Hair During Covid

My mom is of an age (90) where ladies get their hair set once a week. For as long as I can remember, that has been her routine. At work, it was understood that on “beauty-shop day,” she’d arrive closer to 10:30 than 8:30. This arrangement stood for the 45 years she worked for Anderson Oil.

A very young “senior,” Mother retired at 83 to move to the Austin area (with my dad) because I asked her to. Once here, we set about to find a new hairdresser. The universe led us to Lisa at Sophie’s Garden in Dripping Springs, and Mother has had her hair set there on Thursday afternoons for the last seven years. She gets it colored every six weeks and permed semiannually. She and Lisa have become friends and Mother loves her dearly. Thursday afternoons are a highlight of her week.

That was before Covid-19. 

Early March is the last time Lisa did my mom’s hair. Thinking of the health and safety of her clients and the community at large, Lisa shut down her salon before the governor so ordered. I don’t want to understate the heroic gesture that was.  Lisa put her financial well-being at risk for the greater good.

Fast forward to late April, Mother sorely needed a cut and color. Her roots were about an inch long. I was confident in coloring her hair as I’ve colored my own almost forever. But cutting…I could really mess that up.

We cut a hole in a plastic garbage bag and put that over her head to serve as a smock. We then began the process. I took a little off her bangs, a little of the back, then basically mimicked how hairdressers have cut my hair. I have to say I did not ruin it! She looked pretty good! Then I mixed up the L’Oréal color, applied to the roots, then pulled it through. We washed her hair at the kitchen sink, I managed to get water all over the floor. She ended up with a clean kitchen floor. Bonus!

I have to say that it was a delightfully wonderful afternoon. I loved every bit of it. Tomorrow afternoon I’m going to wash and “style” it. (We ordered a curling iron.) I’m looking forward to it. Good mother-daughter time. Good girl time.