A Visit with My Mommy

My mommy came to visit me in the Capital City this week.

This is my mommy with her doggy, Mattie. This photo is not from this weekend, though.

She arrived early on Tuesday, while my hair was still wet and before I had "put on my face." I was still in my PJs, and there were a few dirty dishes in my sink. But that's okay, because she's my mommy, and she raised me to value time spent with people more than time getting gussied up for them.

We went to an antique mall that afternoon with my mother-in-law, Teri, where we ooh'd and aah'd over the size of other folks' rooms, which must be enormous to be able to fit late 19th century English throne chairs around a Louis XV dining table. I pondered whatI might trade for a pair of early 18th century French chapel doors, washed in peeling teal stain, and envisioned a pair of marble cylindrical vases with bathing Grecian women flanking my piano, while the two children of the mid-century (vague enough?) pointed out items they recalled from their teenage years. The three of us sifted through postcards for the best story among notes sent from the Grand Canyon, a monastery in Italy, and Lake Tahoe to loved ones at home. Then, the three of us joined Chris at Trio's, one of Teri's favorite supper spots.

Wednesday, despite our plans to leave early and beat the heat, my mommy and I talked while we had coffee and sat with various cats in our laps until early afternoon. Despite the belief which we now share that "the entire day is gone!" if one has not gotten "up and at 'em, Adam Ant!" by 10:00 a.m., the two of us still cannot seem to put away our conversation before four or five hours have passed.

Nevertheless, we still had an afternoon of shopping, where we both managed to catch a clearance sale at my favorite local consignment boutique. Then, a two-hour trip to my Kroger, which has to be one of my mommy's favorite spots in Little Rock for it's variety and abundance of fresh food. My mommy lives in my small hometown in northwest Arkansas, which despite it's proximity to larger cities still lacks the quality of our stores. It is easy for me to take for granted that I can find nearly any ingredient I might need within my little city, but if there is such a disparity between Little Rock and Van Buren in the availability of healthy food, imagine how much more difficult it is for the thousands of tiny rural towns in our country.

From shopping for produce, we made our way to Silvek's Bakery, another must for any trip to Little Rock. Then Chris drove us to a spot we've found with a 360° view of the sunset. When we got home, we snacked on baba ghannouj, hummus, and Trio's leftovers, made ourselves sick with sugary, buttery deliciousness, then went to bed, which was an excellent end to a wonderful day.

Thursday morning, we really, really tried to get out of the house early, but then we had coffee, and then somehow we ended up on the couch, and then a few cats showed up, and four more hours of talking just happened. We picked up my mommy's beloved Jeep from the dealership, where she had left it for two days for warranty work, a stay that was her car's first night away. It was a big step. ;)

We stopped by White Goat Chateau and Farm's tent sale (I still think their name is silly), where we passed up a few great deals by saying "Alaska!" to each other. For those who don't know, my mommy and I are saving up for a long-awaited trip up to San Francisco, then up the coast to Seattle/Vancouver and on a boat to Alaska. There are few little trinkets that can hold their sparkle next to the idea of finally getting to Alaska.

Then, we were off to Yarn Mart, where we somehow arrived on a sale day. I picked up a few skeins for a project for Chris and asked my mommy to pick out yarn for her birthday present, and she picked a beautiful coral tweedy wool from a clearance bin. While checkingout, I was told that all clearance yarn was buy one, get one free during that very hour, at which point I grabbed a bucket and tossed in several skeins of absolutely everything I liked. My mommy is a good luck charm when it comes to sales.

Then, the best part. When we got back to my dark, cool (I keep my AC at 68°) house, we took a nap. Mom went to the guest room and read and dozed, and I sifted through my yarn and dozed for about thirty minutes. This is what summer is for, and for the past two years I have worked and been in summer classes and professional development. Despite working, building two courses, writing a thesis, and preparing for another research trip to Mexico, I've taken more time this summer to rest and spend time with friends and family. This little nap was such a good reminder of how much happier we all can be if we take time for ourselves.

AND--I'm busy is no excuse. I am incredibly busy, just like everyone else. But I took a nap.

When Chris came home from work, Matt came over and we went to the neighborhood pool. The boys were only in the water about ten minutes before we heard thunder and had to leave. Chris grilled veggies in the rain and wind while I made fish. We ended our evening with a giant bowl of strawberry shortcake.

My mommy had to go home this morning, and she should be arriving to her kitty, two happy puppies, and my brudder within a few minutes. I had such a fun time with her here, and every time she visits I always think of what we're going to get to do together the next time!