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Author's notes - Book 5     (2022)

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Patricia Ann Irelan

First and foremost, Pat was an artist—then a mother. 

Her first love was still lifes in oil.  Sometimes she would dabble in acrylics and painting critters
(e.g. owls and rabbits because they sold) but most everything she made for the art shows was
medium to small in size, eazy to carry and priced to sell...and she sold a lot!

Our mom was a bona fide Sensei at Quilling, and I haven't seen anything out there that comes
close to the amazing work she used to do back in the days long past.

I can't list all the arts and crafts she mastered but, suffice it to say, it would make more sense
to list the things she didn't do and...I can't think of any off hand?

Pat also worked as an Interior Decorator—where she encouraged me to follow in her footsteps
because I had an good eye for it.  My argument back then was that being straight and a male
would be a show stopper, but my mon thought otherwise.  Seeing Norm on Cheers a decade
later and, in retrospect, I wonder if I chose right?

She encouraged us to think outside the box—before there was an outide the box.  Dinner was
always at the table and there was NEVER a moment of silence because it was there where we
kids debated the issues of the day and NO subject was taboo!

My great aunt was a Mother Superior out of Leavenworth and she enjoyed coming to our home
for dinner!  She loved our debates because we treated her as an equal!  Two notable discussions
was over abortion and the PX doctrine of "ex cathedra" in re Papal infallibility.

Yea, those were good days!

In counterpoint, because we need to be balanced, she was also an insufferable pain in the ass,
but that goes hand in hand with her perfectionist minset.  So, that said...

Pat was an amazing woman and we were all proud to have her as our mother!

 
NOTE: Below is Pat "dressed for work" and, ya gotta admit, it's wAy kEwL even by today's standard!

NOTE: These were shitty scans of 35mm slides, so when we get some better images we'll post 'em!

 
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