Falls, stings and stars!

I got a letter from my sister, Barbara, on Saturday, and she told me that my mother had tripped over a footstool and hit her nose on the floor.  My mother is fine; actually only has a little skinned place on her nose, and I talked to her by phone that evening.

But Barbara said that my sister, Lois, was taking a shower at the time. When she heard a thump and then heard my mother say, "Oh, shoot!", she ran out of the bathroom stark naked.  Then the next day Lois was stung by a wasp -- on the nose!  Ooh, exciting times at the Dowell house!

When I was reading my sister's letter, though, it reminded me of another fall my mother took many years ago.  She wasn't hurt by that one, either, thankfully, and no one was naked, but it was memorable just the same.  None of us were on the spot to witness it, but were in the kitchen.  My mother was coming up the steps to the kitchen door and somehow stumbled and fell backwards onto her back.  The three of us in the kitchen heard her fall and rushed out the door.  She was lying flat on her back, just staring up into the sky.  We were just sure she'd hurt herself badly, but as we gathered around her, asking her if she had hurt anything, she said, quietly, and still looking up into the sky, "I see one star!"

The three of us looked at each other, in fear, sure that her senses had been addled.  Then she saw the looks on our faces, giggled, and said, "No, really.  I see one star."  And she pointed up.  All three of us dutifully looked up, and, sure enough, there in the bright blue late afternoon sky was one little star.  Then we collapsed, laughing, and I'm not even sure we were able to help Mom get up!  We each of us had pictured a cartoon character with a circlet of stars over his head after having fallen; and of course Mom would only see one star!

I just reminded myself of another story that kind of ties in.  Many years ago my sister, Barbara, had gone for a walk in the woods when she got too near a tree with a nest of wood bees.  They chased her some 50 yards or so, stinging as they went.  She said she was peeling off her clothes as she ran.  When she got home Mom counted and she  had over 20 stings. I can remember that she got very sick, but was much better the next day. 

So that story tied in with the wasp sting and the streaking!

What strange things we do remember and choose to write about in our journals!