It's like Christmas

My mom arrived safe and sound, toting two suitcases, the larger of which was filled solely with stuff we'd asked for (and a few goodies, such as the XXL sized bag of M&M's; I didn't know there was such a size!). The best of the goodies (other than the books I'd ordered and had sent to her place to save on shipping) is the wheat and rice chex so we can make party mix, and the three bags of Bagels Forever (tm) bagels. She'd unpacked all of the suitcase and there were no bagels, and I'd commented aside to Joel that I wondered if she'd forgotten I'd asked for them. Then she opened up her own suitcase, and pulled them out. Oh, it's just like Christmas. :) I haven't had one of these bagels in over a year, and I immediately went and popped one in the toaster (or, as Joel would say, I immediately went and ruined it.) One other complete surprise that she brought with were two pairs of amusing socks, which she said had been my Grandma Friedemann's. Grandma was also a regular source of my amusing socks; she's stick a pair in pretty much every care package for every random holiday that she and Grandpa would send (Valentine's Day, Halloween, Easter...). One thing that had really made me sad when she died was knowing that I wouldn't ever get any more amusing socks from her. But I guess mom and dad were visiting with Grandpa last weekend, going through some of Grandma's stuff, and he sent these two pairs of socks with mom for me. So I did end up getting amusing socks from my grandma!

After that we went out marketing, and got everything we need for supper each night this week. Came back, mom took a short nap, and then the three of us went back to the market to the kebab place for lunch. Mmm, they're good! Then I took mom out to the office, and then around the parts of Amsterdam that form most of our stomping ground (the route past the horticultural gardens to Waterlooplein where the flea market is, and then over to the Amstel, down, and back along the far side of the zoo along the Entropotdok.) It was early evening by the time we got back, and so now she's napping on the couch. We'll have supper later and then perhaps walk down to the Oosterpark, if the nice weather still holds. Tomorrow the real sight-seeing starts.