Squeezed

     Time squeezes us or do we squeeze time?  Yesterday, my Mom arrived via UPS truck. It wasn't really her, but a piece of art work with her three year old self in it. I had mailed in for a challenge. It wasn't used and I asked for it back.  I was pleased to see Mom arrive  safe n' sound. It was for a recipe challenge.  In the photo, she is the age I was when she included me in her baking. I use to sit on a stool and watch.  I must of been patient and she allowed me to cut out a cookie. I was hooked. I started baking at age seven. I remember my grandmother spent the night. Saturday morning was my morning to get up and bake. I would sneak downstairs and start making Coffeecake for breakfast. Our stairs creak and I woke up my grandmother,  "Your Mother let's you do this?" she looked shocked.
  
      "Yes, I do this every Saturday morning."  Gram is getting up. She makes coffee and dances    around me in the kitchen.

     "Do you know what you are doing?" her head tilted and her eyes searching my face.

     "Yes, I do this all the time."  I'm laughing.  "I bake this cake every Saturday."

      "Show me how you make this cake?"  she smiles.

     I show her, it is a kid friendly mix.  It comes with its own foil pan and a plastic bag you dump the dry mix in, then add an egg and milk. No bowl is required. You squeeze the bag to mix the cake.  You pour it into the pan and now add the Cinnamon streusel.  It is enclosed in a pouch. You cut it open and pour over cake batter. Bake in a preheated oven.  She treats me like I'm a magic elf.  ;D 

       I sit here for the first time in years,  struggling what to give my Mom for Mother's Day. She has moved and is moving again, so I can't mail her a bareroot rose. One year, I mailed her a paint can filled with seeds to plant her own rainbow, garden magazines and other special touches.  I started to make her a May basket. She and a neighbor carried on this tradition in the neighborhood, when I was little.  I have fond memories of her lovely crepe paper creations. One year they even made Chinese Lantern type ones. They were beautiful, but my friends and I decided we liked the tea box ones better. Why?  because they held more candy ;D 

      I feel squeezed by many paths today.  I need to run to store to get her a gift and get it to the mail. Yesterday, had to run to lab and went to a favorite store, but they didn't have what I wanted. I should stay home and finish my resume, I  have a cover letter almost finished. I have to come back cook dinner and run in another direction to pick up daughter.  Everyone will eat, then pick up and then I'm off to a seminar for medical transcription. I have mixed feelings about it.  I think it would be the perfect job to fit around everyone lives, including my own, but I wonder how my poetry, art and writing will all fit in.  The dance of time and how to we squeeze it all in, so we get a bit of juice each day. A bit of nourishment for our souls....   I asked Mom, jewelry...no. Doesn't wear a lot of make up, she is fussy about her clothes. I use to be able to please her, not sure anymore.  Yes, gift cards are great, but I do like to add a more personal touch.   It was so easy, when it was about gardening...but as time marches, we all grow.  I mean go off in different directions, things change.

     Many May memories  are about flowers. We use to go pick May flowers on this dirt road. Their fragrance is hard to describe.  They are these tiny pink clusters that love to grow in near damp, woody areas.  They scent is this heady mix that you never forget. Think of Lily of the Valley for remembrance, but their perfume is different.

Lady Slippersby ~wandering-fox

Then there was the year, the same neighbor and my Mom wanted to go get Lady Slippers. They are rare flowers and there was a $5 fine per flower. They had this idea to go dig up one for their yards. Lucky for me, neighbor mom's kids went.  Our moms were so enchanted with the blooms, they ended up picking them.  The roots were hard to dig up.  So, now we are driving back with $200 worth of flowers.  We see the police and duck down and hide. Neighbor mom says if caught we have to start eating the flowers to reduce the fine. My Mom said she didn't know they were illegal. Wonder what the fine is now?  Guess, I will go make my mom a Lady Slipper and write about the memories.  Headline: Sunday School Teacher caught green handed, lol    What zany memories do you have of your Mom?!  Do you struggle getting a gift or is it easy?  It use to be easy for me... I know I could have flowers delivered... ;D  I am off to the store, going to buy some Lady's slippers, a coffee cake mix and make a May basket with candy and get her this blouse I spied. Wish me luck.  Oh, I'll be sure to share this story with the headline...she remembers~