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!