Word to Your Mother
to your mother
Sunday, May 8, 2022
She May Be Smiling, But She is Fierce
Monday, January 17, 2022
Mom's Birthday is January 13th
Greetings!
This post is about Mom. At times when I post about Mom, I include random pictures that don't go with the story but tell a story of their own, just to mix it up a bit. I used to add cute pics of the kids throughout a post, just to keep people updated on what the kids looked like, what they were up to. Well, the kids are now 14 and 12. Cute pictures are no longer a thing. In fact, this is a most recent, elusive family photo from late summer 2021. (Tip: Capture them in the car, get the selfie centered while they are engrossed in their phones, say their names, then *quick* take the pic. Your window of time is small.)
So instead of cute kid pics, you can enjoy cute cat pics. Ziggy (left) and Buzz (right) are here to entertain between the lines.
I like to post on Mom's birthday to reflect upon her life, share some joy she spread, to remember Mom as the kickass person she was. Well, here it is January 17th and not a word on here recently about Mom. I have been living life as is comes; these days life just seems to happen on a daily basis and I deal with what is happening without much thought outside of my daily bubble. And that's fine.
Last spring I was reading a local publication, Southern Maryland Woman Magazine, and came across a small ad about submitting an idea for a possible article. I folded back the page and left it next to my spot on the couch for the next 4 months. I finally took care of business and emailed a little blurb of my writing about Mom. A couple months went by and I received an email expressing interest in my writing, would I like to write about 700-800 words about Mom's story to be published in January 2022? Um, yes please.
I wrote the story almost immediately, whittled it down to the amount of words allotted, and submitted it. Then THIS BIRD EPISODE HAPPENED (THIS HAPPENED TOO) . Wowza. It would have been a powerful story to add to the article, but alas it had already been whittled to the bare bones. A few weeks later, the magazine contacted me saying they wanted to me to write more...enough words for me to piece back the whittled-out AND ADD THE BIRD STORY. I sent in my final draft, some pictures, left the rest up to the incredible people at the magazine, and went about my business. I would occasionally tell people about the article, but had no idea when it would actually be published. Life has been happening on a daily basis, so time went on and "when will the article come out" kept niggling in the back of my head, but I never took action to find out the answer. On January 13th I checked the online magazine site and noted a new cover. I digitally flipped through the pages until I came across page 21 with me and my Mama smiling back at me.
Click here for the website and flip to page 21.
Happy 87th Birthday, Mom.
Saturday, September 4, 2021
Wait Wait, There's More
I can't make this stuff up. Rapid fire part dos...
Dad had a car that he wanted Mike and I to sell for him.
We brought the car back to our house in Maryland to sell.
A delightful couple named Greg and Kelly, who live 30 minutes north of Dad, drove 3 hours this morning to purchase the car.
Mike talked with Greg and I talked with Kelly about all sorts of things unrelated to buying the car, as if we were old friends catching up. At one point Kelly and I briefly spoke of her grief from her Mom dying this past spring and Mom's death anniversary yesterday. I thought about telling her of my experience from yesterday morning, but I didn't because I didn't want her to think I was a freak.
As the 4 of us were standing around our driveway wrapping things up, Mike quietly called across the driveway, "Peg, she's back".
The same bird from yesterday, white dot next to it's right eye, was climbing on Mike's shoulder. We were all speechless. I told Kelly and Greg of the show that was put on for me yesterday morning and the meaning behind it. Kelly said in a quiet, straight forward voice, "That's your Mom." I looked at her and said, "It is." As we continued to talk, the bird pecked at Mike's ear and a mole on his neck.
The bird flitted onto the car Dad sold and pecked around there. Greg held his arm out to encourage the bird and it jumped right onto his arm, repeatedly going from the car to Greg's arm.
At one point the bird landed on Kelly. It chewed on her straw and futzed around. As the bird was perched on Kelly's arm, pecking at her bracelets, Kelly asked if Mom liked jewelry...Mom had boxes of jewelry.
I explained that I thought Mom was there to thank Kelly and Greg for taking the car off of Dad's hands...similar to Dad being in the same room, in the same bed that Mom was in on the forth floor rehab and Dad saying, "She's still taking care of me"...similar to when neighbor Toni received her first quilt of the month gift from Dad, a thank you to her for providing food for him, and Toni showed us the name of the quilt block...
Friday, September 3, 2021
You Have to See This to Believe It, I'm Serious
I was talking with a dear friend last night, not realizing the next day would be September 3rd, and I mentioned that I rarely feel the presence of Mom. I figure she's busy making people laugh, maybe watching over others that need her protection, and she knows I'm ok so I don't feel her around much. Well today, she really put on a show.
Wednesday, January 13, 2021
A Story in Honor of Mom's 86th Birthday Today
Friday, November 20, 2020
Amazon Update
Oh Lordy. Here's an update from last weekend...
SATURDAY
Dad somehow gets locked out of Amazon and needs a password to get back in to continue to spend my inheritance.
Dad doesn't know his password.
Dad is internet-password-savvy enough to know how reset his password.
Dad can't get the code to reset his password to work.
I assist Dad in resetting his password.
We use Dad's password-remembering strategy and write the new password on a sticky note and stick it to the lid of his laptop.
Dad continues his Amazon shopping...a package of 3 of something of which I can't reveal or I'll ruin Christmas, a cat toy (when I ask why he is getting the cat toy he says incredulously "For. Your. Cats?" as if he purchases pet toys everyday (I believe Dad has NEVER purchased a cat toy).), another jar of instant coffee. All separate orders. 1 cart at a time.
SUNDAY
I hear reports about the expected 3 packages on Monday, 2 day shipping you know. Some beet root supplements are ordered, arriving Tuesday.
MONDAY
I speak to Dad earlier on in the day. He remembers that 3 packages are coming on Monday but can't remember what he ordered. We discuss his list. He reports that the beet root would come the next day.
Later in the day Dad confirms the arrival of the secret gift, cat toy (my cats don't read this so no spoiler alert there), and instant coffee (Peggy Anne it's the good stuff, Folgers.). Beet root arrives tomorrow.
TOMORROW (TUESDAY)
Dad checks the tracking of the beet root earlier in the day. He reports that it was in New Jersey, went some place else, THEN WAS SENT BACK TO NEW JERSY. Dad believes the beet root supplements will not arrive today. The beet root supplements do not arrive.
WEDNESDAY
The beet root supplements (BRS) arrive. Dad does not complain that it took 3 DAYS instead of 2. He proudly tells me that he put some of the BRS in a smaller jar to put on the counter then put the larger jar on the pantry shelf next to the line up of his other supplements. Dad's supplements are lined up on a shelf in the pantry, you say?
Thursday, November 19, 2020
This Episode is Brought to You By Amazon
The latest news of how this pandemic has changed Dad involves online shopping. Dad usually tells me what he wants and I order whatever it is for him because filling out his address and credit card information is a hassle. The Man just last week reported to me that he ordered instant coffee from Amazon. The conversation went something like this...
Dad: I found instant coffee on Amazon. I just clicked on what I wanted and my information was already in saved in there.
PA: Dad that's amazing!
Dad: Yeah, now I ordered (fill in the blank). You know it's easy and it's free shipping.
PA: That's great Dad!
The next few days I received reports on tracking information, when the packages arrived, what packages in which he was still waiting, and praise to Amazon for how easy and quick the process was. Who knew? Dad might be a little late to the binge-shopping of the pandemic, but he's certainly enjoying and he has the cash to pay for it so we're safe...for now.