Olive You, Mom

"If evolution really works, how come mothers only have two hands?"
                 ~~Milton Berle

When I was about four years old or so, my dad convinced me that the thing my mom wanted most in this world was a pink plastic yard flamingo.  Imagine my excitement in having a dad who would help me obtain this unconventional holy grail of gifts and my near giddiness in being able to offer it to my mom to show my appreciation for everything she had done for me up that point in my short life.
Pinky I bit the dust several years ago, but I made sure my mom wasn't without her requisite dose of 1950's kitsch for long, and Pinky II now resides in her front yard.
Regardless of what else I do for my mom on Mothers' Day through the years (and I feel fortunate that I may still do so), that will always be, in my mind, the best gift I ever gave her.
I have yet to be blessed with a Pinky of my own, but I did receive from HRH some ASU PJ pants (someone with sharp teeth and no impulse control tore a hole in my other ones when she was a puppy) and an ASU running shirt, so I am calling this Mothers' Day a win.
Sadly, we ate the last of the bacon I procured at The Pork Shop with breakfast, but since there were only four pieces to share among three of us, Scott graciously gave HRH one of his pieces, so I could have two.  Usually I try to be generous, but this is bacon we're talking about, so all bets were off.
For lunch we went out to the Queen Creek Olive Mill.  I've been wanting to go for quite a while (you may have seen Chef Beau mention it on The Best Thing I Ever Ate), and the promise of a mimosa in the olive grove was the perfect reason to go.
The kalamata sandwich is delicious.  The Pork Shop makes a salami exclusively for Queen Creek Olive Mill, and it's flecked with large pieces of kalamata olives.  Additionally, its loaded with capicola (my favorite) and bunches of arugula, onions, and roasted tomatoes.  It makes for a toothsome - and filling - lunch under the olive trees.

Since it was a Mothers' Day special, there were no tours, but I do plan to go back to take the tour and make a fool of myself in the gift shop at some point.
And, well, since we were already out that way, we swung by The Pork Shop to pick up dinner - two loin chops.  And some more bacon.
Scott marinated the chops in balsamic vinegar, garlic, tarragon, and salt & pepper.  He served it with roasted beets and a baked apple.  For dessert, we had a simple angle food cake and strawberries.  It was great, although HRH decided that a "yogurt drink" was far more appetizing; so goes the palate of a two-year-old, though.  She also didn't get any angel cake, although we did allow her to have (in parts) a cupcake from TopIt Cupcakes over the course of the weekend; Scott picked up four on Friday as an early Mothers' Day (and "sorry you had a long day on Friday") gift.  HRH's was chocolate.  The other three: maple bacon.  It was almost painful to agree to let Scott have one.
I am thankful that I have been given the opportunity to be a mother.  It's certainly not easy, and it's not for everyone.  But my daughter has made me part of something greater than myself, which is perhaps the best thing that could have ever happened.
The second best thing is that I get cupcakes and presents for pushing out that kid.