happy birthday to you!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAMA C!

over thanksgiving, my girlfriends and i were watching Oprah's Favorite Things episode. Oprah didn't do a whole big gift-giving extravaganza this year because of the economy - which is strange to me since this would be the time to do the traditional show and give "worthy" people those gifts...anyway... this year's Favorite Things episode was all about having a thrifty holiday. One of the ideas was a gratitude box - a box filled with heartfelt notes from loved ones because, as Oprah says, "The words from your heart mean more to people than anything you can buy."

when i was telling J my birthday gift idea for mama C, she replied "you trying to go oprah style on her in the digital age?" HAHAHAHA actually, yes. So Mama C, I hope you like your present - a shiny new blog entry just for you. no one else.

a week ago, J's husband sent out one of those emails that makes you roll your eyes when you open it. i mean...not me.... i love them... but if you fill them out during the work day they make people think you aren't doing anything at work...but i digress... since they always reveal something interesting, I'll fill one out for mama C.

Where did we meet? gosh there is a good story that goes with this. mama C and i were both friends with this wretched girl named Cathy 4+ years ago. We've come to our senses since. anyway, one night, Cathy invited me out to a girls night at Harry & Sons. mama C was a guest. she'd recently moved to the U.S. from merry old England (btw - why do people say this?). i remember thinking she was really quiet. i even remember what she was wearing. a jean skirt and this off-the-shoulder reddish t-shirt. it might have even had her astrological sign on it. something like that....

Take a stab at my middle name? Okay, I'll admit that when I started this on Tuesday I had no idea. It is now Wednesday and I am editing this and I cheated and asked papa R. If it helps, I thought I knew it was Louise, so really, when papa R said "Louise" it was confirmation.

Do I speak a second language? Yes. The Queen's English. HA! She also speaks German and a little bit of French and she can say "Hola Lola" better than any Brit I know (I only know one).

Am I a cat lover or dog lover? I don't think you LOVE either, but I think you'd probably handle a dog better than a cat.

Color of my eyes? Blue

Do I have any siblings? Yes. An older brother and a younger sister.

What's one of my favorite things to do? Hang out with me, make jewelry, go camping, relax, make christmas cards, drink wine, go to concerts...oh wait, you only asked for one...

What's my favorite type of music? I've only heard stories of mama C's cheesy musical tastes before she came to the USA. However, since she's been here she's only shared her husbands and my refined musical taste.

Am I taller than you? Yes, but that really isn't hard to do considering I might be a midget.

Am I shy or outgoing? Mama C is the most unshy person I know.

Am I a rebel or do I follow the rules? You mostly follow the rules, but you can break a few too.

What is my birth month? December. December 11 to be exact. TODAY IS YOUR BIRTHDAY!

Have you ever heard me sing? Yes and I'm sorry to inform you - You are not very good.

How many children do I have? None yet. Just me.

Have we taken photographs together? Many. Some very embarrassing.

When is the last time you saw me? As of today (Tuesday, I started your gift early!) - Saturday during the card making extravaganza!

When will I see you again? Tonight at Imperial Fez

Have we ever had a falling out? Well. We didn't talk for a couple of months. Falling out of touch is more accurate.

If you and I were stranded on a desert island, what is one
thing that I would bring? papa R

Am I right handed or left handed? Right handed. I think.

What type of work do I do? you are HR and an EA at Spanx

So anyway, back to Oprah's "The words from your heart mean more to people than anything you can buy" thing. Oprah suggests starting out with "What I love about you..." and "Thank you for..." so here we go!

Mama C...
What I love about you is your strength. Both mental and physical. You're two years younger than me, but you've always been so much stronger. I really admire that. I can't tell you how many times I've thought "what would she do?"

Thank you for being supportive of me. When I win and when I fail. Recently, I thought I was confessing something to you and you said "I knew that already". You are seriously the older sibling I never had. Sometimes you yell at me (because I need it) and other times you let things go, but I always know you care.

What I love about you is your positive attitude. You know me, I'm a crier. I cry at stupid commercials. I can count the number of times you have cried in front of me on one hand. Really, just a couple of fingers. Okay maybe one finger. My point is, in spite of all the things you could let get to you, you persevere. You smile.

Thank you for feeding me. I have always felt welcome in Mama C & Papa R's home. I mean...I have a key. Mi casa es su casa. People dream of having friends like Mama C and Papa R. Lucky me, I actually have them.

What I love about you is your honesty. You tell it like it is and I respect that.

Thank you for being a part of my Atlanta family.

I love you, Mama C! Happy Birthday!

xoxo

Lola