“Ocean waves lulling you to sleep, a soft breeze wafting over your skin, as you sprawl across a white bed…” these were the words my mother spoke to me on the phone a few minutes ago, describing why she wanted an outdoor bed. She spent last weekend in a remote Mexican resort, you see, on the ocean side of the Baja peninsula, in just such a bed.

“Does the bed have to be white?” I asked, knowing the answer already.

“Of course.” Her tone made it clear there as no questioning this.

“And I suppose the bed itself has to be teak, because there’s nothing better than teak outdoor furniture,” I added.

“Mmm, resin might work,” she said, “If it was available. But teak is prettier.”

We laughed together, and then she said something I didn’t understand because, as she explained several seconds later, she’d put a frozen cherry into her mouth.

“Frozen grapes are great, too,” I shared.

“Oh,” she said. “Yes. I’ll have to try that.”

What do you talk about with YOUR mothers?