Jessica
Mother’s Day
We’re having a bad week and it looked like it pull through and get better, but wishing is pretty ineffective. I’m spending almost all of my free-time alone, which makes this week harder.
With Mother’s Day coming up, I’ve been thinking of what I can do to make my mom happy. I can’t afford to travel up to her. Instead, I had a special gift to send in my stead. Something tells me USPS isn’t going to be enough.
My mom is adopted. In my opinion, by the best possible couple. My grandparents are the most loving people I know. So loving, in fact, that Gram (my grandma) flew out my mother’s biological mother, Beverly, for her big 4.0.
She’s known her less than 7 years and is now flying out to say goodbye to her. Bev has tumors in her lungs, heart and liver–4th stage liver cancer. I’m not really sure what words to use for this since the only ones I can think of aren’t family friendly. I don’t understand how these things happen.
She was never a drinker and her only unhealthy sin was tanning a lot as a young woman. How is it fair that my mother is going to lose her mother around Mother’s Day less than a decade after meeting her? What’s the great philosophy behind that?
Made My Bed and Curled Up In It
from gograph.com
Steven and I moved into our new apartment over two weeks ago now. I thought I would feel really strange living with someone for the first time, but I haven’t felt this comfortable living with someone since I was a child. As I think I’ve mentioned, my family moved a lot as I was growing up (not that I’m done, lol.) I’ve come to love moving.
The best part is going through my things again. Since almost everything I own has been in storage for 9 months, each box I opened was somewhat of an adventure. Yeah, I labelled everything, but still…
A photo album here. A couple of writing portfolios. Several boxes of books–Beats literature, Brit lit, poetry journals, anthologies, etc. And then there’s the dishes, which I never though much about before, but suddenly seem so integral.
Originally, when my stepmother gave me her old dishes, I didn’t know what I would ever do with serving dishes and multiple wine glasses. Now I realize that I have a home, my home, our home, the home that I will have people over for dinner. The home we pull out all of the wine glasses to toast to friends and family. Continue reading
Harvey
My mother came down this weekend to visit and see our new apartment. I don’t see her much and I am always surprised at how comforting I find her. Sometimes I don’t know how badly I needed to see her until she runs up and hugs me.
She took Steven and I out for breakfast and stepped outside while we were waiting for our food. I didn’t know she was back until she jolted into the booth next to me, tear-streaked. I’m not always sure what to do with crying people, which I know is odd, but they just don’t have classes for that in K-12. Sadly, it turned out her tears were something I understood too well.
Harvey, her Bassett Hound, died. She would probably say he’s ours because I named him but no one loved him like they she and Pa did. She even went so far as to save some of her lamb from our last dinner to bring home to him. My grandmother and I complained that that’s a horrible waste of lamb but she said he deserves to have what she has and if it takes a little time off, at least he died happy. It’s horrible how ominous that sounds now but at the time it was just in defense of spoiling him.
We took a long time naming him and after Pa tried to name him Harley, I suggested Harvey, after the giant pink bunny–one of my favorite plays. The name worked out well. He’s a rascal. Continue reading
I Don’t Want To Wake Up!
The countdown is on! I’m taking Friday off to begin the fabulous process of relocating my life. My boyfriend and I are heading into the office early Friday morning to finalize the lease, grabbing the keys and beginning the move.Our cable guy is coming an hour or so later to set up the internet/cable, so I’m coming armed with technology.
How many people show up to sign their lease with a car all ready to unload? I’m not saying this is exciting or anything but… besides my storage unit (my life in an 8×10), I’m about 80% packed. I’ve moved so many times, it’s thrilling to do. If practice makes perfect, I should teach classes on moving. I’ve got an awesome process for it too.
The boxes do come from the liquor store because they are the perfect size–especially for someone who owns a lot of books. Don’t worry–most neighbors have enough sense to know I’m not hauling in 30 boxes of random types of alcohol. I don’t think I give off that vibe. Particularly since each box is meticulously labelled. Continue reading
Hum It Lightly
Everyone at one time or another has a job (or if they’re lucky just an errant day) where they feel that their employer has no respect for them–that the company they work for sees them as entirely disposable and easily replaceable. In my experience, most people have said mind-numbing job around college. I had mine during.
I worked in retail and actually grew to love it. I enjoyed dressing women, teaching them new ways to appreciate themselves. I became a big fan of pride in one’s appearance because being comfortable with my looks gave me room to worry about other things–the more important things. Going to work, in a lot of ways, was relaxing for me. I mixed life with intense intellectual challenges and thoughtless charisma. The only thing that mattered at work was how upbeat and patient I could be.
Except. That’s not all. The reason I worked at a retail shop while going to college full time was…I needed the money. It’s amazing the crap we’ll take for the bare necessities. I realized over the years after the prejudice, harassment and general poor treatment that being loyal to your job isn’t the same thing as your company being loyal to you.
Memories of my favorite job came to mind when I heard this story in conjunction with this phenomenal song. Continue reading
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