"HILDA-ISMS" and "HILDA-SPEAK"

My Mother returned to Florida early yesterday morning, flying from Little Rock, to Memphis & then on to Orlando.

After several days of stories & videos in/on the TV News regarding the snow storm/blizzard in the North-East -- causing the airports to close & the cancellation of thousands of flights worldwide -- Hilda had no problems getting home on time. In fact, she arrived in Orlando ahead of schedule.

The Little Rock airport seemed quite busy & crowded when we arrived there at five A.M. yesterday. [Snow storm problems ??] The ticketing area had long lines for so early in the day. It was good that I had printed Hilda's boarding passes off the computer at home. Saved MUCH time & potential hassle.

My Mother told me when she arrived, in Orlando it was wall-to-wall people in the main part of the airport terminal & that she did have to struggle to get through all the people.

Give the 83 year old woman a break, people !!

No doubt, the Orlando congestion -- much greater than Little Rock -- was again due to all the people who vacationed in Florida at Xmas & now found their return flights canceled & needing to be re-booked.

Once my Mother began her flights back to Florida, things started returning to ... ah ... "normal" around here. That means I did laundry, start keeping my own schedule & I got to eat some of the leftovers without sharing. The cats also got back to living with just one person in the house.

The last of the Xmas cookies that Hilda made before she came to Arkansas were -- & are -- all mine now. They won't last much longer.

Because we have lived apart for so many years -- I left home for college in 1965 & only came back for "visits" -- even with her being my Mother, often our current "visits" require a time of getting re-acquainted to each others mannerisms, speech & little "quirks".

As we both grow older ... there seem to be more "quirks", for both of us. Being together on a non-regular basis sometimes highlights our little ... "differences". It sure does for me.

My Mother met & married my Father in England during World War II. She's been in the United States for about 65 years, but in her case ... you can take the gal out of Great Britain, but you can't take Great Britain out of the gal.

Below is a list of "HILDA-ISMS" I seem to always notice when we are together:

** She loves her cup of hot tea. She drinks at least two or three cups a day, sometimes more. And not any tea. It's a tea from Canada. She brings her tea bags with her each visit.

** She's fussy about her food. (It was ME who was the fussy eater as a kid.) There is always a "pressure" on me to have the food she likes/will eat in the house when she visits. Thank goodness for visits to Captain D's for fish 'n' chips.

** If she's sitting down ... she's knitting. She learned to knit as a child & can make ANYTHING using yarn & needles. Sweaters, quilts, baby clothes. ANYTHING.

I don't hear it, but many people who meet Hilda notice she has a bit of an English accent. I guess she re-formats it on her trips back ... "across the pond". When she returns -- at least for awhile -- she does sound VERY British.

With, or without, her accent, there is also the realization during our visits of listening to "HILDA-SPEAK". This would include some of the following dialog:

** "Cheers" == This is an expression she uses often in place of "Thank you".

** "Ta" == She will use this sometimes in place of "Cheers". Hand her the vinegar for her fish 'n' chips & she might say "Ta".

** "Ta Ta" == This is used in place of "Good-Bye".

** "T.T.F.N." == This is an abbreviated version of the above & stands for "Ta Ta for now".

** "I have to tiddle" == Hilda's headed to the bathroom.

** "I have to take a quick tiddle" == This "tiddle" is the last minute, ready-to-travel variety.

There are probably more words/phrases my Mother uses. It's just that our in-frequent visits through the years, bring certain ones to my ears & remind me of the years passing & moving us both along in this thing called ... "Life".

T.T.F.N.