1) I heard the clock chime four. I heard the clock chime five. I did not hear the clock chime six or seven. I wasn't ever expecting to be the last one up on this trip! #ineededthat
2) This morning was such a long time ago I can't really remember what went on, but it involved coffee, research on ye Ybyye of some of the antique toys and puzzles (results: don't bother), some wrapup for Kid Sister.
3) Mamma knew all the Methodist Widows Who Have Known Us Since We Were Knee High would be at ye Cottyn's for lunch - that's what they do on Saturdays - and she really wanted us to go, so we did. Ye Cottyn's is not far from our old house - indeed, I remember when the building was built as the new 7-11 in the neighborhood! - and it's a typical hole-in-the-wall burger joint. So off we went for an 11:30 AM arrival time. And there we were, right behind all the Methodist widows in the short line to place orders - all of us glad to see each other and exclaim, etc. etc.
3a) I had one of the best bacon cheeseburgers ever.
3b) We were all so busy talking that we didn't even near when our order was called for pickup. A lady at a nearby table actually took the trouble to bring it to us!
3c) Chatting with one of the ladies, turns out her daughter-in-law is running for office in Texas as a Democrat.
4) We ended up making an impromptu visit to the cemetery, which had been freshly mowed.
4a) I'm afraid Granny and Grampa look like they've been out in the sun too long. Anybody have any advice on how to treat metal in these circumstances?
5) The main event of the afternoon was a surprise round of Teacup Roulette between Laura and me. The box appeared to be Uncle Bill's share of all the "nice" teacups and other assorted china from Gramma's collection; we've all known that Mother's share is in the cabinet over the freezer.
The battleground before lines were drawn.
5a) Some pieces I remembered very well, others not at all. (None of them left me asking "Gramma, what were you thinking?") The bidding went well, and we each made a concession (I forewent a claim on a beautiful black-and-white cup with roses, and Laura allowed two small pitchers with English coaching scenes on them), but to my surprise, there were about half a dozen that neither of us were interested in. So now it's up to me to research for values.
The one that got away.
6) All that said, I am delighted with my share of the legacy.
Notice especially the all-black demitasse at left. It's Wedgwydd.
7) Then it was time for Kid Sister to leave for the bosom of her family, so of course I insisted on a photo op that would be kind to our chin lines. See outtake above, but this is the nice one.
7a) But here's an outtake:
NO, I will not stand for bunny ears!
8) Now the thing about Mother is, as soon as she says she's going to do something, it really means she's going to do about five other things first. This is especially true if she says "I'm going to take a nap" or "It's time to rest my bones."
9) We are dining in tonight very casually - Mother said she's just not hungry - and that's fine by me, too.