Moms and Such

This is my original wedding ring, with the
band, now cracked at the bottom.

A couple of weeks ago Layne asked me what I wanted for Mother's Day.  Having recently broken my wedding band, I asked him for a new one.  He agreed!  Together we picked one out and had my wedding diamond set in it.  I love it!  It is a whole new ring!  And it was ready in time for Mother's Day.  I hate to go on and on about a piece of jewelry, but I simply must.  It is lovely and will certainly now outlive me.  I don't have a chance of wearing this one out.

Here's the new ring.  It is the white gold band in the middle,
trimmed in gold.  

This is the first year I have not had a mother to celebrate on Mother's Day.  It feels strange.  While I am sure my mother is doing just fine where she is, I continue to miss her.  Especially now.  This is a time to celebrate mothers and somehow, even though I am an older girl, I still want my mom.

My mother, Mary Margaret Knox Kiser
when she was 25.

In spite of that, we had a nice Mother's Day celebration.  Our men did all the cooking and clean-up and they made sure that there was something to eat that each mother among us especially loves.  I love having men in my life!  I heard from all of my children.  Some were here and some called.  Sometimes things click with conversations and they turn into deep exchanges.  Some of that happened yesterday.  I had a nice philosophical discussion with my son Reed about the use of time, among other things.  The options to plan just about all of my time looms before me many of my days and I love it.  But it is easy to waste it.  I wonder why it is still hard for me to discipline myself in using time wisely.  And why do I put the things I really want to do at the bottom of my list?  It seems that I am still a mystery to myself.

I've lately been thinking about life at this time and place in the history of the world and marveling that I can be here, in this place, with these people, at this time.  I'm keenly aware that, of all the people who have ever set foot upon this earth, I am among the very blessed.  We live in amazingly fine circumstances, among good people, with a gospel philosophy that enlarges mind and spirit.  It is something to celebrate.

I have been pressuring Layne to make some more family trips.  My place of choice now is Utah.  I'd like Layne to reconnect with his twin brother. They rarely talk.  Men are funny.  I talk to my sister all the time.  What is the deal with men?  Why do they not want to bond?  Layne loves his brother but feels no need to actually talk to him or to spend time with him.  I wonder how he can think of his brother as close to him under these circumstances.  How do men define "close"?  I've asked Layne about this but I cannot understand his answers.  He busies himself with various projects and yard tasks and loves it.  Spring finds him outside most of the time, cutting weeds and planting the vegetable garden.  He finds it fun and rewarding.  He seems perfectly content with his own company and doesn't seem to miss conversations with others at all.  I could never be a man.

Grandson Isaiah turned 14 this month.
Before him you see a chocolate cream puff
with strawberries and whipped cream.  Yum.