she who keeps this diary


20 April 2006 - 11:10 AM

First, the rejoicing, Then, the snarking

First, the good news: The Viking is back among the ranks of the employed. YAY.

And now, the snarking. No sooner is Easter over than the Mother's Day guilt trip begins. Show Mom you care!

With what, precisely?

Will a personalised apron from Williams-Sonoma do it, ya think?

Maman has more aprons than any individual woman needs. Anyone I know who uses aprons already has more than they need, and anyway, this is not the 1950s.

How about a brunch? Because nothing says 'Love ya, Ma!' like bacon-wrapped eggs with polenta.

This is actually not a bad idea (though I'm no great fan of polenta), but no. Just no. I just did Easter, and if Sis wants to entertain Maman, she can do it her own good self. I like to cook and I like to have parties, but I have my limits.

Overpriced tschotchkes to dust, or overpriced costume jewellery which will undoubtedly break her out in a rash?

That'd be another big fat no. After clearing out all my grandmother's tschotchkes (and still finding more in storage!) there will be no more gifting of knickknacks. To anyone. Ever again. And giving your mother a rash on a chain is just in poor taste, I think.

The overpriced costume jewellery will of course be joined by hundreds of poor quality diamond earrings, pearl necklaces, gold lockets and other allegedly 'fine' jewellery that the various mall chains will be trying to force upon us. Reason number 615 why I never go to malls.

Perhaps someone's mother would be amused by Mommy Knows Worst and perhaps mine might, but I think it would be a bad choice for a Mother's Day gift, whatever Amazon may say.

There is of course always scented soap, now augmented by scented bodywash, scented lotions, and related products. Scented dusting powders seem to have gone the way of the dodo. I've always wondered if regular gifts of bath products didn't convey the message 'Hey Mom, you stink' (literally if not metaphorically) and anyway, I sort of suspect for many mothers the gift of scented soap is the equivalent of giving Dad a tie on Father's Day.

Bah.

I am extremely fortunate that Maman's idea of a nice way to celebrate Mother's Day includes a trip to the Sheep and Wool Festival, a pit lamb sandwich and a glass of lemonade. That pretty well coincides with my idea of a good time, too. This year the S&W Festival and Mother's Day don't overlap, but who cares? We're going to go pet sheep.

verso - recto

The WeatherPixie

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