At the grocery store, I had just snatched up a bunch of bananas when someone said, "Hi." (Yes, Lucasz started it.) He was stocking in the produce section. I was surprised by how happy he seemed. I had felt assailed when we entered the store – the smell was incredible – like someone had sprayed powdered sugar in the air. I remembered someone in Antwerp telling me a story about an immigrant who, after years of labor had finally earned enough to bring his mother over. When she arrived, he took her to the weekend market, where she burst into tears, inconsolable at the sight of so much excess when she had scrabbled along her entire life on so much less.
At the grocery store, I had just snatched up a bunch of bananas when someone said, "Hi." (Yes, Lucasz started it.) He was stocking in the produce section. I was surprised by how happy he seemed. I had felt assailed when we entered the store – the smell was incredible – like someone had sprayed powdered sugar in the air. I remembered someone in Antwerp telling me a story about an immigrant who, after years of labor had finally earned enough to bring his mother over. When she arrived, he took her to the weekend market, where she burst into tears, inconsolable at the sight of so much excess when she had scrabbled along her entire life on so much less.
I settled on roses because peonies are out of season. (Mom's mother, Rosaline, used to take peonies on family outings to her parents' graves on Memorial Day.) The lavender was broken by the hot air balloon upon landing; the bit of sage was a gift from Ceremony. A male goldfinch had greeted me in Caroline's yard upon return from Ceremony, and the necklace was a perfect find at Mama's Minerals.
I settled on roses because peonies are out of season. (Mom's mother, Rosaline, used to take peonies on family outings to her parents' graves on Memorial Day.) The lavender was broken by the hot air balloon upon landing; the bit of sage was a gift from Ceremony. A male goldfinch had greeted me in Caroline's yard upon return from Ceremony, and the necklace was a perfect find at Mama's Minerals.
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque Sky
As the plane taxied from the gate in Dallas/Fort Worth to takeoff en route to Albuquerque last Friday, the sunset evoked Mom’s favorite landscape. As my brother said, mom found her peace here. Missing 
her these past few months has been odd, a sensation I rarely felt: I don’t recall experiencing homesickness, our bond just … Read more...
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Elaine Johnson Kent
August 18, 1934 – September 30, 2009
Mom and I had many conversations in the 1990s about euthanasia. She was afraid of pain and did not want to suffer. I took a bunch of notes back then … Read more...
somewhere between Albuquerque and Amherst
“I keep telling myself that no one can keep my mind from going fuzzy except me.”
~ Elaine J. Kent
20 July 2009
While hanging out with mom last week, I finally asked her about blogging. Did she remember the writings about Uncle Sam? I’ve been weighing whether or not to do this since very … Read more...
Rio Rancho (Albuquerque), New Mexico
Americans smile a lot. It feels good! 🙂 Occasionally someone gives a fake smile, one of those that is offered up because it is socially expected, but most of the smiles are accompanied with eye contact that acknowledges, somehow, what a pleasure it is to recognize mutual presence. No more carefully-controlled neutral (or somewhat suspicious) … Read more...
Christi imagined a piece of Alec’s spirit in each balloon, including the parts of him held by and given to each person present. I thought of the pace of their departure, the wind picked them up so fast! I imagined their speed parallel with the way Alec lived, not that he was always in a rush, but once that boy … Read more...
We ate breakfast at Deb and Bill’s Cafe in Belton, Missouri. Under surveillance. One neighbor got a map to show us where Carrollton is – Austin is performing there with marching band today. Another neighbor congratulated Rich for finding a way to interrupt her life story. Christi (not one to mess up her schoolwork with doodles) recounted her stress-releasing strategy …
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We had in time in College Writing (first year writing) on Thursday to do a round of check-ins, “What’s best about this class, What’s worst about this class, and something random.” I had not thought about participating (duh) and felt as on-the-spot as some of the students may have when it came to the end and – as a few … Read more...
Hunter left the
parachute guy for Alec;
flowers were placed by Christi’s family. The Mount Moriah Cemetary was popular this Memorial Day.
…
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