Tuesday, May 24, 2022

The Real Day


 Remember this from last year? I think it was last year. 
Oh, May-May! As Rachel said somewhere today, May is the middle word in A-May-Zing. 
So true. 
I've thought about her all day long. She was born just as dawn broke a few miles down the road from here in a 10 by 50 foot trailer. I was attended by two midwives and two friends. My husband was there. One of the midwives had had to drive back into town to deliver another baby in the wee hours but she made it back in time. I had started labor before that mama, but I am a slow baby-haver. 
And it was a glorious and happy time and I was twenty-three years old and felt like I could have run a marathon after the birth, but instead her dad and Hank and I all piled into the car and headed to town to take her to the doctor to make sure all was well and when we came home I guess I rested awhile and then I made our supper. 
And I think I sat up most of the night, holding that darling baby and studying her face- who are you, my little girl? Who are you?
May. She was May. 

Oh, my children's birthdays mean a lot to me. The memories are intense, my gratitude always overflowing for having such healthy, fine babies who have become such remarkable and precious grown-up humans. 

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Lon and Lis are in town! They are house/dog/cow sitting at Lon's sister's house a few miles north of Monticello. They came over around noon and we got some good chatting in and Lis and I have almost broken the seal on catching up, but oh, there is so much more of that to do. We plan on meeting tomorrow in Monticello for some lunch and thrift store shopping and antique shopping and neither of us needs one darn thing but we shall have so much fun, looking at all of the things we do not need. 

In more big and exciting news, although nothing to compare to getting to spend time with Lon and Lis, the man came today to fix my oven. He brought TWO igniters and left one here with us. He showed Mr. Moon how to install it, should it come to that. He's practically becoming a member of the family. Luckily, he's a pleasant fellow. So I'll be making pizza tonight. I could have made it in the Easy Bake but would have had to bake separate, small pizzas. I could have done it! I did use the dehydrate function on it this afternoon to dry some cherry tomatoes to use on the pizza. 


I have pizza dough proofing in it now. I know I'm repeating myself but that little gadget has come in most handy. 

And on top of everything, we are getting our house spray-washed! The whole thing! You have no idea how excited I am about this. Mr. Moon is not as excited as I am, knowing that this could perhaps lead to painting the whole house (which it desperately needs) but I'm not pushing any agendas here. Of course everything has to be taken off the porches and walls of the porches, including the back screened porch which is where I basically live when I'm not outside, cooking, or asleep. I cleaned off the kitchen porch and started in on the back porch and helped my husband with the plants on the front porch. I have SO MANY PLANTS! And I also have an embarrassing amount of stuff on the back porch that honestly, I need to do what I said and Gird My Loins and throw away. But what will the children think if the faded Spanish dancer lady with the fan and the little man with a mustache in her arms disappears? 



Will it even be Mer's house? There are things I'll take down and wash and put back up but there are also plenty of things that it would not hurt me to get rid of. Most of them came from Goodwill to begin with and most of those are not even worth giving back to Goodwill. 
I think back to that little trailer where I lived with a husband and two children all those years ago and I swear to you- I could almost still name every bit of furniture and the things we had in there. It was not much. A big green, ugly recliner patched with duct tape, an armchair, a table and three chairs that I'd acquired when I moved into an apartment once that a former tenant had left, a cradle, a double bed, a crib mattress on the floor for Hank with books and toys in his tiny room, shelves made of boards and bricks for plants, books, and the stereo, the dresser I'd grown up with which had pride of place in the living room. That was about it. 
Whoo boy. Things have changed. And yet, I was happy in that little space for awhile. It had a bathroom, it had electricity. It had a kitchen sink with running water. It was cozy. 

Memories, memories. And we're still making them. 

Here's a picture that I love of May, six years ago on her birthday holding little Magnolia June. 



That girl. That woman. That beautiful, shining woman- that's who that little baby I held in my arms in that tiny trailer the night she was born was. 

A-May-Zing. 

Love...Ms. Moon



17 comments:

  1. She truly is!! And baby Maggie looks like baby Maggie, no mistaking that child! You were 23??? holy cow you were just a child!

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  2. have always thought May bears the closest resemblance to you. Love last years pic.....all lithe and long limbed she is ......like a race horse. I know this is a special day for you all....... the memories......... (and woohoo Lon and Lis)
    Susan M

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  3. Happy Birthday to your May. Yes, keep the Spanish Dancer with the little Man in her arms, she's precious. I'd be excited about the power wash of your beautiful Home's exterior too... it has History and I wish we had Homes like that more around here, sadly, most were torn down and few Historic areas were preserved, at least not from the Victorian Era with all the lovely Gingerbread Details that I find to be so Enchanting. If Homes could just talk, the Stories they could tell!

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  4. What a great tribute to s great daughter! Good for all of you.

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  5. A special daughter. I do hope all your clapboard hangers on survive and go back up.

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  6. Happy Birthday to May. Good job, Mary. :-)

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  7. Wishing her many, many happy returns of the day!

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  8. Happy Birthday to beautiful May! Oh how I wish she was still writing someplace that we could read. Like her Mama...so much talent.
    Angie D

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  9. All children should hear their mothers talk about them just as you talk about yours. It makes my eyes water.

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  10. Happy Birthday to your darling May!

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  11. Happy Birthday to May :) I love the photos. The one with May lounging in the antique chair should be framed. Are you able to buy mould-inhibitor paint there? It's popular here in Australia for bathrooms and laundries where it can get steamy, also for kitchens I think.

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  12. When you think back to the times when we really didn't have much (anything?) we weren't necessarily unhappy were we! I guess it shows how little we need really! And I bet your house will look wonderful when it's pressure washed - although doubtless that will reveal a million other things that need attending to - it always does. And finally, happy birthday May!

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  13. "Ah-May-Zing"! I love that! And yes, as River said, that top photo deserves a frame. I know you've talked about the house needing a pressure wash, so it's great that you're getting it done. Hopefully it won't lead to a paint job. And look at it this way -- if you discard the old, weathered items on your porches, you'll have room for more when you and Lis go to check out the shops!

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  14. I don't feel the same way about my children or their birthdays sadly but I am thankful that there are people in the world like you.

    You must take before and after photos of the house.

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  15. I enjoyed this very much, almost as good as if we were chatting while sitting on your porch.

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  16. 37Paddington: May is indeed ah-May-zing! I love how you love your babies. How exciting that the house will be pressure washed, although I know it’s going to be a lot of work to prepare. If it does end up needing to be painted, I hope Mr. Moon will hire someone to do it rather than do it himself. I know he can do it all, but I also hope he will spare himself! Pictures please! Before, during, after!

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  17. A daughter is such a blessing from Mother Nature.

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