Thursday, January 8, 2009

My New Favourite Person



I know a mother isn't supposed to play favourites. We're supposed to love all of our children equally, and by extension, our children's Significant Others, yada yada yada.

But I have a confession to make.

I have a favourite. And no, this isn't about Buddy. He's in my bad books right now because he devoured a box of Kleenex in a fit of pique after I left him alone with his anxiety disorder for Two Whole Hours.

See this photo? This is a picture of my Eldest and her boyfriend Chris. Cute, inn't he? And he's smart, kind and good to my girl.

He's also from Nova Scotia, which is reason enough to be in my good books. You see, Eldest is attending an east coast university, and we told her, when she left the safety of our familial bosom for the first time in her young life, that she'd soon discover what her dad and I already knew from experience - that the people out that way are hospitable, friendly, honest, down-to-earth and
real. We knew that if she felt homesick or got into any kind of trouble, that there would be someone there to help her out or to invite her over for a homecooked meal and a chat. That the kids she met at school would be good kids with warm hearts. And she found it to be true. I only had one teeny, tiny request.

If she was going to find herself with an east coast boyfriend, could he please be a lobster fisherman.

I don't think that's too much for a Homarus Americanus Fanaticus to ask of her daughter, do you? After all, this is the same mom who stayed up nights with this child when she was ill, read stories to her every night, cooked her favourite, gourmet meals like Lipton Chicken Noodle soup with a beaten egg mixed into it (oh, my wrist aches just thinking of the effort of all that whisking) and I could go on. But I'm no martyr. Why, I'd never use emotional blackmail to force my children into doing the right thing by their mother. I just think that when a mother makes extreme sacrifices for the sake of her children, she does so out of love but also with the possibility that someday one of them, say for example, her eldest darling girl, will make the right choices i.e. find herself a nice lobster fisherman who might send her beloved mommy some leftover treasures of the sea when he comes home from a hard day's work.

She came close, soooo close. She fell for this handsome fellow in the photo, who comes from a house right on the ocean, in a small cove south of Halifax. He even has lobster traps off his dock, apparently, though (sacrilege) he doesn't eat lobsters himself. Well, they seem happy together, so who am I to question a couple of craaa-ray-zy kids in love, even if he hasn't chosen the right path i.e. lobster fishing as his calling in life. C'est dommage. He was almost perfect.

Well, on December 30th there was a knock at the door and I was handed a big box by some FedEx guy who wished me a Happy New Year. It was the size of a cooler, and indeed inside this big box was an actual styrofoam cooler with something scratching around inside.

Yes, the East Coast Boy came through. To my great shock and delight, nestled inside were four, count 'em FOUR big, fresh, LIVE lobsters just waiting for the right woman to boil 'em alive and dip 'em in butter. Youngest declined to take part in the slaughter, but The Boy rearranged his dinner plans to make sure he'd be around for the crustaceous chow down. Were they good? Not even the shells went to waste as they were boiled up for broth.

What can I say other than Chris, you're The Man. Smooches.




18 comments:

Debby said...

He'd be my favorite too.

Anonymous said...

Ohhhhhh - Luckyyyyyy!!! Has my beautiful niece (and she is gorgeous in that picture) mentioned to sweet boyfriend that she has an auntie from Ontario who ALSO loves lobsters and would gladly have them stay with me (did I mention the pool in my backyard?) anytime they want? And they can drive Dave's car (okay, I didn't ask him but I'm SURE it would be fine)

Anonymous said...

So what you're saying is that your affection can be bought with lobsters. I'll make note of that for future reference. *g*

Eldest is gorgeous. But you knew that.

nightsmusic said...

Oh, man! Yeah, favorite, except for the little problem of...

I love seeing lobster on my plate. Don't ever wanna see 'em in a box, scratching to get out. :p

On a side note, I'd go through the grocery when my girls were little and they had a big tank of live lobsters. DD2 used to scream at the top of her lungs:

IWANNASEETHELOBMONSTERS!!!!!!!

*sigh*

Your daughter is absolutely gorgeous, BTW. :)

theo

A Novel Woman said...

Eldest, did you see that? My readers think you're "gorgeous" so there.

Yutha, stop trying to bribe my daughter. That's MY job. Isn't your kid old enough to date yet? There could be some lobsters in your future too, if you play your cards right.

Lobmonsters?! I love that! That's a much better word for them. I almost jumped out of my skin when I forgot my lobmonsters were nearby in their box, so I was working away on my computer, oblivious, when suddenly I heard them....AIEEEE! I put them in the garage until Doug took care of them. And by "took care of them" I mean a boiling water bath while I sat with my fingers in my ears in the other room going "lalalalala are they done yet lalalalal?!"

nightsmusic said...

LOLOL!!!

That would be me, too!!

Lalalalala!! I don't hear anything Lalalalala!!

Nope, not me. Can't do it. It's called disassociation. If I can disassociate myself from the creepy crawly and the really delectable delicacy on my plate, I'm a happy camper. Just like I can't imagine looking at Bambi,then eating him...

And yes, she's gorgeous, your daughter!Bright smile, fresh faced, what more could you ask?

Anonymous said...

I would NEVER bribe her - she LOVES me, don't you my sweet, sweet niece?? And yes, I'm with you, I don't like to see them live or hear them squeal. It really creeps me out (but oh, they are delicious).

Jindivick Wildlife Care said...

You are a very, very lucky woman. We love lobster down here and the best lobster we ever had was while on holidays at a little coastal town called Cape Jaffa. I am soooo jealous!
Please share some photos of the lobsters or were too excited to eat them that you forgot to take photos?

PS Your daughter is stunning.

Deborah Small said...

Wow. My first thought was, Pam grew her hair longer and is cheating on Doug. Then I realized the beautiful woman was your daughter. She is gorgeous; looks just like you. He's cute, too. *s*

A Novel Woman said...

NM, ah thanks.

Yutha, they are old enough to see through that kind of cheap, degrading behavior from their loving auntie (and also to weigh the pros and cons of accepting said bribes.)

Gem, I would have taken a photo but I had butter all over my hands. If you like lobsters, you'll have to come to Montreal during our annual May lobsterfest. Or you could hang out on my daughter's boyfriend's parent's dock and dangle a trap.

Deb, you've officially made my day!

Laura Bradbury said...

Dear Pam,

What a gorgeous couple. Your daughter simply radiates beauty, and her beau looks scrumptious, not to mention the lovingly delivered lobsters...It is so wonderful that parenthood has such rewards.

Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous.

Bisous xo

Laura

Linda G. said...

Man, all my son-in-law ever brought me (back when he was still just dating my daughter) was flowers. Which was very sweet, and I did decide right then and there he would be my son-in-law, but _lobsters_! I shoulda held out. {g}

Oh, and they are a decidedly gorgeous couple. I can see why you want to keep them both. ;-)

Linder

Trudy said...

Beautiful picture, again Pam. They look so....content! Sounds like he knows how to charm, too.

Martha said...

Both of them are heads turning in the street gorgeous. He looks like Jake Gyllenhaal, but then I thought no, that woman is much more beautiful than Reese Witherspoon. Truly lovely. And lobsters! Sounds serious.
Lola

A Novel Woman said...

Hey, Laura, wait until your three girls start dating. The boys might be Canucks, might be French, but just make sure they are this nice.

Lindy Loo, Trudy and Lola (g) thanks, but I can only take credit for about 25 per cent of the gene pool in that photo. I'm sure poor Chris is reading this and blushing, too!

BB said...

Holy cow!! Now THAT is how to treat a potential MIL boys (special note to all 4-7 year old boys who MAY one day date my daughter!). I am bookmarking this IMMEDIATELY for future reference!!

Agree with all above commenters about movie-star-like gorgeousness of daughter and boyfriend. Hoping they are sufficiently embarrassed now... well done Mum!!!
:-)
BB
PS WV is "synchs"... prophetic?

Wunderwoman said...

Dropped in from thepioneerwoman.com

Pretty daughter you have there!

I just hope for a nice girl for second son, but I can also be bribed

A Novel Woman said...

Wunderwoman, we all hope for that, but if can ALSO gain a lobster or two in the process, well that's only to be encouraged.

BB, I hope they are not completely humiliated. But yes, Little Grasshoppa, learn from me.

Hey, cute little baby horsies btw (since I only have to view them from afar.) If the rest of you haven't been over to Bush Babe's blog, check out her new babies.