Backstory: I e-mailed my mom to tell her I’d be driving 4.5 hours alone to another state because my boyfriend can’t go anymore. I’m 24.

NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
we’ll buy you a plane ticket!
help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
I gotta get off the computer!
Help!
Oh no!
panic attack
young woman should not drive long distance on highway alone!
alert alert!
danger danger!
friend!
buddy! paqrtner!
help!
call [dad]!
[dad] will hep!
danger danger
alert alert!

Backstory: Mom has always been anti-Halloween, but since becoming an empty-nester, she’s loosening up.

Who says I don’t like Halloween? This song is from my generation. 1962. The year of the Seattle World’s Fair (April 21-October 21). Dad and I were in junior high. October 1962 was the month/year of the Cuban blockade. Things were scary. We thought we were going to war with Russia/Cuba. And out came this marvelous song to help release our fears as teens danced to this song and sang it with smiles on their faces. Russia backed down–hooray! We made it to Halloween in one piece. Enjoy this one piece of history, with my love~  Mom

(link to “Monster Mash”)

Backstory: I was whining to my mom about a guy in my education course who is incapable of giving coherent explanations of his thoughts. We’re both sticklers for grammar, but apparently that’s not her only concern.

And he’s going to be a teacher. Btw, I wonder about your language skills when you use whore instead of whose. Or maybe it’s just that you use that word more often when texting. Nope, that’s not reassuring either.

Backstory: My mom’s kind of obsessed with the wild turkeys in our neighborhood, but they hadn’t been coming around much anymore until…

I FOUND THE TURKEYS!!!!
10 OF THEM – DOWN PUNCHBOWL LANE

I was very happy to see them safe and sound

now didn’t that make your day?

Backstory: I sent my mother my insane study guide for Astronomy to demonstrate how ridiculous my midterm would be.

OK, so I see you know everything about astronomy. But answer this big question for me: Is there any way to say Uranus that doesn’t sound raunchy? :) Good luck on the midterm. Love, Mom

Backstory: My mom usually says entirely the wrong thing.  I was talking to her about how I was nervous to start a PhD on the phone and she’d really irritated me.  Two days later, I got this in my mailbox. I’ve kept it ever since.  Sometimes moms come through!

I know you must be very busy right now. Will talk to you next week.

I want to tell you how excited and  proud I am of you. It is scarey to start a new direction in your life but it is also exciting and opens up all kinds of possibilities. And i know you will do great.

xoxoxoxoxoxo mom

Just saw one of your sister’s new CD covers. All this time I thought Good Charlotte was a nice little girl who sang in a choir and it turns out it’s just a bunch of boys with their hats on backwards.

Backstory: This is one of a handful of times she’s met the long-term boyfriend, on a college visiting weekend, for brunch.

Great to see you this weekend. It’s been bothering me and I did not want to say anything but shouldn’t the Made of Italian Fabric label or what ever it was on D’s great coat sleeve be taken off? Seems someone will make fun of it if you don’t tell him. Maybe I am crazy… Hes a lovely guy. Hugs.

Backstory: Mom is very confused by the things my 13-year-old cousin posts on Facebook.

Am I crazy or does this look like an inappropriate emoticon            <333
It looks inappropriate to me, but what do I know?  I’m an old lady.

Backstory: Mom decided to text me and my sister when she arrived home safely after spending the day with us.

Home. Diarrhea so bad my butt hurts. Go ahead laugh. Had a great time w my goils.

Backstory: I got this email response after sending my mom a link late in the evening.
Ouch! You were up way too late!! Better if you can get your internal clock to work with the sun so you get up in the morning when the sun gets up. That way you will be better positioned to get a job someday where you can actually stay awake and perform at top level. Your sleeping habits are okay, just out of sync and you have to stop trying to “Catch up” all the time. How’s your diet? Your bed isn’t quite right. And now I realize you have to get rid of all that furniture that we have been storing. It isn’t quite right either. And it’s dragging me down.

Love, MOM