Mom and Me

Two Ice Cubes!

I walked into Mom's room with an evening cocktail.

"What have you got?"

A drink, I answered.

"No! How many ice cubes are in that glass?"

Uhm, I don't know.

"Well, I can see from here there are more than two!"

Well, yes.  Yes, there are.

"Wasteful!  I just don't understand why anybody would need more than two ice cubes for a glass of anything."

I thought back to the metal ice cube trays we had as kids.  It was a step up from chopping at a block of ice...but we had only two trays and unless we had a bowl in the freezer, which was not allowed because that wasted space, you pulled the metal lever, got TWO ice cubes and left the rest.  Mercy to the person who took the last two ice cubes and failed to fill up the tray with water.

I think I get it.

And...so it goes.

Doing The Laundry

The great folks at the Wesley Retirement System property Edgewater would do Mom's laundry but I decided it was something that I could do myself.  It's a personal effort and I know what to use and what to avoid. (Mom has some sensitive skin...)

Each day I collect her clothing and do the laundry every-other-day.

"Did you iron my pants?", asked Mom.

Yes and on hangers.  See.

"You didn't use an electric iron did you?"

Uhm...sure.

"You shouldn't do that."

Why?

"It wastes electricty.  All you have to do is keep the pants slightly damp and then spread them out on a table and 'hand-iron' them. When they dry they will be just fine."

That's OK.  I don't mind.  Oh, by the way MidAmerican Energy called me.  They wanted to know why you've used so little energy.

"Oh?  I was wondering if they might wonder what's up.  I haven't been home for nearly two months.  What did they think I was doing?  It's good they are on top of it."

Yes it is.

"They will never call you about your house."

Why?

"You don't 'hand-iron' enough."

And...so it goes

I'm Ironing...

Mom loves to save money so the real iron that "Uses too much energy!" sits on a shelf.

"Move over, I need to finish my ironing."

What are you doing?

"Can't you tell?  I am ironing my pants."

What's the wet rag for?

"I've got to dampen the fabric so I can iron it with my hand."

Mom, why don't I just grab the iron and do it for you?

"And waste electricity? No way!  Besides, this is exactly how my mother did it."

Was that before electricity?

"Watch it!"

And so it goes...

Rock & Stumps Work Just Fine

Mom's great-grandson Carter had his first birthday party this past weekend.  Her grandson (and my son) Aaron and his wife Mandi worked like dogs to get the back-yard looking nice.  New screens on the playhouse, new deck on the playhouse, 40 bags of mulch, new entry door and storm door on the house and some new patio furniture.  You get the idea, it was a "make-over" and it looked nice.

Mom had a conversation with Aaron about the new furniture.  And yes, that's when I took the photo.

"My, this is really nice patio furniture.  Is it new?"

Yep, Dad and I picked it up last Sunday.  That's why we were late coming over for dinner.

"Oh yes, I remember that.  So, how much did all this fancy-schmancy cost you?" (At 93 Mom doesn't much care what she says or how...)

It was about five-hundred dollars.

"FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS?!?!?!"

That was for the furniture.  But we got a pretty good deal.

"I should hope so.  For five-hundred dollars it must be gold!"

No, not really there is much more expensive stuff out there.

"I just don't understand it.  Back in my day we sat on rocks or pulled up a log to sit on or just sat on a blanket on the ground."

Would you want to sit on a blanket on the ground?

"Don't get sassy..."

And so it goes...

The Disposable Generation...

I walk into Mom's house and she is standing at the kitchen sink washing her hands.  On her hands are some latex gloves.

Mom, what are you doing?

"I'm washing my hands."

I can see that but, you've got those disposable gloves on.

"So?  I've got to make sure they are clean because I'll be wearing them again."

They are disposable...

"Waste not, want not!"

And so it goes....

If I can save a dollar...

"Would you do something for me?"

Sure Mom, what?

"Well, I need you to put the stuff that is in the wash machine into the dryer but don't dry it.  Only set it for about ten minutes."

You don't want your clothes...dry?

"Oh yes, but after the ten minutes I need you go get my 'drying rack' and put that up over there and then I'll hang up the damp clothes."

Why do you do that?

"I want to add a little moisture into the air and, besides, it just takes too much money to run that clothes dryer.  If I can get some of the water out and then hang them up I might just save a dollar. Besides who wants wrinkled up slacks?  Then I'd have to turn on the iron and that's really wasteful!"

And, so it goes...