It's My Mama's Birthday! Hip Hip Hooray (the Same Day in 1918 that Robert Ripley Began a Column of Unusual Stories - Believe It or Not)

This is not an unusual tale, although there is tremendous potential with the feet. Today is my mother's, SudyRip, Susan Marilyn Ripley Crandall's birthday! And no, as far as we know, there is no relation to Ripley's Believe It or Not or our line of Ripleys, even though I want there to be. That was the lie I loved to tell my students in Kentucky. I'm heir to the Ripley's Believe It or Not franchise and I don't need to teach. I choose to, because I wanted something different than all that money. Perhaps that story is true. I will never tell.

I can also say that on this date in 1957 The Music Man appeared at the Majestic Theater a few months before I was born in 1972. Also, CBS aired a Homecoming: A Christmas Story, which introduced the Waltons to the U.S. (goodnight, John Boy)...that was 1971. 

December 19th is a date I've always marked as a kick-off to the Christmas season and one where, during the best years of teaching in KY, I'd be able to get home to Syracuse as the target to chill-out for a while. Not so lucky this year, as there's more to be done this week, but I will be in upstate NY soon.

Even so, I knew my mom would be watching the interviews for the new West Side Story that aired a few weeks ago, so when I saw that Rita Moreno streaked her white hair with a wonderful red, I immediately searched online and found hair gels so my mom could do the same. In my head, she, Karen, and Stephanie Caroli could all have these hair-streaking parties when they were sick of their husbands. To my surprise, my mom was a bit resistant, thinking it would stain her beautiful white locks (that would maker her super-pissed). Touché. I really didn't know, but spent a pretty penny to send her six colors. 

I can proudly say, however, that my niece Nikki spent Friday with my mom convincing her it was okay to put the colors in her hair. Of course, Nikki tried every color under the sun and made her look like on of her  abstract paintings from last year (a result of too much wine and tequila), but that's okay. The barrier has been broken. Mom is okay with the dye and is willing to be festive when occasions allow. Better yet, Nikki also did my father's mustache in purple, which he loved.

So, I'm expecting a streak of blue today for her birthday and on Christmas Eve a little green and red for the holidays. She has no excuse not to add funk to her world. I can also report that the flowers arrived as expected, even if they look NOTHING like what I ordered online. Mom says, "I think they're going to bloom in a few days. They should fill out." Um, at that cost!!!! they'd better fill out. 

Anyway, this is my Sunday blog post and love-fest for everything MOMMY. My sense of humor, my passion for reading, and my ability to exaggerate any story to get the attention of others comes from her (Casey, Cynde, and I grew up witnessing such as my mom's practice of storytelling got better from one person to the other as she hung up with each, only to retry the story with someone new - these were the days of phones with cords, True Blue 100s, and always, always, always, layers of foundation makeup on the receiver. A simply trip-to-the-store story could quickly become an episode of Days of Our Lives by the time she was through with it. Yes, Roman Brady helped carry the groceries to my car. He pinned me up against my Renault and said, "Sue. Sue. Sue. I've always been in love with you. Marlena's possessed by the devil again. Let me stare in your blue eyes. Oh, and I love the blue streaks in your hair."

It's what we love about you, mom! Enjoy the day and I hope you receive all the attention you deserve! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!