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It's been some time since my mom has driven, but she has fiercely fought against her car being sold. She has been so adamant about not getting rid of that car that the subject has become pretty much a moot point. We all figured that her fury about selling this car was because by getting rid of the car, it meant that she had reconciled herself with the fact that she would never be able to drive again.
Okay, so we were wrong. Not the first time and most certainly not the last.
Last Friday when Lizzy bounced into her grandparents house to show off her brand new driver's license, my mother surprised us all by giving her the car. She told us that this had been her plan all along. It was her car to give away and she wasn't going to let "those men" make the decision about what was going to happen to it.
I should have given her my car and kept this one! It is a true "only driven to church on Sundays" car. Like new and only 28,000 miles on it!
Mom always did like her better.
Less than two years ago, I brought this clerodendrum (the tree on the right) home in my car. In the backseat of my car to be precise.
Now it's reached it's mature height (I hope!) and is really beautiful!
The only real fault this tree has is that in the winter, just before it blossoms, all the leaves fall off the tree and because they are large leaves, they have to be cleaned up each day so they don't bury any of the under plantings. Some days I just want to give the damn thing a few hard shakes so all the leaves would fall at one time!
Just beginning to peek through are the buds that will produce the flowers that give this particular clerodendrum it's common name: Shooting Star.
Sat down at my computer, wiggled the mouse and this came on the screen! Scared the puddin' out of me! I thought it was some kind of yellow-eyed, fanged flying pig!
Someone (I won't mention any names, Michael) was playing in photo booth on my computer and didn't shut it off!
My most wonderful neighbor, Margie, is from Munich, Germany. Last year I had the wonderful fortune of traveling with her to Germany and meeting her two sisters who still live there.
This past Christmas, Margie gave my family her nativity. It hadn't been out of it's box since her husband, Stan, passed away 20 years ago. To add to the antiquity of the set, the manger had been hand-made by Herr Dalmyer, the father-in-law of Margie's older sister, Erika. Herr Dalmyer made the manger from wood and twigs he found in the forests of Bavaria.
The beautiful figurines not only came from Herr Dalmyer, but were also purchased by Margie and Stan in the Kris Kringle Markt in Munich over forty years ago.
Margie did the honors of setting up the scene and reminiscing over each piece. Later, she brought over the moss for the floor and set it up all over again.
This morning when Margie came home from church, she told me that the incense in the church today made her think of her mother.
On each January 6th, her mother would chalk the letters C M B over the front door of their apartment and light a small cone of incense in each room. These acts would bless and protect their home for the next year.
C - Casper M - Melchior B - Balthazar
Celebrating Kings Day as the day the three kings arrived in Bethlehem was thus in Margie's Bavarian home.
Summer 2004
January 2008
The first time Lizzy rode a bus to school was in the first grade.
It was a big event for all of us; my parents even came over and spent the night in order to see their little granddaughter off to school. Lizzy was so excited about school starting and riding that bus that she was up and dressed at four o'clock in the morning.
Finally the appointed hour arrived and we all headed down to the corner to await the bus. We must have been quite a sight: Lizzy and her entourage.
I didn't know how she would react when it came time to actually board the bus. I rehearsed my gently encouraging speech over and over in my head: "This will be great! You're going to have so much fun at school! I can't wait to meet all your new friends!" I envisioned having to drive a screaming kid to school on that first day.
The bus arrived. The door opened. The entourage tensed and held it's breath.
Lizzy climbed up into the bus, turned once, smiled, waved and said "See ya!" The doors closed and she was gone.
We were left, a small, sad entourage on the corner. A tear rolled down my cheek as I watched my confident daughter be carried off toward the future. She didn't need us; we needed her. Well, we needed her to need us.
So today, as I watch my confident daughter drive off by herself for the very first time, I'm reminded of that morning not so long ago. As a tear again rolls down my cheek I hope that in the short years that have separated that moment from this I have taught her to make good choices, do the right thing and to never forget that I still need her to need me even if it's only every once in awhile.
Note to self: Santa reads blogs.
Remember way back when, when I asked Santa for the umbrella swift and ball winder? Well, he read that post! Pity he didn't read my later letter. Now, that would a Christmas gift for the books, huh?
Well, the umbrella swift and winder were under the tree almost as if I had ordered them for myself. (Really, I didn't...I bought myself something completely different!) Actually, Santa said they were a gift for the family as the whole family is tired of having to hold the hanks of yarn between their arms as I wind balls. They all agreed! Can you imagine that?
The dust didn't even have a chance to settle on these beauties before they were called into service. Patti sent up the bat signal indicating that she had lace yarn that needed to be wound. With promises of booze and dinner, we headed over with swift and winder in hand.
Following the instructions for the winder, we read:
It took a lot of hands, but finally we were up and running. I can see why some people wind all their hanks at one time. Those cute little balls are quite appealing and even the kids can do it.
Family gift, my eye. I'm going to have all the fun.
