Autumn Leaves & Blue Sky
Thursday, September 29, 2005
Thursday was somehow that one day of the week that made Collette wonder how it had come around again so quickly. It wasn’t that Thursdays were bad – she enjoyed her job, talking with Ivy… It was just that she would walk over to the office door with her key out, her lunch in a bag, a book to read for the first hour (as she wasn’t supposed to work till nine), and it always hit her:
“Here I am again.”
It made her almost scared sometimes to see how quickly the time passed. Not scared, really. Just amazed at how fast time went and thinking of all the wonderful memories of nearly twenty-one years and of how good life was, really.
Meanwhile, Dad was engrossed in reading his sky-diving books. And he had not quite finished all the first season of “Lost”, as neither had Joe. Carrie, Rose, and Collette had completed the first season and so while they watched the premiere of the second season on television Wednesday night, Carrie warned Dad not to watch it yet.
“OK,” Dad said, and plugged his ears while he warmed up to work out.
Dad would be the guy who would still be running hurdles in his 90’s. He hadn’t run hurdles in awhile, but if the opportunity presented itself, Collette would not be at all surprised to see him do so. He kept in the prime of physical shape.
At work, Ivy was telling Collette of how Megan was flying to Huntsville, Alabama, that very afternoon for an interview to work for a co-op the following summer and the spring of 2007. Her major was now both electrical engineering and computers. She was rather nervous over the ordeal – all the Salthouses were. But Collette knew it would work out well, as did Ivy.
In addition to this fresh news, Collette had the Cottleville fire department and the mayor on the phone to speak with Sinai over the issue of the church building. Work had been stopped for several days as the inspector had put a halt to everything for some reasons. And there was also more virus trouble. Such were the episodes of the church office.
And the weather was absolutely marvelously fall that day. The coolness was wonderful, the beginnings of autumn leaves and blue sky… Marvelous, just marvelous. Ivy even encouraged Collette to eat her lunch outside and forget about the office for awhile. It was just too pretty, and Collette took her up on it.
In other news, another Amtrack train had derailed in southern Missouri. Collette happened to hear of the event as the alarm clock went off that morning, although the details were vague as she was half asleep. Hurricane Rita had made landfall, though not as substantially as had Katrina. Disasters seemed to be easily forgotten in the world, which was at least an understatement.
And Shamrock was still gone. Collette practically decided that the poor kitty was gone for good and only hoped that the cold little soul she had seen on her doorstep might find another warm home to live in.
At home that evening, Collette prepared a heaping plate of caramelized carrots, fried fish, and baked ravioli for OLeif while he fidgeted with new gadgets on the computer and arranged for both of them and the kids to see “Oliver Twist” at the movies the following night. It had been awhile since they were all together to watch a film. Not since July, and Collette thought it might do Rose in particular, much good to get out with some pals.
And then, around 7:30, Collette went to suggest to OLeif – a run for a good dilly bar around the corner, despite the cool winds of the evening.
Oh the easy-going ways of the days…