Tall Tales from Kansas

yes, you can have the bed

Yesterday was Angie's 94th birthday. Last night in my dreams she came to see me. Here is my end of the conversation. You figure out her part. 

 

Well yes, actually I went when I was back at Marymount for the reunion. Uh-huh, that was the one and only time in many years. Oh yes, when I was there she reassured me I was "saved". What do you mean what do I mean "she". Of course God is a woman. It used to be a man, but with all the stuff going on these days, the big head honcho decided it was time to put a woman in charge. Yes, I am serious. I would have thought you would have known this. Oh really, the weekly bulletins don't include this stuff? What's in them then? Ok, just a simple question, I am NOT trying to get you to divulge secrets of the afterlife. 

I know! Isn't it great!!! I will tell her you specifically asked about them. Yes, Iris is named after Iris Carrington from Another World. What do you mean she doesn't like to talk on the phone? That was in the old days. Try her tonight. Actually do they have Marco Polo where you are? Maybe you could see if someone will show you how that works. Yes it's easy. Yes, much easier than the Presto machine. 

Yes I called the hospital and the doctor and told them the chocolate pie was coming and they better take good care of him. I'm not being silly, don't worry, we all know you love him best. We got over that years ago. I don't know if they do stuff like this where you are, but maybe you could make some cheese and onion enchiladas for the person in charge of the outcome upstairs.  Yes I know you are praying, but it can't hurt to grease the wheels a little more. 

One more thing, want to come with me on a long train ride? No, I haven't forgotten where you are. You can still come, see if you can get a 16 hour pass so you can board with me in Lawrence and go all the way to Albuquerque. Listen there is no harm in asking. That's what you always told us.  Yes, I think we have a private bathroom in the sleeper car. Yes, you can have the bed. 

Then right before the dream ended the scene changed to the usual one when I would leave her cottage and go out the back door into the garage.  She closed the screen door and I got in my car to pull out, then I honked the horn and she jumped. She shook her finger at me and I laughed like a hyena.

Happy Happy Happy Birthday mom! 

the Angie re-runs #8 - call your mother

This post originally ran on 3/22/14.  It falls loosely into the Angie re-run category, but since I am the boss of the blog and make the rules, I am labeling it thusly.   

the ability to convey meaning through the use of inflexion

Angie used to call frequently and leave messages on my voice mail at work or the answering machine at home.  They always went something like this:

"Carol, it's your mother, call me right away". 

She never qualified the nature of the emergency that required a call back ASAP.   But I always got the idea that it was SERIOUS because of the tone of her voice.  Mothers are experts at cultivating the ability to convey meaning through the use of inflexion. 

I will admit to getting darn irritated when she would call and leave these messages at 7am on Saturday or while Chris and I were right in the middle of eating supper. 

So... when I saw this window display the other day I felt like I had received a message from Angie.  I think she was letting me know she had landed at her destination and was figuring out how to use the new communication system.   If she holds true to form, I suspect this will be the first of many messages. 

2017 update:  I can happily report that the messages have indeed continued.  Sometimes in dreams, sometimes when I find words coming out of my mouth that she said, or sometimes when I inexplicably do something she used to do - like this morning when one of the Harvey boys meowed at the back door, and I went outside with my coffee, and I stuck my finger in my cup to see if he wanted a taste, which he did, exactly like she used to do with her dogs Moxie and Foxie.  Go ahead, roll your eyes.  I know it's ridiculous.  I didn't mean to do it.  It just happened.  On Mother's Day. 

the angie re-runs #7

The other day my niece Krissy sent out a photo reminding us that it had been 2 years since Angie and Katharine Ray met.   Mom was completely and totally captivated by that baby girl.  In honor of that meeting, and the joy it brought to all of us, I present Angie re-run #7.  First posted on October 14th, 2013. 

 

Angie met Katharine Ray Watson today for the first time.

It was pretty much love at first site.  

They had a lot of things to talk about together.   Some of them were secret.

Which is exactly the way it should be between a great grandmother and her great granddaughter.   To say it was a sweet moment does not quite capture it, but you get the idea.   

sketching in earnest

Here are the specimens we collected today from Jughandle Reserve state beach. I don't know what I'll do with it. Probably just look at it along with the collection of sea glass. I like re-arranging collections of things from the ocean in the middle of winter in Kansas.

The Grand tour of California also included the dahlia garden and paths to the ocean at the Botanical Gardens up the road from us.

There was an eye popping display of begonias as well. And I do mean eye POPPING. Unusual specimens the likes of which I have not seen before.

We are also sketching in earnest.  Which means that's all she wrote for now.  As my dad used to say.  

carol what are you talking about

Last month marked one full year since Angie died.  I don't mind admitting that I am very grateful for the passing of this year.  I find myself thinking less about the sad last 3 months of her life and more about the things that made me laugh.  Today when I was walking to my car after work, in the sunshine and 70 degree weather, I thought about how mom would love a day like this. 

If I could do one more thing right now with Angie this is what it would be... 

I'd call her up and here's how the conversation would go.

Me:  "Hey mom, I'm coming over.  Throw your glad rags on."

Angie:  "Carol?  What are you talking about?"

Me:  "We are going on an adventure." 

Angie:  "An adventure?"   (in a simultaneously excited and suspicious tone)

Me:  "Yep!  No questions.  Be down by the front door in 9 minutes." 

Angie:  "okay...."   (in same excited/suspicious but becoming more trusting tone)

And off we would head to Sheridans.  A scoop of vanilla with salted pecans for me and one carmel pretzel crunch for her... "and get me some extra napkins, and a lid so I can put the rest in the freezer if I can't finish it all".   We would sit in the car and eat our treats and she would look over at me and say "mmmm this is good."    I would say "mmmm, mmmm, mmm, yes it is, want to taste mine?"   She would of course say she did, and then I would taste hers, and we would agree that both were equally delicious. 

And that, is what we would do. 

The end. 

the angie re-runs # 6

In honor of Mom's almost birthday, coming up soon, I present an Angie re-run.  These photos were featured in a post I did about Mom on 9/16/2011.  We were on a mission at the grocery store.  I wanted to get some shots of the gourds on display so I told her to hop to it and give me a few of her best poses.

I don't know what came over her.  She pulled out all the stops and started acting like a super model right there in HyVee.

I speculated at the time that it was likely a residual high from her new found freedom after she hitched a ride from the optometrists office to where she needed to go to catch the bus back to her cottage the previous night.  We discussed how if I had done that I would have immediately been placed on restriction.   She said something like "oh Carol" and then moved right on over to where they were giving out free samples of cheese.  

So much for my lecture.  In one ear and out the other. 

the angie re-runs #5 - make it a big batch ok?

This is the 5th installment in the Angie re-runs series.  It was posted originally on May 15th, 2013.   I am going to have to make some of these real soon... maybe just a good medium sized batch though.  

Chris told me tonight that he read today was chocolate chip cookie day.  I do not know who proclaimed it so.  I just know that it was. 

The reason what you see above is not chocolate chip cookies is because last night I got this phone call at 8:36 pm.

Angie:  Carol, it's your mother.  Can you do a big favor for me?

Me:  Well it depends on what it is.  (my standard answer for the "can you do me a favor" line). 

Angie:  I was just looking at the jar of peanut butter in my cabinet that is amost empty and I was so hungry for some peanut butter cookies.

Me:  You want me to bake you some peanut butter cookies?

Angie:  Would you?

Me:  Sure.  I'll try to do it one night this week.

Angie:  Make it a big batch ok?

 

the angie re-runs #4 - oh thank goodness

This is the 4th installment in the Angie re-runs series.  It was posted originally on December 3, 2012.  Mom has been gone just a little over a month now but I remember this phone call as clearly as if it had happened tonight.  

Ring... Ring....

Me:  Hello

Mom:  Do I have type 1 or type 2 diabetes?

Me:  Type 2.  Why?

Mom:  I am going to stop eating anything sweet.

Me:  Don't be silly, you are 84 years old.  If you want to enjoy something sweet you should enjoy it.

Mom:  Really?  OK, but I am going to stop drinking this diet pepsi for sure.

Me:  Mom, it's DIET.  It doesn't have any sugar in it.

Mom:  Oh thank goodness.

Photo credit:  Dottie Moss

 

the angie re-runs #3 - don't turn on the horn

This is the 3rd in the series of the angie re-runs.  I first posted it here on August 10th 2012.  I still smile and laugh every single time I think about these moments. 

When I pull out of Angies' driveway after a visit, she always comes to the door to wave goodbye and close the garage door.  Everytime I pull out I honk the horn and she jumps like its the first time I have ever done it.   I am very juvenile and think this is hilarious. 

Today she told me when I was leaving "...don't turn on the horn when you pull out!"   I of course ignored her and honked in my usual fashion.  She jumped and got that totally startled look on her face like it was the first time I had ever done it.  I laughed like a hyena.  I can't help it.  I'm laughing right now just thinking about her jumping.   

I honk.  She jumps.  I laugh.  She laughs.  Who said comedy had to be original?

the angie re-runs #2 - good idea huh?

This is the second in the Angie re-runs series.  It originally ran on March 24, 2012.  It still makes me laugh every single time I think about it.  My mom did not believe in waste of any kind. 

 

Excerpt from conversation with Angie on the way to the grocery store yesterday:

Angie:  you know I don't like to eat all the crust on my pizza but I don't throw it away.  I cut it off and save it.

Me:  really?

Angie:  yes, and it'a a good thing.  I am out of bread so I took the crusts out of my freezer this morning and ate them with my egg instead of toast.

Me:  wow, I don't think I would have thought to do that.

Angie:  good idea huh?

Me:  yep. 

We bought an extra loaf of bread at the store in case she runs out of pizza crusts anytime soon. 

the angie re-runs #1 - don't be funny carol, I mean it

I just went through all the "Angie posts" from the last several years.  I am going to be re-running a few of them in the coming weeks.  This one seemed perfect for today. It ran originally on June 22, 2012 right before I was leaving for Norway.  

Angie gets on high alert mode when anyone in the family is traveling.  She worries about each and every possible bad thing that could happen and is convinced if she does not hear from the traveler within a very short time of their arrival in the appointed destination... it means REALLY BAD STUFF has happened!  

No amount of reassurance that all is well will suffice.  She must KNOW they are ok.  I have been known to get impatient with her when she does this.  Then she has to go and make me feel bad by calling me and saying: 

 

Angie:  I miss you already.

Me:  Mom, I'm not leaving until the 28th.

Angie:  I know, but I am really going to miss you.  I wish you were here right now.

Me:  I will send you a picture and you can tape it on the lamp by your bed.

Angie:  Ha, ha, ha.  Don't be funny Carol, I mean it.