Mother's Day Weekend: Heaviest Traffic Day of the Year, Again?

Last year, the Friday before Mother's Day was the heaviest traffic day of the year on the Mass Pike.

  Mother's Day Weekend (and warm-ish weather) is upon us — and so will be throngs of people trying to flee town, especially on the Mass Pike or heading to the Cape. Turnpike toll transactions statistics from 2012 ranked the Friday before Mother’s Day as the heaviest traffic day on the Pike with more than 363,000 transactions logged between Interstate 95/Route 128 and the New York border. Friday nights in warm weather months accounted for the rest of the top 20 heaviest travel days on the Pike last year: This weekend, heaviest traffic is expected Friday and Sunday afternoons and early evenings.  So MassDOT (Massachusetts Department of Transportation) officials are encouraging drivers to make travel plans accordingly and, if possible, avoid …

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Ladies Night Out in the Square

Treat yourself or find a special something to give for Mother’s Day.

  Ladies!  Grab your friends and neighbors and head to Dedham Square on Thursday, May 9th, for the Fourth Annual Ladies Night Out in the Square.  Enjoy promotional offers, raffles, and sales incentives between 5 p.m. -9 p.m., for ladies only.   Treat yourself or find a special something to give for Mother’s Day. Deli After Dark will have live music starting at 6:30 p.m. with no cover charge. Yoga Now is offering free classes at 6 ap.m. and 7 p.m.  Ladies  get 2-for-1 tickets The Dedham Community Theatre and a free dessert with a purchase of an entrée at Kouzina and Isabella.   Dedham House of Pizza, Mocha Java and Paradise Café will all have special offers for ladies and Ron’s Ice Cream is hosting a free raffle for a family sundae pack and…

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A Special Gift From a Mom to a Son on Mother's Day

Columnist and his mother shared the same celebration on Mother's Day every year.

  I've been without my mom for 15 Mother's Days and 15 birthdays. For me, the days were one and the same. When I was born, it was Mother's Day in 1960. We were the Mother's Day mom and baby at the hospital. In the later years, we'd celebrated both events at the same time for scheduling reasons. Now, I celebrate the day we shared all by myself. My mom died in October 1997. Since then, the days and years have gone on, with a lot of changes, of course, but something never changes, I miss her greatly. But then again, I'm never really without her. In the middle of something totally unrelated, a memory of her will enter my brain. As I write this column, the Weather Girls are singing "It's Raining Men" on the radio in my office. Another memory is…

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Gardening 101

Don't Forget about the Everlasting Blooms of Perennials

Give Mom a gift she'll admire year after year.

  The sun is predicted to shine this weekend after another long stretch of cool, rainy, cloudy days, and gardening enthusiasts have waited patiently all spring to get those perennials in the ground. But wait, it's Mother's Day Sunday and now comes the big question: the mall or the garden center? The answer? Flowers are a wonderful gift for that special lady and why not give her something that will grow and bloom year after year? This Mother's Day, think of Mom’s garden and the power of a lasting gift. There are many beautiful perennial plants, shrubs and vines available now that will send blooms far into spring, and even better, she will have a yearly reminder of your thoughtful gift. Spring Flowering Perennials Show your Mom how much you …

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Mom's Cookbook

Kids, Surprise Mom with a Chocolate Fruit Dip

This super easy no-bake fruit dip can be delivered to Mom on a tray for breakfast in bed Sunday!

  It’s almost Mother’s Day, so here’s a tested fail-safe recipe that kids of any age could put together for Mom with a little supervision.  Dads, wake the kids a few minutes early and surprise mom with breakfast in bed! Kids will be strutting around proud as a peacock after delivering their tray of treats to mom. All you need are three ingredients and some cut up fruit of your choice - just pick mom’s favorite! This recipe is a perfect afterschool snack or would be a smash hit at a graduation party, neighborhood BBQ or shower. Skewer some fresh fruit and serve this fluffy chocolate dip alongside. I suggest choosing fruit that will stand up to the dip (strawberries, firm bananas and apple slices worked great).  Chocolate Cream Fruit Dip: …

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Tales of a Tireless Mom

A Salute to Model Moms - Real and Imagined

Some of these mothers we learned from through personal experience, some others in books and television.

  With Mother's Day this Sunday, I thought it fitting to give a shout out to a few of the moms that I admire. While I certainly hope that someday I make an “All Time Greatest Moms” list, right now I’ll settle for “I think her kids occasionally eat a vegetable.” Always a good idea to keep that bar within reach, I say. Old Mother Hubbard – I mean come on, she lived in a SHOE. She had a more kids than she could count but still managed to feed them, get them to sleep and hopefully enjoy a well-earned glass of wine every so often. While I may not agree with her method of discipline (do we really think that she “whipped” those kids?), something tells me that when one lives with so many children in such tight quarters, one must lay down the law …

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The Best Place in the Dedham Area for Mom's Day Brunch Is...

A West Roxbury restaurant took home the Best of Readers' Choice award this week.

  We've tabulated the results, and in a tight race, the best place for Mother's Day brunch in the Dedham area went to West on Centre in West Roxbury. As it says on its Patch directory page, "West on Centre combines subtle elegance with an air of casual camaraderie to create an unusually versatile venue." The restaurant will offer up a full brunch menu for Mother's Day on May 13. West on Centre received 31 percent of the vote, while Aquitaine at Legacy Place took in 26 percent. Check back Monday for the next Best of Patch Readers' Choice category as we ask you where to go for a staycation in the Dedham area! Want to nominate a place? Email us with your suggestion

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Best of Readers' Choice: Mother's Day Brunch in Dedham Area

Where are you going to take Mom on Mother's Day for brunch?

  Mother's Day is less than two weeks away, and we're wondering how you plan to celebrate.  That's the focus of this week's Best of Patch Readers' Choice poll - what restaurant, cafe or other establishment in the Dedham area you think is the best place for a Mother's Day breakfast or bunch.  Here are some of our favorite places, but if we're leaving one off of the list, please let us know in the comments and we'll add it: Voting in the poll below is open until 9 a.m. Friday. Ties will be broken by whichever business has the most positive comments in the section below. We will announce the winner at noon Friday. So tell us where you'd like to enjoy taking your mom out for Mother's Day! And don't forget to tell us in the comments below why …

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Tales of a Tireless Mom

Peace and $5.52 on the Perfect Mother's Day

All moms need is behaving kids, a peaceful house and everyone to eat their dinner.

I’m going to go on record right now and say it: I HAD THE BEST MOTHERS DAY EVER. There was no breakfast in bed, new diamond earrings or shiny car in the driveway adorned with a bow. What I got was worth much more than that. For Mothers Day, my gift was peace. Of course, I’m talking about peace on the home front – not in the broader, Middle East sense. Rather, happy kids, a patient husband and general Shumway harmony. Even the cat behaved. I started off the day by sleeping in until 8:30 (cue choir of angels). Waking up feeling well rested, coffee was poured for me and the Sunday Globe slid my way. The kids gave me a box of chocolates (on Mother’s Day, as I explained to everyone, calories don’t count) and I read my homemade cards. Ben’s card…

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