Mum's coming home

We ate dinner outside on Father's Day. It was such a beautiful evening. Although it was after 8 p.m. by the time we actually sat down, it was still warm and pleasant. Even though it was Father's Day - Bill cooked. He prefers it that way. He made chicken parmigiana in his own style and  then "parmigianed" some huge Portobello mushrooms. OH MY GOD, they were delicious. Emma had driven home from a weekend in Toronto  (she's still looking for a suitable apartment) and was anxious to tell us her tales of woe while being rejuvenated by Bill's cooking.

Even our neighbors were outside and we tried (not very hard) to keep our voices down so we wouldn't disturb them. We tend to get boisterous when the four of us eat together. Especially as we re-enacted some of the cruder scenes from "Curb your Enthusiasm". Will and I had seen Jerry Seinfeld on Friday night at Shea's and we were remarking about how easily Jerry can keep his stand-up material so clean. Yet, Larry David's show can be so raw on HBO.

Bill commented that he was looking forward to the return of my mother for the summer. My mother loves Bill's cooking and  heaps praise and unconditional love upon him. He totally grooves on that level of affection. We all said that we would have to "curb our enthusiasm" for ruder jokes and keep the swearing to a minimum at dinner. Mum doesn't like swearing very much but, she never reprimands us. She also thinks that the three of us are way too hard on Bill. The three of us, however, think we are the only people who can keep him in line. If it weren't for us, he would be OUT OF CONTROL.

Will looks forward to Mum's visit because she makes him laugh with her incredibly inane stories of people he doesn't know. Plus, they garden together and Mum teaches Will about mulch and proper planting techniques and the benefits of peat moss. Even though Will can be annoying at times, Mum overlooks all of his idiosyncrasies and slovenly habits. He can do no wrong in her eyes.

Emma adores her Nana and has promised to take care of her when she starts to slow down. The two of them have a secret pact, I believe. Just yesterday, Mum sent Emma an article about the resurgence of the Roller Derby league in the Sarasota area. I guess she wants her to know that she can keep busy once she moves in with her.

I love it when Mum comes home. I don't have to worry about her when she is with us. When she's in Florida, I talk to her everyday on the phone... and when I can't get her to answer I always try to quell the panic in my stomach. It's stupid, really. She has a thousand friends and a million clubs and volunteer activities so its natural for her (a) not to be home and/or (b) not pick up her cell phone. She is of the opinion that her cell phone is for OUTGOING calls from HER - and she is not inclined to answer any INCOMING calls.

So tomorrow night when she wings her way up on US AIR , stopping for an hour in Charlotte (her favorite US Air hub) we will all be anxiously awaiting her return. Will will crush her with one of his man hugs, Emma will worm in there with a long hug of her own (they are the same height and get and give the best hugs to each other), I'll squeeze her tight and make her a drink and Bill will proffer his cheek for a kiss. But, it's he who will be happiest for her return.