We are coming up to Mother’s Day this weekend and I know that this is a time when Anne misses her mother who passed away in October 2009. She told me this story some time ago and said it was a “Classic Elizabeth Miner” tale.
I hope you enjoy it!
Anne keeps this picture of her mother close by. It was taken at the last party she attended, in September of 2009. The story begins in August and here’s how Anne told it …
“My mom wanted something new to wear to the party and I wanted her to have something new too as she had lost quite a bit of weight. We arranged to go shopping together.
“It was a two-hour drive each way for me and when I arrived, mom was waiting at the front door of the retirement home. She was wearing her runners, ready for some serious shopping!
“It was a short drive to the mall to shop at the Bay. My mom, ever thrifty, made a beeline for the Sale Rack. That beautiful fuchsia jacket was calling her name.
“I was a bit hesitant about the colour, as you can imagine; fuchsia is certainly not the “new black” but, as you can see, it was perfect on her!
“Next, we went looking for new pants as my mom no longer wore skirts. She wanted white pants, even though white pants for a September wedding defies convention (after Labour Day you know). As you can see, white was actually the best choice with that fuchsia jacket.
“As we strode down the mall looking for white pants, my mom spotted a pair of fuchsia shoes, "Wouldn't they be perfect?" she asked. We stepped into the store quickly but, sadly, the store didn't have her size.
“Next, we spotted a woman sitting on a bench wearing a fuchsia hat!
“I elbowed my mom and said jokingly, "You hold her, and I'll grab the hat!" As we were sharing a giggle over that idea, the woman came over to us and asked, "What's funny? Are you laughing at me?"
“Embarrassed, I pulled the fuchsia jacket out of the bag and showed it to her as I explained, "We were plotting to steal your hat, it would be perfect for this outfit.
The woman looked at the jacket, looked at my mom, and then she took the hat off her head and put it on my mom's head. "You are right, it is perfect," she said with a smile. "It's my gift to you!"
“Refusing payment, she smiled, walked away and disappeared into the crowd.
“Well, my mom was thrilled! We had the jacket, the pants and now the gift of a perfect hat! Her outfit was nearly complete! Just missing the shoes!
“We were out of time, as she was due back for dinner at the retirement home, so we agreed, the shoes would have to wait for another day.
“I dropped her at the front door and watched as she marched in, tall and regal, still wearing the hat. I was certain she would soon be entertaining the other residents with the story of our adventure, over dinner.
“As I pulled out of the parking lot, I thought, "I have 10 minutes, I'll just take a spin through Singer Shoes and see if they have something that will work."
“The store manager greeted me with a quick look at her watch. It was 5 minutes to closing time.
"Size 10, flat, fuchsia," I declared as my mission.
"Right over here," was her reply.
"And, sure enough, there they were! Fuchsia suede flats with a little bit of bling on the toe! "
“I hurried back to the retirement home to surprise my mom with the perfect finish to her outfit.
“I found her in the dining room, still wearing the hat! She was surrounded by her friends who were enjoying the story of our shopping adventure. She looked up and saw me in the doorway; without missing a beat, she announced, "Here comes my daughter with the shoes".
“I knelt down and helped her slip them on; then she walked up and down modelling her new footwear to the applause of her friends.
“I drove home that night feeling content that we had had a successful day. And, when I later saw her in this photo, looking so regal, I was truly happy. Too bad you can't see the shoes.
“My mom wore this outfit only twice, once to the party, and the second time in her coffin.
“The funeral director cut away the back of her hat, so it sat properly on her head, and I made sure her makeup was just right (including the fuchsia lipstick). We even dressed her in the shoes!”
So if you have ever wondered where Anne's quirky sense of humour comes from, how she manages to "find the funny" in most situations, now you know!