided food for the poor, and cared for the families of tubercular mothers. When Webster was beset by an influx of U.S. Civil War soldiers, she cared equally for Union and Confederate men.

And when hostilities came to end, Jarvis recognized that her motherly role was not similarly at an end, so she held a special day for soldiers and their families -- a kind of reconciliation between North and South.

Jarvis died on May 9, 1905 -- the second Sunday in May. And in recognition of her mother's warmth, nurturance and unconditional love, her daughter Anna successfully lobbied to have the day celebrated in honour of all mothers.

Endless Love

I could have saved this for My Neck of The Woods since Emerald Downs is a truly nice small track with a regular live season. It's not on the thoroughbred level of a Hollywood Park, but very well run, with an excellent clubhouse and full simulcast services, plus I have something unique for tomorrow and this is about my absolute love affair with horse racing. From the day I first toddled up the bleacher steps between my parents and pointed at a horse with "That one Mommy", it has been more than sixty years of endless love.

Because my children actually still like me, they collaborate each year and my son is taking me to Emerald Downs tomorrow. I take myself the rest of the season, but this trip is on them. Some mothers get dinner out, cards, jewelery, perfume, or fleecy pajamas. I get horses. Nothing says love like two across on number five!! The regular Sunday, Mother's Day brunch buffet is a sold out madhouse that we avoid; so we will brave the normal unbelievably crowded, Saturday madhouse instead.

Tomorrow, I will look up and see Mt. Rainier in the sunshine, then I will look across the table at my son and grandson basking in their affection, then I will look down at the beautiful animals, and at some point I will share something with Audrey Hepburn when I stand up and scream: "Move Your Bloomin' Arse!"