You’ve been hearing a lot about my father lately (absurd little Native American leprechaun that he is), so I figured I should give my mother equal press. The poor woman does deserve her few moments in the sun, she had to labor for an entire Labor Day in order for me to get here after all. She is extremely, and I am not sugar-coating this, extremely talkative, and can be as self-centered as her eldest daughter. She is also amazingly generous and kind.
I don’t think you could walk out into a crowd of people without banging smack up against a huge number who have mother issues. I certainly do/did. And I can pretty much guarantee my own kids have/will. We try, us mothers, and we use the tools we are given. Or we branch out and fly completely by the seat of our pants. As my own mom did. She never liked the idea of letting a baby “cry it out.” Or “breaking” a baby of any (perceived) habit. She would ask, “why would you want to BREAK your baby?” She had excellent baby instincts, raising teenagers, not so much.
She was the youngest, as I’ve said before, of three, with two older brothers, very much the baby of that family. She also grew up extremely sheltered, and quite naive. Not to mention, very Catholic in the 1950′s. So, there’s that. (Keep your knickers on Delia, not sayin’ this was a bad thing, merely stating the facts. I love me some Catholics, Big Time, and was named after a saint, which probably saved my life more often than I will ever know.)
She did have a pretty free thinking mom her own wee self elf. Sadly, her mother was also basically certifiable, on many levels. They both stood their ground though, they both spoke up when necessary. Mom and I laugh now, saying that we come from a genetic line of ragingly bitchy women. But hey, we don’t ever get taken advantage of. And neither do my own daughters.
These things crossed my mind because my children continue to prove generous and fabulous. And I continue to not take the credit for it. I may have done a few things right, but I absolutely did a few things very wrong. Not a damn change I can make in those early years now though. I can only move forward, thank my mother for doing the right things right, and forgive her for making the mistakes she did; thank my children every damn chance I get, and continue to apologize for the major fuck ups I have caused.
Look what my son bought yesterday at the gift and food thingie. 
No, not the ratty old dog bowls, the gorgeous and mildew-proof rug underneath the ratty old dog bowls. But wait, there’s more.
When we go to the State Fair, our last stop before we head home is the Olive Lady. I have no idea what the name of her booth is, but she sells a big long skewer with many olives on it, for I don’t know, some dollars. They are stuffed (with a variety of things, like a glove of garlic, and a wedge of cheese, and about five other options I can’t remember right now), and I adore them. (She’s always there, no matter what day we show up, she must have a damn cot under the counter, and just live inside with her coolers of olives at her side, for weeks on end.) My son found some olives locally. Have I mentioned how much I adore these tasty little tidbits? Well I do. And I adore my damn kids as well.
These are some flavoring packets that we will use in the next few weeks. The dessert ones J.D. will turn into pies and dip and other types of yumminess. The Box O’ Goodness he said to “give to Dad so he can make food out of them.” Will do!
Our card today came up as, well … wow. I wrote the majority of this post last night, saved it, and then went to bed. When I started my day (this afternoon, at the crack of two), and went into the room where the card altar is, I had kind of forgotten what I wrote (I was thinking about my day, not my blog, odd I know). So I flipped it, took the picture, and went on with other things. Then I sat down here just now, and looked at the definition. Huh. Pretty damn cool, even for us.
“Cow ~ Bo (with a thing over the ‘o’) ~ Nourishment, Motherhood, The Goddess.
The card shows a highland cow placidly standing beside the peaceful waters of a Scottish loch. In the foreground we see cow-berry (cranberry) and cowslip, and to the right, milk-wort (field gentian).
Bo opens us to an awareness of the Goddess. Her generosity, healing, and nourishing power is present all around you – in your friends, family, and children, in your food and drink, in your dreams, and particularly in the natural world that you are blessed to live in. She brings protection from all harmful influences, and by attuning to her presence you can gain the inestimable benefit of deep and peaceful sleep. By opening yourself to Bo and to her sacred quality as manifestation of the Goddess on Earth, you will be connecting to the perpetual stream of nourishing energy that flows from the Goddess to each one of us. To experience this, there is nothing you need to do.
Gratitude and acknowledgement for our mothers, and mothers the world over, is always welcome. Be aware, be in tune, and be thankful, of the Earth’s motherhood to us all.”
