Happy Mother's Day to all!  

There is a quote from Pearl Buck I've always liked.  She said:  "Some are kissing mothers and some are scolding mothers, but it is love just the same, and most mothers kiss and scold together."  

It's nice that on this one day of the year, moms get special attention and well-deserved praise.  This may interrupt the kissing and scolding temporarily, but a mother's work is never done and no matter how old her children are, they know they can depend on Mom to do what's needed - scold or kiss them.

I'm sure for most mothers, just watching their offspring grow and learn is reward enough - even when they screw up and you feel compelled to scold them, it's because you love them and want them to succeed.  Sometimes what we try to tell them goes in one ear and out the other, so we have to bite our tongue and let them learn the hard way; it can be the most effective and quickest way they'll understand.  Mission accomplished, hopefully without serious damage, and they deserve a kiss. 

Mothers of have a special bond with their young.  My grandfather Bolton used to say, "Every mother crow thinks her young ones are the blackest and shiniest."  Pretty darned true!

 We hope your Mother's Day is a very pleasant one, whether you are honoring your mom or you are the one being honored.  Enjoy.

This is a picture of my mom and dad, Lettie and Aaron Bolton, taken around 1986 or so.  Mom died in 1991 and Dad died in 1996.  She was a city girl, married to a farmer and to make ends meet, she taught school for many years in Cabot and West Danville.  She and my father reinvented themselves in the late 50's or early 60s. Mom resigned from teaching and went to work for Vermont Dept. of Social Welfare; Dad gave up farming and became a skilled carpenter with Gravett and Swett Builders in St. Johnsbury.