May 31, 2013

In about four weeks I'll begin my summer vaca in Santa Fe.

I had lots of waiting time today, but that's OK because it allowed me to work on two projects that I had been putting off. It's amazing to me the amount of time that will pass when I'm working on detail after detail on projects. Today was a perfect example on how quickly time can pass!

My sweet niece Tricia, who had a baby about a month ago, posted a photo today on Facebook of her baby (Catherine) who had escaped her swaddling to have both arms exposed while sleeping on her back. This made me think of my mom who was the absolute expert of caring for babies. Mother took care of her own two children (my older brother and me) as well as her siblings children (eight on them), her friends children, her nieces and nephew's children, and her own grandchildren. It seems like only yesterday when Dr. Mc was born, three weeks early, and Daddy drove across Texas to get Mother  to Houston the night of Dr. Mc's birth. I went home with Dr. Mc a couple of days later and, fortunately, Mother was there to show me what to do. Daily baths. Diaper changes. Lotions and potions to put on the baby. Breast feeding. Wrapping up in a blanket. I was 27 years old when Dr. Mc was born and had little experience with babies. The day Mother and Daddy left to go back to Fort Worth, I wasn't sure I could take care of my newborn, 7.5 pound baby girl, without Mother's help. Somehow Dr. Mc survived in my care, as did Sweetness some 8.5 years later. Once again, Mother was there to remind me how to take care of a baby and myself. I remember Mother also being present when we had several of Dr. Mc's friends to the house to show them how to pick up a newborn after Sweetness was born. I was certain that the eight and nine year old girls would want to lift Sweetness from her crib, so Mother taught them how. I wish both of my parents were alive to enjoy their five great grandchildren. I wish my older brother was alive to see his five grandchildren growing. All of them would be so proud!

Today I'm creating piles of items that will be sold in tomorrow's garage sale. I have pulled out more than 50 pairs of shoes for the garage sale. Tonight at dinner, a friend told me she would be surprised if she 20 pairs of shoes in her closet. Another thing my mother taught me was an appreciation for shoes!