What Wild & Wonderful Plan

Diary of a week

Monday, May 13

Mom, can you ship me all my ski gear? Oh, and my birth certificate, too, so I can get my passport. I’m planning a ski trip to New Zealand in July! I never know what wild and wonderful plan I’ll hear when I answer the phone.

Tuesday, May 14

I opened the second box from the stack delivered to the porch, lifted the hardcover book from its packing paper. Another delightful surprise on a random rainy Tuesday. By the time the day was out, there were three! The best thing about preordering books is that you’ve completely forgotten about them by the time they arrive. The next best thing is staying up way too late, reading.

Wednesday, May 15

It’s the time of preparation. In the golden light of morning, I begin. In the garden, with my leather gloves and my trusty tools. At high noon and the highest sun, I pause for lunch, then don the gloves and continue. By the slanted light of late day, I put the tools away, then stand and have a good, long look. I am spent. I am filled. It’s the time of preparation.

Thursday, May 16

For months, he’d worked all the overtime he could get, plopped a hefty stack into savings every payday. Kept driving his rattly teen car, now with third gear gone. He waited. Saved. Looked at trucks for sale. Waited. Saved. When I answered his FaceTime call, it was his broad grin and the sparkle in his eyes that gave it away - he flipped the camera around and there it was, his sharp, new-to-him ride. Dang, this guy. Can a mama be more proud?

Then, he did me in. Said he can’t wait to take me for a ride.

Friday, May 17

The creek, high and laughing. Birds dipping in at an eddy for a drink and a bath. A hatch of bugs swarming in a sunbeam, earning their wings. Green overtaking everything.

Saturday, May 18

My phone dinged with a snapshot of a stacked BLT and dilly potato salad, then a text: From the cookbook. The cookbook we gave him for Christmas. The cookbook he keeps cooking out of, and raving about, and sending photos of.

I text back: Might have to get that potato salad recipe from you.

He replies: Can send you the recipe for sure, it’s bomb.

Sharing recipes. Never did I ever imagine that it would be one of our favorite things to do on this side of his childhood!