Pumpkin Carving

Friday, October 29, 2010


It was finally time to carve the pumpkins with the aunts and uncles.


Over at the house…

Puck was busy at his oatmeal… then his sippy came flying through the air.

“What was that?” Collette asked him.

Puck grinned, embarrassed. “I was trying to get that fly.”


Not long later, Francis returned from his weekly breakfast appointment with Henri and the fellows at Steak ‘n Shake.

And Linnea was busy preparing costumes, principally the Egyptian princess, and other possibilities of being an Indian-Indian or a rice farmer.


Meanwhile, everyone was talking about the Confederate half dollar that had been found in the old family coin box. If authentic, could possibly be worth tens of thousands.

“College debt paid!” Carrie-Bri exclaimed.

But there were no immediate Antiques Roadshows scheduled, so…

“Take it to the museum,” Carrie told Rose. “Then maybe they’d give you a job there.”


More sour pumpkin candies, to Collette’s relative disgust, while she caught up on all the news of the past day with Carrie, Rose, and Francis in the living room.

Then Dad came up and warned Puck about the hazards of choking to death on Tootsie Pops, and explained to him that Rose was ‘his property’, which justified him putting her in a headlock from time to time.

“I love you, Rose,” he said, giving her a hug.

“Eew,” was Rose’s predictable reply, with wrinkled nose.

And the pumpkins…

Francis and Puck were quite busy. Francis used a food blender to whip the pulp out of the middle of both. And not an hour later, two sort of mad-Chinese looking pumpkins were sitting on the counter, and smelling of candle smoke.

Meanwhile, Joe had found the tiny baby pumpkin and was working on perfecting a little orange face out of it with an exacto knife.


Into the afternoon… another ’embroidery hour’, but inside, rather, and including Francis, who was busy reading The Scarlet Letter. For school, he insisted, more than a few times. And a debate on whether or not to open the Crunch bars before calling up Mom to see if they could be opened…

There was always something new to discuss, including Rose’s application put out to the Art Museum, still waiting to hear about the position… And her new small group which consisted of only four people, one of whom was an Asian college student, and that was all that Collette heard about it…


Then off to pick up Gretyl from the school bus stop, as she and Linnea were visiting the library for a Hallowe’en Top Chef competition, while Mom waited with Collette and Puck at home. And Francis took the Ruckus for a ride before returning for a three-egg omelet, as he was not so keen on eating beans that night for dinner.


Double Comedy Night.

OLeif returned from inspecting a house in South City and dinner with his old Pendergrass pal.

Joe, Magnus, and Rose arrived at around eight.

Rose still masquerading the Venetian make-up which had been experimented in the earlier evening for her costume for Saturday night. No longer was she to be Great-Grandma Jewel, for there were no flapper dresses to be found or made in time. And Rose was not quite as interested in Carrie’s second suggestion of her dressing up as a pageant mom.

Pumpkin bread.

Joe and Magnus laughing over pretentious art magazine until OLeif smashed a seat between them on the little couch.

Just like always…


Post 1981

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Jamie Larson
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