Tea Time & such

One of the things I have noticed about creative people is that they must create. I don't mean they do so at convient times,(I mean look at this daughter's blog life of a fritz, she just can't help creating, even when she will be sad to see her good friends leave.)I mean they must create even at inconvient times. While I had my grandkids this past weekend my parents also decided to pay us a visit. Of course I love having my mom and dad here. They are such wonderful people and still going as they hit their mid 80's.

So I'm thinking as I know my parents will get here and want some coffee, which is of course the "proper" thing to do. Did I mention that my mom is the quientisential southern belle? Did I also mention that two of my daughters think it is too funny she is so proper. When my little life author was about 8 and we went to Florida. As I was driving trying to find my way to our motel, in a state where I had no clue where I was, in the middle of freeway construction with my mom arguing-no wait-instructing me which way to go, she said to the, bouncing off the walls-literaly, three kids in the back 8, 5, and 3 "lets be calm and gentle." That author started to laugh and giggle, so hard that I as the driver almost lost our way. So Calm and Gentle has become part of our lexicon.

Just so you will know, I did get the coffee ready. I did get the tea cups my mom loves and I did get the... Oh no! The napkins! I have really really old napkins for the kitchen. Ok I admit it. My kids always comment on how rag tag my kitchen napkins are. Well, they are for the kitchen use, not dinning room use. We always use cloth napkins, and it looks I have trained them to do so in their own homes. (Yea me. One for the Mom) But, of course I would not get the "good" napkins out of the dinning room, even though I have gotten most of my damask and linens from thrift stores and meticuosly clean them. OH No. I had to go upstairs and sew new napkins.

I don't mean I just wanted to. I had to. I was compelled to sew new napkins. After all I had cleaned my living and dining rooms so my mom could see that I don't always have a flea market in my home. Not that I care, "...and out of the back of the class came a sarcastic, 'yeah, right.'" But I did get them done and we did have our coffee in style and we did use my new napkins.

The funnyest thing happened after we all had coffee and chit chatted. My mom and dad folded the napkins they had used with the stripes going sideways. Am I missing something? Is there a southern belle way to fold napkins? What is it in our psyche that wants us to still impress our moms? I'm a Grandma for goodness sake. Aye, there is and always will be something in us that wants to please those we love. My mom is always good about not presuring me to live up to her wants, but still I do. I am just thankful I have a sence of humor and that I love to create.

Well gotta go sew potholders out of quilt squares cause I am going to a bridal shower and that quilt was never gonna get made anyway. Proverbs 10:4 But the hand of the diligent makes rich.