Long time no see

Well lets see since I last wrote, I was able to find a job as a chemist here in town where my parents live. It's not a great job but it will give me the experience I need in order to secure a better job. The pay is lousy for the level of education I received but everyone only cares about how much experience you have and not how much education you received.
I also got myself an apartment not far from my job. I went and bought a desk and my parents bought me a bookshelf. Its nice except for the fact that the people above me have their bedroom in the same place so some nights... well I won't talk about that.
I’ve been going to the church that my parents used to go to, because they have a young singles group. I won't lie, I joined the group not looking for friends but possible girlfriends. It’s not the most noble of reasons for using a church group, but I don't go to bars and clubs, and I don't have "options" at work so church is the only place where I can really look.
I really look at this new job and apartment as a way to find independence, financially, from my parents. I have relied on their generosity for too long and I am ready to be my own person. But, my mother still insists on buying me things and trying to make everything to her liking. I told her not to buy me anything else. I insisted on buying everything until it came to the bookshelf and then I let my mom buy it because I wasn't sure about how much money I had left. Well the other day she calls from the road. She just got back into town from seeing my sister and she tells me that she has bought me some lamps. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate what she did but I am trying to get my independence and if everything in the apartment screams mom on it then I can't feel free. And what am I supposed to do when she just drove over an hour and just now decides to call me about her purchases? Well to make a long story short, I didn't act to happy when she brought the lamps over, She got really pissed off at me, I tried to call her and apologize but it only made things worse. Luckily my dad new what was going on and explained it the right way to her. I’ve been over there a few times since and she has acted nicely to me, but I know it will be a while before she forgets about being mad at me.