Go Call Yer Mom

Been thinking about a provocative little article I read at the auto body shop while I was waiting for my sweet, sporty rental. (You want cute? Me in a shiny new car is cute.)

The article was in Real Simple magazine, and it was titled “Ten Questions to Ask Your Mother Now”. The body shop arguably wasn’t the time or place, but they were good questions.

I see my mother just about every weekday for our morning walk with Chaco. We cover a lot of ground, conversationally, and I like to think we know each other pretty well. We have our ups and downs, sure, but ours is not a troubled relationship. She’s my favorite sounding board, my number one choir for preaching to. (The fact that I’m cognizant of how annoyed she’d be by the preposition at the end of that last sentence demonstrates how she’s my grammatical superego as well.) Love her.

Even with all that, I’d like to hear my mom’s answer to every single one of the questions listed in the article.

Gonna get on it.

I’m acutely aware of how lucky I am to be able to ask her these questions in person, and to see her expressions when she responds. I can sit beside her, and feel the warmth of her next to me. I can make her laugh, or make her lunch, or make her proud, anytime I like. My mom, herself, like so many others, doesn’t have that luxury anymore.

If I knew how to end this post without being a downer, I would have published it already.

Go call yer mom!

Happy Winter Dreams

We just got back from the sweetest late nite neighborhood walk with the hound.

Ours isn't usually the neighborhood for late nite walks, being kind of sketchy and Colfax-proximate. But it's a gloriously bright pink glowing night tonite, with the overcast sky and six sparkly, twinkling, untouched inches of snow on the ground. We took Badgin off the leash -- yeah! I know! -- and he left broad, cheerful tracks in the snow, while he looked back regularly to see, You still there? Is this okay?

It was totally okay - nary a car, nor man, nor beast to be seen. The snow twinkled, and the sky glowed, and the pounch scampered. My nose froze.

It was a damn cold night.

It was especially cold earlier, when we were caroling amidst blowing snow and dropping temps. But at every occupied home, the residents opened their doors, and gathered their children to hear us, and clapped, wishing us well, when we had finished our songs. One fellow applauded us and then played us a carol on his steel drum set! (No, seriously. It Came Upon A Midnight Clear.)

I love that crew - my dad, and my dear friends, and the rest of this group of singers, and sons of singers, and friends of singers, and folks of good cheer. Thank goodness we maintain a holiday caroling tradition. What would my Christmas season be without it? "I just love singing with other people," said my beloved L tonite.

Me too.

A lovely black man is president, and a glee club has its own hit tv show.

It's possible that I'm asleep, these are such sweet and funny dreams come true.

Last night I dreamt that a friend and I were dancing on a bar, and as regards our hosts I was thinking, "Well, they really must have expected that this was going to happen when they invited us...", and not regretting a thing.

Winter Cheer

The Handsome Man and I just returned from a chilly walk around the neighborhood with Chaco. It felt so much later in the evening than it really was. Two short months ago, Handsome and I were playing tennis on the park court at 7:55 PM. Tonight the streets were deserted and the air was cold even through three smart layers and a parka.

Beautiful night, all the same, with the stars on Orion's belt low in the dark eastern sky and twinkling like the Christmas lights everyone seems to have put up already.

For our part, I don't think Handsome and I will be going the route of outdoor Christmas lights, despite the abundant supply his mother keeps at the ready. Since we've been together, Handsome and I haven't ever done outdoor Christmas decor, period, so it's not like we'll be foregoing some tradition if we don't hang the rafters and windows and trees in the yard with lights. (For my money, I'd rather get a motion sensor light for the front porch.) I would adore some of those giant ornaments to hang on the tall pine by the front walkway -- so tasteful and old-fashioned and quietly cheery.

Meanwhile, I didn't bother to take down last year's indoor Christmas lights, at least the white lights ringing the dining room. Too sparkly wonderful to end. And I'm excited about bringing home a tree and hanging it with lights and with our growing collection of ornaments, including one or two new items that we'll make or buy this season. I'm looking forward to the fresh and wintry smell of spruce, and the Christmas tree's tall presence in the living room, positioned strategically near a window so that people driving by might see the sparkle and smile to themselves.

I'm looking forward to all the extra smiles of the season.

Wild Goose-Chasing

Is it wrong that we let Chaco chase the flocks of geese at City Park yesterday? He really, really enjoyed it!

The Morning Walk

Mom & Chaco on the morning walk