3.5 timeouts tuesday, quick edition

Weekend edition.  Gotta get back to Frodo so here goes:

1. 

For a birthday present, I took my mom to Montreal on Saturday to see some of the more beautiful churches there.  Weather stank. Saw Notre Dame, attended Mass at St Pat's, and saw the outside of their cathedral, all of which I have written about before.  (The cathedral is actually a one third size replica of St Peter's in Rome.  I told mother to get a good look, because this is about as close to the Vatican as I will ever get her.) My sister told me I was insane to take an old woman that far, and a good part of the way back in one day.  I agree.  The idea was completely insane.  You know what sane people do for their mother's birthday?  Buy her some flowers and a card.

2,

Used a GPS unit for the first time on the trip.  It was a Godsend, and extremely frustrating.  I found I relied on it too much at one point, rather than my own judgement.  It seems to be good on highways, but a distraction in cities.  Anyone have any thoughts?

3.

Mom's reactions to the churches was interesting.  When I asked her which one of the Montreal churches she liked best, she said in her usual calm voice that they were all beautiful, and that she like the exterior of the cathedral.  But the next morning we found ourselves near a country church I have passed by several times, but never able to get in, so we stopped in there for Mass.  Mom's reaction was surprisingly enthusiastic:  "That church is pretty!" she said.  "They didn't rip out the high altar!"  That turned out to be the church she wanted to talk about the most on the way home.  I asked her why, when it was only pretty as the others were beautiful, and she replied it was because it was a surprise.

Younger's favourite part was the carriage ride (a caleche, as they say in Quebec) through the old city.  Did I mention it was raining? 

My favourite:  probably using my high school french to place an order at a Tim Horton'.  The lady behind the counter was responding in her high school English, and we both thought it hilarious.  You had to be there.

3.5

The only problem on the trip was that my sister, the one who said I was insane, dropped a bomb on mom the day before we left.  Mom is normally good at letting her problems go and just enjoying herself  , but this time, she couldn't let it go for very long.  Long and the short of it: there is going to be war in the family, and it doesn't look like compromise is going to happen.  Long story.  Very long. Prayers please.

There.  Six minutes and I'm done.  Thanks to LarryD.  Without this Tuesday thing, I would barely be posting at all.