Feeling Loved

Yesterday, February 11, was Mama's birthday.  We had made a lot of birthday memories. I always cooked whatever she wanted, diabetes or not.  She would tell us she didn't need any gifts but, of course, we never listened to her.  She was so much fun to buy for because she loved quirky things, especially if they spun, blew in the wind, or lit up.  After we gave her a surprise party a few years ago, she always warned me that "I'd better not have anything up my sleeve" every year when it got close to her birthday.  Even when she was having trouble remembering simple things, we'd pass the restaurant where we had surprised her and she'd remember that party.  So yesterday was a hard day for me, one I'd been dreading all week.  Lately I've been focusing on some not so good memories, Mom begging me not to leave her at the nursing home, how frail and sick she was, all the things I could have done differently and maybe prevented how quickly she left us.  Yesterday was like a monster looming to swallow me.  My six wonderful girls surprised me with a lunch at Chantilly's Tea Room. There were some tears but lots of laughter.  They took me from being overwhelmed by grief and regret to being overwhelmed by love.  They sacrificed to help me through a hard day.  I don't deserve them but I thank God for blessing me with them.  Jennifer, Jaclyn, Rachel, Emily, Laura, Hannah.  Thank you. I love you.

Eureka!

The Mystery of the Disappearing Bath Mat Solved!!  Phillip found it.  It was in the dryer.  I had looked several times but I didn't turn the drum.  When he turned it, there was my bathmat.  It is none the worse for its adventure. 

Mysterious, Very Mysterious

Mysterious things are happening around here. 

Mystery # 1:  One of my favorite things is the bath mat I got for Christmas.  It is just like a rectangular cloud.  I'd curl up and sleep on it if I fit.  On Saturday I put it in the laundry with the towels.  I distinctly remember checking the washing instructions to be sure it could go in the dryer before I put it in.  I remember folding the towels and putting them away.  I don't remember putting my bath mat away but I didn't notice it was missing until I was ready to take a shower.  The thing has completely disappeared.  It's not a small item.  I know I haven't overlooked it in the dryer and I've searched everywhere I can think of.  This is just ridiculous.  How could I lose the most perfect bath mat in the world!

Mystery # 2 :  Last Friday I went to have the utility bill for this house changed from Mom's name to my name.  When they ran my credit report, it showed that I am deceased.  I came home and printed a copy of the credit report myself and sure enough, it says I'm deceased.  Since the mystery of the missing bath mat overshadows this, I haven't put as much energy into becoming undeceased as I probably should have.  I'll take care of this after I find my bath mat.

Mystery # 3 : Technically this one isn't a mystery anymore.  I dropped Hannah off at a babysitting job yesterday and when I came home, there was a box of old bottles on the porch.  Each bottle was carefully wrapped in newspaper.  They had obviously been found recently.  Since Hannah collects old bottles, I knew they were for her but I didn't know who had left them.  My first thought was that my brother had left them for her, but he didn't know anything about them.  It wasn't Rachel or Laura.  The mystery was solved when Jason called to see how Hannah liked the bottles he'd found.  She likes them a lot. 

One mystery solved.  Two to go.