I sat with my Dad on a recent afternoon.  He had just returned from church.  However, as we sat talking, I noticed that his right pant leg had both a staple and a large piece of tape keeping the hem of his pants up. 

OMygoodness.

He obviously was not disturbed by it, but I was.  I was because I knew my father, although of sound mind and presence, still needed some looking over. How did I miss this?  But I did.

So, in my own way, asked him to give me the pants, and I promised I return in the next few days with a renewed pair.  In this case, it meant NEW PAIR.

And I did.  I went to a local store, found the right size, and am ready to give to my Dad.  Will he be angry?
Yes...of course, because his 55 year old daughter defied him...but this 55 year old also wants her Dad to go out in public with great pants?

Am I such a bad daughter?

Well, that same Dad is ok.  In fact, he is more than happy.

He made my world happy while growing up.  If I can give him happy now, then great!

Amazed my mother in law that I had been an Indiana State Fair champion in foods in 1973.

Cannot blame her.  I rarely cook, and have never really liked to cook, create, or develop any food groups or creations since then.   I love to receive, but rarely am rewarded by receiving.

Which brings me to my point of this blog:  Martha, my mom, and the woman who taught me that even if you do not want to cook, do it anyway, and be glad you did.

And she was correct.

My mom is in a nursing home.  She has suffered strokes, common to her family, but nonetheless, she has  been through some suffering.  However, she grabs my hand, she chuckles, and she nods when she knows a family member is near.

For that I am grateful, and feel blessed.

But am also filled with anger.  Anger unjustified.  But anger nonetheless.  I remember the woman who watched over me probably 12 times during a 4-H fair submission for a holiday festive bread.  The result was a state ribbon for my submission.  The buildup to that was a mother-daughter combative situation to get my bread submission correct.  She was the adult, and she was correct, and I was the child............learn, learn, learn,

I won.  State. Awesome.  1974.

Not much to many, but awesome to my mom and I.

I miss her. And more, I miss her great humor.

I rest.