A Mother's Day Special: Music and a Charming Tale

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We bring you a delightful true story on this special day, and plenty of music options to share with mom. For those of you still looking for something musical to do for Mother's Day 2013 in the L.A. area, the Guide has many listings in the current full edition. In addition, we call your special attention to a wonderful story, right after our quick notes for two fine alternatives where you can sit down and enjoy light cuisine and music that every mom will enjoy. 
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First, starting at 6 pm, the lovely French accordion playing chanteuse JESSICA FICHOT, performing with Antoine Salem on guitar and Michael Papillo on bass, is at Pop Champagne, 33 Union St, Pasadena, from 6-9 pm; www.popchampagnebar.com.
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At 7 pm, same part of the world, ELEMENTAL HARMONY, a trio of three musically-accomplished women, performs their "Voices of Women" show at the Coffee Gallery Backstage, 2029 N Lake Av, Altadena. Phone For reservations, 626-798-6236.
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Now, for something special to read and forward. This sounds like a Garrison Keillor story, but it's true. It's about a zydeco-dancing mom who turns 100 in a few days.
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This special mom is BERNICE SJOBLOM, mother of Cajun-Zydeco events reporter Brad Sjoblom. Brad sent us the following, written by his sister Darlene. We are happy to share it with you:
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"Bernice Sjoblom’s Life Story And My Tribute for her 100th Birthday"
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by Darlene Smith
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"Anna Bernice Sjoblom was born to Louis & Clara Knutson on May 25, 1913 in Cromwell, Minnesota, but moved to Duluth when she was about 4 years old. She had blue eyes & ash blonde hair and was of Norwegian descent. She had one brother Laurence, 5 yrs older than her and he called her Sister.
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"Her father was a logger, conductor on a street car, and also worked for the Northern Pacific Railroad. Her mother cooked meals for the workers and the passengers that were coming through on the train.
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"Bernice was a very conscientious little girl but loved to play games like Indy-Indy-I-Over, where the kids played catch, throwing the ball over the house. She also liked to play jump rope and jacks. She always earned good grades in school and kept notes and records about everything.
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"At the age of 15, she was told that she had TB, and from that day forward was very conscious about eating good food and getting her rest.
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"She always wanted to be a nurse, so after graduating from high school, she enrolled in nursing school, but was so disappointed when they told her mom she had to drop out because she again had signs of TB. With rest and sun, she soon recovered, but did not return to school at this time because she met a very special person in her life.
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"At the age of 19, her friend Doris, eventually her sister-in-law, had a Halloween party, and Doris wanted to set-her-up with her boyfriend’s brother. His name was Hank, a true Swede, but Bernice said, 'No, she would get her own date.'
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"Undeterred, and to be sure that Hank and Bernice would talk, Doris sat them right next to each other at the party.
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"That night I guess my dad went home and told his family he had met the most sarcastic little Norwegian girl ever, and it took about three months for him to get the courage up to ask her on a date.
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"Hank and his brother Bert even had to sell fish to get enough money to buy an ice cream cone for their girls. A few times, they went rolling skating together. One time while they were dating, my dad even skated 22 miles across treacherous Lake Superior from Larsmont to Duluth to show his love for her, carrying a big stick to keep him from falling through the ice.
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"She just couldn’t believe it when he told her what he had done. But he said, 'Well, wait till tomorrow, you’ll see it in the paper.' And she did just that.
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“'He always did have a lot of energy,' she said. After his 22 mile skate to Duluth, his walk to the newspaper office, and then up to her house, her mother was nice enough to let him stay in the upstairs bedroom overnight.
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"Soon he and Bernice fell in love, and he proposed to her in Cascade Park. They were married on Sept 29th, 1934 in Two Harbors, Minnesota, in a simple wedding with his brother Bert, and Doris, and a few family members attending, as there was not much money for such things. Even her parents couldn’t attend as they had no way of getting there from Cromwell.
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"The newlyweds rented a little cottage for $6.50 a month with no electricity or indoor plumbing, and Hank made a living as a commercial fisherman on Lake Superior.
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"About four months after they were married, she came down with TB again. Bernice was hospitalized, this time for 3 months, but she fasted -- eating only sweets -- and prayed for the test to be clear. Remarkably she was home for Christmas and has never been sick with TB since.
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"When my mom and dad had been married for about 10 years, he was working as a stationary engineer at the bakery and heard about the declaration of war in Europe. He figured he was too old to go, but at the age of 35 he was drafted.
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"She followed him from place to place until he was sent overseas to fight in World War II for 2 years. She kept busy by being a Nanny for a little girl and working at Fremonth's Department Store as an elevator and switchboard operator."
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"God protected my dad through very dangerous situations as a medic and brought him home safely. He was awarded the Bronze Star for carrying wounded for 96 hours straight.
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"Soon after he came home, they bought a big old house in the hills of Duluth for $3,500, and they fixed it up to be a beautiful home for several years to come.
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"Because my mom had been sick several times with TB, they did not have children until they had been married for 12 years. That year after he came home from overseas, they were blessed with a little girl, me, and then five years later they were so happy to have my brother Brad.
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"My mom was a typical housewife and mother, caring for her children with baking, cooking and sewing. In 1952 they moved to California, but there were two serious setbacks, when their car burnt up in a big garage fire, and when my brother was hit by a car, they returned to Duluth.
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"It wasn’t long after, they were back to warm Southern California as my dad hated cold weather and shoveling snow, and he landed a great job at Hughes as a boiler operator.
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"My mom and dad celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary by renewing their vows, with grandchildren Andrew and Angela singing, and they took a trip to Hawaii. They enjoyed living in Leisure World for 20 years and had many friends there. After my dad died 15 years ago, we moved my mom to Cherry Hills to be nearby me, and then on to the Chateau of Harveston just 2 years ago.
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"Our mom has been an encourager of people her whole life, through a verse from the Bible or a card in the mail. She has read through the Bible many times, and when she was younger, she played the piano for the Mission and worked in the church. She taught Sunday School with Lorene, my mother-in-law, for several years, and when Jim [Darlene's husband] and I were going together, they would always say, 'If our kids break up we are still going to be good friends' and they still are.
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"Bernice volunteered 760 hours typing and filing for Harbor General Hospital in the '60s.
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"After my daughter Angela was born my mom came to our house faithfully every Friday for 18 years to work around our house, take care of our three kids, and give me a break. We always looked forward to Gramma coming on Fridays.
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"Lauren, my brother’s daughter, is now 23, and remembers well staying overnight and having fun chasing around and being silly with Gramma and Grampa Sjoblom.
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"Mom has always had a love of dancing, and it almost drove my dad nuts when she was young, her clogging from the stove to the butler panty and back again as she did the dishes. If she had her balance today, she would still be dancing, as you can see her doing on a YouTube video with Brad, when she was tagged 'The Oldest Cajun-Zydeco Dancer in Southern California' at age 98. Here is the link to that YouTube Video: www.youtube.com/watch? v=a0ipnZhDntM
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"During my mom’s life, she has taken many classes in typing, math, bookkeeping, and embroidery, but it wasn’t until I was 16 years old that she went back to school for her love of nursing, completing 122 hours and receiving a Certified Home Health Aide degree. She thenwe went on to work for L.A. Visiting Nurses, caring for five patients a day.
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"She loved the nursing work , and when laid off, decided to have her own business. One of her patient’s mothers went on to honor her with gifts for years to come for her heartfelt ability to care for her mother in the last years until her mother died.
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"Another interest of my mom’s is keeping her mind busy by studying Sign Language with Kate, her teacher for 6 years. Later, we are going to show you a little bit of what she has learned.
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"One of my mom’s greatest loves is crocheting, and for 20 years she has spent many hours crocheting for 'Stitches for the Heart,' a volunteer organization that crochets blankets, sweaters, caps, and booties for babies of mothers in need and distributes them to 200 hospitals throughout the U.S. She donates about 50 items a year to that organization.
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"Don’t forget to check out some of the cute things that she has made for them and others on the tables over there.
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"My mom is my best friend and we’re always excited to tell each other about something we did or bought that day. I was teaching her texting on her cell and she got soo excited to learn how she can move that little cursor wherever she wants by touching the screen. Now she texts me every night saying what she has done during the day and 'Good night luv mom' so that I can rest easy that she is ok and safely in bed.
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"My Mom attributes her good health and well-being to the fact that she exercises her mind and body every day doing situps, pushups, dropbacks, scissorkicks, and mulekicks and has been doing this for about 30 years. Most importantly, she has loved and worshiped the Lord her whole life through, and He has blessed her abundantly and beyond measure.
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"Happy Birthday Mom! Thanks for being my best friend."
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We at the Acoustic Americana Music Guide add our Mothers Day and Happy 100th Birthday wishes to the charming and lovely Bernice, who we have SEEN on the zydeco dance floor.
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To reach her son Brad and subscribe to his Cajun-Zydeco Events E-Newsletter, write him at zydecobrad@aol.com.
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Entire contents copyright (c) 2013,
Lawrence Wines and Tied to the Tracks.
All rights reserved.
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A full edition with all the current LIVE MUSIC events -- festivals, concerts, club gigs, coffee house shows, workshops for artists, and special events -- is available right here on the site at a separate click.
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Contact the Guide at tiedtothetracks@hotmail.com
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