Music and Palms

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Collette was awaken to the St. Olaf’s College Choir singing “All Glory, Laud, and Honor” that particular Palm Sunday. This hymn was repeated at church two and a half hours later under rain fall and an ornery critter who wouldn’t sit still during the service.

“I apologize, Mama,” he said to her later.

Also:

1. Ben-Hur had been back for a visit, as had Susie, of course.

2. It seemed as though Nacchianti was being shown the ropes for running the sound system.

3. And a vase of palm branches sat waiting for the use of the children’s choir.

Back at the house, Collette was mortified to find no less than four large bags of York peppermint patties, miniature Reeses peanut butter cups, and Whoppers chocolate eggs in the kitchen. Oh, the shame of chocolate temptation.

Then Francis described his first driving lesson.

“I can’t believe Dad let you on the road after the first lesson,” said Collette. “He had me doing backwards figure eights for three months before I got on the roads. That’s what happens when you’re the oldest. Experimentation.”

“Well, I did pretty good,” said Francis. “I only went off the road a little bit once.”

Meanwhile, Rose had visited Sunday School for a second time at Memorial. And when she and the boys had joined the rest of the family from services, there was scrambled eggs, bacon, and cinnamon or berry streusel for lunch. The beginnings of the Easter food madness…

And during the meal, the table discussed Magnus and the indecencies he suffered under the iron fist of his older brother while growing up.

“He would run away screaming when his brother came home.”

“He’d say, ‘Come here, boy.’”

“Super atomic wedgies.”

“Up over his head.”

“Naw. That doesn’t really work. Wally tried that on me once, and my underwear broke. I still have that pair. It’s downstairs.”

“Yeah, and somehow there’s still pairs of underwear down there that read ‘Hobcoggin’.”

To begin the rest of the busy day…

1. Collette mixed up the family recipe hot potato dish and left it for OLeif to put in the oven.

2. She then joined Joe, Carrie-Bri, and Rose on a drive out to New Melle to the Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church to hear Bing perform the Saint-Saens cello concerto, followed by the Saint-Saens Organ Symphony. Gloria was also there to observe the event. The concert was a success. And Bing was, of course, amazing. After Joe and Rose chatted with friends for awhile, they were on their way…

3. Then back to church, half an hour late, to join the family for the Palm Sunday dinner during which OLeif taught Gretyl how to make giant paper stars out of the patterned place mats.

And home to prepare for the melee of the coming week. A new schedule.