Hugh’s friends in Poland were baffled when he explained that the rest of his family lived in California, DC, Nashville and Copenhagen…simultaneously. “Do you not like each other?” they asked. We do, very much. And this is why having my mother live across the country from me, or vice versa, still kind of stinks. In the season of thankfulness, I’m thankful for planes. They brought Mom and Doug to us once again, for a fall visit.
Whereas the hills of Montclair, California, offer unbeatable views of city lights over the Bay, our little neck of the woods offers unbeatable…woods. I am so proud of our Cabin John Creek trails. Doug walked them with me and probably appreciated my company just fine, but would have better liked the company of his fishing rod.
One fun part of the visit was attending one of Finn’s competitions, where they got to see Finn’s freestyle, currently in development for international competition trials. Look at those screenagers.
One of the things I admire most about Mom is her gift for and investment in friendships, and this visit was no exception. Anna Borg, Jimmy and Rose, our neighbors Lisa and Norman, and Dad and Auntie Blitz came over to watch the elections, and it was indeed good to have company. Tatum, Aiden, Finn and Clara were gleefully startled by the irreverence of the so-called grown ups lounging around drinking, smoking, cussing and pontificating.
Marley pried herself away from hardcore senior year studies to come for Mom’s birthday, and we went out for Middle Eastern foods at Ala in Bethesda. Mom, naturally, ordered a lavender martini.
My kids have only celebrated Mom’s birthday in person with her a handful of times, so we made the most of it. Clara made dinner with me and Tatum made mini lemon custard and meringue cakes for dessert. Finn was on the low key end of participation, as Tatum, unimpressed, points out in his “card.”
Our celebration circle extended beyond the usual activities to include some handyman love. There’s nothing like rotting wood and funky electrical wires to bond men. It was great having Doug and Dad conspire to get my house back in shape. They brought out the ladder, the electric drill, hammer and nails, light bulbs, the whole toolbox, and repaired our steps, put up porch lights, replaced flickering lights with calm ones and generally made our house more respectable again.
This was nice because it gave Mom and me the chance to shop for my gala jump suit—more on that in a moment. Activities aside, it’s just the best having my mother by my side to talk and talk and cook and read and talk. It’s funny that the older I get, the more I need my parents.
@theterrace 