Did you ever wonder if your parents in fact were your natural parents?

My mother was a whiz as a piano player. In high school her classmate Mel Blanc creator of Bugs Bunny and many other cartoon voices as well as being a fixture on the Jack Benny Show had his own half hour radio show. Mother played the piano to accompany his zany antics.

Even as a young student mother had perfected the ability to pick out a melody and put a left hand to it and sound like she was playing from sheet music. In later years I remember her being at the center of most parties if a piano was available.

I have no music ability.

I remember as a preschooler walking with Mother from our duplex on seventh and Poplar behind St. Mary's Hospital to Miss Groseclose's kindergarten as she continued her walk to the more upscale section of town to play bridge with some of the future grand dames of the community.

One of the pleasures of her summer pilgrimage to the coast at Seaside, Oregon, was the multiple invitations to the "Pan" games. She would rank the invitations by the skill of the players and angle for the "A" group. She would play once or twice a day in the game requiring quick wits and was a frequent winner.

She also liked to play high stakes poker with the men as opposed to a more genteel women's equivalent. This irritated uncle Dave who thought she should stay in her own precincts.

Boy I wish I had her card skills as I enjoy poker but am usually subsidizing the better players.

But alas, I have a confirmation I am her son. Mother was an avid golfer and of course was president of the ladies club at the city golf course. I was sitting next to her at a club new years eve party when the pro walked over to her having had more then a few drinks he advised her that she was a great club president probably a good wife and mother but would never be a good
golfer. If you have seen me play golf - I rest my case.