Mama's girl

My mom gave me a bracelet that has a lovely sentiment etched on it..."The bond between a mother and daughter begins and ends with love." One of the things my mom is great at is unconditional love. It's been a balm, a covering and a safety net beneath me during all my adventures.

I've been in Anacortes, Washington, where my folks live, for the past few days. Dad's health is not too good, and I came to see what feeble help I could offer. He's had to be admitted to the hospital, so I've been the errand girl, waitress, dishwasher, dog walker and exercise police. I never thought of myself as formidable but Dad doesn't argue when I tell him it's time to grit his teeth and do the exercises his physical therapist recommended. It's been a blessing indeed to help, and makes me so glad we are close enough to do this.

I love Anacortes. We used to come here when I was a girl; Mom and Dad kept their sailboat at a marina out of town a ways and this was the jumping off spot for all our family vacations. They now live in Old Town, a neighborhood that overlooks the Guemes Channel and is just a few blocks from the downtown shops. My favorite yarn store in all the world, Ana-Crosstitch, is just minutes away.

It's a great town for walking around. There's hardly any traffic, and nearly every walking spot has views of the water. My top pick takes me down Mom and Dad's street and follows the shoreline around for about six blocks. I wander back along the Old Town streets, picking out my favorite old homes and admiring the landscaping.

When I come up here I'm not a mother of men. I'm a daughter.