Cathy Nelson’s Professional Thoughts

SC Snow, Christmas 2010

So I’m fresh back from spending the day with Mom!  When there are seven brothers and sisters in the mix, it is a challenge to effectively give her presents of any kind.  Last year I scored well with a much wanted huge research bible and a lap desk. Sometimes I think it’s a contest to see who can “intrigue” Mom the most with their gifts.  I mean seriously, what do you give a 77 yo woman who has absolutely everything?

Mom: The woman who needs nothing

My mother loved her presents–made such a big deal over her new knives and knifeblock. When she opened her knifeblock and knives, all three of my sisters and a niece applauded telling her she could finally get rid of the knives from her set that wouldn’t even cut butter! How did they know?  Cooking holiday meals at her house is a big deal so we all know well the condition of the knives.

New PJ’s and some January decor

She had told me about the pajamas she’d been wearing–down to two pair, so I scored big with some new flannel pj’s too, and they even had the added bonus of warm fuzzy footies to match!  And of course she was pleased as punch with her matching snowman placemats, dishtowels, and rug.

Silverware for many

photo © 2008 tuppaware_001 | more info (via: Wylio)I also got her a wooden drawer organizer and in it were a bunch of inexpensive Target variety forks. See, each holiday she gets out her boxed set of good silver since there are so many eating and never enough silverware. With seven children, spouses or significant others, grandchildren and now even great grandchildren, as well as her own brother and sister and their families, well it can become rather crowded at my Mom’s.  She has drawn the line regarding the use of plastic silverware to eat with, so just go ahead and picture us all eating out of paper plates and drinking from disposable cups, but some of us using her real (fine) silver.  LOL quite the image I’m sure, and I make fun everytime over it. But after Thanksgiving this year, she was missing a fork, and it just nearly killed her. She told me she dug through all the garbage from Thanksgiving to try and find her missing fork, but did not find it. So I was determined to buy her some forks so she’d have plenty of extras and wouldn’t have to get out the silver. Everybody there thought it was a GREAT gift. (I was hoping one of my other siblings would replace the lost piece of silver, but that did not happen. I guess that is her next birthday gift, which by the way is January 1st.)

Other memorable presents

It was a terrific day none the less.  We had so much fun.  The snow we had did not interfere too much, and she loved her gifts from my other siblings too. Among her other gifts that I can remember was a new laptop from sister #2 and one of those cool new oven mitts from sister #1! (Of course these were memorable to me because I would love to have them both! LOL)

Best of all!

There were other things as well, but to be honest, the best gift of all was to have as many of us there as could possibly make it.  Missing today were brothers #1 and #3.  And truly I understand nothing means more to my Mom than to have family gathered around.  The more the merrier. And as the years pass, it saddens me to think THAT is the impossible task at hand now.

Pictures:
SC Snow is my picture taken outside this morning, December 26, 2010.  Licensed Creative Commons Share Share-Alike.

photo © 2008 tuppaware_001 | more info (via: Wylio)

Tags: Christmas2010, Holidays