moms
Music: DJ Yeshu: Mamamix 2008
For the past number of years---golly, probably six or seven---my mother usually has received flowers from me for Mother's Day. When I was a poor graduate student, however, I used to make her mix tapes and CDs, which she has always enjoyed and says she still listens to today. Last week I decided spending a couple of nights mixing up something for mom would be a nice change; last night I finished mixing it down. I mailed the CD overnight this morning.
This year has been a particularly difficult one for my mother, who shares caretaking responsibilities for my grandmother with my aunt. Last month my 85-year-old grandmother ("Granny") had a fall (her third in as many years) and had to go to the hospital. Once better they transported Granny to rehab despite my mother's protests. While in the rehab facility Granny had another stroke or heart-attack (we're not sure) but the damn rehab staff thought it was asthma. To make a long story short, Granny can no longer speak and is not "at home" in many senses. For one, she's now in a nursing home.
I am anxious to see Granny as soon as I can and will be going to Georgia at the end of the summer term. Granny pretty much raised me as a kid. See, I was picked on a lot in day care and finally my parents had me stay with Granny. I remember long, often boring days watching soaps with my Granny, catching possums in rodent traps, eating Club crackers and peanut butter and cheese and Vidalia onions and diet Coke. So I want to see her, maybe she'll be better by summer? I also want to see my mother, who is obviously distraught. I know this life stuff is normal for everyone, but this week I'm especially reminded of the joys and burdens of maternal caretaking.
I hope you all get to do something special for your moms on Sunday. You might cook her breakfast. Or you might make her a CD. Since my mom doesn't read my blog, I thought I'd share the mix I made for her with you. It is downloadable here as an MP3 file. Here is a CD insert I made in PDF. But don't give this mix to your mom: make your own!
My mom likes funk, soul, and country, and she has a pretty good sense of humor. So here's what I came up with:
- louvin brothers: what a friend we have in mother
- james brown: mother popcorn
- parliment: give up the funk
- chicago: mother
- dr. john: huey smith medley
- van morrison: see me through (medley)
- ray wylie hubbard: choctaw bingo
- tony joe white: tastes like chicken
- lil joe washington: i feel alright
- dwight yoakam: bury me
- red stick ramblers: that’s what I like about the south
- ralph stanley: hard times
- robert plant and alison krauss: your long journey
- willie nelson: mamas don’t let your babies grow up to be cowboys
- ed’s redeeming qualities: mom
- fountains of wayne: stacy’s mom
- beautiful south: mother’s pride
- rilo kiley: give a little love
I think Battlestar Galactica is calling me, so I shall hie meh buttocks to another screen.