She was born at the end of summer in Moose Lake, Minnesota. Her parents were still newlyweds when she was born. When Floyd found out Thora was in labor, he ran over to a shop and bought a baseball, a bat, and a glove. The nurse looked at him holding all those things and told him: "Mr. Cobb, it's a girl." I believe he was disapointed for a moment. Then when she was old enough, he taught her how to hit a ball.

People think we look alike, talk alike, and sound alike. When I answer the phone people start to talk to me as if they are talking to her. When she answers the phone they do the same thing to her. One time I came to visit her at work and a woman said: "I knew it was your daughter right away. She has the same Coke bottle legs like you do."

She was the cool mom, the mom who took kids to PG-13 movies, the mom who listened. If a friend of mine was in trouble, they would go to her. She listened to them, was calm,and told them what she thought. She could always see both points of view.

She always made the funny voices so that kids always wanted her to read the picture books. She never met a baby she didn't like. All the children she knew are like the children from Garrison Keilor's Lake Wobeggon; definitely above average.

I don't know what I would be like if she wasn't my mother. I do know my life would be pretty darn dull.

 Happy birthday to my mom, born in Moose Lake, Minnesota, the end of summer baby.