Happy Birthday, Mom!

My "peanut"

Up until a year or so before she passed away, Mom was working not one, but TWO jobs - heading up the Weight Watchers clinics in Lynnwood and Everett, Washington. She started with them in 1970, and became the longest full-time employee of Weight Watchers in the world.

Everybody wanted to know how old she was, but she kept that a closely-guarded secret. Whenever anyone asked, her stock reply was,

"39...ish. Give or take an ish."

At her funeral, there was a big hubbub from a lot of her co-workers - "At last! We'll be able to find out how old Claire was!" But Melody, Penny, and I decided we'd honor her right to privacy, and her birth date wasn't published. Those that thought they'd be able to find it out from her headstone were in for a surprise:

She's been gone for 10 and a half years, but not a day goes by without thinking of her.  

Mom, you were amazing, and I miss you.

Tell Dad I said hi, and that I miss him too.

("39-ish. Give or take an ish")