Time and money

I received an unexpected $50 in the mail today, a mother's day gift from, of all people, my mother. Buy yourself a new pair of jeans, the card said. Obviously, she hasn't read my blog. (See "Life's necessities" post.)

I felt like a kid again, when that visiting aunt you never met before tucks $5 into your pocket and tells you to splurge on something you've especially wanted. I started making plans for what I'm going to buy -- either the life jacket or the water shoes and garden clogs. I called my mother immediately to thank her.

It's funny. When I was working full-time, it would take me months to deposit the birthday or holiday check she sent and even longer to get around to spending the money. But now I've got plenty of time to shop -- and an unexpected $50.