Crumbs From the Corner: Adventures in Woolgathering

Friday, October 31, 2008

Mother's Eyes



"Trust the instinct to the end, though you can render no reason."
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

I spoke with Mater yesterday and decided, on a whim, to perform some gentle exercises at the same time. One leg up high, down again, the other one up, then down, as I marched back and forth purposely across the cold kitchen floor.
I stated that they were gentle: they were almost not exercises at all, so mild and nondescript were the actions. They took place without interrupting the flow of a reasonable conversation.
Then, from nowhere: "why do I get the feeling you are doing exercises? Your voice sounds as though you are."
It was a lucky thing I was standing on both legs at the time, or I might have tipped right over. Surprise can do that.
With my mother still at the other end of the line, I brewed a cup of tea. I added the requisite portion of sugar, an amount known only to me- or so I thought until I realised the futility.
"Are you scraping something from a container?"
Were Mater to calculate the number of times she heard the spoon touch the box, and then gauge the weight of each spoonful by the sharpness or dullness of the clatter, the precise volume of sugar could be ascertained.
I contemplated the ramifications of having a mother who sees everything.
"Big Mother is watching." I sipped my tea and heaved a sigh.
"Believe it," came the gleeful retort.

7 comments:

Pappy said...

Hi The,
Mater probably already knows this, but I've been off my blog route for a few days. I just caught up. Sorry about her shoulder. I have one that acts up from time to time. I wore it out swatting at kids in the back seat of our car. I guess you and spouse already figured out that we fall forward this weekend. If not, now you know. When I need the time, I go to the kitchen and get the three different times from the stove, the microwave, and the coffee maker - I then take an average and state the time with firm conviction. Happy Halloween to you and yours. Might already be to late for Mater (belated greetings) Pappy

Nan said...

I always love these posts with your mother and you being cosmically connected! Wonderful.

Phyllis Hunt McGowan said...

Texican, Mater definitely noticed that- she checks your blog everyday.
Your time calculator is very good. I think I'll try it so we can avoid such a confusion again. We just have to buy a coffee maker. Perhaps Mater got her sore shoulder from swatting at customers ;)
Hope you had a good Halloween too- I think Mater got your Halloween note in time- she stays up late nowadays, especially not having a job to go to.

Nan, we surely are cosmically connected. Mater is very observant. Nothing gets past her. I think that helps her to know everything ;)

Pappy said...

Thanks The. I did notice that in my haste to come up with some smart answer to fill your blog comment page, I made a mistake. Now that doesn't happen very often, but we fall back this weekend and not forward. We Spring forward next Spring. Sorry if this messed you up. I hope my blogging credibility has not suffered. Pappy

Phyllis Hunt McGowan said...

Texican, now all my weekend plans are ruined. Ruined, I tell you.
What about my credibility, that I didn't even notice ;) I knew what you meant, so my brain didn't catch the actual wording.
I think it's a good sign that you're looking forward to the Spring.

Jaime said...

A mother who sees everything. I wonder if all mothers have this ability. And it can be a very comforting thing at times, as long as you aren't getting into trouble!

I suspect you didn't get much past her when you were a child either?

:)

Phyllis Hunt McGowan said...

Jaime, I think perhaps all mothers- and if not, then mine more than makes up the average ;)
I got a few things past her, some tricks and things- such as secretly setting a fresh biscuit beside her cup of tea every few minutes, so she would keep taking them one by one, thinking she hadn't eaten them all, until after 7 or 8 I finally had to tell her to stop. Things like that ;)

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