Mud bibs

Well, this Memorial Day weekend wasn't spent in the manner that I'd been hoping, that is to say sleeping in and maybe cleaning the kitchen. (Man I need to clean my kitchen, it's almost terrifyingly sloppy right now.) I didn't even get to sleep in, even. I was in Eugene Oregon, sleeping on the floor in a sleeping bag next to my brother while my folks slept in the bed. the whole family was there, and I was waking up at something around 7 am, just naturally. Grief does that.

My aunt passed away very suddenly last week, you see, and we were all sort of in shock. I know it is usual to talk about the positive things of the deceased and to ignore and forget the bad things, but I honestly can't think of anything but the good stuff. She was always helping people, and thinking of others. She was silly in all the best ways, and in my memory she was smiling and laughing all the time. Even when I was in SO MUCH TROUBLE!

I keep thinking of this one memory. My brother and I were visiting from the DC area- we must have been around 7 or 8 or so, just kids- my cousins were still pretty little kids. We were all up in her bedroom watching TV and lounging on a beanbag chair while my aunt and my mom were in the backyard I think. Eventually my brother and I got curious: what exactly IS in a beanbag chair? It didn't seem likely that it was actually filled with beans... and hey! There's a zipper! When my aunt came upstairs a few minutes later there were little styrofoam beads everywhere- those things are worse than packing peanuts for static cling and cleanup. Oh was she mad, oh man were we in trouble. The two adults were so mad that I don't even remember what they said, just the looks on their faces. It was across between 'oh these dumb kids,' 'how the hell are we going to clean this up' and 'this is so ridiculous we have to laugh at it.' Oh man were we in trouble though.

It was pointed out that my aunt was just such a good person, such a sweet soul, that we all have to be extra good to make up for her loss. I can't say that I can argue with that. I also plan to do more gardening stuff and enjoy life more. From may aunt I definitely learned that fun is, well, more fun. And you know what? I think she'd have loved my kitchen worms. ;)