Thank You Mom

On the last day of 2022, December 31, 2022, in the afternoon, my MOM passed away. She had been given a diagnosis of Lewy Body Dementia a couple of years ago and was in Assisted Living at Kemper House in Mayfield Heights, Ohio. My mom, Lillian J. Knudson surely had a long and productive life reaching 93 years of age! Quite an accomplishment. RIP mom ... August 21, 1929 - December 31, 2022.

Thank You Mom for Everything - and I do mean E-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g! I couldn't have done it without YOU. Happy Holidays to You! Especially Happy Mother's Day! Mother's Day should be every day of the year you know?

When was the last time you took a moment to thank and acknowledge your mom ... to tell her how much she has meant to YOU ... to thank her for all that she has done ... to tell her that you love her? To say, "Thank You Mom?

Thank you mom for all those great holidays when we were kids ... times sure have changed! I will always remember the Thanksgiving family get-togethers. The smell of turkey cooking in grandma's oven down the basement.

Huh, what is that you say? You have not yet taken time to thank your mom, mum, mommy and mother because you know that she knows that you would thank her?

Hey, what are you waiting for? Are you waiting for it to be TOO late to tell your mom "Thank You!"

You should be telling your mom, "Thank You Mom" each and every day; several times a day! Trust me! Don't wait until it is too late.

I am so thankful for the platform of Squidoo and for being able to craft my MOM tribute page. The reward has been that my mom has blessed this page with her presence. It's been pretty special to let the whole world meet my mom too! Thanks for everything and I surely mean EVERYTHING. I AM what I AM because of my mom!

Photo Credit: Glamour shot of my mom! JaguarJulie Photo Archive. 

The Thankful Poll
A quick question for our readers! How often do you thank your mom?

1. Each and every day!
2. Multiple times per day.
3. Oh gosh, about once a week.
4. Perhaps once a month.
5. Oh definitely every Mother's Day.
6. My mom has passed on, but I think of her often.

I AM So Thankful for My MOM!

Every day of the year ... Mom, I really wished that you still lived in Florida so that we could visit more. I can't afford to make the trip from Jacksonville, Florida to Novelty, Ohio but maybe once a year. I miss our times together.

I'm thinking of those three months when I came to visit at the end of 2010. Remember, that I said I wanted to write about "Living in a Fifth Wheel?" Gosh, I seriously had no idea how a Winter in an RV could be. Heck, we were talking about Florida after all.

I was so thankful also for Al. I miss him and I know you do too. All those times he would drive his car over and load up the 30 gallon propane tanks in the trunk of his car ... and huffing and puffing. Gosh, I knew I never would have been able to change out those tanks.

I'm glad you got my Mother's Day present and appreciated my little note, "Find Gerard Butler!" Did the night coat fit? You didn't mention whether you liked it -- yeah, I know you are not a pink gingham seersucker type of gal, but it was very practical. Enjoy your day ... hugs from Florida!

Procter & Gamble Thank You Mom Campaign
How about that? Procter & Gamble started their Campaign in line with the 2012 Olympics!

Procter & Gamble TV Ads ~ "Being a mom is the hardest job in the world. But it's also the best." Procter & Gamble does mom proud with its TV commercials promoting the campaign of "Thank You Mom."

Procter & Gamble Thank You Mom on Facebook ~ I've liked their Facebook page; be sure to take a moment to like them. "P&G is the Proud Sponsor of Moms." Be sure to join P&G in saying "Thank you, Mom."

Procter & Gamble Everyday website. Get coupons and samples. Check out what's new with this powerhouse, mom-friendly consumer brand. One of my favorite brands!

Thank You Grandma Julia Nagy!
Thanks for bringing Mom into this World! - Oh, that's my mom on the left!

my mom, uncle and grandma in 1931

Gosh, where would JaguarJulie be if grandma Julia Nagy hadn't had MOM? I just can't imagine! Have you thought about this? What if YOUR mom never had YOU? Where would you be? Up a creek without a paddle?

Thank You Mom for Easter

jaguarjulie and siblings with mom at Easter 1969

Thank you mom for making -- er, encouraging us to attend Sunday mass! I know it's been ages since we all went to church on Sunday. But I wanted to say thank you for this particular Easter Sunday.

You know what, I do think that this is probably the very last Sunday that we kids got all dressed up pretty spiffy, thanks to you, posed for this picture, and WENT to church! Yes, I do think so. I know that I really didn't like to have my picture taken much, BUT I am thankful that we have this picture. Oh, and thank you mom for dressing us alike -- that was pretty special ya know!

A Thank You Mom Poem
Without you mom, there would be an empty space! Here is a poem I found to say "thank you mom!"

Without You by Joanna Fuchs

Mom, without you, there would be no me.

Your love, your attention, your guidance,

have made me who I am.

Without you, I would be lost,

wandering aimlessly,

without direction or purpose.

You showed me the way

to serve, to accomplish, to persevere.

Without you, there would be an empty space

I could never fill, no matter how I tried.

Instead, because of you,

I have joy, contentment, satisfaction and peace.

Thank you, mom.

I have always loved you

and I always will.

Is Your Mom Online?
So, has your mom found and embraced the internet and social media?

1. My mom is all over the internet and a writer too!
2. Oh, my mom has found the internet and social media, but isn't on HubPages.
3. My mom is considering the internet.
4. My mom isn't into technology much.
5. My mom is in heaven.
6. Something else.

What's the best gift for Mom?

What do you think is the best gift for Mom? I heard from my mom that she got candy last year from my sister as a gift. Mom would have preferred something else.

I've recently gifted her with a house coat and a photo album of some 50 color photos of Gerard Butler.

For my mom, I think anything to do with Gerard Butler would be the ticket. But what to pick? There are over 1,800 items on Amazon.

Another cool gift would be a Trip to Scotland [we are working on that one]. She would probably appreciate a copy of Spectacular Scotland too!

Thanks for visiting!
I know my mom reads all my articles -- or at least she is working her way through them. She would love to read your comments or remarks about moms. Take a moment, and say something nice! I dare ya!!

History: Thank You Mom for Everything was originally created on Squidoo by JaguarJulie on July 5, 2009. Highest lensrank ever achieved: #243 overall. Lens #456 in the quest for Giant Squid 500 Club.

Lillian J. Knudson

Mother Tribute/Obituary

In loving memory of our mother, Lillian Knudson (née Nagy), who passed away at 93 years old on December 31, 2022. Lillian was the devoted wife of Mayor Eric R. Knudson, and loving mother of Bruce Lesteshen, Julie Brady, Diane Hay, Paul Lesteshen, and Lily(Dean) Weber.

She took pride in her four grandchildren Rachelle, Lara, Nicole and Kristin, and her nine great grandchildren, (Rachelle) Sophie, Molly, (Lara) William, Matthew, (Nicole) Shannon, Brigid, Michael, (Kristin) Morgan and Kelly.

She was preceded in death by her toddler son Bruce, her husband of 31 years Eric Knudson, her parents Alexander and Julia Nagy, her brother Robert Nagy, and her daughter in law Ruth Lesteshen.

Our mother was a kind, caring and giving person who always put the needs of her family before her own. She was a strong woman who faced every challenge in her life with courage and dignity. Our mother was a source of inspiration to us all and she will be deeply missed by everyone whose lives she touched.

Growing up, mom was always there for us, to give guidance or tell us what to do next. Lillian was a woman of strong faith and she instilled in us the importance of family, hard work and doing what is right. Our mother was a true role model who we will always look up to.

She was a graduate of West Tech High School class of 1947, and a graduate of Lakeland Community College class of 1980. Lillian worked in the executive, administrative, and managerial occupations. She was a stickler for details and organization.

She loved to travel and loved Florida, living there for 25 years. She was a world history buff, an accomplished pianist, decorator, crocheter, and fisherwoman landing a 60# sail fish on a trip in Florida.

She was a member of the Order of the Eastern Star, the American Legion, and was the “First Lady of Willoughby”, a role she cherished as a lover of service and community.

She will be laid to rest at Lake View Cemetery in Cleveland at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations in her honor may be made to any veterans or animal welfare organization, or to The Alzheimer’s Association www.alz.org

A difference in medical opinion oh boy

Submit each day to God, knowing that He is God over all your tomorrows. When God brings you to it, God will bring you through it.

For those of my loyal followers and readers, you know that I've written about my mom and her momerisms. What are momerisms you might ask? They are what we credit to our lifelong mentors -- our moms. All of their wisdom, humor and down-home sage advice. I've been quite thankful to have such a mom who is incredibly intelligent as well. I've poked, prodded and nudged her to get out more often to share her remarkable wit and intelligence online with my friends and followers. She's at least made an appearance ... now we can only hope for the best. 

So, what did I do the other day when I was faced with a heartbreaking dilemna? The thought that one of our beloved stray country club cats, Pug, might have a broken leg? You see, I had called a half dozen pet care facilities to try and arrange affordable care. After all, I was attached to this cat despite the fact she was not one of my pets. I had previously cared for her when she had a deep gash type wound in her left side -- oh, that only cost $152.49 at Saint Francis Animal Hospital. Not a huge amount of money, but a bit of an investment for a stray cat.

On Friday, I took Pug to First Coast No More Homeless Pets FCNMHP on the northside of Jacksonville. Thank God for FCNMHP -- I thank them as do many other residents of Jacksonville and Northeast Florida! We are so thankful that they opened their new clinic that can handle up to 200 spay and neuter procedures daily.

The capable vet at FCNMHP did her exam of Pug, manipulating Pug's leg and hip. She thought the hip joint seemed enlarged or swollen. I was thankful when she initially said there would be no need to amputate the leg as the limb wasn't necrotic -- "Such a limb injury should heal," she said. Yeah! However upon further exam, it was shown that Pug was sensitive about her head. Her pupils were two different sizes and one of her eyes has a cataract. "Let's put her on the floor and watch her," said the vet. It was but a few seconds of watching Pug try to stand and then walk. She was quite unsteady on her feet, particularly her back feet. "It looks like vestibular disease," said the vet. Oh no, I'm thinking! That sounds worse than a broken leg.

So FCNMHP completed the exam of Pug, giving her subcutaneous fluids and writing a prescription for Amoxicillin Suspension. It was recommended that I take Pug to a full-service vet who could do a pelvic spine x-ray and a complete examination with labs to check her bodily functions. I was seeing $$s dollar signs you all. Gosh, poor Pug.

I arrived at Saint Francis Animal Hospital about twenty-five minutes later. As it was lunch time, Pug couldn't be seen right away. Luckily, I guess, she was a returning patient from September 11, 2008, so she was in their system already. I opted to leave her with the paperwork I had from her FCNMHP visit. It was about 4pm when I returned to pick-up Pug. They dispensed Prednisone, Clavamox Drops, and Animax for me to administer to Pug. Hello out there to all of you who have had to give a sick cat a pill. As of this writing, I still have not attempted the Prednisone pill -- at least it's a small one. This morning we worked on our technique for the Clavamox Drops -- I'm not sure how much of the 1ml dose went down Pug's throat.

We've got Pug settled now in our guest bathroom. Since she is too loopy or wobbly to negotiate a litter box, I've got newspapers and a towel down on part of the floor. In another area, I've placed a low container of fresh water. The vet gave us 3 cans of A/D cat food -- Pug ate a bit of that last night, but doesn't seem to be very hungry today. It's dificult at best to determine if there is any improvement in her condition since we found her on Wednesday. She still tries to get up and walk but her back legs give out on her.

Pug has a follow-up exam on Tuesday with Saint Francis Animal Hospital. The results from her labs should be in by then and we hope to take it from there. You know what's so ironic about caring for an animal is that more has been spent on their care than on mine! Isn't it just incredible how much it costs these days to take an animal or pet to the vet? It'll break your wallet!


I know a little about a difference in medical opinion as in Pug's case, with the possible diagnosis of a broken leg, I got a difference in medical opinion. One person said it would cost me a couple thousands of dollars for surgery for the break along with dressing changes and follow-up care -- Oh boy! Next person said I should euthanize the animal -- Oh boy! Third person said I should amputate the leg -- Oh boy indeed!!!

So, back to the momerisms! Mom sends me this email today with the comment, "Boy, if this doesn't hit the nail on the head, I don't know what does!" Yes, mom! It hits the nail right smack dab on that head -- it sure does. And, I thank you for this.
 
Two different doctor's offices -- Hey, wouldn't you know it? It is a difference in medical opinion!

Two patients limp into two different medical clinics with the same complaint. Both have trouble walking and appear to require a hip replacement.

The FIRST patient is examined within the hour, is x-rayed the same day and has a time booked for surgery the following week.

The SECOND sees his family doctor after waiting 3 weeks for an appointment, then waits 8 weeks to see a specialist, then gets an x-ray, which isn't reviewed for another week and finally has his surgery scheduled for 6 months from then.

Why the different treatment for the two patients?

The FIRST is a Golden Retriever. The SECOND is a Senior Citizen.

Next time take me to a vet!

Happy Mother's Day to all the Moms out there

Today is Mother's Day in the United States -- give your mother a hug and a kiss. Call your mother and tell her you love her! Take your mother out to lunch or dinner. Tell your mother to take the day off; take her day off. Did you give your mother a card? Buy her some candy? Buy her flowers? Do the chores around the house! I could go on and on about the many ways to show your mother she is special on her day.

Take a look at this pie chart of 'my life broken down into segments.' That is the pie chart that my mom sent me in one of her emails -- just one of her many momerisms!

Celebrating my mom and those moms out there for all the sage advice they provide their families and friends. Celebrating moms for their momerisms -- their great humor and wisdom.

"On May 12, 1907, two years after her mother's death, Anna Jarvis held a memorial to her mother and thereafter embarked upon a campaign to make "Mother's Day" a recognized holiday."

Happy Mother's Day MOM from your #1 daughter, JaguarJulie! You know that Paul is always saying he is your #1 son! Ha ha ha -- Paul always did have a great sense of humor for a Clevelander. ;) Well, I hope you are enjoying the nut roll and the poppy seed roll that I sent you.

Love you! xoxoxo