November 3

Wednesday, November 3, 2010


Over at the house…

Rose and Francis were trying to talk Linnea-Irish out of the idea of getting her MRS degree.

“If you don’t get your degree, you’ll be the dumbest kid in the family,” Francis teased her.

And of course Dad had a few choice words to say about the whole idea…

Then, while Collette worked as short-order cook in the kitchen, principally with eggs, Linnea put on rollerblades and zoomed around the house. And Carrie turned her water bottle to long-distance, and shot at her with it.

Carrie, Joe, and Rose discussed figuring out a bike for Rose when she moved to the city.

And after a short time, Mom brought out a large box.

“What’s this?”

“For typing up my book,” said Mom.

Inside were the wellies Collette had on her Amazon wish list, what could best be described as Picasso’s Peacock, although its official description was: Nomad Turquoise Monet Puddles Shoes. There were also six packets of Milka chocolates, etc., from World Market.

“Who got Collette all the chocolate?” Francis asked.

“Collette has a secret admirer,” said Carrie. “It’s Pirate Don Dirk of Dowdee.”

And then she began to recite the poem, which she still had memorized, in part, from when she was a kid.

Meanwhile, Dad had taken Puck with him to visit Grandpa and Grandma.


Later in the day…

In the middle of everything, everyone paused to gather around The Music Oracle, which was Rose’s iTunes archive.

“Pick any subject,” said Carrie. “And the oracle will decide a song for it.”

And Rose would hit the shuffle button.

The selections were surprisingly applicable in some cases…

“This one is for Carrie,” said Rose.

Up on the Roof.

“Ok. This one’s for Rose’s new job when she gets it.”

Coldplay’s X&Y.

“She does fix things for a living…”

And sometimes not so very applicable at all, really…

Puck’s ‘life song’: Vivaldi’s Spring.

A song for Collette: Two Cigarettes in the Dark.

And Linnea was busy with Club Penguin, teaching her penguin martial arts.

“Now all I have to do is beat the sensei, and then I will be a ninja,” she said happily, rubbing her hands together. “I deserve more milk… And chocolate too.”

Then Francis entered the room for Collette to tie a rag around his knuckles that had been bloodied somehow.

Embroidery Hour resumed with Collette braiding all of their hair and painting Linnea’s face with the watercolor set, between mathematics and showing Dad, Sayid from Lost breaking it down in Bollywood.

“Look, Collette,” said Francis, returning to the room with the bloody rag. “This is the sign of a man.”

And Rose was in the garage using the orange-scented stain remover on the antique cabinet. It smelled very much of a refurbished Colonial village.

Joe was studying Financial Accounting before taking Puck outside to burn leaves.

And Mom was toasting pumpkin seeds in the oven.


Finally, to church. The kids were actually a tone less crazy that evening. There was hope yet…


On the way home, Puck took a notion into his head that he wanted a ‘baby house’. And he told OLeif over the phone of his wonderful idea.


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Jamie Larson
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