Last day in Maryland.

(And this was supposed to have been posted Friday evening. Oops!)

Not nearly as exciting as yesterday, though. No horse riding, for which my sore butt and stiff thighs are grateful. No hay hauling, although today we did find the hidden air tank covered neatly by a tarp in a shed in such a way that it didn’t look like anything as large as an air tank could possible be hidden underneath.

But today gave me a chance to spend a couple of hours alone with my mom while Carol and Betty drove off to shop and show my sister our new camper. Since Mom is 89, having some quality time alone together is a treat that may not be repeated too often, although you never know.

We reminisced about how she raised her two children according to standards that were taught her by her own mother. Many of those same standards have now been passed on to Betty’s and my children, and will be passed on to their children.

She re-told me stories about her own growing up after her father died when she was still small and her mother struggled to survive on very little income. Although my mom was very intelligent, there was never a chance that she might go to college. Girls in the 1930s didn’t do that, especially those who didn’t have money.

We compared stories of her raising us to some of us raising our own kids. She told me of experiences I had as a very little fellow that I have no memory of, but which to her are as clear as if they happened yesterday.

Today was just a good day to sit around and talk and remember. But mainly it was a good day to remind each other how precious our past has been together. As old as I am, it still feels good to know that my mother accepts me and approves of most (if not all) of my life.

We finished the afternoon with another of my sister’s home-cooked meals: baked ham, macaroni and cheese, green beans and cole slaw (made my favorite way with chunks of pineapple in it!), and some strawberry torte for dessert. Soul food if there ever was any.

Tomorrow will be another long day of interstate driving. We hope to land in a southern Chicago suburb before dark and get the camper set up.

I have no idea when I’ll get a chance to put this post up on Blogger.

I’ll try to find another wifi hotspot somewhere and go online long enough to post. Which reminds me: Carol and I went into Williamsport, MD this morning for about an hour to do some laundry at a Laundromat. Williamsport is a VERY small town. Do you think I had any trouble finding free, unsecured wifi internet access?

Nope!

Ubiquitous, I tell you!