CALLING ALL MOTHERS

If you haven’t telephoned your mother today, what’s stopping you? According to Pew Research Center, today is the heaviest day of the year for long-distance calls. When today is done, according to Happy Worker Inc., 68 percent of people in the United States will have called their mothers. At the end of the day, literally and figuratively, that is 122.5 million calls to say “Happy Mother’s Day.”

BOOK IT

Looking for a special place to take Mom out today? Here’s a sample of some restaurants that will be going the extra mile to make sure she has a memorable day.

Broad Street Grille, 1201 Broad St. (inside The Chattanoogan) — 11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Mother’s Day brunch with salad station, antipasto station, cured meats, cheeses, peel-andeat shrimp, salmon, scallops, black pepper trout, smoked chicken, plus a full range of breakfast dishes. $30.95 adults, $15.95 ages 5-12. Reservations required: 424-3700.

Northshore Grille at the Chattanooga Market, 1826 Carter St. — Noon until 3 p.m. at the market. A full Mother’s Day brunch including frittatas, omelet station, quiche, smoked salmon. Price: $10 per person.

Chattanooga Choo-Choo, 1400 Market St. — 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Huge salad station, plus buffet with selections of chicken piccata, seafood Newburg, beef stroganoff, fried chicken, pasta dishes, and carving station with ham and steamship round of beef. Plus, bananas Foster flambe. $23.95 adults, $19.95 seniors 65 and up, $12.95 12 and under. Reservations: 308-2481.

Niko’s Southside Grill, 1400 Cowart St. — 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Menu with brunch and lunch specials. Reservations on the half-hour (required): 266-6511.

KICK BACK

After you’ve finished dinner (offering, of course, to pick up the check), you and mom can relax in front of the TV with some of these classic DVDs about mothers and motherhood.

“Baby Boom” (1987) — A successful business executive (Diane Keaton) inherits a baby girl from a relative and loses her job before ultimately finding success as both a mother and cottage industrialist.

“Freaky Friday” (2003) — A mother and her teen daughter (Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan) walk a mile in each other’s shoes in this remake of the 1977 original.

“March of the Penguins” (2005) — If motherhood ever seems difficult, just be thankful you aren’t one of Antarctica’s emperor penguins. This documentary, narrated by Morgan Freeman, details their difficult struggle for survival and parenthood.

THE HOLIDAY’S HISTORY

Ancient Greece — Spring celebrations in honor of Rhea, the mother of the gods.

1600s, England — Early Christians celebrated a day to honor Mary. Later expanded to include all mothers; renamed Mothering Sunday.

1858 — Appalachian homemaker Ann Marie Jarvis organizes women to learn nursing basics in “Mothers’ Friendship Day.”

1873 — Women in 18 American cities hold a Mothers’ Day for Peace gathering.

1907 — Following Mrs. Jarvis’ death in 1905, her daughter, Anna Jarvis, begins a national campaign to “honor mothers, living and dead.”

May 9, 1914 — President Woodrow Wilson declares the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day.

LAST-MINUTE CARDS

Stop by Wal-Mart for the 48-cent special or choose a premium card for a bit more. Target carries a wide selection of cards, from sentimental to elegant to comic to almost handcrafted ($2 and up). A convenience store might do in a pinch, but no guarantees. No time for personal delivery? Google “e-cards Mother’s Day” or check out these popular sites:

www.123greetings.com/events/mothers_day

www.bluemountain.com www.hallmark.com

— Compiled by Casey Phillips, Kathy Gilbert, Clint Cooper, Anne Braly, Karen Nazor Hill and Holly Leber.