Monday, November 27, 2006

Monday Memories

Celebrating birthdays fifteen years ago
Our children's birthdays are a year apart, and fall during Thanksgiving week. Even in their 20s, we tried to offer each a special day, but eventually getting together 3 times in one week got to be a little too much togetherness. This year we just handed out cards over the Thanksgiving dinner.
1991

Fifteen years ago we went out to eat after church to celebrate their birthdays at "The Cooker," one of our favorites which served attractively prepared, regional American food. As we chatted in the booth, the hostess dropped a jar of catsup which shattered at my feet and I had catsup up to my knees and in my shoes. I was wearing white slacks, something a bit unusual for me. So, after wiping up, I got a free dinner and a ticket for dry cleaning. Then when the waiter found out we were celebrating birthdays (he thought they were twins and guessed their ages as 24) he gave us 2 free desserts. Their desserts were fabulous (like brownie decadence, a meal by itself) and cost about $4.00 (would be much more now). So I think we had at least a $17 credit on the bill.

After dinner our daughter, who wasn’t married at the time, spent the afternoon at our house and did her laundry. About 6 p.m. she was chatting on the phone with her boyfriend and I heard her holler. The neighbor had backed her van out of her driveway into our daughter’s car parked on the street. It had been stolen and vandalized the previous January. The neighbor was very apologetic, standing there in her full length fur coat with her big travel van, but we practically had to restrain our daughter. Her car, so recently restored, was her one nice possession.

After it was stolen in January, she had an alarm installed, so it was shrieking and flashing its lights, sort of like a chicken with its head cut off--but the damage was done. The police came and cited our neighbor and when our daughter calmed down, she drove home. It was driveable, fortunately. So why was it a birthday worth remembering? We had a lot of really good laughs, despite the catsup on the white slacks and the car mishap.

Visited and visitors: Chelle Y., Irish Church Lady, Ma, Melli, Janene, Internal Expert, Susan,

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks for stopping by my blog. I like the idea of memory Mondays.

Anonymous said...

Sometimes it's the bad portion of memories that make us remember them so well.

Love the haircuts! :) Love those nineties!

Susan said...

Norma,
I can't believe this! I just posted my first Monday Memory before I stopped by your blog to let you know I had written something. Honest, honest, honest, I wrote it and posted it BEFORE I read your blog!!!!!!

I'm sure it's too late to be added to Monday Memories, but I haven't been near a computer for days.

Now that I've contained my laughter, I'm going backe to read your post!

(I hope no one thinks I copied your idea!)

Susan said...

You do have beautiful children!

Melli said...

Isn't it funny how those are just the kind of days that turn into the BEST memories?

Irish Church Lady :) said...

Great looking children, Norma!

What an 'accident' filled birthday! Glad you can all laugh about it now!

Thanks for visiting mine. Sorry I'm so late getting over.

Hey I have a blog survey going on at my blog today. It would be great if you could stop by and do it! :-)

Anonymous said...

Hi Norma,

I'm not sure if my Christmas Meme would count as a Monday Memory or not...but I've pretty much given up on them. :(

I am still doing well with the NaBloPoMo thing...can't wait for it to be over, though.

Thanks for stopping by! Great memory...I bet you had a heck of a time falling asleep while you went over the events in your head that night!