Fantastic poem written by HWM for Mum last week:

We must write a poem for Mum, but how on earth shall we do it?
So all we ask is for you to know there’s more than we can fit.
Her wisdom and her natural ease and her endless energy –
And her joie de vivre and her towel too (who cares what neighbors see?)

We must write a poem for Mum, for a mother with such passion
Is a great gift and big shoes to fill – or borrow (she’s got fashion!)
And all we ask is to see through her eyes and to use her map,
When our own daughters perplex us, outrun us, or won’t nap.

We must write a poem for Mum, who drinks the marrow out of life
As headhunter, athlete, adventurer, friend and wife.
And all she asks is “what can I do?” with her trademark smile,
We’re here to say, “this is your day! Let us fete you for a while.”

We must write a poem for Mum, to the woman we wish to be,
And all we ask is your raised glass and some shouts of “Yay! 60!”
In East Greenwich and London and Paris and Harvard Square,
Susan Mead, you’re a legend. Your fans are everywhere.

That’s the kind of morning we’re having. Whit up ALL NIGHT, Hannah and Whit both up for the day at 6am. Never thought we’d be so delighted that Wal Mart opens at 7. It is 9:15 and we’ve already been to both Marts (Wal and K), Dunkin Donuts AND the local coffee shop. We’ve also done some random driving up and down Route 6 because our house is full of adults sleeping off the overnight sailing race last night.
Great fun to have the cousins together. Hannah and Whit are entertaining each other tremendously, though that is interspersed with Whit and Grace scratching each others’ eyes out. Matt is in Cambridge enjoying a sleep in and coming down later.
On the plus side, I am blogging from Marion – Kirtland and Susan have joined the 21st century by putting in DSL. Hooray!

Flowers for Mum’s party. It was a great success. 100+ people on a picture-perfect evening at the tennis club. Everyone was on the porch, much white wine was killed, and great toasts entertained all. Mum was delighted, which is of course the most important thing.