Old traditions are comforting and stabilizing, but new
traditions are fun too. Philippine Sister and I have forged
into a new tradition with our mother. For two years running
we have spent a day with her near her birthday. This takes
a bit of planning as Becky (PS) lives in the Big City and has
to drive three hours to even get to where Mom and I are. Becky
drove the three hours Friday night and we spent Saturday junking
and eating out. We decided to eat at Penny's Diner in Dexter.
We ordered one meal and split it three ways. How's that for cheap.
Their burgers are so huge that we were all quite full afterwards.
And blessings on the waitress who didn't even blink an eye when
we told her we wanted to split the meal three ways.

Then Mom insisted on paying, even though it was her birthday
celebration. "Aha", we cried in unison (Philippine Sister and I),
"a new tradition!" Don't you think it is a good idea for my mom to
pay for us to eat out on HER birthday?

Becky said that was a very Filipino way of doing birthdays. I remarked
that it seemed rather Hobbity to me.

So Happy Birthday to my Filipino Hobbity New Tradition Setting Mama.
Besides all that, she's a total hoot. You've gotta believe me on that one.