dish towels

I have the ones from our wedding, the dark green and the gingham white and dark green. They're nearly 17 years old and came from Target.

And I have one from Christine that is an oversize, waffle-weave, rich dark chocolate brown. She wrapped it around a dark brown mug. She is incredibly giving.

I have those ones that I thought I needed when I was at that one goddamned big box store on the highway. They're small and white and square. They're really bar rags and they're pretty good for cleaning up spills. Not that they're great. What it takes to pick up spills is time. Usually on your hands and knees. And patience.

There's one from my grandmother. It's white and embroidered with a big yellow flower. I cherish it. I've had it a long time. Probably longer than the ones we got when we were married.

I have the new ones from Costco, which is also a big box store, but not a goddamned big box store on the highway...because Costco takes care of it's employees. There were several in the package: solids of cream, lime green, and burgundy. There are a couple that are printed with peppers and say "Spicy." A little homage to my southwestern upbringing. And because I'm a little spicy.....

There's the white waffle-weave ones...with the green lines on one of the shorter ends...and the knot thingy in the middle of the green lines, but only on one end. Those are from Ireland. My mother gave them to me. My mother and my dad and my brother traveled all the way to Ireland...this was a long time ago...like, Sam was still in high school....and she brought me dish towels.

I appreciate being thought of while they were in Ireland.

But...dish towels?

Yes...dish towels.

A person I used to know, her mother and father traveled to Ireland and her mother brought her a couple of bracelets. She and her mother are pretty close.

I was always a little bit jealous.....

Of their closeness and the bracelets.

Her mother knows her well.

My mother doesn't know me very well.

And it's circumstances.

We live nearly 1,700 miles apart. I have a special needs child and we've made medical decisions surrounding his care that are different than what most people would do. If we were to take him out of the state of Washington, we could be thrown in a federal prison for giving him a Schedule I substance, drug trafficking, and child abuse. I'm sure they'd throw some other charges in there. And I'm not sure my brother the Public Defender would be able to get us off those charges.

So I'll go alone, to visit my parents...and I'm not bringing them dish towels.

Even though it'd be kinda funny.....