I recently visited New Hampshire to join my mother in celebrating her 85th birthday.
While planning the visit, I asked my mother if she would like to go on a short trip with me—maybe a visit to Cape Cod or to Maine?
My mother has temporarily lost her “partner in crime” for outings. My sister is in “grandma mode,” babysitting her 4-monthold grandson four days a week.
On the girlfriend front, my mother was never much of a socializer. She preferred to spend time with her family and work at her job, and then in retirement tend to her husband’s needs. Having a gal pal was really not her thing.
My mother always displayed a true New England work ethic. When I was a child, if a neighbor called to gossip or chat, my mother