We Played Hooky from Church! Sunday, December 19, 2010

I was late picking my mom up for church! Always a bad move because we have challenges getting in and out of the car...battling the crowds...getting to the pew...you name it we have challenges. Mom and I have developed a unique way of getting her out of my card which rides a bit low for her long legs. We move her legs out to the side so they are facing the outside. We scrunch around until they are touching the ground, not too hard for her! And then we hold hands. Being careful of her right, because she is out of cartiledge in the right shoulder. Then I bend at the knees creating a counterweight so at the count of three, with me leaning back just a bit, we both stand up and my leaning and pushing with my legs creating the counter weight works so well, Bubsie stands up smooth as silk! It's slick. We call it the seesaw! But you can see how it can make you late for church and mom doesn't like being late for church. Who does? You get a bad seat and the service is hard to see and to hear. Also, there's the problem of getting trampled in the very friendly crowds.

So I suggested we play hooky! This was greeted with tears at first. And then a certain bit of thinking past the initial disappointment to what fun she might have with her oldest and not most loved child -- all of us are equally adored -- but certainly funnest child! This gave way to a great big smile and the words, "Let's do it!"

My mom lives is South Minneapolis and the closest action on a Sunday if you drive by Mount Olivet Church and try not to look, but perhaps gaze a bit and the HUGE crowd and are glad just a bit you aren't in it...is the Southdale Mall! So that was our general destination. Being short on funds due to our manicures and hairdo experience a couple of days earlier -- we hadn't bought the ring yet -- we decided upon Starbucks Coffee as the place to hang out for awhile.

It was so lovely! We found two cozy chairs and after I got Legs (my other nickname for Bubsie) seated in one, I went to get us a small repast. First round was: Black iced tea and gingerbread for me, hot tea and low fat coffee cake for Legs!

We sat and laughed and talked to the people who walked by us. Both mom and I unabashedly talk to people in public so when we're together things get pretty uninhibited. One rule of thumb is: Since I am married, we try not to pick up men, right mom? Gales of laughter! Believe me until most recently and she began to live with all women in her current residential home she was still beating them off with a stick! More laughter!!!! So true though!

Before our second round we got a call from her youngest, my lovable, handsome and remarkably-in-love brother Scott wanting to know if we wanted to meet for lunch if we were finished with church. More laughter! Knowing God has a sense of humor we weren't watching for the lightening bolt to strike too close. More laughter. We said sure Scott we can meet you, were finished, howling laughter!!! When we calmed down, we picked a place near Southdale to meed him. Since he couldn't meet us for another 1/2 hour we had round two: 2 iced teas and a sugar Polar Bear cookie for Bubsie!

Navigating the sidewalk again for the car getting in and out again...what is with all this snow and ice...oh yes we live in Minnesota! Howls of laughter! We were quite giddy by this time, you may have noticed. Drove around Southdale to our eatery and met up with Scott and his lovely wife Maria.

This is Scott with Mom. He got her long limbs! I got her cheek bones...wait I believe he has those too!

We enjoyed a riotous lunch. Scott accused me of complaining too much to the waiter about mom's lunch being too burned and about mine being too late, the usual sibling stuff. I got mom a free lunch but felt I should have received a free dessert as well. Scott bought me a dessert which we all shared. I said very nice, but not my point. It was good natured fun all around and fortunately not all we discussed at lunch. Clearer heads prevailed and Maria was there to keep the peace. I love my family!

Maria and I...now you know just looking at those angelic faces that I couldn't have been a pain at lunch, right!

Ring Shopping! What a day! Tuesday, December 21st

Bubsie's mind became acutely aware of the fact that her hands were ringless. This was disturbing to a beautiful woman who had always had some kind of diamond on her hand throughout her adult life. Even the years of my mom's divorce from my father, she always had a pretty ring to wear. And she has beautiful hands with long pretty fingers. Pianist's hands. She still plays for the ladies at her house now and then. I couldn't bear it...it became my mission to get her a ring! I was tired yesterday, but after my errands were run, I showed up at her place with a very pretty ring sized for her left hand. The boat didn't float! It was too big in design and bumped too hard against her surrounding fingers! This would never do...she had delicate, fine skin, the ring would bruise and tear it. I smelled shopping in the air and tired as we both were...we were off!

This is a picture of where I wanted to be, but ring shopping was the order of the day! Soon we were in the spirit of it all. It was almost Christmas and this was to be her present from me. We joked about how it didn't need to have it be a surprise for every time she looked at her had she'd be surprised anew! Then we laughed heartily. We love to laugh at memory jokes!

On to the store to return the first ring and perhaps find her another for they had beautiful and unique rings. It was snowing. The terrain in the parking lot was going to be a challenge! It was! But the time I got my Bubsie, out of the car, across the parking lot and up to the store, she wasn't ready to sit down in a store without chair. I leaned us both against a cart. (Busbie is taller than I and I get tired too!) I asked for help. The manager came over and I asked him for a wheelchair. He didn't have one so I inquired if the mall did. He called, they did and he went to get it himself! Such a nice man and we meet them wherever we go! Once we had the wheel chair we proceeded to jewelry and began our 3 hour ring shopping expedition. At least I think it took that long to try on every one they had, buy a couple and return them! Finally, another employee stopped buy, snatched a ring off a display behind us -- handed it to mom to try on -- and Bubsie had her ring. It was so beautiful! Vintage, sterling with a black onyx stone. It looked exquisite on her hand. I don't thing she'll ever forget it, because she'll never stop looking at it. Merry Christmas Bubsie! Merry Christmas to you all!

Almost on time for the Christmas Party!

We tooled into the lot for the 6:00 PM Christmas Party in St. Louis Park MN around 6:30. We need help a lot so we anticipate that sweet and delightful people will help up and they're usually around. This time a fellow was helping his daughter in with her groceries and took the time to help Bubsie out of the car and seat her inside the apartment lobby so I could parK. What a nice man he was! We were at my husband's sisters place and everyone was so friendly there. Mom received so many compliments! She really did look nice!

Here is a picture of my husband, Mike and her by the Christmas tree:

Preparations for The Christmas Party - Friday, December 17th

It was Friday and I was battling the forces of finance to get to mom. I was trying to finish my work-at-home job, get out to the main office to pick up my check, run to the bank to deposit it, get mom and I some cash -- and pick her up!

I finally sprung Bubsie around 3PM! We had a lot to do and had to roll! The first stop was the nail place. Time for our manicures. We needed something Christmasey, being that the wondrous event, the celebration of our Savoir's birth was only one week away! Wait slow down, this sounds like we're moving fast. We never move fast...we think we are but every movement is a complex manuvuer especially in the winter. We braved it is more like it and that is what I admire most about my Bubsie -- her bravery. Despite considerable obstacles she continues to keep trying the next snowbank hurdle, the next forray into the unknown without her memory, only a trusted companion to guide her. Takes guts and she has them and more.

At the manicurist we were treated like royalty. We sat next to each other and were buffed and polished the reddest most Christmasey nails ever. Then we walked carefully down the sidewalk to Great Clips for a new hairdo! We decided against the spray your dirty hair and cut in $14.00 bargain and went, instead for the $25.00 works: Shampoo, cut and Style. Since our next stop was the Christmas Party!! She looked fabuloso! We were ready for the part. I was a bit bedraggles. The lady at Great Clips really wanted to get her hands on me, but I wasn't about to part with any more money for something I could easily do at home.

On to the Christmas party! Mom was getting tired now and so was I from our special way of lifting her in and out of the car using the strength in my legs.We were in great spirit reflecting on our day and how much fun we'd had. And as usual, Mom asked me to write everything down so we wouldn't forget one minute of it and and I promised I would and give it to her and read it to her as often as she liked. This way, she could relive the day as often as she likes and have to worry about forgetting any of it!

My beautiful mom: