MUMMY IN LAW AT 90 YEARS OLD

The best part of being a Mother in Law at 90?

How many times have you heard tales of woe about a Mother In Law?

How much woe can there be when she knows how to handle a tricky birthday drink?

What could be wrong when you roll out with this model?

She’s a traveler, an adventurer, and the best MIL I’ve ever heard of.

On her 89th birthday we went Mexican, and it was no holds barred.

Not Mexico, but a restaurant down the street.

Have you ever had this drink? Ever seen this drink?

Not me.

Since she grew up and married in England before coming to America after WWII, she’d never seen this rig either.

What’s the connection between birthday party and real life?Real life is a bigger party than birthday party life.

Much bigger for this mother in law.

This is a woman who joined the WRENS (Women’s Royal Naval Service) on D-Day, June 6, 1944.

She went to school to learn how to signal ships at sea.

One of the pictures in a history book shows her at work.

She’s on the left.

I’m still looking for the shot of her in LIFE magazine.

My Mummy in Law grew up a baker’s daughter in the town of Strete, Devon.

She had a bird’s eye view of German bombers heading for London during the Battle of Britain.

She and her parents and brother were eventually evacuated.

This is the view looking down the main road. It’s a different look of the same building used on the Strete.org header.

To say it looks idyllic is an understatement.

She was married in the village church you see on Strete.org.

The rolling English countryside, the green fields, the English Channel.

All that’s missing is heather and a brooding Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights.

What does it look like?

It looks like this out the back door.

Strete is near Slapton Sands beach.

An image on Strete.org shows a curve of beach down the coast.

It’s a peaceful sight of what was one of the worst American disasters in WWII.

Canada had Dieppe Bay, America had Slapton Sands.

War kept getting closer and closer before she left for the Wrens.

Keeping a long story short, she came to America after the war with his husband and son, had daughter, and moved to Los Angeles.

Then the daughter got married and had kids of her own.

Grandy (mother in law) is younger than me today in this shot.

She’s always ready for a parade, a party, or cooking.

As a Home-ec teacher trained in England, she can cook.

It’s a personal thing she takes to heart, adding continental flair to classic dishes.

As a good sport she’s ready to party with the best of them.

Because of her years in LA, a Mexican birthday party is ideal.

Sometimes it works out better than other.

Who am I trying to kid, that’s not true. It always works out.

She’s as grand as it gets and knows how to make the best of any situation.

It’s the English way.

After all of the experiences in her life, she is unsinkable.