Cheap Beer And Pizza George R. Frost   © Copyright 2026 by George R. Frost

Photo of the author.

This is the story of the last dinner I shared with my mother on December 23, 2002.

My brother Tom called me to let me know that mom’s lymphoma had gone terminal. I called Alaskan Airlines for a flight out of Anchorage, Alaska to Syracuse, New York. It was the holiday season, but I managed to get a flight out that day.

After chemotherapy failed and other treatment options at the time did not raise her T-cell levels, there was no other treatment options available. Her Hodgkin Lymphoma continued to progress until hospice was only logical option left. They discharged my mother, Carole Ann Bent Frost from the hospital on December 20, 2002.

My mom was loaded into the ambulance that would take her to St. Mary’s Hospice. I drove her car in a sad caravan across Syracuse to the hospice located on the east side of the city. A slushy snow had fallen overnight, but I had learned to drive on tricky ice and slushy roads. I fought off tears as I followed the ambulance into the parking lot of St. Mary’s Hospice.

When I got out of mom’s car that she could no longer drive, I was in a very familiar part of town, because across the street was the house just off of Court Street, where my first wife had lived. I stood there for a moment in a quiet reflection. Like ghosts, the memories flowed through me. As the ambulance crew was removing my mother’s gurney from the vehicle, I knew mom would be cold. Even from the distance I was standing, I could see discomfort in her face as the icy air assaulted her as they wheeled her inside.

“Good morning.” A nun greeted me as I followed mom inside.

“Sister.” I nodded. Ten years of parochial school education taught me to respect anyone dressed in religious vestments.

“I am Mother Superior.” She shook my hand. “Your mother will be in Room Seven. I will take you there.”

“I appreciate that Mother Superior.” I nodded and followed her out her office door and down the hall. As we walked to mom’s room, my head was on a swivel. It was not what I expected. There were joyful seasonal decorations sprouting from every nook and cranny. Elves on the shelves seemed to peeking out from everywhere. Several nuns greeted me as I passed. This place was not the dreary place I thought it would be. Mom loved Christmas. Seeing the decorations, reminded me of many warm memories from Christmases past at home on Greentree Drive.

“Here we are.” Mother Superior pointed to the number seven on the door. I walked in and saw they had gotten mom into her bed. Flowers were crammed into the room. A small live evergreen tree was on set on the window shelf near her bed.

“Hi Frosty.” She held out her arms and hugged me when I came within range.

“How was your trip?” I asked before she let me go.

“I was cold.” She replied shuddering a bit.

“Mom, you are always cold.” I acknowledged.

“True.” She agreed, “What do you think of the room?”

“It’s holly jolly.” I smiled. “Did you meet the Mother Superior?”

“Yeah, she led me here.” I jerked my thumb over my shoulder in the general direction she had left.

“She’s Aunt Ann Marie’s cousin.” Mom informed me.

“Cool.” I nodded.

“Her name is Sister Ann.” Mom told me.

My Aunt Ann Marie was my late Uncle Al’s wife.

“I’m here if you need anything.” I assured her.

“I’m comfortable right now, but I will let you know if I need anything.” She pulled her blankets over her shoulders.

“Sure.” I sat in one of the two chairs in the room.

“So how’s Amy?”

“She’s good.” I told her.

“That reminds me, Joanie is coming in. Can you pick her up at the Hancock Airport?” Mom asked.

“My pleasure.” I smiled.

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen her.” Mom paused.

“What time?” I asked peeking at my watch.

“She will get in around five this evening.” Mom sighed.

“I will be there.” I put my hand over hers. I had forgotten how small she really was. While my wife Amy wasn’t even five foot all, mom had lost a lot of weight during her chemo treatments.

“You’re going to stay at the house?” She asked.

“I planned on it.” I nodded.

“I think Tom will be in his old room.” She paused, But when your brother Steve and his family come on Friday, they will have the third room. It’s gonna be crowded.”

“We will manage mom.” I guaranteed her with a quick wink.

“We need to do some tests.” A nurse entered the room with a cart.

“Okay, I’ll leave.” I started walking toward the open door.

“It will only be a few minutes.” She nodded as she got the sphygmomanometer out to take mom’s blood pressure.

I wandered out of the room. There was a well decorated Christmas tree in the front room. There was also a couch and cushioned chair near a large window that overlooked Court Street.

“I’m all done.” The nurse called as she leaned out mom’s door.

“How are you feeling, mom?” I asked as I sat in the chair next to her bed.

“I’m fine for the moment. She turned up the temperature on my electric blanket.” She smiled. “Are you going to pick up Joanie?”

“As promised.” I patted her on her hands folded across her chest.

“I can’t wait to see her.” Mom nodded.

“She will be in here in a few more hours.” I assured her.

“I miss her so much.” Mom’s eyes glossed over with tears.

“I’m sure she misses you too, mom.” I patted her hand that were folded over her electric blanket.

The hours seemed to stop as I sat in the chair while mom slept. Her body had been through quite bit over the past few weeks.

When we came out in the past summer, I took mom to one of her chemo appointments. Even then the doctor was not optimistic about her prognosis.

“Her T-cell count keeps falling.” He told me after her appointment. “We will keep trying, but chemotherapy is rough on the body causing all sorts of pain and misery.”

“Is there any hope?” I asked glancing over at mom as she leafed through a magazine in the waiting room.

“I wish I had better news.” He shook his head, “We are doing everything we can, but so far it has not helped.”

“Maybe we will get a miracle.” I bowed my head.

“This is not the place where miracles happen.” He bowed his head.

When I drove her car around to take her home. I opened the door for her.

“I was so hoping for some progress.” She sniffed.

“Me too.” I started the car.

“I am so glad you and Amy came this summer.” She put her hand on my elbow.

“I’m glad you got to meet Tegan.” I smiled.

We had come to Syracuse in the summer. Mom told me it would most likely be her last summer so we went through the family files in the game room in the basement. While she had already met Skylar on her trip up to Alaska in 1999, Carole had never met Tegan in person.

Most of the time, Tegan sat in her lap while Grandma Carole read to her. We adopted Tegan from China in 2001.

I left room seven without waking her after dinner to pick up Aunt Joanie at the airport. Joanie was mom’ older sister who lived in the San Fernando Valley in California. Her and Jack moved from Central New York in the 1950s before Disneyland had opened in 1956. Mom took me on vacation when I was eleven to visit my California relatives Kerry, Shane, Paul, and Jimmy. All of them were a little older except for Jimmy. We went to Disneyland. We went to the beach which was my first time in the ocean.

“Frosty, it is so good to see you.” I met Joanie near the luggage carousel. She hugged me when I approached.

“How are you?” I asked.

She shook her head, “How is my sister?”

“She is having a blast at hospice.” I told her as I grabbed her suitcase.

“What?” She was a bit hard of hearing back then.

“Well, they have dubbed her room ‘the party room.’” I explained, “She was asleep when I left, but the neighbors and my aunt came to visit her and wish her a happy holidays. They all told jokes and were laughing earlier in the day.”

“Really?” She laughed as we walked toward the parking lot.

“You know she loves to laugh, right?” I helped put her bag into the trunk of the car. It had started snowing again.

“Oh I do. Carole was always cracking jokes.” Joan laughed.

“Some things never change.” I put her suitcase in the open truck.

“I hope she’s up for company.” Joan said as she got into the passenger’s seat. “Mom passed away a couple of years ago.”

“Yeah, I know.” I turned the keys in the ignition.

“It’s been hard these past few years.” Her pale blue eyes sparkled with tears. “I said extra prayers during the flight.”

“Any prayer will help.” I assured her as we pulled out of the parking lot.

“How long are you here for, Frosty?” She asked as I paid for parking.

“I’m here for another until Friday and then I have to go back to Alaska in two days.” I answered.

“Boy, I can’t believe you live in Alaska.” She shook her head.

“It’s a different place, that’s for sure.” I chuckled.

“Jack always wanted to go on a cruise through the Alaskan Highway.” She bowed her head.

“I wish he had done it. It’s a heck of a cruise with a lot of stellar scenery.” I shook my head even though I had never set sail;.

“Yeah, so I’ve been told.” She was quiet for the rest of the trip. I pulled up in the parking lot at St. Mary’s.

“Well, we are here.” I parked the car.

“I can’t wait to see her.” She said opening the car door.

I opened the door for her, and we walked her to Room Seven. My mom squealed and hugged her sister. Sneaking out of the room, I wander back into the common area near the exquisitely decorated tree and the unobstructed view of ex-wife’s home.

Eventually I made my way to the veranda that was covered with snow to have a quick toke on my pipe. I must admit that I only smoked the legal stuff in my pipe. Standing there, I kicked the slushy snow with my boots as I tried to reflect on happier memories

Later I would call home and let Amy know how things were going. I’d speak to my kids and try to sound happy. I did not have the heart to tell them how sick grandma really was.

“Good evening Mr. Frost.” Mother Superior greeted me as I walked in hoping I did not reek of tobacco.

“Mother Superior.” I bowed my head as I kicked the snow off my boots on the mat.

I heard laughter coming from my mother’s room down the hall.

“Your mother is having another party.” Mother Superior gave me her sly eye.

“That’s my mom.” I nodded as I sauntered down the hall When I walked into the room Aunt Ann Marie and Joanie were having a gab-fest.

“Frosty.” Aunt Ann Marie greeted me with a hug. She kissed me on the cheek.

“He was the perfect escort from the airport.” Joanie claimed as mom laughed.

“Your mother was telling stories of when you boys.” Aunt Ann Marie proclaimed.

“Was she now?” I removed my jacket and gave her a hug.

“I reminded her of how when you and Mark were in kindergarten together, Carole kept you home with a fever. When Mark found out you weren’t going to school, he decided he wasn’t going either.” Aunt Ann Marie was famous for family stories, “I told him nonsense, he wasn’t sick like you, but he defied me. It was the first time he ever did that.”

More laughter exploded from Room Seven. I could see him with his lip stuck out refusing to go to school without me. These were the memories I needed to hear again.

“It is so good to see you again, Frosty.” Aunt Ann Marie kissed me on the cheek, "But I have to get home. I will see you tomorrow.”

“Bye.” Joanie and mom chorused with me as my aunt left.

“She made me chocolate fudge.” Mom held up the container. I helped myself. Aunt Ann Marie was still the master of confectionery treats.

“Carole, I am really jet lagged.” Joanie confessed.

“You need to get some sleep then.” Mom nodded.

“Yes.” She yawned.

“I’ll drive you to the hotel.” I jangled my car keys.

“I do appreciate it, Frosty.” She gave a weary nod.

“C’mon Joanie.” I jerked my head toward the door. “Mom, I will be back after breakfast.”

“Don’t rush.” She shook her head as I gave her peck on the cheek.

“See you then.” I waved as Joanie and I walked out of the room.

“Oh Frosty, I am so tired.” She lay her head on my shoulder as we walked out side by side.

“Hello sweetheart.” I hung the phone next to my ear.

“How are you?” Her voice sounded like a song to me.

“As good as can be expected.” I sighed, “Mom is resting in hospice.”

“How is she?”

“Not bad, all things considered.” I yawned, “They call her room the ‘party room.’ Her sister Joanie is here. She has had a lot of visitors already. Tom is coming in tomorrow. I will pick him up from the airport.”

“How is she really?”

I paused for several empty moments, “You know…they stopped her treatment before placing her in hospice. She has a blood clot in her eye. She can’t see out of that eye anymore.”

I paused again as I remembered when she was in the hospital. She told me to gather her library books and take them back, because she couldn’t see the print on the page any longer.

Taking the books back was a sign of final surrender. My mother would never be able to read another book. This thought was more devastating than the thought her lymphoma was terminal. I walked into the library and slid the books into the return slot. I walked out before I could give it another thought.

“Well, you guys have a good night. I love you all.” I felt the weight of tears tug at the corners of my eyes.

Sleep did not come easy. Dreams weighed heavy on my mind. Our neighbor from across the street was shoveling the snow from his driveway.

“Hey there young man.” He waved to me.

“Hey, how are you?”

“Can’t complain.” He still had his Texan accent, but he was good to mom, shoveling her driveway after he did his own. “Is it true you live in Alaska?”

“Yup.” I nodded.

“Ohho brother, this is enough snow for me.” He laughed. Then he got serious, “So, how is she?”

“They moved her to hospice.” I sighed.

“Oh man, that’s rough.” He shook his head, “A few years ago they put my mom in hospice down in Dallas. She was gone by the end of the week.”

“We’re hoping for better.” I bowed my head.

“Your mom, Carole, is a special lady.” He patted me on the shoulder.

“I appreciate it.” I smiled a forced grin, but it was the least I could do.

I drove to the airport again to pick up my baby brother. Mom had legally appointed him as the executor of the estate.

“Frosty, how are you?” He asked as the snow began to fall again as I put his suitcase into the trunk.

“About as well as can be expected.” I answered honestly.

“Yeah, this has been rough.” He admitted as he got into the passenger’s seat.

“How are things in Torrence?”

“Not bad.” He was not one to go into details. “I remember when her doctor decided to stop chemo. I saw him and the nurse in their breakroom in tears.”

Those kinds of details were hard to swallow, but I knew he told it like it was when he did decide to speak about it.

“He-hee, I just got home. Didn’t even get unpacked when they called me.” He rolled down the window since he was always warm. In doing so, the snow began to fly in the window.

After picking up Tom and driving him to the house, he took a shower and got dressed. As soon as he was finished, I drove to St. Mary’s Hospice. We both marched in together as laughter drifted down the hall.

“Good morning, gentleman.” Mother Superior greeted us.

“Hey.” Tom nodded.

“There is another party going on in Room Seven.” She smiled as we made our way down the hall.

When we got there some of mom’s church friends had gathered presenting mom with cards and live potted plants.

“These are some of the ladies at the church auxiliary." Mom pointed to the four women hovering around her bed. “This is Rose.”

“How do you do?” She smiled from a halo of silver white hair.

“This is Trudy.” Mom pointed to a woman next to Rose.

“Good to meet you.” She nodded.

“And this is Wendy.” Mom pointed to a heavy set woman already smiling.

“How are you, young man?” She shook my hand.

“Young man? Thank you, Wendy.” I blushed a bit.

“And this is Liz.” Mom pointed to the woman on the other side of the bed.

“Pleasure.” I also shook her hand.

“Carole has told us all about you.” Liz affirmed.

“Good things I hope.” I shrugged.

“Of course.” Rose laughed, “Your mom is a saint.”

“One of the best.” Wendy added.

“I know she really likes doing this with you guys.” I replied.

More laughter.

“Carole, you’re looking good.” Liz patted mom on her shoulder.

“What if we broke you out of this place? We could have a party at the church.” Wendy offered.

“Yeah, I heard they have a lot of wine stashed behind the altar.” Liz nudged mom who was laughing right along with them. It warmed my heart to see my mom in her element.

“Frosty, Kerry sent me some lobsters.” Mom announced.

“Great.” I nodded.

“You have to follow the directions and if you mess it up, I will be so mad at you.” She threatened.

“Mom, I will do my best.” I waved leaving the room to her friends at the Women’s Auxiliary.

Sister Superior met me as I tried to escape.

“Frosty? I have a package your mother was inquiring about.” She led me into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. There on the middle shelf was the package of lobster tails sent by Kerry, Joanie’s oldest daughter.

“I’d better read over the directions.” I sighed.

“Yes, you’d better, because your mother is counting on you.” She nodded, “She is really having a great time with her friends, eh?”

“I am so grateful for that.” I said opening the box and removing the directions.

“Yes, she is really looking forward to seeing your brother Stephen and his family.” She poured herself a glass of water.

“They will be coming next week.” I said as I read over the directions. It seemed pretty straight forward.

“You’ll be leaving then, won’t you?” She seemed sad.

“Afraid so. I work at a community center for people with severe and chronic mental illness.”

“Really? What is that like?”

“Well, it isn’t boring.” I chuckled.

“I imagine not.”

“We all have our vocations assigned to us by God.” She affirmed.

“Seems that way.” I smiled.

When I walked back into mom’s room, she was already asleep and the four women had left. It was quiet. There seemed to be a melancholy mood hung in the silence. I pulled the blanket over her so she would not be cold.

“Frosty.” I heard her groggy voice call for me.

“Yes mom.” I answered.

“I want the lobster tails for dinner tonight.” She said, “And I want Joanie to have dinner with me.”

“Of course, mom.” I said over my shoulder as I was leaving her room, but she was already asleep.

I had never cooked lobster before, but the directions on the package seemed simple enough. It took almost an hour, but I plated the lobster tails on two plates and brought them into Room Seven.

Joanie was sitting in the chair next to mom’s bed when I walked into the room with their lobster dinners.

“It makes me so sad to know my baby sister is in this place.” She sniffed.

“She is having a great time seeing everyone.” My feeble attempt to comfort her sounded a bit stilff.

“Whaaa.” I heard mom moan.

“Dinner.” I nodded.

She sat up and saw Joanie sitting there. She took a whiff and nodded, “Your daughter sent these.”

“I know. Wasn’t that wonderful?” She smiled, but her pale blue eyes were still red from her tears.

“Here you are mom.” I put the platter on the tray in front of her. I put down the melted butter next to the platter and gave each of them two forks, one of them with three prongs. “Dig in.”

“Are you eating with us Frosty?” Mom asked as she dipped her lobster in the melted butter.

“No, I want to make sure that you have enough.” I shook my head. “I’m going to sit in the front room and look at the tree.”

Neither of them were aware I was lying. I went into the front room to look out the window at the house across the street. The house was the one my first wife Catherine was living in when we started dating. When I looked at the old house, it was not out of longing, but rather from a memory I could not seem to shake at this moment. I thought this was a cruel irony of coming face to face with an unhappy ending. I hoped Catherine was happy.

Joanie came into the room as I sat there.

“Your mother is asleep.” She sighed. “I am restless. This whole thing is so much for me.”

“I am sorry.” I was fighting off the tears.

“Would you like to go to a movie?” She asked.

“Sure. How about Master and Commander at the Far Side of the World?”

“What’s it about?” She asked.

“Russel Crowe is a British sea captain who…never mind…” I coughed into my hand.

“No, no, sounds like a good one.” She urged.

So, we got into the car and rode to a nearby Harkins Theater to see the nine o’clock showing. But as we exited the car, the battery of Joanie’s hearing aid died.

“Oh no, what do I do?” she asked as he tapped on the hearing aid hoping to revive the dead batter. “I can’t hear much without my hearing aid.”

“What do you want to do, Joanie?” I asked.

“All the stores are closed. Let’s just go see the movie.” She shook her head as we walked to the ticket counter.

“Alright.” I nodded.

We sat near the front so she might have a chance to hear, but in the opening scene of a battle with a French galley, she asked me what was going on. With the cannons blasting, Joanie could not hear the mayhem.

The fussing did not help and I spent the rest of the movies trying to explain what was going on. Even as the cannons continued to fire, Joanie was able to hear what was going on.

“Thank you, Frosty, for being so patient.” She said as we were walking out of the theater.

“My pleasure.”

“Your mother is quite tired from all the excitement.” Mother Superior told me when I arrived the next morning.

“Is it okay for me to sit in her room? You see, I will be leaving tomorrow.” I asked.

“Of course.” She nodded.

“I won’t wake her.” I promised.

“She needs you there.” She winked as I walked into her room. I fussed over her collection of plants and looked at each card to see who had given her the plant or trinket. It made me happy to note that so many people had taken the time to remember her. As I was looking over her impressive collection, I heard her sleepy voice.

“Frosty, is that you?”

“Yes mom.” I answered.

“You know what I would like?” She asked.

“What mom?”

“I have a case of Pabst Blue Ribbon in the basement. Could you go get me some and then stop by Little Caesars and get a pepperoni pizza?” She requested in a weak raspy voice.

“How are you feeling?” I asked, almost afraid to hear the answer.

“Same.” She sat up in her bed, “Could you go get me the cheap beer and pizza. I have a craving.”

“Sure ma.”

Then I felt a finger jab me in the shoulder. When I turned around, Mother Superior was standing behind me. I thought I was about to commit a mortal sin by bringing alcohol into the facility, granted PBR was mostly water with a taste of hops added.

With the voice of authority, she said, “You bring the pizza and we will take care of the beer.”

“Alright, Mother Superior.” I agreed.

I drove to Little Caesars located on James Street, which was a couple of miles from St. Mary’s Hospice and got the pizza my mom had requested. I was shocked when I returned and saw my mother sitting up in bed enjoying a Molson’s from the bottle as Mother Superior concerted with her.

For those who are not aware, Molson’s is, in my opinion, the best Canadian beer I have ever tasted. I remember getting in one of Uncle Al’s motor boats and crossing the St. Lawrence River to buy a case on the Canadian side of the river. Hoping not to be cited for committing such an act of not paying duty, we would take the ill-gotten beer to Aunt Ann Marie’s parent camp on the American side. I felt like a true pirate as we sat around the fire pit drinking Molson’s.

“Mom, you’re drinking a Molson’s.” I put the pizza on her tray.

“Yup.” She smiled holding the beer in the air. “Sister Ann gave it to me. Did you know, she’s your Aunt Ann Marie’s cousin?”

“I think you mentioned it to me.” I shook my head as I helped get her a piece of pizza.

“This is my second one.” She said in a loud voice.

“Mom, that is the best beer in North America.” I glanced over at Mother Superior who gave me a slight shrug.

I told mom about the adventure I had with her sister, Joanie at the movies. Mom laughed and laughed. Mother Superior had to duck out after about ten minutes.

“The rest of the six pack is in the mini-fridge.” She pointed to the fridge next to the sink.

“Thank you Mother Superior.”

“Sister Ann.” She corrected me.

“Sister Ann.”

“Tell my cousin she needs to stop by my office for a chat.” Sister Ann requested.

“Will do.” I said as she disappeared down the hall.

“Your brother Stephen and his family will be here tomorrow.” Mom said as she grabbed another piece of pizza.

“Good, I leave tomorrow afternoon.” I grab a piece of pizza.

“I know.” She acknowledged, “This beer is really good.”

“I know.”

“You want one?”

“No thanks.” It was tempting, but I did not like to have a drink when I had to drive in this icy weather..

“I can’t wait to see Stephanie do her ballet and listen to Kevin play the piano.” She closed her eyes. I removed the half bottle of Molson’s from her hands as she began to drift off to sleep. I closed the pizza box and put it in the refrigerator. There were three bottles of beer left and barely enough room for the pizza box.

“Are you leaving?” Sister Ann asked as she passed me in the hall.

“Yes, I have to pack and get ready for tomorrow.” I nodded.

“We are going to miss you.”

“Yeah, I want to thank you for the beer. It is one of the best.”

“Only the best for Carole. She is such a wonderful person.”

“Thank you for saying that.”

“I only say it because it’s true.” She hugged me before I exited the facility.

I drove off, but not before I paused to get one last look at the house across the street one last time. Acknowledging that the past was the past we had no idea when we passed through them, one day they would become our memories, both good and bad. The memories that had come crashing through the thin wall between then and now, I was able to reconcile, creating a balance that I had learned to live with over time. Realizing this too would one day become a memory that would shape and define my future.

“How’s mom?” Tom asked when I got to the house.

“She’s resting.” I removed my jacket.

“Anything exciting?”

“We had cheap beer and pizza.” I shrugged as he looked at me as if I had just landed my spaceship in the back yard. As I explained to my brother what had taken place, I had no way of knowing it would be the last memory I had of her.

I would fly back to Alaska to spend Christmas with my family, but the following day, my brother Stephen would call to let me know she had passed away peacefully in her sleep.