The Weekend - Another Letter to Mom

Hi Ma!

Sometimes I just wish we could have one of our chats over a cup of coffee or tea. How I would love to "pop in for a visit" right now. Instead I guess I'll write you a letter, and pretend that we are having that visit, one sided though it be. :)

Friday was Katie's birthday. Oh, you would laugh to know what I did! I was adding ingredients to her cake, and added 1 1/4 cups of oil instead of water! Nice! At least I realized my mistake before baking it! I ran to the store for another mix, and was on my way.

I lost it today when I went to prepare for the Spring tea at church. How you would have loved to hostess a table! I was going to use your china for my table, but couldn't bring myself to do it. Instead, just getting out my own pretty china and teapot was torture enough! Sitting on top of my china in my cupboard, I found the place setting of Old English Garden china that you had tucked away in your "gifts to the Kisling's" bin. (Dad just let us have all those things once you died.) Remember how we both used to think it was so pretty? And how the roses reminded us of our legacy of rose gardens in our family? I'll have to get some more of that set somehow. It's so beautiful, and reminds me so much of you. Once I dropped off my china at the church and had a few tears with the secretary, Debbie :), I was OK again. The ladies at church set my table for me so I wouldn't have to struggle through it. Funny how china and tea parties can trigger such sadness and longing for you.

After I dropped my things off at church, I went shopping for Katie's present from Reid and me. I went to Jo Anne's and got her a sewing basket and all the supplies she needs to have her own kit. It was fun to pick things out for her.

That evening we had Dad come for dinner. Katie wanted enchiladas. After dinner it was time to open presents. You should have seen Katie open her presents. She exclaimed over each one. Maybe she has a little of her Nana in her! :) She was so happy with each gift, from new head bands, to earrings, to a Nerf bow and arrow set. :) When she opened her sewing basket, she took out each little thing and examined it and asked about it's use. What a special girl she is!

While she was opening her presents, a humming bird hit our window. It was such a pretty little thing - blue head and green body. It was only stunned and flew away after a bit. (Thank goodness! Katie acted as though her life would be ruined if it died! :) )

Saturday morning was the Tea at church. It was fun. The girls all dressed up, and there was a brooch contest, so we all wore one. Remember those little lace doily ones I used to make for craft fairs? I wore one of those. Made me think of you and how you always passed on great craft ideas to me. We played a game or two and had a yummy potluck brunch.

Cam and Reid worked on the chicken coop all day. Cameron dug dirt and worked very hard. Growing up! The coop is now enclosed so the chickens can hang out in there during the day. At night they still have to be in their cage in the garage since the hen house part of the coop isn't done yet.... hopefully next weekend that can be finished up.

Sunday was Mother's Day. I was all geared up for it to be this really hard day, but you know what? It wasn't! It started early. Natalie and Rosalie were up at 6:50. They came downstairs in their robes and were out front sweeping the front porch and sidewalk as a little cleaning prize for me. Saturday night they swept and cleaned the back patio and kitchen for me too. I told them they were like special little fairies for Mommy. How cute! :)Then they served me breakfast in my chair - I didn't really want to be way up in my room, so we settled for my chair in the living room. Church was good. The only hard thing was receiving a few of those tear squeezing hugs from friends who knew what this day might be like for me. In the afternoon we worked some more in the yard. Then we went to Heirloom Roses to pick out my annual Mother's Day rose bush to plant in the front yard. We picked a red one. They had a little gift shop there. There were lots of things that reminded me so much of you - from garden knick knacks to pretty smelling soaps and teacups and saucers. It made me sad, but in a happy sort of way. It made me want to add to my teacup and saucer collection and to start one for each of the girls as a heritage from Nana. And it reminded me of all the fun times we had wandering through little shops like that, but with a smile on my face instead of a tear on my cheek. It was a good feeling.

We went to PF Chang's for dinner. YUMMY! Dad joined us. We had to wait awhile so went to the Apple store and to Border's. (Our poking around would have been so different if you were there! You and I might have sneaked off to Cold Water Creek, or Chico's - especially while the guys enjoyed the Apple store. Sigh.. such is my new life with just the men in the adult family around. :) Dinner was fun. The kids remembered the time you took one of Chang's napkins home accidentally and then mailed it back. And Katie insisted that if you were there you would have let her lick her dessert plate! :)We had the usual.... Mongolian Beef (or 'the golian beef' as the girls used to think it was called), lemon scallops, lettuce wraps and the little banana things (plus some Death by Chocolate!) for dessert. After that we came home and called it a day. I truly think it was a special gift from God that Mother's Day was not as hard as I thought it would be. And I know there were LOTS of friends praying for me.

So, today, I am missing you, but with warm memories and a smile (OK and a tear or two), not so much the painful, tears streaming kind of missing you. That will come again I am sure, but for now I'll 'enjoy' this milder, kinder missing. I love you. Mom. Happy Mother's Day - a little late. You were truly the best!