Swimmin Frog: Hi Mom, don't hate me.

My mom had cancer removed from her body last September. They took a section of her colon that contained a cancerous tumor and since they were already in there, they took her estrogen- laden girly guts. I’m telling you this to give you an appreciation of a conversation I had with her when visiting WI a while back.

We were standing around Beaner’s kitchen island chatting it up when my mom grabbed my index finger and guided it to her upper lip. “Feel this," she said tightening her lip so that the bristly hairs jutted against my chubby finger pad.

“Wow, Mom that is quite the stubble!” I replied.

“I know! A lot of changes going on since that surgery in September,” She said shaking her head in disgust.

“A lot?” I asked.

“Yeah, a lot!”

Just then, a moment so perfect opened up for me. I mustered up my best concerned voice and said matter-of-factly, “Oh, like new testicles?”

I waited for her response. The usual one she gives when having to put up with my crap.

But, Mom did not miss a beat. Instead, she shocked me right back. My sweet mom actually mock-itched the area where testicles would be and replied, “Yep.”

That totally made my day.

It made up for having to witness this:

I like to call it…

Mom. A hot flash story.