THE SLIP INCIDENT.

Yesterday was a beautiful day. Spring is here and now it feels like Spring. Gone is the snow, I heard birds singing. I am ready for the flowers, the budding trees. I want it all.

We have in our family an incident. It involves a song, a church, my Mother, sister, brother and myself. It is the "Great slip of the slip episode." A tiny play on words if you don't mind. My Mother loved to sing, she was a wonderful singer and song writer. My brother plays and sings. My little sister Brenda and I wasn't quite so blessed. But we always gave it our all. Mother loved it when Bud brought his guitar and came and played at church. He and Mother sang together quite often. Mom could harmonise with him and they sounded great. Everyone loved to hear them sing. There was one song they let Brenda and I sing with them. "Daddy sang bass and Momma sang tenor." You remember that song right? It also has in it,"Will the circle be unbroken, by and by Lord, by and by." Bud always did the "Daddy sang bass part," Momma the,"Mama sang tenor." Brenda and I just got to do the chorus, but we we sang our hearts out. Being part of a music group, good stuff. Our quick five minutes in the limelight.

One Sunday Mom had asked Bud to come and sing. Something special was going om. I kind of think it was Easter. I called Bud , he usually can tell me what, where, when. He remembers it happening but doesn't know what the occasion was. He started laughing when I mentioned it because he said there was a picture around somewhere of it happening. I who pride myself on old memory's, but I can't remember a picture. Only the one burned into my brain. It was one of those times when you almost had to be there.

The church was packed that Sunday morning. Several visiting preachers, all lined up in chairs on the platform. A big special day. Before church Brenda and I both kept telling Mom her slip seemed to be coming down. She would grab at her waist and hike it up. Once right before church she went into the bathroom and pulled it up good. Good for a short while anyway. I have always wondered why when she realized the elastic was giving out she just didn't go back and take it off. But no, not Mother. I think probably she was araid someone would see through her dress. So she just kept hiking.

They called us to come up front. As we stood up from the pew I noticed the dreaded slip was making its way back down.. I looked at Brenda, Brenda looked at me. We smiled. I poked Mom. "Mom," I whispered, "Your slip." She gave her waist a yank. One side went up some, but the other side slid down just a little more. We made it to the platform. There was myself, Mom, Bud and Brenda. We started singing. It sounded good. But then I looked down in horror. the slip was now sliding down pretty fast. I looked over at Brenda , she started smiling bigger and bigger. I was trying my best not to laugh. Because the run away slip was now headed for Mom's ankles.

I have no idea what those preachers sitting behind us thought as they watched Mom's slip slide to the floor. I was trying so hard not to laugh, so was Brenda. Bud bless his heart didn't even know it was happening until it was over. He said until after the service he had no idea what was going on. I guess you could say he was lost in his music. Mom never missed a note. The slip hit the floor. Of course she was standing behind the pulpit so not everyone in the audince could see what was happening. Just a platform of Minsters for sure. Mom kept singing. She reached down, picked up the slip and stuck it in the pulpit. And kept right on singing. What a trooper.

The song over we made our way back to the pew. Mom kept telling us to hush because we were laughing. The minister preached with Mom's slip still in the pulpit. It was a funny moment. But good old Mom didn't let it throw her. I told Bud on the phone I took my helter skelter ways from Mom. So my Mother showed her slip to at least half the audience and all of the Preachers. I love this memory because it shows someone in the family besides me can do something wacky. Everyone is so dang sensible and quiet. Then there's me. But for one shining moment it was Momma. Way to go Mom. You were cool.