Thursday, September 2, 2021

Mom, The Louvre And Me


Mom had been an upper middle class
stay at home mom who volunteered,
hosted dinner parties,
and looked for all the world
like she was living the life of
Laura Petrie.
(GTS)

Then she wasn't.
She was a single parent with four kids,
a business to liquidate, 
and a house to sell.
The only job experience I ever heard her
talk about was butchering chickens
during the war.

All this to say, we were never rolling in dough.

But mom had dreams.
She used to talk about how she and I would go 
to the Louvre together.
Right.

Fast forward to my marrying Mike.
He had close relatives in Germany
so travel to Europe was a thing.
On one of our trips we made a side trip down to Paris
and went to The Louvre.
I brought a rock from the gravel outside
the entrance and took it home to mom.

Fast forward to Big retiring and 
mom and Big's Excellent Adventures.
One of which took them to 
The Louvre.
Mom brought a rock home to me.

Fast forward to Shanna studying abroad
during college.
Mom, Dirk and I went over to see Shanna
and have an Excellent Adventure.
Dirk and Shanna carried on to an adventure of their own
and mom and I had ours.
A ride on The Chunnel to Paris
and The Louvre.




Thursday, January 28, 2021

Happy Birthday, Big

It's Big's birthday today. 

Her third one in heaven.

Shanna is preparing her house for sale so is 
decluttering,
cleaning out, 
purging, 
organizing.
And she came across a treasure packed away for safekeeping.
It's a book that allows you to record yourself reading it.

We had Big do it years ago, quite possibly before
Shanna even had Quinn.
It starts out with Big saying, 
"...read to you by Meme"
and a nervous little giggle.
Big was a bit self-conscious
reading to air, she would have been far more
comfortable with a roomful of first graders
sitting on the floor all around her.
But, Big was always a good sport
if nothing else.
So, she read to thin air and now
the gift of being able to hear her voice
after missing it for all these years just fills my heart
and my eyes.

Happy Birthday, Big.
Thank you for the gift.




Saturday, December 5, 2020

Random Acts

 

I loaned a couple of gates to a stranger.
She returned them today and dropped this
poinsettia
off as a thank you.

What she couldn't know is that mom and Big
got me a poinsettia every year 
through a fundraiser at their church.

Somehow I was aware of when the fundraiser
was being held last year so I ordered one
for myself as support for the 
church they loved and,
 to just have one less thing to miss last year.

Well, this year I hadn't thought early enough 
to check if their church was still doing
the event this year, given Covid and all.

I'm thankful for a Father who knows my heart
 and those who act as His
 hands and feet 
here on earth.


Tuesday, November 24, 2020

It's A Two-Fer Day

 Walking in the snow.
Walking in the snow with my bestie.

That is all.

Monday, November 23, 2020

Thanksgiving

Or, maybe more to the point, 
Thanksgivings past.
This is from 2008.
Gaye and I have been spending 
Thanksgiving mornings together
for MANY years.

We had some *interesting*
Thanksgivings.
Most notably, the one when I prepared
pretty much the entire meal in crockpots
and then transported them to 
Carriage Oaks
because Big wasn't well enough
to travel to my house.

Last year was our first one without mom.
Mom wore that sweatshirt every year.
I wanted to strangle her every year.
It was complicated. 
But, it makes me smile now.

Gaye and I cooked 
Thanksgiving dinner together last year.
We both knew we'd need each other for that one. 

Gaye now has twin grand daughters.
Even I know to not get between a grandma
and her grandloves.

I knew last year that Gaye wouldn't be
cooking with me this year.
I've had a whole year to get comfortable
with the idea of a totally different 
Thanksgiving this year.
For that, I am thankful.

I'm pretty sure Mike's parents will stay
hunkered down and safe in their own apartment.
This year it will be Mike, Ava and me.

It'll be different.
it's fine. 
But, some things remain.



 

Thursday, November 19, 2020

This City

Chicago.
If only it wasn't in Illinois.

I have had so much fun exploring this city.
Sometimes I go down by myself and just spend
 time wandering.

Sometimes Honey and I go and picnic
by the lake.

Sometimes I go with some combo
of girlfriends.

And once we went with a 
group of us for my 60th.

I'm thankful to have such an amazing city
at my disposal. 

Not so much in January.
Or February.
Or Covid.
 

Wednesday, November 18, 2020

Christmas Music

I'm thankful for it.
  Not gonna lie or be ashamed.
I started it up November 1st.
I'll keep it going until at least 
New Years Day.
Andy was mom's favorite.
Mine too.

But, you know what?
I've been known to crank it up 
mid-June.

Even when it wasn't 2020