Emerald Cocoa Roast Almonds Dark Chocolate

I bought a can of these to deliver to my mother in law yesterday and went back and bought three more the same day. They are wonderful and low in carbs too. I will definitely keep some of these in my cupboard for a little snack.

Mother Dear I Love You So Part 4

He informed that mom had a terrible accident in our backyard and was in the hospital. She had a broken nose and eye socket and when I saw her later that evening it looked like she had been hit with a baseball bat. I later recognized that same injured face when I cared for women in the hospital that had undergone face lifts. ( I don't recommend these)

We never knew the cause for that accident because mom suffered amnesia in regards to the episode. We speculated that she tripped over her bathrobe while feeding our pet rabbits and fell right on her face. She endured the surgery well and was healthy enough to make an appearance at Heather and Tom's wedding a few weeks later. Thanks goodness for sunglasses to hide the bruising. I thought she looked as pretty as ever with her new eye socket and fixed nose.

She only had to be in California for three years but I will always remember those special times that I shared with my mother in the land of quakes, fires, floods, smog, sunshine,thrift stores, auctions and orange groves. She was a true mentor to me and showed me how to keep going when life takes us down a difficult path.

She moved to Pennsylvania in that same old blue station wagon with her downsized family. Another act of courage, another story to tell.

(TO BE CONTINUED)

Mother Dear I Love You So Part 3

One summer in 1970 we ventured across the border to Tijuana, Mexico. That was an experience. My parents were so uneasy about that whole experience. The trip down on the freeways was better than any extreme roller coaster ride of the time. Your heart would be racing and you knew at any moment you might end up on the side of the freeway in one of those tangled crashes. From choosing the right exits, watching out for semi trucks, mom holding on to the front dash in her usual death grip, "watch out Bill and wrong way Bill", nerves on fire, it was one of those Type E attractions at Disneyland that everyone was so willing to get on but so anxious to get off.

We made it across the border and Tijuana was sketchy at that time. Mostly poverty from all angles with tin shacks and cardboard dwellings. The touristy section that we were aiming for was crowded with people and we proceeded to find a place to park the car. There was nothing for free so my parents chose a parking lot and we left the car to purchase a few souvenirs. My little brother and I each purchased a puppet and then we headed back to the car for safety and a beeline back to the States.

The car wouldn't start and they had to pay some money for repairs to get it going. It was not a pleasant experience and it left a sour memory in their minds of Mexico. Needless to say my parents never had a desire to return to the Baja.

Each day my mom would pick me up from school after some of the seventh grade girls kicked me off the bus in an attempt to be cool. I was wimpy and my mom rescued me from further harrassment by always givng me a ride home from that day on. One day she wasn't in the car. My brother was there instead. I knew something was up. He informed me that...

Mother Dear I Love You So Part 2

(The same coat 40 years later. Just add a few stripes in your imagination)

One week when I came home from school I found a new multi-colored coat that she had found at the Chino swap meet. It was beautiful and I was always so thrilled at her kindness and generosity towards me. She was always thinking of everyone but herself. I have always admired that about her. The coat was velor and was mostly red with thin stripes of yellow, orange and green. She loved to find deals and quickly developed a long standing love for second hand stores and the plethora of clothing that people were so quickly willing to cast off. I think that second hand store love has eagerly been adopted my most of my children. They know who they are so I won't name names.

My older brothers bought tickets for my parents to attend the Hollywood Bowl and see Jose Feliciano. I know they must have been out of their comfort zone to be at such an event. She remarked at how it was outside and under the stars. I wish I could have been a fly on the wall and just see their reactions.

Each year that she lived in California became a little easier. She was quickly introducing us to casseroles, tacos, fresh strawberries and McDonald's hamburgers. There were foods that we never were exposed to in the preCalifornia years.

One summer day we ventured across the border to Tijuana, Mexico. That was an experience. My parents were so

Mother Dear I Love You So Part 1

My mother was a pioneer in many ways. By the time I was a preteen I saw her take on an amazing act of courage. She sold most of her treasured belongings, new 67 VW Beetle, fur coat, handmade picnic table and paid for home to make the trek from Cape Breton, Nova Scotia to Southern California.

She traveled in the old blue station wagon with her entire family (7 people all together) to the foreign land of S. California. She was close to Disneyland, Hollywood, shopping malls and freeways galore. Everything that was so opposite of her Maritime life. How did she do this I often wonder. She was 48 years old and moving can be about as stressful as anything in your life. I am sure she had questions. Did we do the right thing? Will the kids be happy in their new home? Will I make frieinds? Will Bill like his new job?

She made the jump and we were on our way as a family to our new home. Scary, exciting, fascinating.

I am amazed at her courage. I lived through this time with her and I know that she was challenged. She missed the old gravel roads that led to the barren countryside and had to make due with small creeks that she somehow explored with my little brother and me. She disliked the cement walls that divided everyones property but found joy in exploring the weekly auctions in Chino, California with her new friend Martha Frazier.

One week when I came home from school I found a new multi-colored coat that