The trip was wrapping up

Mike had another installment in his reminiscing w/Merrie:

April,

Formerly little sis. You may remember that I led my daughter to her bedroom, where she showed me her stuffed animals Rags, Ditzy, Woggy, and Blue Bell. And of course her remote control, whom she calls Buttons, which her child psychologist gave her to help her with her recurring nightmare about being burned while she is sleeping. She can use Buttons to change her dreams, if she doesn’t like it. Well, even though my daughter was fully dressed, she decided to crawl under her covers and go to bed. She curled up with her stuffed rabbit, and shoved her curly-haired doll to the side and kept Buttons in her hand.

I got into her bed and lay down beside her to continue my story about Gramma Marian and our trip to Vancouver.” My daughter tried to pretend she was sleeping. I said to her, “Daughter. You don’t fool me. It’s the middle of the day, and you don’t snore.” Then my daughter picked up her Buttons remote, pointed it at me and pressed the buttons several times, as if that would work.

I launched into my story about the pictures I had to show her. I said, “Two weeks was a long visit. Eventually we started to get on each other’s nerves. Mom was on Grandpa Jim’s case about his smoking and things got tense.” My daughter said, “Grampa Jim.” I said, “Did I say Grandpa again?” My daughter said, “Yes. If two weeks was a long visit, how would 4 weeks of looking at photos be?” I said, “Daughter. You better get used to looking at photos. Our family is going to be doing that for a long time.” My daughter sighed the deep sigh of Patterson resignation.

So I pulled the first picture out of my pocket to show her. It was of Gramma Marian putting a red sweater over her blue shirt. Mom was wearing blue too, and she said to Gramma Marian, “Do you have to wear blue all the time, mom? ---And why don’t you change your hair?” My daughter laughed and laughed. I said, “What’s so funny?” She said, “Gramma Elly never changes her hair and she wears the same colours all the time. Gramma Marian is just like Gramma Elly.” I said, “That is a very good comparison, but do not ever let mom hear you say that.” My daughter said, “Why?” I said, “Mom likes to think she is different from Gramma Marian.”

Then I showed my daughter the next picture. In it is Grampa Jim in the background chain-smoking, which is how I most remembered him. Gramma Marian is holding her coffee cup, which is how I most remembered her. Mom has her hand over her mouth and is not saying anything, which is how I wish I remembered her. Gramma Marian said, “We’ve always been sorry you didn’t finish university before getting married, Elly…” My daughter said, “Why would they be sorry?” I said, “Because Gramma Marian and Grampa Jim paid for mom to go to university and she quit after a few months to start working to save some money.” My daughter said, “You mean, Gramma Elly kept her school money?” I said, “Yes.” My daughter said, “No wonder Gramma Marian was mad. They gave Gramma Elly money to go to school and she kept it and didn’t go to school. That’s like stealing.” I said, “No, it’s not stealing.” My daughter said, “If you gave me money to buy something for school, and I kept it instead, what would you think?” I said, “I would think there was going to be a young lady who was going to be very sorry.” My daughter said, “Oh!”

In the next picture there was mom sitting in front of two silhouettes, one of Grampa Jim with either a cigarette or a tongue hanging out of his mouth. The other was of Gramma Marian walking away. Mom has a thought balloon written on the picture saying, “I wondered how long it would take before we resumed our old parent-daughter roles…” My daughter said, “What does that mean?” I said, “Mom and Gramma Marian and Grampa Jim all had things they were mad about with each other. Mom didn’t like the way Gramma Marian looked. Gramma Marian was mad mom did not use her university money for university. Grampa Jim was mad because he just was, most of the time, particularly when he smoked. Whenever we visited, they would be nice for awhile, so mom would agree to come back. Then mom would start picking at them about things.” My daughter said, “The same way she does now.” I said, “Exactly. Just like today, except Gramma Marian is dead.”

My daughter said, “When you get old and I come to visit you, are you going to show me photos?” I said, “What do you mean?” My daughter said, “Because Gramma Elly and Gramma Marian did what they used to do. What we are used to doing, is what we did today. We looked at old pictures.” I said, “Maybe. You never know.” My daughter said, “I don’t want to ever get old.” I said, “You don’t have anything to worry about, then daughter. You are going to stay young forever.” My daughter pointed her Buttons at me, and clicked the buttons a few more times.

More tomorrow, formerly little sis.

Love,
Michael Patterson

I admit, I hadta LOL that Mom was on Grandma Marian's case abt changing her hair, since Mom's been wearing her hair in that bun since 1996. I've tried 2 suggest changes, but she alwayz ignores me.

Howard, I'm not sure what 2 make of that message from Lirpa:

April,

Just Eat Real Elbow Macaroni You
Love It’s Vibrant Exquisite Sauce

– lirpA

I wonder if it's code. I hafta think abt it.

Apes