A DAY WITH MY MOTHER

My day started at 7:30 am with my cell phone ringing. As soon as I looked at the caller id I knew it was a wrong number. I knew the call was for Miles Farm Store. This happens at least once a day, sometimes several times a day. I answered the phone by saying, "Dial 926." The caller laughed and said he was very sorry. Depending on my mood, I sometimes go along with the caller. Once a guy called and just started talking. He asked to speak to someone about a 30,000 gallon tank. I told him that we didn't have them anymore. He asked why and I told him they were no longer being built in the US. He was distraught, asked what he should do. I told him all our customers were asking the same thing and that I was very sorry.
At 10 o'clock I took Mama to the beauty shop. I came home to get my things ready to go to Owensboro. When she was finished with her hair we left for Owensboro. She was eating a biscuit and immediately spilled the crumbs all over the car. Hansel and Gretel had nothing on my mother.
She asked me questions all the way to Owensboro. Most of which I didn't know the answer. So she rephrased them. I still didn't know the answers.
As usual, we were hungry. We had lunch at Tumbleweed, potato soup, cornbread and chips and salsa. She asked me more questions, really the same questions. I still didn't know most of the answers. We argued about who would pay for lunch. I paid and she left the tip. She worried that she didn't leave enough. I told her she did and it was no problem. She asked me if I was sure. I was.
We needed a couple of things at the mall. Mama decided she was sleepy and would take a nap in the car while I did the shopping. She wanted a gown and I bought two pair of shorts. I used her credit card because discounts were being given for charging. When I got back to the car I told her what I had done and paid her cash for what I had bought for myself. She didn't want to take the money. I told her she was taking it, I had no intention of her paying for my shorts, I just charged them to get the discount. I put the money in her lap, she put it back in my lap. I stuffed the money in her purse. All the time she is telling me that she was not taking the money. I was telling her I wasn't taking it either. Finally I told her I was leaving her in the parking lot. She said she would stay if I didn't take back the money. I won. I'll have to check my purse later, sometimes she is sneaky.
As we were leaving the mall we remembered we were going to get a chicken pot pie for Anna Ruth so we had to turn around and go back for it. When I ordered at the drive through she kept telling me the order was to go. I finally got her to realize that everything at the drive through is to go. Then we laughed all the way to Anna Ruth's house.
We took AR the pot pie and visited with her for a while. AR is feeling poorly and is weak and tired. Mama is also weak and tired. As we were leaving, AR was walking us to the door so it could be locked behind us. Mama was in front of me, staggering on her cane, wobbling, AR was behind me, wobbling and staggering. I told them I didn't think I would be able to get either one of them up the hall. By the time we left I was staggering and wobbling.
We had left our iced water in the car. It was no longer iced water, but was now tepid water. I remember that I need print cartridges and we go back to Office Depot. Next door is Books A Million so I have to run in there for a minute. I make the mistake of telling Mama that I found 2 books that I really, really want. She wants to go back and buy them for me. No, I tell her. I can order them cheaper. She worries that she never buys me books anymore. She used to all the time, she tells me. That is okay, I tell her. Next time, I will let her buy me a book, I promise her.
On our way to Walmart we decided to stop at St. Vincent de Paul. Mama likes to use a shopping cart. It helps her to walk more easily. The only cart available was much too short but she said she would use it anyway. So she puts in her cane and her purse but she has to bend over much too far to push it and walk. We are laughing our heads off by now. Thankfully, another cart becomes available and this one is just what she needs.
The first thing I see is a piggy bank that I know I have to take home. Mama just can't believe I am buying this pig. What will I do with it, she asks. Of course, I have no idea what I will do with this pig.
She says she would like to have a small china cup for her hot tea. I find the cups and start showing them to her. I find one that I like, it is white with blue and pink flowers. She likes it and I tell her it is 50 cents.
"50 cents!!", she says. "Well, good Lord, it should be a quarter. I like the ones that are a quarter. 50 cents!!"
I say, "Mama it's just 50 cents."
So she says she will take it. We add it to our cart. I find several other things I like right well. I find an amber glass, three striped glasses, a San Tan bowl, a flower pot that is a calico cat (not a real one), a white stoneware cup with a blue stripe around the rim, an amber votive candle holder, a glass with a stem, a small thin glass and 2 spoons. Mama asks me repeatedly if I am really going to buy all of these things. I assure her that I really am. She wants to know what I will do with them. I have no idea, I tell her. In the meantime, she finds a sugar bowl and creamer that she likes and decides to put back the 50 cent cup. I feel bad for the cup and don't want it to feel rejected so I put it with my things. She asks me if I am really going to buy the cup. I am, I say. She continues to shop and finds a white rectangular bowl. I tell her I like it so she wants to buy it for me. No, I tell her, she can have it. Finally I tell her if I decide I can't live without it, I will steal it from her house. She seems happy with this and buys the bowl. She also finds a couple of small juice glasses. I tell her to look around a little longer while I go and make pictures of the underwear. My batteries die so I tell her I am going to the Family Dollar to get some and will be right back. While I am walking back up the street, putting the batteries in the camera, I mistakenly walk in the door of the 8-Ball Pool Hall. Sheepishly, I back out of the door, walk down the street to the next door which is where I thought I was going in the first place. I make more underwear pictures and start to find Mama so we can pay for our stuff. This is when I see the couch and love seat. They are clean and sturdy and I want them. Now they are mine. John Michael will again have to deliver my purchase.
We pay for everything, it is all wrapped in newspaper (not the couch and love seat) and we head for the car. Now we have to go to Walmart.
Mama asks me what she told me she needed from Walmart. I can't remember what she wants, I can't even remember what I want. She finds her list. I don't have a list.
We go in different directions. About an hour later we meet at the check out. She has found everything she wanted without my help. She is happy she did it without my help. She worries that I will have to do everything for her. I don't care what I do for her but I understand why she wants to be independent.
The last thing I have to do is get the car washed. So I buy $50 of gas in order to get a $7 car wash.
I call Judy Russ to tell her about all the things we bought at St. Vincent de Paul. She has been there today too and we have a good laugh about all the funny things we have bought.
Mama and I laugh all the way home. We wonder what we will do with all our new treasures. I'm sure my children will kill me when I die and they have to go through all my things.
Mama is so tired when we get home that she has trouble getting up the steps and into the house. I get all her groceries in the house and then get her situated. I worry that she is so tired but she assures me that it was all worth it. She has had a fine day, she tells me. And so have I.

Simon and Schuster

This morning when I went to feed the bunnies, I had only one bunny. Schuster (Brownie) is gone. Simon (Herbie Miller) was alone in the cage. I had fed them last night and I guess I didn't push the cage up close enough to the house. I looked for him but, of course, he was not to be found. I'm sure he is basking in his freedom. Herbie MIller is probably lonely. He has been in the house so maybe he won't be too sad. Brownie was the more aggressive of the two. Herbie Miller is just content to be held and fed. His favorite foods are petunias and honeysuckle. He likes to wrap up in a baby blanket and ride in the doll stroller. He's a good bunny.

Sleepless in Georgetown

I was really sleepy until I went to bed. I've gotten up 3 times now. I found Motrin so took some of that along with a bottle of water and 2 cherry pop tarts.
Kristin's birthday was yesterday. She is 14 years old. Next week she will graduate from the 8th grade.
No wonder I can't sleep.

Olivia and Ms. Martha

Olivia - Graduation from Preschool

Olivia's Graduation

More Cat Troubles

Poor old cat was so weary this afternoon he wasn't greatly interested in food. He came when I called him but didn't eat much. He has wounds on both his front legs and around his ears. He needs to go to the vet and be neutered. I'm sure he would thrilled!
I seem to be recovering. I had pears for supper. Wouldn't it be wonderful if I could not be hungry again. I'm sure that won't happen. But for now, no food for me.
Olivia has day care graduation tomorrow. Pictures tomorrow. She told me she had been practicing her graduating and in two more days she wouldn't have to learn anything else. So I guess that's education for her. :o)
I keep planting flowers. They are calming. Today I planted white Moonflowers. I hope they grow. I put them in the front yard away from the street light. My white petunias are glowing in the dark as I look out the window. I also now have a pot of White Obsession Verbena. Grow and Bloom, Flowers.

Poor Old Cat

Poor old cat is tattered and torn. He seems to get in fights every night. He continues to like me, comes when I call him and likes to be scratched under his chin.
I've been sick since noon Monday. I have not taken it well. I don't like to be sick. I finally ate a few cold canned pears.
We had a fine storm late this afternoon. I'm sure the plants and herbs are thankful.
Lydia was scared to death. She was crouched down on the porch and ran to the yard instead of through the open door. She later came in and promptly went to sleep on the back of the couch.
The bunnies weren't thrilled with the wind either. I covered the cage so they could stay dry.
I was scheduled to sub today but sick instead. It's terrible to take a sick day when you are the sub.
I'm heading to bed soon, hoping for a better night than last night.

Should I Continue To Feed Him ?

Well, of course I should continue to feed him!! I have been seeing him around the yard for a month or so. At first, I tried to run him off and did not feed him. He would run from me, naturally, since I scared him. But the more I saw him, the more I felt bad for him. He was thin and old. So I started to give him a little food, just a little to make myself feel better. He wouldn't come near the food until I was back in the house and away from the door. Then I began to feed him more than once a day. Next, I began to talk to him. Baby talk. With regular food he began to look better and seemed stronger. Now that it is spring, he has another reason to stay here. Catnip. The catnip is coming up and growing. He loves it. I see him rolling in it or just getting himself a bite. Gradually he began to not be so afraid of me. He would even come to eat with me standing by the food. Today he let me pet him. I guess this makes him belong to me. He loves getting his neck and chin rubbed. He laid down and just enjoyed himself. He has some battle scars but they are looking better. He didn't purr. I bet he will by tomorrow. His eyes are already glad to see me. His name is Abraham.

What I've Been Doing This Week

Now that it's Friday I have time to look back on the week. Late Monday we went to Lexington. Moy and I spent Tuesday and Wednesday visiting the historic homes of Lexington. We toured ASHLAND, the home of Henry Clay, the Mary Todd Lincoln Home and the Hunt Morgan House. We traveled to Georgetown to tour Old Friends, a retirement farm for horses. We made a couple of bookstore visits and had lots of good things to eat. In Georgetown, we ate lunch at Fava's.
When we got back to the hotel on Tuesday night, I discovered I had lost three of my bracelets. I called the Mary Todd Lincoln home and they had found them. So my bracelets spent the night in the house with all the ghosts of the Todd family.
On Thursday night we traveled to Madisonville for John Michael's Honor's NIght. He received the Outstanding Student Award in his class. We are very proud of him. Olivia thought it was something to see him on the stage. After he sat down she walked across the room to sit with him.
Today Mama and I went to Hartford. Of course, we had to eat lunch.
While we were in Lexington, Jeanie took care of the bunnies and cats. The fish took care of himself. In so many ways, I don't know what I would do without Jeanie.

Sallie Bingham

A THREE LUNCH WEEK

Jeanie and I usually eat lunch on Tuesday but last week was a three lunch week. We ate at O'Charley's on Tuesday and Friday. John Michael ate with us on Friday. We all tried the new sirloin steak and it was wonderful. On Tuesday Jeanie and I both had the Bistro Chicken and it was also wonderful.
Then on Saturday we found ourselves in Bowling Green at a book fair. We went through Caneyville to stop at a bakery. Or so I thought. When we were almost out of Caneyville I asked Jeanie about the bakery. She laughed and said the bakery was in Bowling Green but she was going through Caneyville to be on the right side of BG to more easily get to the bakery. The bakery was filled with all kinds of fine things.
At the book fair Jeanie attended a session with Scott Turow. During this time I wandered around and talked to people. I saw several Hindmanites and enjoyed talking to them. After leaving the book fair we decided to go back in and take a photo of Sallie Binghman.
Our next stop was lunch. We had wonderful Chicken Finger salads and iced tea, eating on the patio, enjoying the warm, sunny day. This was our third lunch of the week, which made it a great week.

Brownies

I'm having brownies for supper, cherry cream cheese brownies. I shouldn't eat one bite, should throw them out the back door. But they will be so yummy.

I substituted in kindergarten today. The kids are so funny, they enjoy everything.
The first thing they wanted to do this morning was talk to me about books, how many they had at home, their favorites, how they liked to read. I like being associated with books and for children to know I love books so much.
Olivia has learned to play bookstore. Leah will love it too. Kristin and Elizabeth have been playing bookstore since they were little. It is fun to open a book and find their receipts and notes.

So many of my flowers have been damaged by the cold weather. The rose bush at the back door was doing so well and now it looks dead. I'm hoping it will recover. Some of the herbs look bad but they should be okay. They will need some love but I don't think they will die.

One of the fish died this morning. I'm not sure if it was Zelda or F. Scott.

Leah's 4th Birthday

Leah celebrated her 4th birthday on April 14. She only requested one present, a snake. So she now has a black and white striped king snake, named Park. When asked why Park, she said, "You know, like parked cars." She also got many other wonderful gifts and she loved every one of them. She would open one and say, "Oh, my goodness!" Her party was such fun. A pet service from Lexington brought animals for all the children to pet. They got to learn about and pet a ferret, a rabbit, a puppy, two turtles, a guinea pig, a parrot and a chinchilla. I made pictures of the children with the animals and then we printed one for them to take home. Everyone had a good time.

Olivia's Junk Store Treasures

Today Olivia and I went to junk stores looking for a small wagon. We didn't find the wagon but Olivia found such wonderful treasures. The castle has furniture but it is missing it's back. She loves it just the same. She looked at every matchbox car before choosing these three. The handkerchiefs were her greatest treasure. I had bought some a few days ago and she had loved them, folding them and putting them in piles. She wanted to buy many more but I talked her into just getting three with the promise that we would go back next week to get some more.

At J J's Flea Market we found a wooden rocking horse. It isn't in the best of shape but for two bucks, it is a find. Olivia said that Leah will like it too and I know she's right.

I Stand Corrected

My mother tells me that the house was built in 1913. Their house had burned in 1911. But that's another story.

John Hale's House

When John Hale built his family's new house in 1911, I doubt he realized that six generations later children of his blood line would be playing in the yard and hunting rocks in the ditch. Today Olivia and I hunted rocks in the branch and ditch. On the bank of the ditch I found a little pile of rocks that Leah had made last summer. Kristin & Elizabeth have played all over the yard and branch. There are toys in the yard & children's books in the house. Passing by, the house looks like children live there. I hope John Hale knows we are all still there, in and out, visiting, picking up rocks, eating, remembering him.
Later in the day, Olivia and I were in the yard at our house. We worked in the flowers and herbs. She put rocks in the wagon. I found two golf balls and told Olivia to close her eyes and I would hide them for her to hunt. She loved it. Last summer when Leah was here we played the same game and she also loved it. They have all kinds of toys but hunting golf balls is far more fun than any of them. I know it's not the game but the attention and the playing together. It takes so little to make a child happy.
I'm anxious to dye and hunt eyes with all the girls this weekend. It will be such a pleasure. I already have the dye. I just need the eggs and the girls.