Mom ~ In Out of the Cold.

Today I thought I would write another little episode about ‘Mother’. This is back by popular demand for all those who want to be Mom!.

Do you ever wonder just what it is that produces characters like mom, I know I do. Heck, one day I hope to reach that same 81+ year plateau myself.

We were just finishing supper last night when the phone rang. You guessed it, it was mother. “How are you and what are you up to? ”The opening remarks came over the wire. ‘Well mom, we are just finishing eating, I wish I could say we had won a lottery or something but’ ~ Mother burst out laughing which was a good sign. Then she burst the bubble with “Don’t give up your day job,” now it’s our turn to chuckle. She’s one sharp cookie alright!

We usually have this kind of contact with the MIL, that is when she has not gone away for the weekend. She is very happy where she is now; mind you it took a few moves from city to city over a number of years, for her to decide, that where she really wanted to live was right where she grew up! I guess that it is because you have to test the waters sometimes before you finally decide to go home to where all your friends are.

Mother’s life is very much one of routine these days. Like a lot of folks, she has her days when she takes care of things like grocery shopping, (she’s still not driving! LOL) Then she will take a walk and chat with anyone who happens to come by through the lobby of the large seniors building she lives in. This way I know for a fact, she is checking out any ‘prospects’ for a possible encounter. I have to say one thing about mom, she never gives up hope or looking. So some poor guy out there had better watch out!! Mom’s name is Vi, short for Viola, unless a guy is around then Vi is short for Viagra!

It used to be that when mom phoned she always needed to know what’s on TV? Lately she had not been asking that question. We did well to get suspicious. A few days ago it seems, she was at the library; this itself is not unusual for she is an avid reader and can go through a book in no time flat.

There is an old cliché that says. “If you don’t want to hear the answer, don’t ask the question!” In trepidation, I decided to take the bull by the horns and ask anyway. ‘How come you never ask about the movies anymore mom?’ Maybe she has taken to buying a TV guide.

It has been noted I’m sure by many; that as a person gets older they seem to get tight with their money, though I much prefer to use the word thrifty.
Well good old mom never ceases to floor me, given the opportunity and I did open the door.

She launched into this story about how she goes to the library each week.

Apparently she spends some time there browsing the books and reading the ‘Newspapers’ (I smell a clue here somewhere!) Mother rarely read the papers before. Sure enough, I detected that ‘smile chuckle’ tone in her voice as she related that “Nobody seemed to be using the TV guide” so she brought it home!! I said ‘Mother! That’s stealing, you’re stealing from the library!!’

Making a beeline for the bathroom before I really lose control and wet myself. I handed the phone to Elizabeth, who quizzically said ’My Mothers a thief?' Then mom, putting on her best 81 yr old manner, goes on to justify what she did, “They don’t mind an old lady taking it “. They don’t even know she takes it! She smuggles it into her purse when nobody is looking! Really!

On Friday nights of each week she now goes out to the local church hall. This in itself when I first heard of it, was a revelation coming from mom. (I smelled a rat!) If you ever saw mom, she would remind you of that actress who plays “Mrs Marples” in those detective movies, so small, sweet and demure.

Whenever you pull mother up on a point or some remark, she always gives off a little laugh that cries out for attention, you just know something else is coming! It turns out that the church where she attends each Friday has a program that they put on at certain times during the late winter into spring months, they call it ‘Out of the cold’ I believe. In this program they put on a very good free meal every Friday evening. Basically it is more for the homeless and poor people of the area from what I gather.

Again I decided to open a door; you would think I would learn? Right!

‘ Well mom you do surprise me, going in there to help.’ “Oh I don’t help” came back the response, “Not really, I just go to say hello to all those poor homeless people and it is nice to meet and talk with strangers, make them feel welcome." Then she added, "They do feed me while I am there“. Ah, Ah!! I knew it!
On came the Mrs Marples demure manner accompanied with the laugh again, as she finished that part of the tale. Then eagerly she gets into a gushing account about how good the food is, “You can’t get food that good even in a restaurant these days” she concluded. I just about died!
She really didn’t see the harm in it, or if she did she wasn’t giving up the food!

Now when she phones on a weekend, we just ask if she ate and what did they serve, she always enjoys her visit there so much and readily gives a glowing account of the fare. I gave up any other approach on the subject, after all, it’s not that she is exactly poor herself, 81 or not!

Lately she has started to say “ There are too many poor people!” I sincerely hope she means in the World, and not at the supper for fear she doesn’t get her serving!!
God Bless you Mom!

C’ya