I am from
I am from the crowded pantry
From Captain Crunch and Blue Bell
I am from the pink bricks my mom will always hate
The sweet smell of cake baking
I am from the honey suckle covering the black fence
The Ash tree, not the biggest but the first to bloom in the spring
I’m from movie night and soda Friday
From Jill and David
I’m from sports and jerky making
and from pillow fights
I’m from “suck it up” and “you blew it bubsie”
And “just do it”
I’m from egg pie
I’m from Plano and Virginia
Spaghetti and ribs
From when my mom broke her arm
By falling off a slide
Old dusty photos
Scattered under the coffee table
Ready to be relived again
Monthly Archives: November 2013
My Great Grandmother’s Ring
My great grandmother marked her 100th birthday last month in a convalescence home required to watch her 24/7. One afternoon, a nursing staff person came into her room and said, “Mam, oh Mam, let me see that ring on your finger?” The nursing assistant pinched the 1920’s diamond engagement ring from her left index finger. “Ooh, that looks dirty. You know what? I’ll have it cleaned and polished for you.”
That was probably the last time she would see her favorite ring. My great grandmother is nearly deaf and almost blind, so she didn’t see or know the name of the assistant who removed it from her finger. She felt so betrayed. The nursing staff did not believe her story until she had to tell the police. In just days, she became so depressed and cried about her stolen ring. She thought it was gone forever.
The very good news is that local pawnshops are required to photograph incoming jewelry and scan the driver’s license of those who seek cash for jewels. There was no exception for my great grandmother’s ring. The woman who pawned the ring also worked at the nursing home. She was fired from her job and arrested for theft. My Grandmother got her ring back on her finger that day! The criminal case against the nursing assistant is pending in our court system.
After the Rain Comes Mud
After the rains last week, our dog walking trails turned into streams of muddy muck. I started the hike with my dogs and within about fifty feet, the muck glued to my sneakers in grayish, brownish slimed clumps. I sighed. Had I only I listened to my mom’s advice and worn boots. Nope, like always, I went out the door without a second thought. My (formerly) neon sneakers quickly became the same color as the mucky trail, so I took a break at a bench to see if I could clear off the first layer of gook. Unfortunately, the muck was totally embedded in my treads and creeped around my shoe to the top laces. The dogs were thrilled to have muddy paws and seemed to seek out the puddles. I decided to tip-toe the rest of the way home and hide my shoes from my Mom. She still hasn’t seen them.
Place
I walked barefoot into the office. The white tile floor was cold under my feet. The forest green walls created an earthy feel to the room. I walked past the window viewing the front yard. Before standing in front of the large brown desk. The desk took up half the space in the room. The side of the desk had stacks of papers on it. I eased myself into the old leather chair and spread out my homework, ready for work.
Halloween!
Halloween was yesterday; costumes,candy,and tricks! I didn’t have a costume however, I was too caught up in every thing else to even plan for a costume. ¡Ay no!
I rushed around the house trying to ring a plan together when, I ran past my brother. I took a double take and saw him dressed as a full fledged zombie. He had white pale skin and dark hallows around his eyes. He was terrifying. I knew the only way I was going to pull off a halloween costume was to have crazy makeup.
I made a beeline to my mom. It took several minutes and finally she agreed to help with me with my make up. Now it’s time to get some candy!