I've been included in a Minnesota anthology "Under Purple Skies", now available on Amazon!

My second chapbook, "The Second Book of Pearl: The Cats" is now available as either a paper chapbook or as a downloadable item. See below for the Pay Pal link or click on its cover just to the right of the newest blog post to download to your Kindle, iPad, or Nook. Just $3.99 for inspired tales of gin, gambling addiction and inter-feline betrayal.

My first chapbook, I Was Raised to be A Lert is in its third printing and is available both via the PayPal link below and on smashwords! Order one? Download one? It's all for you, baby!

Friday, November 25, 2011

The Boy Has His Demands

The Boy, as I refer to my One and Only Son, thinks his rent money doesn’t go far enough. Given that he lives with me, I have to agree with him. It doesn’t.

For some reason, he believes, in that grinning way that the well-loved son has, that there should be perks beyond a roof, internet, and full access to the fridge.

“Mom,” he says the other day, “You forgot to fix my bed.”

Then he laughs and scratches my head, a common gesture in our home of thick-haired (and possibly thick-headed) folk.

It’s hard to keep your hands off your children, impossible for me to pass by him without pulling his hair gently, scratching him behind the ears, or putting a hand on his shoulder. He will lean his back against my hand with an imperious command: “Scratch.” I do, of course. Not only because he’s my boy and I love him, but because I appreciate the gleam in his eye when he says it: a request couched in a demand and wrapped in the knowledge that I would do it anyway, whether he asked for it or not.

I did it to myself.

27 comments:

Anonymous said...

You're just too good to him Pearl.

Watson said...

:-) What more can I say?? I feel all gushy and warmed!

Roses said...

Awww...look what you did.

I love the posts you do about your Boy.

raydenzel1 said...

Hey Pearl
while you are at it, could you, a little higher...ahhhh
gracias

Anonymous said...

I have my honey scratch my back every morning when I get up. There is nothing in the world like a good back scratch.

Nothing.

Echo said...

I have three of these boy things. They certainly keep me spinning. Scratch my back, make my bed, tuck me in mom ... no matter how big they get.

Unknown said...

Your son sounds like a great guy who loves his mom!

Cal's Canadian Cave of Coolness said...

But how will he be on Jersey Shore with THAT kind of behavior. Some monster you have created there.

vfh159 said...

My One and Only's just turned 27. I occasionally suggest he do his own laundry, but then I eventually re-tumble the cold, wrinkled dryer-full and fold them myself anyway.

I remind him all the time that things would be going a little differently for him if I had a litter of 'em. I doubt it.

Chip said...

You are just the sweetest! Keep it up :)

Symdaddy said...

That's where we differ Perlchen!

I would have pointed to the door frame and said "Off you go!"

What can I say?

I'm an ol' grump!

Kara said...

I totally get this. My boy will be coming home from university for his Christmas break in just a couple of weeks and I can't wait to lay my hands on him.

Elephant's Child said...

Lovely, lovely, lovely.

mapstew said...

They're always our babies ya? :¬)

xxx

Gigi said...

I know exactly what you are talking about - that one and only....I NEED to touch him despite the fact that, at his current age, he has no desire for me to lay hands on him. Or look at him. Or speak to him.

Cloudia said...

and well-done it to yourself. . . or words to that effect. . .


Aloha from Honolulu

Comfort Spiral

> < } } ( ° >

><}}(°>

< ° ) } } > <

Belle said...

I always want to hug and kiss my daughters. I try to restrain myself a bit so they will keep visiting.

jenny_o said...

Awwwww...so nice.

Unknown said...

Awww...lucky boy!
Rosemary

darlin said...

You sure have an amazing mother/son relationship, isn't it wonderful? I'm blessed with two boys and my baby is a girl. I getting back to back texts tonight, the middle boy and his sister are doing different things and I hope they feel how much they're both loved, I know I sure do!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Symdaddy said...

You do realise that you've left us in the dark with regards to our immediate future, don't you?

Not that I believe in your iPod's prophetic qualities ... no, no, no ... however I do like to cover all my bases (did you spot that baseball term I slotted in there?) when it comes to dealing with the dark, dreary days that bring us to Christmas.

Anonymous said...

Your son is lucky to have such a wonderful landlady.

Bushman said...

My daughter did that to me in the deer blind this year. She would wiggle all over and then look at me with those big ol eyes. Of course I would reach my hand up behind her coat and scratch all the spots she just couldn't reach. Smiling as I watched the drool drop from her mouth. I swear I saw her leg twitching too!

Linda O'Connell said...

I've become the second generation backscratcher. My grandkids give me hugs and then fanagle their shoulder blades and backs under my hand. They even raise their shirts and expose flesh...ahh, but I love it when they con me, "Nana, you are the BEST back scratcher, Dad was right!"

the walking man said...

And the One said let there be trees, and off those trees let good sized hand fitting branches fall...I think you know the rest of this scripture right?

Dawn@Lighten Up! said...

I agree - it's impossible not to want to give your children. Maybe someday, my 14-year-old will let me do so again. Le Sigh.

Unknown said...

Aw.

My boy is still tender toward me, even though at this point in his life he knows everything.

I love that.

The tenderness, that is.

The purported omniscience? Not so much.