Mother's Day 2010

It's a good thing I haven't got around to changing my heading picture yet.  The hermitage looks exactly like the photo.  Snow blankets everything.  Thank goodness I was feeling too ill yesterday to shop for impatiens to plant in the strange attempt at a well that sits in a large patch of tiger lilies that also had the sense to wait till it was really spring before blossoming.  And thank heavens I am still nurturing indoors the basil plant I bought last week.

A strange year, this one.

Unseasonably warm this spring.  Far less snow and frigid temperatures than is usual this past winter.  And now this ... a real snowfall on Mother's Day.

Kenya was very sweet this morning ... and she finally broke her mother's heart.  Here is your Kenya story ... or is it the Crunch'n'Clean story?

Kenya went out to pee, and returned expecting a cookie.  I handed her a C&C which she tossed on the rug with a dismissive fling of her head.  I retrieved it.   (Yes, I know, she is the retriever, not me.)   We did the shake-a-paw trick thing.   She shook my hand and then went over to her food dish and rattled it loudly on the slate floor.  I said she had a C&C there, and pointed.  She gave the canine equivalent of a shrug and tossed the C&C around for a minute or so.  Then she ate it and went straight back to her food dish.  The message was clear to any mother.  "All right.  I've eaten my damned carrots.  NOW can I have dessert?"  I fed her, and went back to the fire and my tea.  When I came back she was sitting under the treats shelf looking up longingly.  She noticed me and gave that groany "PLEASE" thing she has perfected.

It worked. I gave her a Dentistix.  She took it with a look that can only be described as joyful and bounded off to her couch to savour it.

To all you mothers out there ... and to any dads, single or not, who play the role ... have a great day, even if it is snowing where you live.  Enjoy your children.

Mother's Day 2009

Mother's Day was special this year. In fact the whole weekend was special.

On Saturday I moseyed around Wakefield with a friend and neighbour ... a garage sale where an old harridan screeched at me because I innocently picked up the chair she intended to buy, a sidewalk sale where I bought a local vegetarian cookbook, and a place that sells Nova Scotia slate. Later we planted Mugo pines.

On Sunday I had brunch at Marta's and then attended a story telling event with Tamarak , Jesse, Marta, and one of my daughters (the one I most needed to hug). Afterwards Tamarak's Carino made dinner for Tamarak, her daughters and me. Kenya and went home very early on Monday morning, and I began to work on a suggestion by Tamarak.

I didn't start taking photos until we were at Tamarak's ... so only a small part of the weekend shows up in the photos I've posted ... but the whole weekend was special. Something bitterly sweet happens when one of your children becomes vulnerable ... you realize just how much you love her ... how much you love all your children ... and it extends outward in ever widening circles until you understand how important everyone you love is to you.