Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Traveling with you in your Ancient Years is all about just-in-cases, Mom."
This was my reply this evening to her comment that the list of things to take on the trip tomorrow, which she insisted I read to her (as self-elected Trip Supervisor she demands that I keep her apprised of all activities and preparations leading up to trips) as we contemplated tomorrow's journey, had "an awful lot of just-in-case items on it."
She's having a little trouble remembering that it's Thanksgiving (which is fine with me, my preference is to forget holidays) and who we're visiting but becomes excited all over again when I remind her. If you don't like holidays and have to do them anyway, it's best to do them with someone who's resume includes a long stint as Mrs. Holiday.
When I confirmed that Ancients seem to specialize in "just-in-cases", she laughed and said, "Yes, that's part of the fun of getting old," without irony, I might add, which surprised me. My mother is nothing if not ironic and never passes up an opportunity to acknowledge genuine irony.
Gotta love that woman's spirit.
I'm pleased with the products of my baking, today. Everything came out of the oven without hitches. I won't be able to treat the cheesecake to it's preferred 24 hours of refrigeration before serving but I think it will be scrumptious anyway. The pecan pies were a breeze. Too bad I don't like the idea of pecan pie. Mom was so taken with the results that at one point this evening she arose from her rocker and headed into the kitchen.
As per my usual precaution, I asked, "Where are you going?"
"To get myself a piece of pie," she said.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! No you're not!"
She took offense. "Why not?!?" she demanded.
"Mom, let me put it this way. If you take a piece out of either pie or the cheesecake before we deliver them to MCF tomorrow and I'm forced to either bake another or show up without everything requested, I'll never forgive you."
She did a double take. I rarely express myself this strongly to her. "Well!" she said. "I'll have to wait with the rest of them, is that it?!?"
"That's it, Mom. Said and done."
"Such a shame to let those pies go to waste."
"They won't be going to waste! You can have a piece of all three of them tomorrow after dinner! I promise!"
"You can be awfully snippy when you're baking, you know."
All I could do was laugh.
She headed back to her chair, still nursing a snit. The pies will be well hidden tonight before I go to bed. Not that I expect her to awaken in the middle of the night and rummage through the kitchen. But, you know, just in case...
...later.
She's having a little trouble remembering that it's Thanksgiving (which is fine with me, my preference is to forget holidays) and who we're visiting but becomes excited all over again when I remind her. If you don't like holidays and have to do them anyway, it's best to do them with someone who's resume includes a long stint as Mrs. Holiday.
When I confirmed that Ancients seem to specialize in "just-in-cases", she laughed and said, "Yes, that's part of the fun of getting old," without irony, I might add, which surprised me. My mother is nothing if not ironic and never passes up an opportunity to acknowledge genuine irony.
Gotta love that woman's spirit.
I'm pleased with the products of my baking, today. Everything came out of the oven without hitches. I won't be able to treat the cheesecake to it's preferred 24 hours of refrigeration before serving but I think it will be scrumptious anyway. The pecan pies were a breeze. Too bad I don't like the idea of pecan pie. Mom was so taken with the results that at one point this evening she arose from her rocker and headed into the kitchen.
As per my usual precaution, I asked, "Where are you going?"
"To get myself a piece of pie," she said.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! No you're not!"
She took offense. "Why not?!?" she demanded.
"Mom, let me put it this way. If you take a piece out of either pie or the cheesecake before we deliver them to MCF tomorrow and I'm forced to either bake another or show up without everything requested, I'll never forgive you."
She did a double take. I rarely express myself this strongly to her. "Well!" she said. "I'll have to wait with the rest of them, is that it?!?"
"That's it, Mom. Said and done."
"Such a shame to let those pies go to waste."
"They won't be going to waste! You can have a piece of all three of them tomorrow after dinner! I promise!"
"You can be awfully snippy when you're baking, you know."
All I could do was laugh.
She headed back to her chair, still nursing a snit. The pies will be well hidden tonight before I go to bed. Not that I expect her to awaken in the middle of the night and rummage through the kitchen. But, you know, just in case...
...later.
