I have been writing a lot about my dad in the blog so far, since his hospital visits and surgeries have been of concern to myself and my friends. He is doing well, having just returned from a weekend at the Eastern Shore this afternoon.

Now for a little about my mom. She lives in Bowie, is active in her church, does water aerobics, travels often, and is now semi-retired from her work in biohazard safety (she claims retired, but seems to still have a project going here and there). She is well known in her field and is often sought out by the CDC, NIH and large corporations when they need her expertise. I haven't blogged about her yet, since there has not been an event or activity that has sparked a blog entry... but she comes and takes my daughter to the farm some days, watches my dog when I go on vacation, and is always ready to help out if I need anything. She clips articles of interest (I read them sometimes), tries to buy clothes that my daughter might wear (that's a tough one!), shares her Trader Joes purchases with us, makes her "war cake" recipe from time to time (that one has to be experienced, it's sort of a fruit cake), and takes part in other motherly and grandmotherly activities.

When I was young, my mom and I traveled over most of Europe together, including a trip to Leningrad and Moscow in the 70's. My dad would come along when work and military committments would allow.. but sometimes it was just the two of us, and perhaps 40 more people if she had organized the trip. I remember her coming to my boarding school on Thursdays to take me out for chicken sandwiches and tea, always a nice break from the cafeteria food. We don't spend that kind of time together much anymore, since I have a family of my own to take care of, but I have always been proud of my mom for her many accomplishments and sacrifices... I believe that warrants a blog entry. :-)