Half Pint Doesn't Live Here Anymore

Sigh. Mother’s Day is such a sham. Don’t get me wrong – I had a lovely day. The kids made me breakfast in bed (microwave bacon, a muffin and a Tab – all a mom could want) and we had a lazy afternoon of playing and fun. The traditional laundry and floor cleaning followed. It was very sweet, but the kids were nervous at the beginning of the day – what if my present isn’t any good? Good lord. There are ads on TV for just what mom deserves for HER day – a diamond necklace, or a digital camera, etc. How ‘bout a little tenderness and a day without bickering? That’s what I got and it was phenomenal. (I also got some lovely cards, flowers and a few beautiful, heartfelt handmade things.)

The weirdest thing was this…

As we were headed home from a lunch with the beast that shall remain nameless, it looked as if there was some kind of accident ahead of us. I could flashing lights and traffic stopped. There was no place to turn, so we continued until we could read the orange traffic sign on the back of the police car: “Wagon Train Ahead.” Does that make sense? I turned the car away from the traffic jam in front of us and darted down a side street. Sure enough, there was a wagon train! There were several covered wagons and a stagecoach and riders on horseback headed down Summit. We raced home and jumped out of the car. We made it to the corner before the horses and watched them pass. In celebration of Minnesota’s sesquicentennial, a wagon train was making it’s way from Cannon Falls to the State Capitol. (The above photo is from the Strib, and obviously not in St. Paul.) Kinda surreal to have a line of covered wagons pass by your house. It reminded me yet again of how very grateful I am not have been born in pioneer times. For God’s sake – it almost did me in when the dishwasher died. Nah, I’m not a homesteader at heart…I’m more of a farmer’s market/ Sunday NYT/ cold Chinese food kinda girl. (“My God! How did I get here?”)

Happy day, O Pioneers!