sweet ladies & gentle men

Brandon's girlfriend's name is Mahdi
Bryan's girlfriend's name is Olivia

my sons are growing their loving hearts
and they are the most romantic guys ever!

when Brandon was preparing to meet Mahdi at the airport
in Kansas City
he ordered an arrangement of red roses
for her
five roses because five is her favorite number
he figured out a way to transport the flowers
in his car so they would make the trip
it had been a couple of months since he came back
from Sarajevo
and he was so happy when she returned
I was so happy that he wanted to have a meal
here with her - she wanted to be with us
we had a wonderful time together
I was just so moved about the roses...

on Sunday Bryan said that he and Olivia wanted
to go on a picnic
and he wondered if he could use one of my vintage
picnic baskets
I couldn't get my knitting things out of there
fast enough!
we shopped for the food he wanted
and he was really hoping that I had
a traditional red and white checkered tablecloth
like in the movies / old TV shows
and I knew I didn't so

we dashed over to the fabric store
no luck
just a plastic by-the-yard
but it was not authentic enough
we dashed back home so he could have his second driving lesson.
immediately after he left with his instructor
I jumped in the car and went straight back to JoAnn's
grabbed a person there and said:
"look, I need help
my son is a romantic and he wants a red checkered cloth
cotton
I have very little time
so please pretty please help me out..."

she took me to a section and there was something I thought
could work
on short notice
so I bought a yard-and-a-quarter
to make a square
....
a Mexican blanket
a vintage picnic basket
a red and white tablecloth of sorts
and all sorts of good food
and they even had a full moon style sunset

the whole thing was so moving to me
including the fact that Bryan wanted to
"get" a certain tree to sit under
a big ol' oak tree
one that I had taken him to many times when he was young
and he remembered
they had to wait a bit for the exact tree
when people finally moved away from it
they went and claimed it

flowers and picnics
my romantic boys
with their sweet hearts
their sweethearts
living their dreams
some of it like true life musicals

oh yes
and when Mahdi was here for dinner
Brandon told Bryan that he and Mahdi
wanted to go on a double-date with Bryan and Olivia...
I heard Brandon tell him that he would pick them up
so they could all go together
for me, that was a perfect moment
absolutely beautifully totally completely
perfect
moment

they have all been crazy-busy with school (and work, too, for Brandon)
and when the time works soon
they will go out all together
pretty & lovely ladies
best friend brothers, my gentle men...