Make Mother’s Day a meaningful day

BARBARA DIAMOND

Sunday is Mother’s Day.

I am blessed with three super sons, two wonderful daughters-in-law

and seven grandchildren -- the best Mother’s Day presents I could

ever get.

Sadly, my mother was not equally blessed. She never saw her

grandchildren earn degrees, start on their careers or have children

of their own. She was six years younger than I am now when she died.

I regret that I left unsaid words that should have been said. Take

advantage of the time you have. Say what’s in your heart. “I love

you,” always works.

Here’s what some folks who don’t have the option would like to say

to their moms.

“We went through a lot of stuff, but now I would say to her, I

know you did the best you could,” said longtime Laguna resident

Barbara Painter.

Painter’s mother, Arline Baker, died in 1973. The Emerald Bay

resident was 64, younger than her younger daughter is now.

“I got my ‘suffer-for-your-opinion’ gene from my mother,” said

City Councilwoman Toni Iseman.

Iseman’s mother, Eileen Cecilia Catherine Croghan Iseman, was a

nurse and member of the League of Women Voters. The early activist

was the sixth of nine children.

She died in 1993, at age 86.

“I would tell her I was lucky to have had her that long,” said

Iseman

Signe Anderson was an old-fashioned mom, always cooking and

baking, said son Ken Anderson of North Laguna. She died in 1978 at

age 82.

“I still miss the fresh bread she baked twice a week and the

cinnamon rolls every Sunday,” Anderson said.

Village Laguna President Ginger Osborne’s mother, Helen Tredway,

was a world-class worrier. She died May 13, 2003.

“I think she worried herself to death,” said Osborne. “So I’d tell

her, we can take care of things.”

Phoebe Whipple died in 2002.

“Since I adopted my son a year ago, I appreciate my mom even

more,” said Laguna Beach native Liza Stewart. “I wish she was here

now so I could tell her.”

Mayor Cheryl Kinsman would lay her political career on the

shoulders of her mom.

“I’d tell her, I don’t believe I am mayor -- it’s all your fault,”

Kinsman said. “Then I’d tell her I miss her and my father. I miss her

advice. She was the best organizer I ever knew. She organized things

years ahead.

“Mom, I need a tune-up.”

Mary Mangels, who died in 2002, taught her daughter, Anita, to

roll with the punches.

“She said if anyone makes fun of my name, I should tell them it is

angels with an M,” said the Festival of Arts president. “I wish she

was still here so I could talk to her.”

Marianne Farmer died May 15, 2002, her life cut short by a traffic

accident.

“I’d tell my mother that I have been successful because of

everything she taught me,” said her daughter, banker Anne Morris.

Former Councilman Wayne Peterson was named his parents’

conservator seven years before his mother died. Near the end, she was

in a care facility.

“It was clear she was never coming home again,” said Peterson. “In

the fifth week that she was there, I visited her while my sisters

organized a sale of my parents’ belongings.

“She had been totally out of it for weeks, but all of sudden she

grabbed my arm -- she weighted 73 pounds at the time -- and said,

‘Honey, have I signed everything?’”

He assured her that she had. The next week Peterson’s mother asked

him if the sale had been held.

“I said, yes and it was wonderful,” Peterson said. “I told her

that all the tagged items under the bed would be delivered.”

She died at 1 p.m., that day.

Peterson said his mother didn’t know what her children had done,

but she did know what was supposed to be done. His doctor told him

that it is important to let a dying parent know it’s OK. They need

closure.

“I didn’t know that,” Peterson said. “Fortunately, I said the

right things.”

Words to live by.

MUSICAL CHAIRS

The Laguna Beach Chamber Music Festival brings to town world class

mentor musicians to work and perform with emerging artists -- and

gives the public a chance to observe the process.

“It is really confirming to have Laguna embrace this unique idea,”

said Cindy Prewitt, president of Laguna Beach Live!, a sponsor of the

April 18-25 festival with the Philharmonic Society of Orange County

and Laguna Beach Chamber Music Society.

Events included an opening reception, lectures, demonstrations,

coaching sessions, master classes and rehearsals, open to the public

and free. Tickets to concerts are $20 for adults, $10 for full-time students.

“A big thanks to Claes Andersen and Hotel Laguna for generously

donating rehearsal space for the musicians that could be open to the

public, housing for our mentor musician, Bruno Canino, and hosting

two very special festival benefit events,” Prewitt said.

The festival was founded by Andersen and the hotel; A. Gary

Anderson Foundation, Gary N. Babick; Joan Halvajian; Dave Anderson;

Sandra Howarth-Fox; K-Mozart; Lauren and Richard Packard; Teddie and

Mike Ray; Lesley and Roy Reeves; Winifred and Robert B. Smith; Yamaha

Piano, Prewitt and her husband Dr. Paul Prewitt; and the lodging

establishments of Laguna Beach.

Lodging establishments voluntarily upped their bed-tax to help

fund the arts that bring visitors to Laguna Beach, through the

Business Improvement District.

Local families housed the nine participating musicians, an

invaluable contribution to the success of the festival, Prewitt said.

Halvajian, Ellen and Ron Harris, Leonie and Jay Kramer, Judith and

Howard Jelinek, Pat and Ken Morgan, Andrea and Scott Reckard and Judy

and Paul Sochat hosted the members of the Orion Woods and Biava

Quartet.

Hosts Judy Jelinek and Lauren Packard also served on the Festival

Committee chaired by John Arnold and Halvajian.

On the committee: Diane Arnold, John Benecke, Eric Dries, Pamela

Madsen, Carol Reynolds, Dick Schwarzstein and Prewitt, all of Laguna;

Philharmonic Society staffer David Whitehill, Heather Goss, Alex

Maradudin and Nancy Posch.

Contributors included the Laguna Art Museum and Laguna College of

Art & Design, which promoted the festival and hosted free receptions.

The Laguna Playhouse served as the local box office and Yamaha

donated the use of pianos.

Business supporters included Nic Banda Designs; Bianchi Wines,

donated by Laguna resident Albert Paul; Laguna Beach Coastline Pilot;

jp Exposure, Prewitt’s daughter, Jenn’s company; Laguna Beach

Independent and the News-Post; and Sundried Tomato Cafe and Catering.

* OUR LAGUNA is a regular feature of the Laguna Beach Coastline

Pilot. Contributions are welcomed. Write to Barbara Diamond, P.O. Box

248, Laguna Beach, 92652, hand-deliver to 384 Forest Ave., Suite 22;

call 494-4321 or fax 494-8979.