Prunning the roses

I pruned the roses yesterday, a little late, but they are finished. Its my role in the family to do the outside stuff, mow the lawn, weed, water, plant and prune the roses. Every year since dad died I have traveled to mom's to take on the task.

They are Dad's roses, so are the grapes except the grapes are too complicated for this dis tractable daughter. I can't seem to remember the intricacies of what is the new growth and what is old, so my mom just hacks away each year.....and.....they actually produce grapes.

Anne's role is to clean, and sew, yup she's still the baby and can't quite get out of the cleaning role. The older one's get to balance the check book, cook, and boss the younger ones around. Little do they know we've got their number and don't really listen to them anyway!! (Not really, well kinda of)

Back to the roses, I love gardening manly because its my connection to my Dad. I can hear him as I make the cuts: "not too short dear", "you're doing great dear", "mix it in well dear". He always ended his sentences to me with "dear", its a sweet reminder.

As I finished the roses, I realized that I was listening to to the sounds of basketball being played somewhere in the neighborhood. I could hear the neighborhood children walking home from Wasatch singing church songs and I thought wow, the neighborhood is young again. They were sweet sounds of children something that had been missing from my old stomping grounds. I love Provo, I love the tree streets......I'll write about that next time!!!

For now the roses are finished!

Winter Blues

Well its official, I have the "Winter Blues"

I get up too early.....

Think too much in the middle of the night some examples;

Are the Grand kids warm
Which parents are going to send their kids
What color should we paint the bedroom
Why did I say......(put anything in here)
Really....its only 4:00 a.m., "You are not getting out of bed"

Can't quite get myself on the elliptical which, by the way, is exactly 20 steps from my bed!!

Sugar has become a major food group!

Oh well, onto acupunture and St. Johns Wort, with doses of Vitamin D and B's mixed in, my "blues" elixir!

Here's to a foggy January and onto the hopes of February and March!!

SHUT UP and Other Words of Wisdom From My Mother

I know, I know, I know, never say shut up when something else more polite will do.....but no one told my mother that!

Yesterday, Tuesday January 5, 2010, a day that will live in infamy I was sitting in the Doctors office with my mom. We were waiting for Dr. Wallentine, her oncologist, to enter when we were trying to remember the name of one of the Moody children, (to explain why we were recalling the names is a subject for another post). We could recall, Michelle, Milo, David and Jenny.....but just couldn't quite fetch the final name from the recess of our collective minds. I called Anne, she certainly would remember but, no answer, so I started naming names as they came to my mind, this is when my mother uttered her daily doses of wisdom,

"shut up, I'm trying to think".

I quickly obeyed her demand sat there chuckling inside when all of a sudden the name came to both of us, Steven, his name is Steven, he was her favorite! Whew! what a relief, we could relax and get on with life....

I must report that these were not the only "suggestions" I received from my mother that day.

When I first arrived to the house to collect my patient, I made a trip to the ladies room, while there, I heard a demand coming through the closed door, I thought she said " come here". I yelled back after I opened the door, "what?", again a muffled utterance of what I thought was "come here" once I re-entered the kitchen, I asked for clarification,

Me: "did you say come here"?

Mom: "No I said comb your hair"

Me: "This is how it is supposed look"

Mom: "I like your hair a little more formal"

Me: "I know you do"

She likes my hair more formal, shorter, its natural color....When I was younger, like last week, I knew the quickest way to make my mother happy was to cut my hair, "You look 10 pounds thinner with short hair". Unfortunately the 10 lb drop never showed up on the scales!!!

Some of you might be shocked at the interaction with my mother, but I knew that there were at least 5 other people who would appreciate the humor in my day, so I quickly text my sisters and we all shared a laugh!!!