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.

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.

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.

It's A Two-Fer Day

 Walking in the snow.

Walking in the snow with my bestie.

That is all.

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.

 

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.

 

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