The Lunar eqlispse loomed large in my mind. and is was a spectral sight. At the same time I had the bright idea to ask my sister to order a new vacuum. Sister informed me she had bought one some years before and it might be in a closet. There are many vexing elements (to my mother) in those two sentences. 1) anything 'new' 2)vacuuming 3) closets
Against my own knowledge of anxiety producers (for my mother) I began to open closet doors to look for the phantom device, this alone (opening of closet doors) is enough to send mother over the edge. When she asked with panic what I was looking for ....well suffice to say she had a full blown melt down over both the search for a vacuum and the idea that one was being ordered without consulting her. After much screaming and yelling and a long slow trip (for her) to look at the moon. I ended up saying the vacuum had nothing to do with her, that it was for me since she neither uses such a thing or is bothered by dust. This actually worked and made sense to her. As for her old Eureka that sits covered in dust in a corner of her bedroom blocking access to a dresser , I simply said it is 14 years old and dates from the clean up of the 9/11/01 attacks. Filters and bags are no longer available and it is too big to efficiently clean blinds, bookshelves etc. Those reasons of course mean nothing to her. In her mind she 'has a vacuum, doesn't need or want a new one' and on top of it her house is 'cleaner then it has ever been'.
On the way to this resolution of sorts much nasty cursing and yelling happened. So illustrative of the 'abusive' tactics I posted a link to and even ending with her saying like a victim "I am not going to live that long you know". To that I laughed and said OMG your going to pull that card out" and then she laughed and we went to bed, or she stared at her TV for who knows how long, and I went to look at the moon as it eclipsed.
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