Mother’s suitcase looks a lot like this except it’s shinier and has lots of shiny brass
At four this morning, I dropped Mother off at the airport to accompany Phyllis on a trip to visit my niece, Amee in North Carolina. That was the tail-end of my story and the very beginning of Phyllis’s, Mother’s, and Amee’s. I was not jealous at all as Phyllis wrestled Mother’s bag out of the car. I look forward to some stories when they return.
A little backstory, when you travel with an eighty-eight year-old-lady, you can look forward to some special circumstances. First of all, Mother is diminutive. Though she enjoys excellent health and walks without difficulty, her short, little legs make connections a challenge. We always order her a wheelchair for connections. She’s also tight, so her travel buddy have better have a little cash for the attendant or risk embarrassment as Mother fumbles pretending to look for her dollar. She always looks so gratified when someone else covers the tip. She’s been fumbling with that same dollar for years.
She spent the night with me, so she cleaned out my refrigerator to pack a lunch for the two of them. That lunch bag probably weighed ten pounds and was a lot more precious to her than her carry on. She had four boiled eggs and four biscuits for their breakfast, English Pea Salad, chicken salad, leftover brisket in gravy, a sleeve of saltines, and two apples for lunch. They could have served a buffet to everyone in coach from the look of that bulging bag.
Mother refuses to pay to check her bag, reasoning she’s riding through the airport in a wheelchair with her bag any way. Normally, I’d agree, but on our last trip, she’d opted for a “cute, little, old-fashioned metal suitcase, just like they used in the forties.” Well, there’s a really good reason nobody uses those anymore. Hers boasts roughly the weight and convenience of a safe. Not only that, even though it’s small, it takes up a lot of space in the overhead bin and infuriates stewards when they have to help out. If that’s not bad enough, it has a couple of rough edges that have been known to scratch. On the first leg of our last trip, the handle broke loose, making it even more difficult to manage without maiming unsuspecting passengers for the rest of the trip. Unfortunately, a well-meaning friend repaired it for her. When we got home, I suggested she save that suitcase for automobile trips since airline trips were sure to ruin it.
We got up at three-thirty to be sure we got Mother’s coffee and got her to the airport on time. Of course, Mother was concerned that Phyllis might oversleep. Happily, Phyllis was waiting for us outside when we drove up. As I hugged Mother goodbye, Phyllis struggled to get Mother’s “cute, little, old-fashioned suitcase from the back seat. I look forward to hearing more about that.
Clearing out cupboards at my mother’s house, we found several of those suitcases. I remember one tiny one, not much bigger than my laptop case, was my suitcase for our holidays back in the forties – a sure sign I didn’t have a large wardrobe!
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No kidding.
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Hilarious story Linda. I love the way you describe your mother’s frugal habits. Should be a great story upon return! 🙂
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She came back
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Well then there’s a story there! 🙂
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Always.
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🙂
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This is what I call “adventure travel”. A most enjoyable read. I have one of those “cute, little, old fashioned, metal suitcases” that my mom used to have. (she doesn’t need it anymore for her travels around heaven). I use it as a treasured memento and a storage container for odds and ends.
Hope your mom keeps travelling, and for yourself to keep travelling along. 🙂
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Don’t take it on a plane!
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No, I won’t. Thanks!
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At least your Mom is still traveling…mine stopped a few years ago. I assume/hope this traveling was before the storm??😊
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Yes, the weather is great now.
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Ah, mothers, you have to love them, and yours sounds like quite the character. I always wonder how my children and grandchildren will view me as I continue to age and become a character myself.
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You’re probably right. That will be worth a story or two–or three–or more. 😀 — Suzanne
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😊😋🙄
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Beth, I can’t wait to hear the rest of the story! 😉
~Elle
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Will update you.
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so funny-where in NC? I live in NC and hope she wasn’t near that storm! we just got power! 4 days! But we are luckier than most.
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Greensboro!
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I am in Williamston -further east of Gboro-hope they missed the hurricane-glad it’s gone! The piedmont is beautiful!
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They just went today.
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Your mom sounds like my kind of gal. I know she will give you all many happy memories. :o)
I look forward to more stories about her adventure.
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She keeps us guessing.
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I look forward to the stories that are sure to come. 😀 😀
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What a wonderful storyteller you are! I giggled all the way through this piece and then waited for Tom to wake up so I could read it to him also.
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Oh, I am so glad you got a chuckle. Hug Tom for me!
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I bet you’ll never run out of stories. Is all this laughter healthy?
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I figure you have to die of something!
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😀 😀 I like the way you think. ❤
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