Family

Saying Goodbye, Again

Saying Goodbye, Again

Dear Kid,

good bye might not be as easy as i thought
And here we are, back to goodbye.

Painful though parting be, I bow to you as I see you off to distant clouds. ~Emperor Saga

Goodbyes are generally not easy, and some are more difficult than others.

How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard. ~Carol Sobieski and Thomas Meehan, Annie

I know it’s time for you to head off for your next semester, but—as always—I have mixed feelings. I’m excited for the things you’ll learn and the experiences you’ll have, but I’ll miss you.

Where is the good in goodbye? ~Meredith Willson, The Music Man

Take some time this semester to enjoy being in college.

Goodbyes are not forever.
Goodbyes are not the end.
They simply mean I’ll miss you
Until we meet again!
~Author Unknown

Drive safe, sweetie. Study hard. Call occasionally.

Why can’t we get all the people together in the world that we really like and then just stay together? I guess that wouldn’t work. Someone would leave. Someone always leaves. Then we would have to say good-bye. I hate good-byes. I know what I need. I need more hellos. ~Charles M. Schulz

Until we next see you! Have a great semester.

Love, Mom

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The Flu, The Shot, The Opinion (and Grateful for Friends Even 20+ Years Later)

Dear Kid,

Let’s face it: Pretty much no one likes getting shots.

On the other hand, given a choice between a shot and death, most of us will choose a shot.

Given a choice between a shot and being ridiculously ill (with potentially long lasting side effects), most of us will choose a shot.

On the other hand, given a choice between a shot and death, most of us will choose a shot. DearKidLoveMom.comGiven a choice between a shot and making other people ridiculously ill (with death a potential side effect), most of us will choose a shot.

Which makes the political situation even weirder than you might think.

There is a discussion (and by “discussion” I mean all out fight) in Columbus (the capitol of our Great State) over whether businesses (including hospitals and other healthcare facilities) should be allowed to require employees to have a flu shot as a condition of employment.

I think the majority of the problem stems from the use of the word “flu.” No one confuses “flu” with “flew” or “flue” (or if they do, they’re wise enough not to mention it to me). But the number of people who confuse “flu” with “a bit of a cold” or “the sniffles” annually astounds me.

The flu is an acute respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses A or B. Most people who get the flu recover completely in 1 to 2 weeks, but some people develop serious and potentially life-threatening medical complications, such as pneumonia. Includes body aches, fever, sore throat, vomiting, and other assorted nasty symptoms.

You do not get over the flu in 24 hours any more than you pop two Advil and get over a migraine.

If you’ve had the flu, you understand the difference (still grateful to Gloria for bringing me apple juice and graham crackers). If you think I’m exaggerating, you’ve never had the flu. Or a migraine.

Having had the flu (once was enough, thank you very much), I get a flu shot every year. The pain of twenty-plus years’ worth of shots doesn’t even begin to compare to the death wish that is the flu.

And now there is legislation about the right (or lack thereof) to require employees to get a flu shot.

While I am all for individual responsibility and decision making, this seems beyond ridiculous. People who hang around people who have a lot of germs (young children and the elderly) and/or the vulnerable (young children and the elderly) should have the flu shot. It’s not risky, it’s not particularly painful, and it can save lives.

Yes, I think everyone should get a flu shot every year. No, I don’t think we should legislate that. Yes, I think some employers should be able to require the flu shot (and other delightful preventative measures) as employment requirements. No, I don’t think everyone has the right to make other people sick.

And Yes, I got my flu shot months ago.

Love, Mom

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The Laws of Holiday Music and Cincinnati Cyclones

Dear Kid,

There ought to be a law.

There should be a deadline for when Christmas Holiday Christmas music needs to stop. And that time should be (according to my very scientific calculations) the Day After.

Congrats to the #CincyCyclones on their win last night. DearKidLoveMom.com

It is now officially time to pack away the tinsel drenched songs until next year. Yes, we can wait until October (seriously? Not even November?) to celebrate Rudolph, the partridge, and all bells (jingling or silent).

Especially at the gym. It’s hard enough to work out to I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas prior to the holiday. It’s virtually impossible now. And now they seem to be playing more of the dirge varieties. Knock it off, people!

Also, I have now officially heard the Worst Ever Christmas Song. Worst. Ever. It’s called Text Me Merry Christmas. The title should tell you all you need to know. I’m including it, but I don’t recommend listening.

What a sad commentary.

I’m hiding under my pillow until Groundhog Day.

Love, Mom

P.S. Congrats to the #CincyCyclones on the win last night!

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Recipe for Thanksgiving

Dear Kid,

Recipe for Thanksgiving

What do you mean "We're having turkey?" Go vegan! Dessert, pie, potatoes, veggies, Yum. Thanksgiving. DearKidLoveMom.com1 turkey

1/2 gallon of gravy; zero lumps

1 dish of sweet potatoes

1 dish of mashed potatoes

Corn soufflé

Green beans with almonds

Roasted Brussel sprouts

3 kinds of cranberry sauce

Sage stuffing

4,872 mini pumpkin muffins

Rolls. Lots and lots of rolls

15 football games

1 Thanksgiving Day parade

2 dogs

4 pies

17 friends

Water with ice

Adult beverages in appropriate amounts

1 surprise guest

2 naps

Coffee

Two dogs and two people taking naps

Hearts full of thanks and gratitude

What’s your recipe?

Love, Mom

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The Corn Harvest

Dear Kid,

As you probably remember, Dad spent much of the summer tending his vegetable gardens with the love and care usually reserved for offspring.

Because of all his hard work, we’ve enjoyed home-grown cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini, beets, and a melon. Ok, we didn’t actually enjoy the melon; it was pretty awful. But the rest of the produce was great.

The corn harvest 2017. DearKidLoveMom.comLast week we celebrated Harvest the Corn Day. Yep, we grew corn (and by “we” I mean Dad did all the work and I occasionally glanced out the window to see that, yes indeed, there were cornstalks in the middle of the backyard). And yes, we know it’s October, but getting seeds in the ground early is generally not part of Dad’s farming protocol.

The Puppy carefully supervised the shucking and cooking of the corn, waiting (im)patiently for some to drop on the floor.

The corn was excellent. By far the best Dad has ever grown. 

Love, Mom

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Spinach, Not Great Questions, and a Good Recovery

Dear Kid,

“None of these leaves are good?”

As far as helpful conversations went, that was right up there with “Hot enough for ya’?” and “Hey, you’re bleeding out of both ears! You OK?”

While Dad was out of town, I harvested and cooked some Malabar spinach. Note to burglars: He’s back and anyway I had the Vicious Attack Dog with me the entire time.

Yeah, it was a lot of spinach. DearKidLoveMom.comMalabar spinach harvesting is no easy matter.

First you have to convince this spinach. This involves a lengthy conversation with an uncooperative vine which has wrapped itself into the Gordian Knot (remember that one?) of complicated vine-ness. And it’s not just one vine—oh, no. It’s about a thousand on one plant.

Then you have work quickly because the leaves (the part you eat) get surly very quickly. You cut each and every leaf off the vine individually, inspecting for wear, tear, and wildlife as you go, and graciously cutting the remaining vine and unusable leaves into smallish pieces so they can be taken out to the compost pile.

After that, you wash and dry the remaining leaves and then, and only then, can you begin the process of cooking.

Since the ratio of compost to usable plant material is about 400 to 1, you can imagine the whole thing takes a while.

Spinach DearKidLoveMomAnd the last thing one wants at the end of the process is to have someone peer into the bag (did I mention how nicely cut up the compost was?) and insinuate that you might have overlooked some small portion of edible spinach.

Possible responses:

“Wait, I wasn’t supposed to keep the bad ones and toss the good ones?”

“I left them for you to go through.”

“Die now.”

…The Look…

Being in a nice mood (and by “nice” I mean not in the mood to be questioned about why I murdered my husband), I opted for The Look.

To his credit, Dad correctly interpreted The Look and immediately said, “How ‘bout I take out the compost? Right now.”

Good recovery, Dad.

Love, Mom

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