83 years is a long time
So: today was my mom's 83rd birthday.
It was a pretty day, too-- sunny sky full of fluffy clouds against blue, not all that hot, a nice breeze; I ran around with my younger sister Denise for a few hours checking on foreclosed homes (she's a real-estate agent and she's giving a seminar on how to shop for just that), and they were kind of cool-- we saw a few nice ones and a few schlocky ones and some really pretty neighborhoods. And then there was the one with wasps darting angrily all over the front porch, which I declined to check out, thanks very much; anybody here who knows me is aware of my feelings regarding bees and wasps, i.e., I'm allergic and HIGHLY paranoid of the triple-damned things. So I sat that one out. But otherwise it was pretty damn neat, and we ate lunch at a place called Big Mama's Country Cooking that was ooooohh good om nom nom. Soul food, all home-made; I had chicken & dumplings, blackeyed peas, fresh-cooked turnip greens, cornbread, sweet tea and a piece of red velvet cake. **burp**
So then after a few errands, we headed back to my older sister's place for my mom's party. I'd picked her up a pair of shoes (it's convenient to wear the same size, and she loves shoes and these were *damn* nice) and there were several outfits bought by my sisters-- it's hard to shop for anybody her age, because she has tons of jewelry and clothes, is on a limited diet and can't fit much in her place in the nursing home. But she seemed pretty pleased with her presents; she opened them after we'd all eaten a gargantuan BBQ chicken dinner that my older sister set up (I made the salad) for all eighteen of us. Yes, eighteen. I don't recall there being a gathering of this many of my family in one place since my grandmama was alive.
I had a good time, talking to my mom, aunt, uncle, sisters, in-laws, nephews, niece, great niece, great nephew and his girlfriend (I think that's everybody); but it was, in a way, kind of weird. I joked earlier that if my older brother was the black sheep of the family, I was the tie-dyed technicolor sheep... and you know, I don't think I'm all that far off. What made me go so sideways to what they all want and are happy with? I'm not sad about it, exactly, just... puzzled, I guess. And a little lonely. That'll pass, though, because I have a good life and good friends and people who love me, and some of 'em are blood-relations and some of 'em aren't. That works just fine for me.
But I'm still puzzled. I was thinking kind of idly about time today, and I told my younger sister that maybe there's too much writer in me, because I see my life split into what almost works out to chapters: 1) Birth through getting married and leaving the country for Germany, 2) Living in Europe, 3) Returning stateside and eventually being divorced, and 4) My life since then. Very uneven in lengths of time; I mean, we've got 27 years, 3 years, 12 years and 6 years more or less. I suppose I could break it up with college or even with going to Britain with my dad when I was 16... but the point is, I have clear delineations in my life when WowBigChangesHappened. Does everybody have this, or is it just me? Where'd I turn sideways from the rest of them? We *do* have things in common, I know we do, but still.
Like I said-- puzzled.
Anyway, back to the party. It went well-- we had a cake for Mama with a singing candle (that was weird) provided by my little sister, marble with cream-cheese frosting; mmmmm. And ice cream, and if I don't gain weight from this trip it won't be for lack of trying. ^__^ And my mom had a good time, and then got massively fuzzy on just who we all were (sensory overload? could be) and my aunt took her back to the nursing home. Dunno how much she'll remember tomorrow, but I think she enjoyed it.
Tomorrow, if all goes well, I'll rent a car and head out to the beach for the day; I'll swim and walk the trails out at St. Andrew's State Park, and on the way home I'll pick up some flowers and visit my dad's grave. And then I'll have one more day here and then I'll head back.
It's been good; but I'm ready to go home now.
It was a pretty day, too-- sunny sky full of fluffy clouds against blue, not all that hot, a nice breeze; I ran around with my younger sister Denise for a few hours checking on foreclosed homes (she's a real-estate agent and she's giving a seminar on how to shop for just that), and they were kind of cool-- we saw a few nice ones and a few schlocky ones and some really pretty neighborhoods. And then there was the one with wasps darting angrily all over the front porch, which I declined to check out, thanks very much; anybody here who knows me is aware of my feelings regarding bees and wasps, i.e., I'm allergic and HIGHLY paranoid of the triple-damned things. So I sat that one out. But otherwise it was pretty damn neat, and we ate lunch at a place called Big Mama's Country Cooking that was ooooohh good om nom nom. Soul food, all home-made; I had chicken & dumplings, blackeyed peas, fresh-cooked turnip greens, cornbread, sweet tea and a piece of red velvet cake. **burp**
So then after a few errands, we headed back to my older sister's place for my mom's party. I'd picked her up a pair of shoes (it's convenient to wear the same size, and she loves shoes and these were *damn* nice) and there were several outfits bought by my sisters-- it's hard to shop for anybody her age, because she has tons of jewelry and clothes, is on a limited diet and can't fit much in her place in the nursing home. But she seemed pretty pleased with her presents; she opened them after we'd all eaten a gargantuan BBQ chicken dinner that my older sister set up (I made the salad) for all eighteen of us. Yes, eighteen. I don't recall there being a gathering of this many of my family in one place since my grandmama was alive.
I had a good time, talking to my mom, aunt, uncle, sisters, in-laws, nephews, niece, great niece, great nephew and his girlfriend (I think that's everybody); but it was, in a way, kind of weird. I joked earlier that if my older brother was the black sheep of the family, I was the tie-dyed technicolor sheep... and you know, I don't think I'm all that far off. What made me go so sideways to what they all want and are happy with? I'm not sad about it, exactly, just... puzzled, I guess. And a little lonely. That'll pass, though, because I have a good life and good friends and people who love me, and some of 'em are blood-relations and some of 'em aren't. That works just fine for me.
But I'm still puzzled. I was thinking kind of idly about time today, and I told my younger sister that maybe there's too much writer in me, because I see my life split into what almost works out to chapters: 1) Birth through getting married and leaving the country for Germany, 2) Living in Europe, 3) Returning stateside and eventually being divorced, and 4) My life since then. Very uneven in lengths of time; I mean, we've got 27 years, 3 years, 12 years and 6 years more or less. I suppose I could break it up with college or even with going to Britain with my dad when I was 16... but the point is, I have clear delineations in my life when WowBigChangesHappened. Does everybody have this, or is it just me? Where'd I turn sideways from the rest of them? We *do* have things in common, I know we do, but still.
Like I said-- puzzled.
Anyway, back to the party. It went well-- we had a cake for Mama with a singing candle (that was weird) provided by my little sister, marble with cream-cheese frosting; mmmmm. And ice cream, and if I don't gain weight from this trip it won't be for lack of trying. ^__^ And my mom had a good time, and then got massively fuzzy on just who we all were (sensory overload? could be) and my aunt took her back to the nursing home. Dunno how much she'll remember tomorrow, but I think she enjoyed it.
Tomorrow, if all goes well, I'll rent a car and head out to the beach for the day; I'll swim and walk the trails out at St. Andrew's State Park, and on the way home I'll pick up some flowers and visit my dad's grave. And then I'll have one more day here and then I'll head back.
It's been good; but I'm ready to go home now.