Dancing Bunny Ballerina Pirate Vest...and Nana

I just had occasion to comment on my Facebook:  "Yeah.  Not a lot of call for dancing bunny ballerina pirate vests."  lol

It made me smile.

And I could use a good smile today.  Me Mum, who is 100 (I was adopted late-I'll leave ye to the math) took a turn these past two days and well......you can figure what we thought was coming.  But it didn't.  And she rallied.  And she may be 100 but she's still me Mum.  And losing yer Mum hurts.  No matter.

So, that gave me occasion to post on me dear mate Cap'n Slappy's Facebook:  "I can't believe I've got to go to ANOTHER hospital and register as a pirate so they won't give Nana Daisy Rose (me Mum) the old dementia stink eye whence she starts telling the nurses her daughter is a pirate and *&^% you tell me any different."

Of course at the last hospital several years ago no one believed her.

It caused a ruckus.

That's putting it mildly.

You don't know me Mum.

Funny how we judge our elderly, eh?  I happened to come to visit one day while she was in the bathroom with a nurse and the conversation was a riot.  Except it wasn't when I realized that they had her pegged for loony tunes.  Which she can be sometimes....just not about that.

Her daughter IS a pirate.  Pirates DO come to her home.  I DO sail on a real pirate ship.  And she, herself, has dressed as a pirate on more than one occasion.  And she likes it.

 Now this revelation forced me to swagger on down to the nurses station and have them write in red ink-underlined thrice on her chart-Daughter IS a pirate!"

Which I did again today.

The nurse thanked me. Me tattoo (Pirate Girl) eases the way for them a bit.)  ;)

Now, how does this relate to:  Dancing bunny ballerina pirate vest you ask?  Well, I'll tell you.

After I commented to Slappy, he commented to me:  "Aye! And I think to add to the confusion - ye register as a pirate dressed as a ballerina. (But talking like a pirate.) And when they finally recognize yer pirattitude ... twirl, leap and flutter away yelling, "THIS DOESN'T MEAN NOTHIN'! I'M STILL A PIRATE!"

So, yeah.  That's how that happened.  But wait!  There's more!

It just so happens that I own a dancing bunny ballerina pirate vest.

Seriously.

I use it in my Pirates of CHAOS Bookeneer reading program.  You know:  "We've got library carrrrrds and we know how t' use 'em!"  (premise being we don't need to read about pirates-we already know about pirates-but each of us has something secret they want to learn-Cap'n Foxmorton's secret wish is to be a ballerina and the library provides us with the treasure of words.)

And so because, as my lovely daughter points out, everything comes full circle, here it is.

And it was a funny way to get there.

I know not what the next hours, days, weeks, perhaps even months (or years?) will bring but I do know that me Mum ranks right up there with the strongest and bravest of pirates.  Always has.  All her life.  And when the day comes that she decides to weigh anchor and sail on her own to Mingulay I'll stand on the shore with me tankard raised and bid her a hearty Yo-ho!  And, in spite of me tears, I'll smile.

MF
2011

"In a beautiful blue lagoon on a clear day, a fine sailing ship spreads its brilliant white canvas in a fresh morning breeze sails out to the open sea.

We watch her glide away magnificently through the deep blue and gradually see her grow smaller and smaller as she nears the horizon.

Finally, where the sea and sky meet, she slips silently from sight; and someone near me says, 'There, she is gone!'

Gone where? Gone from sight, that is all.

She is still as large in mast and hull and sail, still just as able to bear her load. And we can be sure that, just as we say, 'There, she is gone!' another says, 'There, she comes!!!' "

--- Unknown