I grew up in Los Altos Hills, about 5 miles south of Palo Alto, and most of my family still lives in the area. When I was little it was rural and agricultural; the modest ranch house my parents bought in 1966 fit right in. Now it’s Lifestyles of the Google Founders and my parents‘ swanky neighbors want the house condemned.

We gathered yesterday for my mom’s 75th birthday. With all the siblings and grandkids there’s about 25 of us (not counting Waldo and Truck, my brother Marc’s new lab). When we arrived approximately two pounds of See’s candy were set out with various other appetizers.

Maybe you don’t eat candy as an appetizer but we always have, my mother passed along her prodigious sweet tooth to us all. She also passed along not-so-great teeth, though I imagine these characteristics may be related. For the event my sister Kristy prepared a very moving “This Is Your Life, Noni” slideshow set to music--we laughed, we cried, we stuffed more candy down our gullets.

However, because Kristy is evil incarnate she included a school photo taken at a desperately sad moment in time, when the orthodontist, despairing of my refusal to wear the headgear, wired it into my mouth for 24/7 torture. And what’s up with no one coming to the eye doctor for shopping assistance: “Dude you’re already working the headgear, buy ANY glasses except those.” The total look? OAMCL. (Only A Mother Could Love.)

Lucky me, she did. Happy Birthday Mom.