Er si l'ai toz jours mout bien servi,
Monday, October 16, 2006
Carrie was in Nashville from early Sunday morning through Tuesday. Part of her long-planned trip included revisiting the Old Opryland Hotel, filled with glass domes of Eden-like gardens below the terraces and patios of the hotel rooms themselves. It had been a grand place to see, six years before on the family vacation. There had also been the Loveless Cafe which served the best biscuits on the planet, the Acropolis and Pallas Athena, and Shiloh and the bloody pond. But those were other stories.
Meanwhile, Rose had made a gift to OLeif and Collette of one of her earliest ceramic pieces: a small blue goblet. She already seemed to have a signature knack of adding small scrolls as accents to various places of her works. Carrie, on the other hand, couldn’t understand any of Rose’s pieces.
And Apple and Elazar had sent their congratulations to OLeif and Collette from Down Under. They both seemed busy themselves. And Apple’s husband was nearly completed with his training for his commercial pilot’s license and tending his garden.
“I’m still rollerblading and going for the odd kayak.”
Elazar wrote in his letter. It was always fun to read the different wording of things.
It was a rainy October morning and Dad was working from home that day. Mom had prepared a special pancake breakfast with scrambled eggs and ham and fresh juice from grapes, melons, and plums. Dad had opted to remain home that morning as he, Mom, and Andy were going up to sign the papers and pick up Dad’s new Honda Civic. A fresh clean gold car all to Dad’s self, finally.
Meanwhile, Rose was being ornery. Carrie was still in Nashville. Collette assumed she had found her hotel after having to drive in circles on Sunday afternoon due to poor directions. Joe took a new job at the Green Lantern car wash. And Frances and Linnea played several rounds of Blokus while on break from their lessons.
After Mom and Collette had picked up Rose from class, Rose called the travel agent for the Egypt tour. On the way back, they dropped by Walgreens and looked around at the creepy Halloween decorations while Rose’s passport photos processed. Although she wasn’t allowed to smile for the photograph. Apparently Collette had missed that note when her own passport had been issued five years before.
“She takes a good picture,” the lady at the photo counter said. “Some good looking people come in here and I can’t tell it’s the same person from their picture.” She chuckled.
And all Rose’s orneriness somewhat forgotten for the day, Mom permitted a bag of Reeses peanut butter cups to also go in the bag before they scooted her home to finish her studies and babysit Hansel and Gretel Plum.
Meanwhile the steady gray rain continued to fall. And OLeif made chocolate chip cookies that night.