The first time I became a "MOM"

Yesterday was a lovely, sunny day which was celebrated by me and my family. My son Nathan and Daughter in Law, Traci hosted me and Traci's parents at a Mother's Day Brunch. The location was in Westlake, at Wagner's Country Inn.

This was a very, very special new memory added to another old memory of this fun place.

44 years ago, Mr. Wagner opened his banquest facility and added a Sunday Brunch Buffet to encourage traffic to his location. Located at the corner of Bradley Road and Center Ridge, there stood this lonely facility surrounded by lots of asphalt parking lot and there was a lawn and huge tree out front.

My friend Joan Martin (and Nathan's Godmother) and I were hired by Mr. Wagner to "advertise" his old fashioned Sunday Buffet. Joan and I dressed up like "old fashioned" ladies (not to be confused with Ladies of the Night) and drove Joan's big bay horse "Loki" hitched to an Amish buggy from Schady Road in Olmsted Twp,, all the way out to Wagner's.

One good thing about that was "Loki" was totally "road- broke". Meaning, he was like an Amish buggy horse that wasn't bothered by traffic, loud noises, dogs chasing etc. So Joan and I hitched up and put big placard signs on the buggy "Eat at Wagners" etc., trotted out the driveway, turned left and jogged on down the road. It took about 1-1/2 hours each way, and we would hitch Loki up to Mr. Wagner's tree and pose outside the buggy for the "tourists".

The perks.....we got to eat Sunday Buffet as our husbands drove the car up to Wagner's to join us for brunch!

What a great memory. Joan has been gone since the mid-80's, but I do remember it well.

It was as my friend Jo Ann says, "bittersweet" yesterday.

Joan was the most outrageous and adventuresome gal I ever met. She and I rode all over Northern Ohio together. Even hitching her Shetland Pony "Dirty Dan" to a pony cart and driving him all the way to Parmatown Mall and back! Those were pretty exciting days.

We both became Moms a year apart, and in her case, with such a bad heart and all, that was a miraclle.

Joan died suddenly while on a vacation trip to Florida. She sent her husband "Buzzy" into the gas station convenient store to buy her a popsicle....and when he returned she was slumped over the dash. Her heart was so full of love and joy.....it just couldn't stand it anymore. It gave out!

I looked up into the sky yesterday and wished her a happy Mother's Day!