March 14

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Another cool, gray day.

After church, Puck had a little surprise waiting for him at the house. Because he so loved rearranging his grandma’s spice cabinet in the pantry, he had been given a little spice cabinet of his own, using old empty medicine bottles as substitute for spice bottles. He was very pleased.

Lunch:

1. Homemade baked potato soup, with:

   A. bacon crumbles

   B. green onion

   C. cheddar cheese

2. Ham and cheddar turnovers

3. Butterfinger cake

After lunch, everyone who wasn’t napping gathered in the living room to discuss various events and reminisce about the old Sunday School song…

“And if the devil doesn’t like it, he can sit on a tack…”

After the nap hour had ended at three, everyone piled in the green slug for a drive out to Augusta. It was beautiful country. Collette could picture it as anything from Indian camp grounds to the folding green hills of Ireland. And in the high hills, ridges of forests so gray, they were lavender.

On the way, Puck asked, “Are we going to see the Saint Loo-lis Arch, Daddy?”

“Not this time, buddy.”

“We goin’ downtown?”

“Not downtown.”

“We’re goin’ down a different town,” said Puck, satisfactorily.

When they arrived in Augusta, the sort of place best for a good Halloween setting, or, as OLeif suggested, an American version of BallyK, they passed a large house with Greek statues around their pool.

“When I’m rich, I’m going to have all my friends pose as statues and then I’ll cast them,” said Joe.

“I wanted a statue of myself,” said Carrie, laughing. “And I always wanted one of those giant oil paintings of myself too.”

“While you’re wearing clothes from the 17^th century…” Collette added.

“When I get married, I’m going to come to one of these little wineries,” said Joe.

“Aw, good place to propose, I reckon,” Carrie laughed.

(Inside Australian joke.)

Then they passed a little white-haired granny pumping gas outside the tiny convenience shop.

“Awwwwww…” came the typical universal reaction from everyone.

On the way back, past rolling cemeteries and 1800’s churches, Joe recounted the time he ran for emergency help in the nearby area, when a fellow Boy Scout got his arm impaled on a stick during a bike accident.

Back at the house for dinner and a viewing of Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire in Blue Skies for everyone while Joe attended a work meeting, and Francis was chowing down on barbecue at Vicious Man Night.

And Puck had some tea with Carrie.

Later that night, OLeif and Collette watched a film that OLeif had wanted to see for awhile: Julie & Julia.