No Snow...
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Mr. English’s birthday that day.
There was no snow that morning, much to Collette’s disappointment.
The day before, the rain fell almost constantly, with large drops in the afternoon hinting at frozen rain. Meanwhile, Joe woke up feeling poorly and achy in the joints. Mom, suspecting the flu, sentenced him to rest for the day in the back room where he watched Holiday Inn and Going my Way between snoozes.
Frances went off with Mom earlier that Wednesday morning to get his braces placed on his top teeth, which consisted more of thick wires than of brackets. He was quite pleased that he had felt next to no pain in the process, despite the fact that he would not require the shakes and malts that Collette and Carrie-Bri had needed for the first day or so.
Rose, before Egyptology class, hurried over to her ceramics lab in the cold rain, to finish the glaze on her ceramic taco. Collette had few doubts that Rose would not be docked points from her final grade for lack of creativity. When she was picked up later, she splashed over to the van in the cold puddles and rain with only her “shredded zebra” sweater (as she called it) for a coat.
Later, Collette had Rose take a literature exam in the mini-van while Mom was in the store and Linnea at choir. Rose was still “soaked” from her quick splash through campus and stuck her feet in her purse for added warmth.
“I’m starving; it’s freezing in here,” Rose shivered from the back seat where she was nearer a heater.
Thankfully, Mom returned with a box of honey buns, for which Rose was extremely grateful, chomping into the first sweet one on top.
That evening, before OLeif picked her up, Carrie was busy studying for her last two exams, and had Collette quiz her from the textbooks. With every incorrect answer, Carrie groaned loudly and dramatically.
“I’m doomed! Shoot me now!”
But she didn’t feel poorly enough not to make plans to get frozen lemonades, to encourage her study hours into the night. After the first Dairy Queen’s machine was broken, Mom decided they would try again at another Dairy Queen after picking up Rose from her Egypt meeting.
Thursday morning, OLeif was off to Bible study with the boys again. They had lately taken the habit of sitting in OLeif’s car to listen to John Piper. Unfortunately, the fan in the car had died the night before, allowing the windows to fog up at the drop of a hat. And with four boys in a small car, all talking, the prospects of clear windows did not seem likely.
As it turned out, the car seemed to stay relatively un-fogged that morning. And Collette spent the rest of the day at the office, where Judah complained about all of the beans he had to eat, because Evangeline made chili without meat, only beans and tomatoes.