6/22/09 - Everyone I know will one day die.

"I've wanted to visit Alaska for a long time," says my mom, "and your father hasn't, but I swear I did not manipulate it."

We're on the phone, and she's telling me about the gift my father received from his company at his retirement party this past week: a week-long cruise around Alaska!

"Well," I say, "you're going to want to go pretty soon, since you haven't been feeling so well; you know, travel while you still can."

"Travel while I'm still here," she says, matter-of-factly, and a premonition of grief blows through me like a cold wind.

12-23-07 Mama wants a gun

My mom is thinking about buying a gun, because she's getting older and wants to feel "safe". She and my sister Dawn have a few semi-heated discussions about the matter, with neither really changing their position at all.

Finally, after one of these discussions, my mom says, "Well, I promise not to shoot your father, does that make you feel better?"

"Oh," Dawn says, "you don't have to promise that."