Johnny Mathis was the artist my parents loved to listen to when they were dating, and his music was always on in the house when I was growing up. It wasn't until much, much later that I realized how amazing his breath control was, and how stunning the effortless soar of his vocals is.

It's easy to be dismissive of Bombeck today (when she died, NEWSWEEK was busy profiling Jenny McCarthy), but there was a time when she was possibly the leading female humorist in America. Still funny today, because families are universal and timeless.

My mom took me to see this at the Roxie revival house in Renton after it was remastered (by hand!) in the 70's. It's long but visually sumptuous, and of course there's the terrific score with knockout choral work ("Follow Me" "Guinivere"). And Vanessa Redgrave's too gorgeous for words.

Another thread woven into the tapestry of my mom's faith, she really loved Grant's voice and inspirational message. (I've always had a soft spot for "Find A Way" myself.)

Fortunately (?) I have my mom's laugh when I'm really hysterical--a full-on cackle that rocks a building. Her laugh got a major workout several times over during this modern comedy classic, especially during the bit with the gnomes. (Try to watch it straight-faced.)

Late at night after my father was asleep, my mom would be up till midnight or later reading the paper, eating ice cream, and laughing herself silly at Benny Hill reruns. (Again, do we ever really know anybody?)

My mom didn't watch much TV, but this was one of the few shows she never missed. Richard Thomas is a brilliant actor, but who knew Will Geer--Grandpa--was such a radical in real life? The mind boggles.

This was one of my mom's favorite book series when she was little, along with the classic "Heidi." I think she was attracted to family stories, and tales of living with nature (see: "The Waltons").

So my dad had a Streisand crush, and my mom had the aforementioned Omar Sharif crush. Voila! The perfect film for both of them. (Still holds up today, thanks to Streisand's lightening-in-a-bottle performance.)

Years ago when my sister was going through some stuff, my mom played this song for her and wrote her a note telling her all the wonderful things she wished for her in her life. Gotta love Lee Ann.

When my mom turned 40, she wanted to go up in a hot air balloon ride--the only time I've ever done it. It's one of the most sweepingly gorgeous, yet hushed and intimate, things I've ever experienced. She also had a great framed picture of the Reno Balloon Race in our home.

Sweet, simple, sunny--that was the late John Denver. Mom loved his voice, especially on classics like "Country Roads" & "Rocky Mountain High."

My mom had many songs that she loved, but the entire house knew she was in a great mood when she broke into "Oh What A Beautiful Morning." Didn't see the movie till I was an adult; hunky Gordon McRae and silver-voiced Shirley Jones are stellar.