It's not devotion that I want from you*

I don't care what any of y'all got to say: my Mumsie is the sweetest mom in the whole universe, ever. For example, she still sends her very independent, nearly 31 year-old daughter (ahem, me) regular care packages. This morning, as I was overdressing for my bike ride into work, the postman banged on the door because he didn't want to leave such a "fancy package" just sitting on the doorstep. As soon as he said that, I knew it was from my mom without even looking.

The outside is decorated in cut-out paper flowers and when I slice open the box all of the inner flaps are covered in paper flowers and bunnies and whatnot. I know that she spent the better part of an evening decorating this plain old cardboard box. This is how my mom always sends stuff; I've got an entire collection of similarly decorated boxes in the basement that I don't want to throw away. Inside there are packets of flower seeds, a toothbrush (mothers can never quite accept that their adult children are capable of otherwise acquiring such necessary items), a flowerpot, some chocolate almonds, and Easter-themed paper napkins which will promptly be put with the other holiday-themed paper napkins to come out at the next house party, probably for my birthday.

Additionally, there is a coffee can full of anisette biscotti like only my mama can make, although Cabbibo's Bakery at the farmer's market comes damn close. It's nothing like that coffee shop shit that passes for biscotti in most places. It's also a pain to make, because you have to bake it twice, but it's my favorite and so Mumsie makes it just for me. Also inside is a box of rat treats (for Toot) that she made by hand. The rats always get included in a care package. Finally, there was an Easter card that arrived yesterday, with a "rat" on the front. My mother excels at finding cards for every occasion with a "rat" in it. ["Rat" because most likely the artist intended the vermin pictured to be taken as a mouse, but we have none of that in my family.]

Above: a sweet picture of my sweet mother on her 56th birthday. She made that face because I asked her to do something silly. She ain't too bad-lookin' for 56 and, luckily for me, seems to have passed on the easy-aging genes. Also check out Buzz the cat's bionic eye.

* "I do" - Edie Brickell