Cindy’s having a birthday!!!

I love this picture. Cindy looks so happy as she stands there holding up her pants so they won’t get wet. She loved going to the coast and playing on the beach with Teri. I was probably standing there with a coat on and a scarf over my ears. When I used to go to the coast with my folks when I was a little girl, I’d go out in a bathing suit and have a wonderful time while my mother would hover around all bundled up! And then when I had kids I turned into my mother. But I guess we all do. Now when Cindy has something wrong, she can always trace it back to me. She says in a very accusatory tone, “I’m turning into you,” as if that were a bad thing. I don’t think I’m responsible for everything, but we always like to go through the same routine.

Cindy was such a crazy, kookie child, and she grew up to be the same crazy, kook she always had been. She was so much fun and did the goofiest things which made life interesting for the whole family. She idolized Teri, her big sister, and Teri was very good with her. I consider myself very fortunate to have had the daughters I had. I like to say everything good about them is because of me. I just like to say that . . . it doesn’t make it true, but I think it is. Really.

Cindy is not a little girl anymore which makes me sad in a way. But she is still so much fun and just as weird and goofy as she was as a child. She has her own shop called Brownie Morrison in Tacoma and sells some really crazy stuff. I couldn’t believe how quickly she learned to do everything when she set up the business. My baby is now a business woman!!! Just today she told me about a young woman who came in and said she was thinking of being a nun. She became so enamored with Cindy, talking a blue streak that Cindy couldn’t deal with anyone else. Cindy told her she had a lot to do, and the woman said “Tomorrow you’ll have better energy.” Cindy had to leave to get her driver’s license renewed and the woman asked when she’d be back! Pat, Cindy’s son, came in to fill in for Cindy and the woman left, came back and spent about an hour with Pat who was dying by the time Cindy returned. She stayed the rest of the day and told all the customers that it was Cindy’s birthday Friday and there would be big things happening! Sounds scary. Cindy told me she wouldn’t let the woman in today. Another woman came in and announced that she was a crack whore. Cindy didn’t care who she was as long as she bought something. She was excited and wanted a bunch of stuff but couldn’t pay for all of it. She asked about bartering and Cindy gave in and took some of the clothes she said she had made. I was screaming into the phone when she told me that, but she said it turned out pretty well because people came in the next day and bought the stuff! One of the halter tops had two plastic lids with material covering them over the boobs. All the clothes had ammo – bullet casings – on them! Cindy said she was going to call it her “Spring Militia” line. I hope the woman doesn’t tell her crack whore friends to go to Cindy’s place. I almost forgot another item about the “almost” nun who came in and stayed forever – almost like Jehovah’s Witnesses do. She found a book on dating and started reading it. She read and read and said she absolutely loved it as it had so many good tips. By this time, Cindy was ready to explode and told her to just take it. So the woman left without paying. I don’t think the kind of books Cindy carries was exactly the type that would be good for an “almost nun,” but at least she left . . . without paying, of course. I wonder if Cindy will ever make a living!

When I look at this picture of Cindy, I wish she could be as happy and carefree as she was then. But she’s all grown up now and turning into her mother! But don’t ever forget that your mom loves you lots and lots. So HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CINDY!!