Who are those Two Lucys?

Since the beginning of my unexpected (and possibly ongoing) personality transplant a few years ago, I have been toying with the idea of writing a blog, but only when my mother recently moved in with me did I decide to take the plunge. I’ve never blogged before -- actually never written nonfiction before -- so please bear with me while I learn about both how to blog and how to live companionably with an aging parent.

I named this blog “Two Lucys” because my mother and I share the name "Lucille." It's a family name. There are Lucilles on both sides of my family. Using "Lucy" to identify us is a good way to link my mom and me together, rope in some more of the family, and make me smile.

A little background on the two Lucys:

Lucy #1 (mom) is #1 in my book. She was a good mother to me, and even when I look back and think, “Oh, wow, I’m lucky to not be strapped to a psychiatrist’s couch,” I realize she did the best she knew how to do. She was born the fifth of six children during the Depression, and, as is true for pretty much everyone, her family life shaped the way her life would be lived.

Lucy #2 (daughter) is me. I am the oldest of two daughters. My sister is almost six years younger than I, so in some ways my sister and I are both the only child. I was the totally malleable test case; she was the determined go-getter. Our relationships with Lucy #1 are completely different even today when we are both in our 50s.

This blog will certainly talk a lot about my mother and me and how we are learning to live together for the first time in 37 years, but I expect I’ll run off down some rabbit trails about life in general, hobbies, friends, and whatever else pops into my head. I am an independent consultant for The Pampered Chef, so I think it’s fair to say you may also sometimes find out what we had for supper.