My Mother

When my mother was 25 I was 6.  I distinctly remember that she had colored her hair red.  When the sisters at church asked her why she did that, her answer was that she would never be "brown" again.  That bit of sarcasm was not lost on me.

As we all know, she actually went back to her natural color and for the rest of her life, railed against any woman who colors her hair.  I never got it.  I mean, if you don't want to do it, don't; leave everyone else alone.  She especially disliked "older" women who continued to color their hair long after their faces would have looked better with a lighter color.  Wrinkles just seem a little mitigated by lighter colored hair--maybe nature has the right idea after all.  My own pet peeve is when women who have long-since been gray but continue to color their hair say, "My real hair color is ___."   I mean, c'mon, the real color is what it comes out at the roots, isn't it.

Just one of the pieces of craziness I brought into my generation from my mother's.

When she was about to get married to Daddy, she was a little "giddy".  Looking back, it's really rather wonderful to think about it.

My mother fought overweight her whole life.  I have memories of her very heavy and very trim.  She had a terrible self-image and even when she weighed only a little over 100 pounds, still talked about her big fat butt. Too bad.  Her mother was trim her whole life, and mother unfortunately took after her father's sister, Aunt Lucille.  Large butt...

I miss my mother.  We visited often in the last years, but I still miss her.

Update

Both my eyes are healed, I think.  I had my second post-op exam last week and I'm seeing 20/20 in both eyes--for distant vision!  I will still need glasses for reading, but even my close-up vision is better.  I also have very nice sun glasses.  All in all, my eyes are better than they were when I was 13.  Win for me.

My feet still hurt from the neuromas, but they're actually a lot better, I think.  At least I don't lie down in bed and they keep aching/throbbing.  Also, when I'm wearing my proper shoes, I can walk with almost no gimping around.

As for the right hand--I dunno.  I guess I'll have to see a hand doctor--what the hell is a hand doctor?

I've been substituting at the two local high schools almost every day.  Last day of school is May 27.  By that time, I will have earned enough to get my quilting machine.

Due to starting immune-suppressant drugs soon, I will severely limit my teaching next fall.  I think only the school around the corner from us, and then only maybe 4-5 days per month.  You know, schools are just big petri dishes.  Also, since I have been working so much, I have had no desire to quilt or even sew.  I'll be glad to have my old routine back.  But I have been single-minded about earning enough to get my quilting machine.  I have several large quilts that will cost many dollars to have someone else quilt, and I do not intend to do hand quilting.  PUH-LEEZE!!

Bobby's working part-time at the Wal-Mart in Moore.  It's good for him, he says.

I think I'm done.