Alarming

Carter's new 100-decibel alarm clock is quite alarming. And that's good.

Today he called me at work to let me know his new alarm got him up. I glanced at my computer clock and saw that it was about 11:30. I said, "Did you just get up?" He says, "No, I set it for 11:01!"

Wow. Do you recall in your life -- EVER -- that you had to set the alarm for 11 a.m. to be sure you wouldn't "sleep late"? I don't either. Guess I should just be relieved he can get up on his own.

For one day anyway.

My mother has her own alarming issue to deal with. She doesn't need a new clock to get her up since she is not sleeping well and getting up too early the way it is. Her problem is not really alarming now that she has solved her mystery.

She's been planting flowers at Dad's grave site and they keep disappearing.

Sort of.

She now knows that the deer are eating them! She first planted some pretty peonies and they were gone the next time she stopped by. Then she tried red geraniums since other graves had those. Hers, for some reason, disappeared. She tried them again with the same result.

I told her she has such a green thumb that her flowers are probably extra delicious! But said she might want to go the plastic route, even though they are not as pretty in her mind.

She's determined to make it work, though. "OK, I'm going to give them one more free meal. Then I'll have to do something else."

Maybe she should set up a 100-decibel alarm.