Plans & Observations

Wednesday, July 20, 2005

It was already Wednesday of that week as Collette choked down her second attempt ever of white tea for breakfast.

And it was hard to believe that Shepherd and Malaya would be married in a matter of four days. It was a busy week already, and to begin the next week with an afternoon wedding, cocktail reception, and evening ice cream social and hymn-sing at church, was a highly abnormal way in which to begin.

Carrie was mostly excited for Wednesday, however, as that evening she was attending a concert featuring “The Bravery” at Mississippi Nights off Laclede’s Landing.

In addition, Saturday morning there was a possibility of volunteering at the archaeological sight in Old Saint Charles – Mom, Collette, Carrie, and Rose. Friday night there would be a party of pizza and calzones at Shepherd’s and Malaya’s wedding rehearsal, followed by a viewing of Bob, Jr., playing drums in his band – School Street Station – at Picasso’s, a coffee shop in O’Fallon. There was always something up.

And that very afternoon, Mom was to take Collette, Carrie, and Linnea to a tea house in New Melle. Rose would still be teaching 5-Day Clubs, so she couldn’t make it. Although three more children were led to Christ on Tuesday, which made her very happy. And her first experience at open-air evangelism took place that week as well, at a soda stand in a park. It was a good summer for Rose.

Upon reflection, Collette was very happy to see that Joseph and OLeif got along so well. Two theologians with goatees, religious tattoos, and a “zeal” for Christ, the church, and the Bible’s teachings… It was most interesting to hear them talk Monday night. They were talking so fast and of so many things, that they sometimes ran ahead of themselves and their speech halted in funny places as their minds raced to articulate the concepts. Their hands spoke as much as their voices in the excitement of discussing their ideas. Collette was indeed surprised that Joseph the Blue Eyed’s bowl of chicken noodle soup did not topple over several times at the restaurant as their hands flew as fast as their words.

Collette and OLeif liked the Pie family – they were very close; it was evident, and their whole personality glowed with a unique, creative, and passionate sense of their beliefs and thoughts. Even their sister, Anne Whippoorwill, though quiet, seemed to share the same sort of substance as her brothers and parents. It would be good to get to know the family better as friendships formed.

And one thing was quite certain – Joseph’s eyes were the most striking blue they had ever seen, as went the report from Carrie, Elizabeth, and Collette. Elizabeth had the same sort of eyes – the kind you had to watch. There was something compelling and mysterious about them.

In addition, Joseph wore a silver ring in his ear and his voice was so very deep and booming, that it was more deep and booming than OLeif’s. That was most unusual to find. Magnus carried this same trait. And it was often comical to see a sixteen year-old boy, nearly bald, his hair was so short, with glasses, piercing eyes, and a voice so low it could have come from James Earl Jones. It was often difficult to say if he wasn’t actually a thirty year-old who never quite reached his full height.

In other news, Lance Armstrong had won the sixteenth stage of the Tour de France.

The rest of the morning was spent in baking muffins, pumpkin bread, and granola mix for the week. The tea house would be put off till the following Wednesday. And so the kitchen was filled with cooks in new aprons, as Mom had suggested they bake breakfast breads and soups for the week, every Tuesday afternoon, while Joe and Rose were in choir. Of course this would officially begin in September. But Mom had many good recipes from the Amish, including strawberry butter and honey butter.

Meanwhile, the heat was soaring. The high for Sunday was already up to 99, and the heat would not dissipate till at least the following Tuesday. It was good to keep cool inside, cleaning and baking and watching some old Wishbone tapes with everyone. That good old Wishbone – Collette never could understand why they had taken him off the air.

The day’s operation for the basement was sorting through the old Playmobile collections – Victorian mansion, circus, playground, race set, and Indian camp complete with Tepee. There was also some sort of wedding party and farm in there somewhere. It took a surprising amount of time to sort through, and even more so, because the vacuum kept shorting out while the toy room was being cleaned.