Laying an Egg

JT Twissel

Lately I’ve had guests. Out of town guests who came and went at different times and from different airports.

Waiting for a delayed flight at a park just south of Oakland Airport. That’s San Francisco in the distance.

Out of town guests who once lived here and wanted to catch up with friends and other family members which meant hosting an endless stream of mostly hungry folks for days. Out of town guests who wanted to make the four hour drive to Reno to visit other family members where barbecues had to accommodate the gluten-free, lactose intolerant, vegan mocktailers . . . and the rest of us slovenly alcoholic beasts who will eat and drink anything.

Feeding the fish at The California Academy of Science

Those guests were called Adult Children. Mine were especially brilliant: They knew and diagnosed everything wrong with me and presented viable solutions such as: “It’s time for the Assisted Living, Mother.”

Reno Nevada – I bet you thought it was all casinos and sagebrush!

Thank you persons formerly known as CHILDREN. Thank you very much.

Perhaps I should warn this Mourning Dove that the eggs she’s spent days sitting on will hatch and become Out of town guests before she knows it. What do you think?

Right outside our front door.

I’m going to take a break from blogging to try to finish several writing projects. It’s a foolish thing for me to do because the one book I have managed to republish is dying on the vine but I have stories to tell and they won’t let me be. That doesn’t mean I won’t be enjoying your posts! Just not as often.

PS. I will let you know how Mama Mourning Dove does with her offspring.

40 thoughts on “Laying an Egg”

  1. Kids. They’re the ones who ned assisted living. Somehow they grow up to know everything about us, including things that happened before they were born. Stay strong, write and watch the Mourning Doves. Sigh

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      2. I agree! I no longer have to take care of little children – only an elderly cat and man and a mourning dove still waiting the arrival of her chicks!

      2. It’s the bittersweet part of having adult children – you can’t wait to see them and then in an instant the visit is over and all you’re left with are piles of dirty towels and sheets! And garbage.

  6. I hope it’s a productive break! Children, especially adult ones, do say the darnest things. My older daughter was a vegan for 7 years and it was really a pain. I’m semi-vegetarian myself but not strict at all. Like you, I eat and drink most things. Not wine or spirits though. Amber ale is my favorite along with chips and dip or salsa. Healthy eater here, eh?

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    1. I guess I’m tried of talented writers giving up because blogging is becoming less and less the place to find readers who will give honest feedback.I can understand why because we all know published writers see their work ignored without reviews – which ironically are become less and less important.The system is damning itself, I think. I need to get back into that other world for awhile. I know you know what I mean. Thanks for being such a chum!

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    1. Haha! They are. Now thinking about it, we’re lucky our two daughters aren’t too judgmental. The MD one does remind us from time to time to do a blood test, but even that, she’s pretty lenient.

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      3. I have one sister in Cape Town and two in Johannesburg. Of the local two, one never visits unless I host Christmas or another big event. The other sometimes visits. Generally, I look after my parents and see to their needs. That is fine with me. I get all the blessings of being with them too.

      6. I think it’s awfully hard not to have any regret – however not allowing someone to make you feel guilty is very healthy! Definitely the sign of someone’s whose head is on straight (as the old saying goes!)

      7. I don’t have any regret. There is nothing more I could do to make my parents lives better. I don’t feel guilty for the same reason. My sisters, especially one, are shamefully selfish and neglectful. When my parents pass they are going to have a lot of crocodile tears. That’s fine as long as they don’t look to me for sympathy or support.

    1. My children are very active and so to them my pace of life is unhealthy! I don’t know why but I ended up with two children who have to be constantly busy.

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      1. Well, they will realize at some point that the youth and active life they are enjoying now will dramatically change when they get older. To me, assisted living is for people who are not able to take care of themselves (house chores, personal hygiene, etc.) or who have significant mobility problems. Otherwise, they are good to go. I’m keeping an eye on my mom, who is 75 and has Parkinson’s disease, but she is still okay at her home. I told her to come live with me, but she doesn’t want to do that, so I’m respecting her decision. I told her that I’m available for whatever she needs.

      2. My mother lived with us for about a year but we couldn’t get her to stay active and so finally we found a retirement home that managed to keep her busy for a while. And then Covid hit. I think living with your children only works if they’re willing to help you stay active – something I know my children will never do. I spent a week with my daughter and her family in Hawaii and she decided I shouldn’t drink coffee any more. It was bad for me. That didn’t work. PS – I’m a year older than your mom!

      3. What? No coffee? Unacceptable! I don’t know what I would do without my coffee. I see your point, though. Keep living life at your own pace, my friend.

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