H.O.G.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Puck was full of zest that morning. He found the package of cookies almost immediately.
“I have to have these. ‘Cause I’m starving for cookies.”
There were no cookies for breakfast.
After his oatmeal, he hurried back over to Collette to give her a hug.
“I love you. And I have to give you a kiss.”
Over at the house…
Puck had found the blueberry tea.
“I’m thirsty for that.”
While Mom made him his own cup of tea…
Rose came into the kitchen to put Pumpkin in the laundry room.
“That thing should be registered as a lethal weapon,” she said. “Last night she sat on my face. Twice! Probably trying to show her dominance.”
Meanwhile…
Mom and Dad were leaving for their annual weekend in Branson.
Joe was prepping the coffee before making a collegiate phone call, registering for class, purchasing texts, and heading out to ‘play with Wally’.
Rose was cooking eggs with goat cheese.
Francis and Puck were watching vintage Christmas films on the living room floor, using Trooper as a pillow, and munching all of Carrie-Bri’s dried strawberries, before it was time for Francis to do school.
The day progressed. It was a beautiful one, in fact. And the temperatures were in the 50’s. At least.
Meanwhile, it was time for Memorial’s third annual Hanging of the Greens, or ‘HOG’, as Ivy used to call it in the old days.
This time it would be Collette, Carrie-Bri, and Rose in attendance.
And while they were downtown, OLeif was also downtown at a comedy show with a work buddy, and Puck was to spend the night at his Nana’s house.
But first…
Collette, Joe, Francis, and Puck headed out for Francis to pick up The Complete Works of Calvin and Hobbes from the library, before joining Creole and Puff ‘o Lump for the afternoon and evening. Then to Hobby Lobby for Joe to pick up his ink and canvases. And a package of Neapolitan astronaut ice cream for Puck.
Then over at the Silverspoon’s…
Izzy worked on some rather large equipment that he had built for his camera, while waiting for his new flash to arrive in the mail, while Joe outlined a race track for Puck and his bicycle on the basement floor with wood blocks. Puck raced around in screaming in delight as his uncles chased him as ‘the big bad wolves’.
And back for a quick pizza in the new toaster oven before heading out.
The night was lightly cool. But the dip in temperatures had not yet arrived.
Memorial was beautiful as always with its flickering candles. The living nativity, with ‘friendly beasts’. The poinsettia spinning girls in red gowns. A homily by George Wintershine. Hamlet from Shakespeare on the Green and his wife and baby son were also in attendance, as he was now Memorial’s new youth director. And cookies with pineapple-orange-ginger-ale punch.
Back at the house…
Joe was playing Snuggles like a violin.
“I don’t know if I can sing tomorrow,” Francis said in a voice low enough to shake the floorboards.
Then the reminisces between six siblings…
“Do you remember the times we made baby penguin parades?” Carrie asked.
“I do,” said Rose.
“Weren’t you too young for that?”
“I do remember. I was always the littlest penguin.”
“And I would always tackle you, Carrie,” said Joe, “because you weren’t supposed to be in the parade.”
“We were weirdos,” said Carrie. “And remember the Flying Saucer Club?”
Oh, those good old times…