Glenna Moore Stories

Independence Day… from the upstairs

In honor of the Fourth of July holiday, this is a vignette about victory while referencing various battles spanning centuries.

THE BOSTON TEA PARTY: [more like the Boston Celtic t-shirt party] In the spring of 1985, John was a growing young man and with Trip's departure to UT, had the entire upstairs to himself. The newly self-appointed emperor of 7329 Tophill Level 2 apparently marked his territory. One day Mom went upstairs to find a disaster area. Empty plates and dirty utensils decorated the piles of sweaty socks and t-shirts from competitive basketball games. The scene, both visually and aromatically, likely caused post-traumatic stress disorder and called for ‘shock and awe’ retaliation.

THE SECESSION: Commander Moore of the South didn’t exactly secede from the North, rather she exiled the region. She embodied the determination of Eva Peron when she declared “I will never go up there again!”. And she meant it; little did we know how much she meant it. This is the lesson of the story – Glenna says what she means, and means what she says.

THE COLD WAR: It wasn’t a hostile zone, more like a cold war, and diplomatic efforts in the form of a housekeeper disinfecting the area once a week, etc. were provided. The separation continued for 13 YEARS – yes - 13 YEARS! Life was normal; Mom just didn’t go upstairs. Only once do I recall it being an issue when she needed to go out of town on very short notice, and Mom had to wait an hour for the reserves [Dad] to get home and retrieve her suitcase. At some point Glenna even redecorated the 2nd floor without going up one step.

TEAR DOWN THAT WALL: In 1998, after 13 years and all of us mess-making children were gone from the house, Commander Moore re-instated the North, demolished the war stricken site and re-built a beautiful place. If only the current owners knew the rich history of the upstairs!

This story is one of my favorites. Sure, it’s easy to laugh that Mom didn’t go upstairs for 13 years, but I prefer to view it as an example of her commitment and loyalty. Glenna is honest and steadfast in her actions; she walks her talk. There are not many people I can say that about.

-Marty

Wedding Day Pearls

Upon entry to this site, there is a picture of Mom as a bride being kissed on each cheek by her parents, and above is a another bridal picture. When viewing these, I am always immediately drawn to the beautiful pearls gracing her neck.

Saturday, June 30, 2007 marks my parents 45th wedding anniversary. The strand of pearls were a gift from Dad to Mom on their wedding day in 1962.

Ladies will enjoy and understand this more than men: some women are "pearl people". I am one of those.

I loved wearing my mom's pearls for special ocassions, and more importantly, loved hearing about them. Despite the beauty of a real, single-knot-between-each-pearl necklace, Mom would sometimes say "Well, they're probably not of the best quality. We were very poor back then". I always laughed. To me, they were the most beautiful piece of jewelry she owned. I borrowed them as often as allowed.

At Christmas 2004, my sister and I were each given a jewelry box; upon opening mine, I knew exactly what was inside - the wedding day pearls. Lana's contained a beautiful emerald bracelet Mom wore at holiday times, and represents Lana's birthstone.

I asked Mom why she gave the necklace to me, and her response was pure Glenna, "When you get older, your neck gets bigger, and I haven't been able to wear those for years. Someday, you will need to pass them on as well". I thank Mother Nature or whomever makes women's necks bigger so I get to enjoy these. I wear them often to work - nothing says class like pearls and a good suit! I also look forward to passing them on when my neck circumference exceeds wedding day pearl capacity.

-Marty

Marty on Mom ... introduction

Hi Everyone!

As this is essentially the inauguration of www.glennamoore.com, I want to thank you for visiting the site, and encourage you to participate.

My mother’s ALS journey has motivated friends and loved-ones to express their affection for her in a variety of ways – visits, prayer, providing meals (giving Dad a breather!), emails, written notes – whatever suits them best.

Our family has reacted similarly: John’s media know-how spawned this website, and I will contribute weekly postings. I do not promise all postings will be the most amusing, most thought provoking, or even interesting story. I do promise, however, I will keep them as grammar-error-free as best I can; otherwise my mom will feel a failure.

Seriously, I look forward to sharing my memories and thoughts with you. My mom and I not only look very much alike, we also think very much alike, which has led to a wonderful (and frustrating) mother/daughter relationship.

The Moore family appreciates all of your well wishes, and hope you will utilize this site to keep in touch.

-- Marty Moore --