So, I know I wrote a bit back about my mom, but today is also a significant day in history, today is the anniversary of my Mom's passing. This year it will be 25 years. To honor her memory I'll share a favorite memory of her.
When I was about 10 we spent almost a year back East in Uncle Albert's house, he had passed away the year before and had left us the house. Mom wanted to spend some time back there and so we stayed there until December.
For those of you who don't really know me, I should explain a few things first. When I was growing up I was the tomboy in the family. I had a bunch of cousins I rough-housed with but I was never squeamish growing up. (Strangely enough, I'm a great deal more cautious now) My sister, Mary, used to have me come over and stay whenever her husband Todd was away on a hunting trip, partly because we'd watch horror movies together, partly because she knew I'd kill or catch most things in the house (with the exception of the one rattlesnake, we left that for Todd). I wasn't squeamish.
Mom, knew and accepted this. She knew I was tomboy, I could barely keep the pigtails in my hair growing up, they were always getting caught in the trees. It is kind of amazing what Mom put up with for me. I can't tell you how many times I fell asleep with gum in my hair, or I'd scrap my knees horsing around and ruin my tights. But, the perk to me being the tomboy and unafraid of most things had an upside one lovely fall day for my Mother.
I came home from school, through the cemetery, down the tiny wood shrouded road, into the huge house to find Mom, sitting at the table, worried. She had a look on her face, I asked what was wrong and she took me upstairs to the upstairs bathroom and opened up the toilet.
Inside was a dead, brown, floating bat.
I started laughing, I couldn't help it. I just, for the life of me, couldn't figure out how it ended up in the toilet, it was the damnedest thing. Mom shot me a look, and then started laughing. When I stopped I asked her, how did this happen? She explained to me that she'd gone into the attic to get toilet paper, we kept all of Albert's janitorial supplies up in the attic, and she brought the toilet paper downstairs and when she went to put a roll on the holder the bat slid out and into the toilet. Apparently it had died in the attic stuck into a roll of tp. The poor creature. I had no idea we had bats, and thought it was wicked that we did. However, we were still left with the problem of what to do with the poor deceased bat in the toilet. Mom looked at me, asked me what do you think I should do? I said, Flush it. And then I flushed it. Remember, I was 10, I thought the toilet could flush anything. I had no idea a bat could have demolished our whole septic system. Mom's jaw dropped, but it flushed. She was as surprised as I was.
I have oodles of wonderful memories of my Mom, She was a wonderful loving care nurse, friend to many, intelligent and active voting citizen, Trekkie, catcher, hitter, Tiger, Mom, Sister, Wife and all around wonderful human. She is missed but she lives on in the hearts of those who loved her.
When I was about 10 we spent almost a year back East in Uncle Albert's house, he had passed away the year before and had left us the house. Mom wanted to spend some time back there and so we stayed there until December.
For those of you who don't really know me, I should explain a few things first. When I was growing up I was the tomboy in the family. I had a bunch of cousins I rough-housed with but I was never squeamish growing up. (Strangely enough, I'm a great deal more cautious now) My sister, Mary, used to have me come over and stay whenever her husband Todd was away on a hunting trip, partly because we'd watch horror movies together, partly because she knew I'd kill or catch most things in the house (with the exception of the one rattlesnake, we left that for Todd). I wasn't squeamish.
Mom, knew and accepted this. She knew I was tomboy, I could barely keep the pigtails in my hair growing up, they were always getting caught in the trees. It is kind of amazing what Mom put up with for me. I can't tell you how many times I fell asleep with gum in my hair, or I'd scrap my knees horsing around and ruin my tights. But, the perk to me being the tomboy and unafraid of most things had an upside one lovely fall day for my Mother.
I came home from school, through the cemetery, down the tiny wood shrouded road, into the huge house to find Mom, sitting at the table, worried. She had a look on her face, I asked what was wrong and she took me upstairs to the upstairs bathroom and opened up the toilet.
Inside was a dead, brown, floating bat.
I started laughing, I couldn't help it. I just, for the life of me, couldn't figure out how it ended up in the toilet, it was the damnedest thing. Mom shot me a look, and then started laughing. When I stopped I asked her, how did this happen? She explained to me that she'd gone into the attic to get toilet paper, we kept all of Albert's janitorial supplies up in the attic, and she brought the toilet paper downstairs and when she went to put a roll on the holder the bat slid out and into the toilet. Apparently it had died in the attic stuck into a roll of tp. The poor creature. I had no idea we had bats, and thought it was wicked that we did. However, we were still left with the problem of what to do with the poor deceased bat in the toilet. Mom looked at me, asked me what do you think I should do? I said, Flush it. And then I flushed it. Remember, I was 10, I thought the toilet could flush anything. I had no idea a bat could have demolished our whole septic system. Mom's jaw dropped, but it flushed. She was as surprised as I was.
I have oodles of wonderful memories of my Mom, She was a wonderful loving care nurse, friend to many, intelligent and active voting citizen, Trekkie, catcher, hitter, Tiger, Mom, Sister, Wife and all around wonderful human. She is missed but she lives on in the hearts of those who loved her.
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