Convinced she would outlive her savings, yet one never to miss a birthday or pass on a good buy, my mother went through a phase of particularly oddball purchases. I have a lot of ugly holiday decorations that I hang or set up mostly as a reminder that she cares. I look at them and wonder, "What was she thinking?"

My current favorite find is a book on her kitchen shelf entitled, 365 Ways to Cook Chicken. I mean, who would do that to their family? Not one day for salmon? Not one day for a marinated pork loin? Not one?

Gosh, I love that woman. Now I am in the hunt for chicken jokes.