Joinings and Partings
Thursday, September 7, 2006
The first news of Thursday was that Arthur Duncan from old Arkansas was engaged, to be married the following June. It had been awhile since he and his sister, America, had visited the Silverspoons. One visit took place while Denae stripped the kitchen of wallpaper. Another visit centered around basketball at the Pretzel’s and an English Country ball at a Lutheran church in O’Fallon, which Carrie-Bri opted not to attend. One more time during a philosophy Wednesday night. (And America was still living in the “frozen northland”, as Denae put it.) There were several visits such as those in which a number of the Snicketts, Pretzels, and Englishs participated. And now, Arthur too, was tying the knot. Or, biting the bullet, or taking upon himself the ball and chain… according to Diana, and Carrie-Bri…
Meanwhile, there was sad news from the other end of the spectrum from old family friends in Iowa. It had been nearly a year since they had attended the wedding festivities of Colorado and Lacey Lord-Welches, among cold skies, autumn cornfields, and college football. Collette noted sadly that there were some people who were continuously sent through the fire.
Thursday morning was a rush as Ivy was in the office for only three hours to finish up some tasks, look over the bulletin, and discuss the next two and a half weeks with Collette. She did, however, come bearing donuts.
“I brought your bribe,” she teased, setting the box on the counter.
At one o’clock she was off, more than ready to leave early the next morning for an escape to Colorado. Collette wouldn’t have minded leaving herself, for Maine maybe.
Instead, she returned home to bake banana bread in the evening while OLeif hurried off for an orchestra rehearsal at church with Judah, Ben-Hur, Sunrise, Starr, and other musicians from around the town. Such was the semi-predictability of domestic life.
Collette also received word that day that Bluebird Pennies from long ago choir days had just been engaged to a fellow from OLeif’s work. As usual, it was a small world. Collette remembered Bluebird singing Sisters, Sisters for Mrs. South one day at choir with her older sister, Patience, and their two best buds (also sisters). Bluebird had led Carrie-Bri’s and Eve’s first Bible quiz team, the Slushies, to Regionals. And her family eventually moved out to the country to grow an organic chicken farm. Collette wondered if they were still in the business.