Sunday Bubby Sunday #6

D: Hello!

B: Hi.

D: were you sleeping?

B: Just about to, but it’s ok. What’s new?

D: We’ve had a social weekend, so we’re tired. But we all had a good time.

B: And you’re having company for Thanksgiving! Wow! Wow! I wish I could be there.

D: I wish you could be here, too. Gabriella got a turkey, but she’s thinking she’s going to have to get another one because we’ll have so many guests.

B: Another turkey? Well, I guess Gabriella knows better. Wow. I’d hate to be the one reciprocating.

D: No one has to reciprocate.


B: I’m sure they will. What else?

D: I went to a dinner tonight at a friend’s house. A bunch of moms went to this friend’s house, and we all brought something to eat. Gabriella made the dish that I brought over.

B: She really takes on a lot.

D: She does, but she enjoys it.

I did feel a teeny weeny bit awkward about asking Gabriella to supply me with the dish that I would present at the potluck dinner. She stayed home with the kids, and I brought a delicious black bean salad to complement the Mexican themed dinner that was served. I felt like Darren Stevens in Bewitched. “Sam, I invited Larry Tate and his wife over for dinner tonight. Be a doll and whip something up for us.” She didn’t even roll her eyes at me when I asked her to make the dish. “What would you like me to make?” And that was that. Yes, yes, I’m very lucky. Thank you for being the very first person to EVER point out how lucky I am to have such a wonderful partner.

D: Gabriella has to travel this week for work.

B: Where to?

D: Florida.

B: For how long?

D: 3 days.

B: That’s awful short. Does she have to travel often?

D: She used to travel more. I don’t know if you remember, but when we first moved back here, she had a different role at her company, and she had to travel all the time. She had to go to India for 11 days.

B: Wow! I wouldn’t like that.

D: She didn’t like it. I wasn’t too thrilled either. I told her she had to bring back a present for me for leaving me home with 2 kids for 11 days.

B: What did she give you?

D: A pretty bracelet. She did get to see some sights, but she would have preferred to be home. Now she doesn’t travel very often at all.

B: That’s good. And?

D: Um, let’s see. I’m reading Valley of the Dolls for my book club. Do you know it?

B: I know of it, but I never read it.

D: Well, it’s set in 1945, and so I always think about you and what your life must have been like at that time.

B: Why?

D: It makes the book more interesting for me if I can personalize it like that. Different times. I’m reading all about these women who all marry for security instead of love.

B: I’m sure they still make that mistake today.

D: True. Guess we haven’t learned very much since then.

B: (laughs)

D: Have you been reading about the President-elect in the papers?

B: Here and there. I hope the big man doesn’t encounter any bad circumstances. The articles I’ve read say that we still have cancer in our society.

D: What do you mean?

B: You know, I’m not alone.

D: You can’t tell me about what you read in the paper?

B: Some yes. Some no.

D: hmm.

Bubby is always paranoid that people are listening to her and plotting ways of making life unpleasant for her. I recognize that paranoia and distrust from growing up with my mother. She never trusted anyone. "Our neighbors do not need to know when we leave our house or when we come home or what we do behind closed doors." "Even policemen are men first, Deborah!" "Must you look everyone in the eye when we're walking down the street? When we're not at home in the suburbs, you need to keep your eyes down." Who knows, maybe the nurses are trying to steal my Bubby's nightgowns as she reported to me the other day. These would be the same nightgowns that caused her to throw her toys out of the pram because she didn't want to accept gifts from her grandchildren.

B: Tell me about the boys.

D: They’re good. They’re really enjoying each other’s company and playing together more and more. They are really loud.

B: (laughs) Time will cure everything. And now it’s time for bed.

D: Ok. Good night.

B: Send Gabriella my love. Know that I love you and i wish I could be there.

D: I love you, too.

B: Take care. Good night.

D: Good night.