Ella and I went over to my parents’ retirement community for dinner tonight, leaving straight from school after the weekly staff meeting. We arrived just after 6pm and hustled down to the dining room where, among the many choices, I selected corned beef and cabbage. I can’t remember the last time I ate corned beef and cabbage. It was delicious, the meat especially lean.
After dinner we all spent some time chatting in their apartment. Among the conversation topics included how to fold my nice clothes to fit into a carry-on suitcase with a minimum of wrinkles. What are mothers for? She even got out one my dad’s suits to demonstrate. After that, she retrieved her charm bracelet, thinking she might wear it soon, and proceeded to tell Ella about all the charms on it. My favorite is the one of rose-colored glasses given to her by friends of her grandparents (Ella’s great great grandparents) because my mother was always seeing the bright side of life.
I snapped this picture after the corn beef eating and suit folding demonstration, and during the charm bracelet showing.
Andy Smallman 
So did I miss something… is the new suit preparatory to an important trip? Actually your Mom reminds me of myself, the art of folding clothes to keep them unwrinkled definitely got lost between our generation and yours (which is my children’s also). Now I know why you are so upbeat and positive – you inherited the rosy view of life from your Mom! How nice.
So when will you pass along those anti wrinkle, clothes folding, traveling tips?
Hmmm… This assumes I can employ them. Let’s see. They involve tissue paper and gentle folding on pre-existing seams. Then, for packing purposes, being sure not to cram things on top. The last instruction may be the most important. I think it involved making use of a hotel’s iron.