September 6th

A sort of warm-cool Sunday morning — gray, much mist… a quieter service that morning, many people being away for the Labor Day weekend.

Following naps for Mom, Dad, and Puck, studies for OLeif, drawings for Joe, etc., everyone divided up for the afternoon:

Joe to various sundry activities with friends (Wally, Magnus, etc.)
And most of the rest of the family went on a drive down the river road. It had been a long time since they had been down that way. And although the Finn Inn was too crowded for dinner, they stopped off at Pere Marquette Park at the playground.
So while Puck walked around the jungle gym, Collette and Rose joined Mom in a walk to the old church cemetery down the road. They had been there before, years ago.
So many old gravestones, from the late 1800’s to the present. Some had been very young when they passed, some very old. There were no fancy inscriptions, no elaborate poetry. Many of them said:

‘Gone, but not forgotten.’

And then there was another that simply read:

‘All is well.’

It was quiet there, and the leaves rustled from the trees, echoes came from across the river… It was a peaceful hollow.