Return to the Island

Today I returned to the Island. After getting the oil stove going at the house, which was a crap shoot, having never lit it before, I went to see mom. As I was heading in, mom and a friend were heading out for a walk. It was a lovely stroll in the cold sunshine. At the apex of our meander we paused to enjoy the marine tank exhibit on the dock in the harbor. It’s populated with an amazing array of creatures. My favorites are the shrimp who seemed to stand guard over the 250ish gallon tank.

At the moment there are too many variables in motion to know, or anchor down, when I can move mom off the Island. It could be as early as Thursday, or as late as a week from now. I am creating a list and stack of items that will make her feel at home when we make the move. One step at a time is my mantra.

I stayed with mom through her dinner service, which she likened to bookbinding paste. It was much easier to roll with her food complaints after a few days of my own respite.

This evening I scoured mom’s office closet. There were 8 empty shoe boxes. I found 7 purses, all essentially the same model, some 1960’s Coach bags. 10 rolls of Christmas wrapping paper revealed themselves, joining the 5 rolls she used this year. There were shredded clothing items, dead shoes, and a camera bag whose elastic and Velcro has seen better days. As of this writing, there’s a box of files to look at. As my mama says, ‘Tomarrah is anotha’ day.’