Sunday, July 06, 2008

The Summer of Cahoots


Someone I love hoped I was having a chill Fourth of July Weekend.

Well, here's how it's been going.

On Friday I made brunch for Petra, Larry-O and BFF. It was lovely, though it did entail getting to the grocery store by 7:30 in the morning. I attempted to replicate a salad from a cool little West Village cafe I discovered the last time I was in the Big Apple, and I pulled it off, if I do say so myself.

Then, I tried to start my sermon. I got precisely one paragraph written. It was not a bad paragraph. It remains in the final draft. But I'd hoped for more.

At 6 PM Petra and I began singing for our nearly-monthly gig at a local Art Walk. This is something we've been doing for nearly a year, and it's been wonderful. Except... lately, she's also singing with her pal, J., and I think the patina has begun to wear on the excitement of getting to sing with mom. I notice that when she and J. are singing (at this same event) they announce it with a Faceb@@k event, and scores of teenagers show up to cheer and stamp for Petra and J., and to listen politely to me.

The Ex-Mr. Mags showed up on this occasion, (without his GF), and singing songs like "Hallelujah" and "If You Go Away" (two of my signature pieces) felt somewhat odd. But Petra and I sing well together, it's getting tighter every time. I just think her interest is elsewhere.

Petra and Larry have formed a strong bond this summer. It stirs up vague and unsubstantiated memories of college chemistry... covalent bonds? When electrons are shared by more than one element? Can't remember much, but I remember about these bonds being strong, tough to break. Petra and Larry seem to be constantly in the throes of some joke or other, to which I have not been admitted. They are in cahoots, all the time, day and night. It's sweet and charming and I feel left out.

They are growing up. Have I mentioned this? They are almost done, Larry especially. He's 20. There's not a damn thing I can control any longer (and I do love control, or its illusion).

After singing we came home and I made hamburgers and corn on the cob and we fell asleep in front of "The Darjeeling Limited."

Yesterday we dealt with a mysteriously shattering window on Larry's car, and Petra and I volunteered at the Box Office for this summer's Gilbert and Sullivan show (in which none of us is taking part), and I made us all (P, L, B and me) a kind of stir fry, salad and more corn. Oh, and homemade chocolate/coffee ice cream, left over from the 4th). Then we watched "In Bruges." We stayed awake.

Why do I love movies about hit men?

Oh yeah, and I finished the sermon (sort of). And now... well, look at the time!

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I was just thinking today about what it will be like when our kids are mostly grown. We have some time before that happens, but it's coming faster than I think.

I'm glad you got your sermon done! I can't imagine having to write one each week.

And you saw two movies I really want to see, assuming you finished The Darjeeling Express. Were they good?

Magdalene6127 said...

Film Review:

What I saw of The Darjeeling Limited I loved. But from about 45 minutes in I saw brief episodes interspersed with my own narcolepsy.

In Bruges, on the other hand, I saw completely. It was extraordinary. My son said, "It's like Pulp Fiction, but with a heart," and my daughter added, "and with a conscience." It is absolutely hilarious, extraordinarily politically incorrect, gripping, heartbreaking... see it.

LittleMary said...

well poop on your kids. individualizing and all. you are an amazing mom. seriously.

Jennifer Garrison Brownell said...

Oh, I love this post. Thanks for giving us this window into your summer. It made me all, what is the word for nostalgia about things that are going to happen in the future?, about my own now-wee, soon-to-be-big one.

Magdalene6127 said...

Anticipatory nostalgia?