Springing Forward



Grandma and Ma

Mother’s Day is still a bit of a challenge for me. No, my own mother is just fine and busy organizing my father in Florida. It’s the widow part that throws me off just a bit. I am working through it, although I’m pretty sure there are some people that would like me to just get over myself and my ongoing trepidation. For the record, my mother-in-law passed away 27 years ago today, the day after Mother's Day. So Mother's Day ends up being fraught with assorted meanings. What can I say? It is what it is.

Last weekend, the junior son and his wife presented me with a Mother’s Day offering: a bicycle. I was thrilled, since the bicycle presented to me on Mother’s Day the first year we were here in this house now lies in pieces on the basement floor, the hapless victim of an engineering attempt gone awry. I had been asking the assorted qualified bike repair personnel (one of whom had, for a time, earned his living doing bike repair) who happen to have resided under this roof to restore said bike to a bike-able condition. In fact, I think this was the first year in a while that I didn’t wistfully remark,  “Gee, I would love it if someone fixed up my bike for Mother’s Day.”

This bike is vintage (like me) and perfect (unlike me). It’s an old fashioned English racer, but with a coaster brake (because I’m old) as well as a hand brake. Happily, it’s a three-speed since I never really got the whole ten-speed process. They even put a bell on it. Junior son adjusted the brakes and the seat, then let me try it out. I don’t know why he was so amazed I could still ride a bike. I mean, it’s like sex...you don’t forget how to do that either!



my new wheels



But he admonished about going too far too soon. “You can’t be riding around without a helmet,” he warned. And I couldn’t help myself. Really. I couldn’t. It was the perfect opening and I had to say it. So I did. I said, “You’re not the boss of me.”  



 The look he shot back was priceless.

I got myself a shiny new helmet. The nice man at the bike store was very patient as he tried to find one that fits on this thick-haired head so now, I look like a mushroom with a double chin. It’s just not all that attractive. Any of my baseball caps would look much better. Unfortunately they won’t protect me if I fall. Not that I’m planning to.

So far so good. I've been riding around the neighborhood a bit, and have to admit I’d forgotten just how hard a leather bike saddle can be. And while the ankle twisted in that pre-dawn dog-walking episode is healing, it’s still a bit tender.  I have no desire to ride in one of those en masse clubs; my goal is much simpler:  I want to ride to work. 



I'm being optimistic; that’s why I’m writing this down. If I tell all of you I’m going to do this, I’m kinda locked in here. 



Bialy!

As for Mother's Day itself, I got to have a bunch of high quality chuckles on the phone with the senior son, and then we went over to the junior son and spouse house for a lovely dinner. My daughter-in-law makes some wicked good coffee ice cream! I won't even mention the almond macaroons. And of course any time spent with my grandpuppy is good time.

Meanwhile, the snow is finally gone, the front garden is popping up, the grass is greening up, and the tractor is all gassed up. What more could a Mom want?

The Wifely Person Tip o'the Week 

Got a new bike and wanna be really cool? They still sell handlebar streamers!

I gotta get me some of those!