A priceless Mother's Day gift
A fancy store and a fancier purse become a treasured memory for two families.
By Miles Corwin
May 12, 2013
source:
Los Angeles Times
"One spring, when I was 10, during one of my father's layoffs, I could tell my mother was dispirited," writes Miles Corwin. "I decided that I would cheer her up by buying her a special Mother's Day gift." (Los Angeles Times)
The first time my mother made leg of lamb, she never connected the two events. The second time, she thought it was a coincidence. The third time, she knew it was a curse. Every time she prepared leg of lamb, my father was laid off a few days later. The first time it was for a few weeks; the second time for a few months; the third time for more than a year.
My father had a union job at a film-processing lab, and layoffs — and eventual rehirings — were common during the 1960s. He was laid off a few more times, but never after eating leg of lamb. My mother never served the dish again.
| Word | Category | Definition |
  | coincidence | 中級 | [名詞] 巧合 |
| | connected | 中級 | [形容詞] 有關連的;連在一起的; connect(連接,連結) 的過去式及過去分詞 |
| | curse | 中級 | [動詞] 詛咒,咒罵; [名詞] 咒語;詛咒 |
| | eventual | 中級 | [形容詞] 最後的;結果的 |
| | prepared | 中級 | [形容詞] 有準備的; prepare(準備) 的過去式及過去分詞 |
| | priceless | 中高級 | [形容詞] 無價的;稀世之珍的; price(價錢) 的衍生的形容詞 |
| | processing | 中級 | process(加工沖洗(膠卷)) 的現在分詞 |
| | union | 中級 | [名詞] 工會;結合 |