Friday, January 21, 2011

A Different Kind of Jewelry

As friends and family have learned, my mother in law has moved in with us. Believe it or not, this was my idea. I have said to myself and sometimes to other folks when the subject has come up, that I would have her here if that's what Hubby wanted. Well, that time has come.
She is very tiny and frail, having come to us from the hospital because she had a bout with pneumonia. Before that she lived by herself quite successfully on the independent side of a retirement community. We, coincidentally, were on the verge of moving her over to the assisted side because of certain age related memory issues. Now, mind you, she had started on medication to help her memory, but she would forget to take it, so...we had that, and some other goofy oddities that needed to be tended. She is 92.
So, on and off since she has been in our home, we have had honest conversations about her dying and her wishes about her remains. Since I have known her, the choice has always been cremation.
While I was rubbing her feet, I told her how my choice is to be turned into a diamond. I had heard about this idea several years ago, and I Googled it, and it has stuck! I even bought the heart shaped glass container I would like my diamond to sit in. No real muss or fuss, just put it on a nice windowsill somewhere and I will quietly shine when the sun hits. (Hopefully it will shine. I'm not quite sure of the quality a human body's ashes will make, but I think it's worth a try.)
Well, maybe it was the ecstatic joy of having her feet rubbed, but she got a big smile when I told her that could be done, and she said, "That sounds fun!" I agree.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Never Enough Jewelry

Hubby's wedding ring has been sitting in my jewelry box for about 22 years. We've been married almost 23 years. He doesn't like jewelry. It doesn't bother me that he doesn't wear it, I don't even think of it. He is so attached to me as his wife, I am completely secure in that respect. But, I cleaned out my jewelry box not long ago, and found unwanted, unused, broken gold, GOLD, GOLD ...the rage in getting cash cash cash, or in the case of my little local jewelry store, trade- in power for new Jewelry! I drool at that big chunk of gold that he doesn't wear. I wonder secretly, how much could I get for this golden delight?
I gently talk about his ring that has been sitting, unused, for lo these many years. He says he'll get it sized so he can wear it. I say, "but you'll take it off and leave it somewhere."
"No I won't," he says adamantly. "Hubby, you hate jewelry. You never wear a watch, and if you do, you leave it on your desk, in a restaurant, in your car, never does it stay on your wrist a full working day." He suddenly catches on. "You cannot have MY ring to turn into more jewelry."
Damn. That was really fast. "Wouldn't it be nice if I turned it into something that can be seen and appreciated instead of wasting away in a dark jewelry box?"
He immediately goes to get the ring.
"You don't even know where it is," I say. After rustling around in his top drawer for awhile he demands, "Where is it?"
In my jewelry box. He finds it and tries to slip it on his ring finger. It doesn't work, so he puts it on his pinky and says, "I'm going to wear it always, just like this."
"Babe, you'll loose it."
Then, in the midst of our sacred marital bedroom, he tells me, "You can't have my ring to get more jewelry; you have enough jewelry."
I said with complete astonishment , "Never, ever say that to a woman, never!" We did break out in laughter, but I was shocked and mortified. I told him, "telling me something like that is telling you that you've watched enough football!" He acted like he didn't understand the analogy.
But, I know he did.