Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Cherries


My mom bought some cherries for me and I went by her house yesterday to pick them up.   She walked me out to my car and this conversation ensued when my mom observed me placing the bag of cherries in my trunk:

Mom:  "Don't forget to take them out of your trunk!"
Me:  *giggle* "Okaaaay, Mom."

I'm in my car now and she's gesturing and yelling something that I can't hear.  I roll down the window.

Me:  "What did you say?"
Mom:  "Remember that baby?"
Me:  "What?  No.  What baby?"
Mom:  "That baby on the news!  It was on the news last night and today!"
Me:  "And...?"
Mom:  "These people left their baby in the car because each of them thought the other had taken it out of the car seat and it DIED."
Me:  "Why are you telling me this?!"
Mom:  "Because they forgot a baby.  Think how easy it would be to forget cherries."

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Forces of Nature

J. and me, c. 1972


In the waning hours of a recent Saturday, my husband and I occupied ourselves with some final preparations for Sunday brunch.  Something distant but stentorian caught our attention.  It sounded like the rumble of giants hurdling mountains and valleys.  A short time later, we saw the black sky pulse with far-away jags of light.  The forecast storm would arrive much earlier than expected.

Since the sky was still starry and cloudless, I predicted that we would be fast asleep when the rain finally came…just one more thing to do before sweet, sweet sleep.  Alone in the kitchen, I was surprised by abrupt, spattering downpour and looked up at the clock.  Midnight.  It was my sister’s birthday.   J. would have been 50.  It seemed appropriate, even predictable, that this thundering storm heralded the birthday jubilee for the force of nature that was my sister.