My mother the turtle

posted Sat, 05 Mar 2005

The Big Factotum finally arrived last night. She didn’t call or email before she left Wichita, so I didn’t know what time to expect her. She arrived, naturally, while I was on the phone with my uncle wondering if I should call the highway patrol.

I am like my mother in many ways – we are both bossy know it alls, but only one of us got the recessive packing gene. I managed three months traveling through Latin America with one backpack.

“Let’s just bring the things I’ll need for tonight,” my mom said. She brought in two carry-on sized bags, a pillow, a cosmetic case, her coat, a big paper bag, and a heating pad.

I noticed that the clock in the guest room had stopped. “Size A battery?” mom guessed.

Yes, I answered.

“I have one you can have,” she told me.

When I went into the bathroom in the middle of the night, there was a nightlight on the wall that had never been there before.

When she woke up, I asked mom if she wanted coffee. She waved a packet of Maxwell House instant at me.

Breakfast? I asked.

“I have oatmeal and milk in the car,” she said.

If you want a houseguest who brings all her own supplies, call my mom.