I had a feeling that your mother was living a rather small life Tisha. It sounds like your mother tries to combat this boring life with creating drama and gossiping. The best way to look at this is that your mother is engaging in trying to create things where she has all the power to compensate for her boredom and lack of power to change her situation. Please know that often this is practiced by someone "unknowingly" and I know that sounds strange.

You are not going to change her, it won't matter how many different tactics you try either and forget the Norman Rockwell picture, ain't gonna happen. Hmmm wonder if your mother is one of those women that watches soap operas every day and then creates her own little soap opera.

How old is your mother?