Tumbled Memories

My dryer is not working properly so I have had to do the wash then haul it off to the laundromat for drying. I would hang it out on the line to dry but with all the trees in my yard I am afraid the birds would make a mess of it. So I loaded the baskets into the back of the car, grabbed my library books and a soda, and drove down the road to the coin laundry. As I parked the car near the door I was glad to see that I would be the only one there. After dropping my quarters into the slots and selecting the heat settings I settled into a chair to read. As I sat there my mind wandered away from my book and back to my childhood. My mother would be doing this very same thing, late at night or very early in the morning so she could stake claim to as many washers and dryers as necessary for a family of eight. If any of us kids were awake and willing to go she would let us tag along to help with the folding and hanging and the loading of the car. I always loved it if I got to be the sole accompaniment and have time to talk to her without all my brothers and sisters around. It didn't seem much like work because time spent with my mother was always a pleasure. She would let me put the coins in the slots and slide them in to start the wash and she would follow me down the row of machines adding detergent. A few extra coins would appear for the soda machine and then we would take our seats and flip through the magazines, talking idly as we listened to the swoosh of water cleaning away the dirt of our busy lives. It was at the laundromat that my mother taught me how to sort the clothes, to get out stains, when to take clothes out of the dryer before they wrinkled, how to fold sheets so they would feel fresh and sleek when stretched tight across the beds. It was at the laundromat that I learned to appreciate the quietness of the early mornings, the glow of neon, the clean powdery smell of laundry soap, and the dance of colors as the clothes tumbled and floated in the dryers.
I was brought quickly back to the present when a mother and her teenage daughter walked in with their baskets overflowing with wet clothes. The teen loaded the dryers as the mother went in search of the change machine. Then they too settled into their seats with magazines and sodas, chatting off and on as they flipped the pages. I couldn't help but smile to think of how these most mundane tasks have a way of becoming the concrete foundations of our relationships and a pleasurable pool of memories from which to dip as the years go by. I closed my book and waited quietly until the dryers buzzed, wishing I could have my mother here with me, thankful for the times we shared before the light of dawn.

I Love You Most

After a wonderful, long-awaited visit from our daughter and her family it was finally time to say our farewells and see them off for their long flight back to London. That is the hardest part of the visits, not knowing how long it will be before we will once again hold them in our arms and wrap them with our love. After hugs and kisses and trying to hold back tears we left our daughters and our grandchildren at the check-in counter of Virgin Airlines. My husband and I walked slowly down the corridor then stopped to get one more glimpse. As we stood there watching them checking the bags and pulling out passports our three year old granddaughter, perched in the baggage cart, caught sight of us. Cupping her little hands to her face she called out loudly "I love you". My husband and I called back "We love you more" to which she immediately responded "I love you most". And that is what will get me through the months to come until we see them in person again.

Rocky Day

Somehow I missed the memo that today was Take Your Raccoon to Work day. If I had gotten it I am fairly certain I would have been more prepared for the sight at the gas station this morning. As I stood pumping money into my seemingly bottomless tank I glanced across the parking lot to see a man emerge from his pickup truck with a small raccoon perched upon his shoulder. As I blinked in disbelief he sauntered into the mini-mart, the masked critter clinging to his shirt for balance. Emblazoned across his T-shirt were the words The Tree Man. I wondered what exactly one would do with a raccoon while out trimming trees? Perhaps send the animal as a scout to scare away any animals lurking in or near the tree? Or maybe Tree Man uses the raccoon as an unpaid laborer, sending the little creature up into the highest boughs with a small chainsaw to top the trees? Maybe the raccoon helps with tying off limbs by dragging ropes up the tree to the designated point? I finished filling my tank and walked warily into the store to pay. As I approached the counter there was Tree Man talking to the wide-eyed clerk. I kept my distance, not wanting to alarm the creature who was now clinging to the man's head. I could envision being attacked by this woodland creature for invading his space. I wanted to turn around and leave but I didn't want to be charged with theft so I waited quietly in line. After the man had paid for his Slushee and cigarettes he turned ever so slowly, and the raccoon scrambled from his head, across the counter, and onto the clerk's shoulder. She laughed nervously and the man stepped aside to allow me to step up. I practically threw my money at the clerk, not wanting to encourage another change in transport for the raccoon. On the way back to my car I made a mental note of the truck so I could drive on by the next time I might happen to be stopping for gas. I think I would probably make it to the next station instead. Why do people have to take their pets with them everywhere they go anyway?

From Old Comes New

I have been counting down the days until my children and grandchildren are all gathered in one place. I can hardly wait for the plane to land in Chicago, bringing its most precious cargo to American soil once again. It has been nearly six months since I last saw my younger daughter and her family. My husband has been anxiously waiting to hold his grandson for the first time and to swallow them all in giant bear hugs. I want everything to be perfect for their visit, yet I know it will not be so. I haven't managed to clean out my husband's home office to make way for a room of her own for our granddaughter. She will have to share a room instead. I haven't gotten around to touching up the paint on the bathroom wall where the new light fixtures were installed. I haven't managed to weed all the flower beds and trim all the shrubs. I haven't yet planned out the menus. But nearly perfect is good enough for me. I have managed to drag out my children's toy box and sort through the twenty-something year old toys. I had to smile when I opened a small blue jean purse to find it filled with dozens of Cabbage Patch Kids Shrinky Dinks. Dance leotards and tap shoes were tucked into a pink ballet bag. Jump rope, pink child-size weights, and assorted exercise gadgets were tucked into another bag. Rainbow Bright and Strawberry Shortcake dolls were packed away in boxes, while My Little Ponies were corraled in a small trunk. My youngest daughter's Lemon Drop treasure box was secured tightly with its tiny lock, the key to which was found hidden inside another small purse in a sliding metal lip balm case. Adjustable Fischer Price roller skates await my granddaughter's use, as do the hundreds of storybooks that I saved from my children's early years. A Rainbow Bright cassette player still seems to work and the cassettes are now sitting on a shelf just waiting for little ears to enjoy the tales to be told. My younger daughter's music box, a gift from her grandmother, sits upon the bookcase, beckoning with its tinkly song and tiny twirling monkey. The giant chalkboard is waiting to be washed down and fastened to the garage wall in anticipation of little artful hands. I was actually surprised at how many things I had kept from my daughters' childhood days. I expect that they will get a kick out of seeing some of these relics of their past. A new wading pool is stored in the garage and several new baby toys share space in the toy box for my grandson's pleasure. The car seats, strollers, baby monitors, booster chair and sippy cups are ready and waiting. It has been a pleasurely trip down memory lane getting ready for this visit. I cannot wait for the chance to create many new memories while sharing the past.

No Apologies Please

Over the years I have grappled with a question that inevitably comes up when meeting someone for the first time. In the course of pleasant conversation someone will ultimately ask how many children I have. To the majority of people this may seem illogical that it would give one pause before answering. If you have never experienced the loss of a child you cannot understand the emotion involved in the answer. First and foremost I am the mother of three daughters. In my heart and soul I will always be so. So shouldn't it be that simple to say so? But it is not so simple, so I weigh whether I am likely to see this new person again and how often I may be interacting with him/her. If I tell a relative stranger that I had three daughters but my youngest died twenty years ago at the age of seven from a brain tumor, conversation can come to an uncomfortably screaching halt. The stranger suddenly feels guilty for asking and begins to apologize so I end up trying to ease their anxiety. I hate being in the position of providing comfort to a stranger for my sorrow.

I would never say I had only two daughters but I might say that I have one daughter living in Chicago and another living in London and leave it at that, though it feels guiltily like denying my youngest daughter's existence. Or I might say simply that I have three daughters if the conversation will likely be very brief so that further questions will not ensue. If I am meeting someone that I will be seeing or dealing with regularly I find it better to have the conversation early on. I don't rush to explain but when I am asked I would go ahead and talk about it then so we can move beyond that moment of anxiety for the listener.

Don't get me wrong on this, I enjoy talking about and remembering my youngest child. She was an absolute joy and will always be in my thoughts daily. It's just that some people, usually younger adults who have perhaps not experienced the loss of a close family member, feel so uncomfortable when they find out that they get flustered and don't know what to say. They get that deer in the headlights look and you can see them mentally restraining themselves from bolting from the scene. Other people are totally comfortable with it and we can enjoy a moment of explanation without the stumbling of words and then move the conversation forward. You never know what someone's situation is so always try to be the latter. Don't make that person tell you it's okay. It is not okay, never will be okay, but life goes on and we have to make the best of it.

A Royal Lesson

While webcamming the other day with my daughter and my grandchildren I was given a lesson in British culture. My three year old granddaughter had performed a song for us and then took a bow. Afterward, she curtsied and asked me to do the same. Seems I needed a lesson because I didn't quite come up to standard for meeting the queen. Amelia explained in detail to me just how to properly bow my head, bend my knees, and hold my dress (or rather my T-shirt that morning) for a royal curtsy. I tried again and was praised with "Good job Nana". I suppose I will be practicing over the next month before their visit to the states so I will get it right when I next see the little princess in person. I hope I will meet her royal expectations!

Tag - I'm It

I was tagged for this meme by my daughter so here goes:

1. What are your current obsessions? Pottery, roasted red pepper hummus and sea salt pita chips, crossword puzzles, photography, strawberries-cored and filled with Amaretto then topped with whipped cream - fabulous.

2. Which item from your wardrobe do you wear most often? as much as possible, flannel pajama pants with t-shirt, very comfy, especially in the early morning hours while sipping coffe on the porch! Blue jeans when I am in public. Scrubs at work.

3. Last dream you had? work related, so I won't bore you here

4. Last thing you bought? besides groceries, a quilt for my 3 year old granddaughter who was absolutely adorable with her excitement when she received it in the mail

5. What are you listening to? Right now, a random mix of Corrine Bailey Ray, Robert Plant and Allison Krauss, Joe Bonamassa, Harry Manx and Kevin Breit, and Susan Tedeschi.

6. What childhood friend that you have lost contact with would you most like to see again? Dandelion

7. Favourite holiday spots? London, Chicago, Memphis, Nashville

8. Reading right now? Gardening books, medical coding books

9. Four words to describe yourself: Stubborn, Clutterphobic, Detail-oriented, Creative

10. Guilty pleasure? Art fairs, buying clothes and books for my grandchildren

11. Who or what makes you laugh until you’re weak? My husband, when he is not making me scream or cringe.

12. Favourite spring thing to do? I love to lie in bed in the wee hours of the morning, with the spring air drifting gently through the window screen billowing the sheer curtains in and out like a sail, and listen to the concert of chirping and whistling as the birds awaken and begin their day. Makes me really miss living in the country.

13. When you die, what would you like people to say about you at your funeral? She was late for everything, even her own funeral.

14. Best thing you ate or drank lately? Grilled salmon prepared by my husband

15. When did you last go for a night out? Went to see Taken at the theatre then to dinner, maybe 2 months ago? A wedding reception in March? So long ago I don't remember.

16. Where is the next place you'd like to travel? Napa Valley with my wine-loving friends

17. Care to share some wisdom? Be happy in the present and grateful for the tomorrows

18. Song you can’t get out of your head? Janis Joplin's "Me and My Bobby McGee"

19. Thing you are looking forward to? Holding my daughters and grandchildren in my arms when they are all here in June.

20. Which disease or condition would you most like to see eradicated? Pediatric brain tumors, autism, diabetes, and multiple sclerosis.

21. What is your most irrational fear? My fear of heights.

22. what irritates you on a regular basis? Work

23. What is the most important lesson you've learned from someone in your life? Never go to bed angry with those you love

24. If you could change careers right now what field would you be in? Perhaps architecture

This meme ends here unless anyone would like to continue in comments or on their own blog.