252

This time, my dream sent me to an indoor Polo course under glass ceiling. Heidi sat with me while her dad taught Sunday School and we watched dozens of horse-and-riders swing at hundreds of tiny orange and green balls floating over the field.

Meanwhile – in reality – on St. Louis’ 252nd birthday, the snow was already falling that morning, just a few inches but bad enough to surprisingly cancel church.

However, the roads were pretty clear by the afternoon so we joined the rest of the family at the Big House where Mom brought out a jigsaw puzzle of the Albuquerque balloon race. True to form, the only real game people of the family – Oxbear and Jaya – were genuinely interested in joining that particular table.

Meanwhile, as my boys chased each other around the house, I took the opportunity to read up a little on the doctrine of hell. An odd choice in retrospect, now that I think about it… considering the holiday. Trying to keep things light.

Carrie-Bri had prepared homemade stew and homemade sourdough bagels for “lupper”.

“They’re bagels without holes,” she explained. “I realized after I made them that you have to boil them before you bake them.”

“Have to get rid of all those nanites,” said Francis.

“Those nanites worked so hard though,” Oxbear said.

“They were just getting ready to retire, at their retirement party right before the boiling,” Elmer added.

“’We’re sending production south, boys!’”

“Then… AAAH! Boiled to death.”

These sorts of conversations can last for awhile…

Eventually, the boys were good and remembered Mom with a homemade card and red rose for Valentine’s Day.

“We secretly grew it in the camper trailer,” said Elmer.

“Yeah, we crushed up dead beetles for soil,” added Francis.

Then they spontaneously began singing together, “The old trailer rose! The old trailer rose!”

Around that time Rose was asked about her plans to finish out the Valentine holiday.

“Kiss all the boys?” Francis suggested.

“Already did that,” Rose replied smugly.