a snapshot

Today is my parents' thirty sixth wedding anniversary. I sent them flowers.

My mother called tonight to thank us and told me about her day. She and Dad spent the day trying to find a leak in one of their windows. He stood outside and shot the side of the house with a hose while she stood inside and tried to see where the water was coming from.

Then they went for a walk and came across a dying pigeon. My mother (a reformed budgie-mommy) was tempted to bring it inside but was concerned about avian flu and parasites and other nasties. This reminded her of a time I came to visit them, leaving Shawn at home. When I called home to ask him how he was doing, (she recalls this better than I do) I hung up the phone seeming somewhat put-out. The reason for this was that after a quick question and answer period, it came to light that Shawn's bicycle was currently disassembled in pieces on the living room rug. While in the midst of this oily business, a bird had hit the window, prompting Shawn to bring it inside in an attempt to nurse it back to health. I could hear it cooing merrily in the background.

After all this information, my mother passed the phone to Dad. I asked him how his day was and he said that he and Mum and been to the travel agent to book a cruise.

He's always the romantic one. And she gets all the minor details right. They make me laugh.