Sunday Plans
Sunday, March 20, 2011
In which plans are made for the afternoon on a warm Sunday in early spring…
The first day of spring was another catch-off-guard. The highs were expected to be 78, and 80 for the next morning.
Ben-Hur was back at church. He was accepted to Stanford for his graduate degree, and would be working in Albuquerque over the summer, where he planned to meet Joe and Tennessee, who would be at the Scout Ranch, working. OLeif also hoped to join them at some point.
Linnea-Irish was looking very cute in her new rosebud sundress from Target, and her ‘wavy hair’. She had successfully babysat Hesed the previous evening, and had even been brought back a square of good cheesecake from Judah and Evangeline, ‘with fancy pink stuff drizzled on top’, Linnea had explained with a grin.
Over at the house…
Puck had been given another Japanese ramune from his aunt.
“What does ‘hyper’ mean, Sun?”
“It means ‘running on the walls’.”
“OK. Then I won’t drink any of this anymore.”
‘Baby’ biscuits were served to him next while Carrie and Rose worked on the cherries jubilee. Flambe.
Dad, Mom, and Francis returned with Edy’s ice cream, including ‘fudge brownie’.
And Rose was spending the afternoon with girls from church.
During lunch of chicken salad and then the dessert… Mom asked the boys to go down and get the ice cream.
“I bet you can’t get it, Francis,” said Joe.
“Yeah, I bet you can’t get it, Joe,” Frances retorted.
“We’ll make it a race, boys,” said Mom. “On your marks. Get set. Go!”
Neither moved. They grinned.Then Puck insisted on helping. And the ice cream was retrieved.
“Don’t have mint ice cream with cherries!” Carrie scolded Joe. “What’s wrong with you?”
“I live on the edge,” he replied. “I put Tabasco sauce on my finger.”
“You’re right,” OLeif replied. “That’s the same thing.”
“I don’t like cherries,” said Puck next.
“You do,” said OLeif. “They’re filled with sugar and happiness.”
“Puck,” said Rose, “the cherries will be sad that you’re not eating them.”
For the afternoon…
Joe brought OLeif a cup of coffee.
“Donkey-chain,” OLeif replied.
And Francis was departing for frisbee golf with Creole and Puff ‘o Lump, followed by youth group.
“Oh, I’m so sorry for you,” said OLeif,
“You know what? I know you don’t care,” Francis replied.
Girl time. In their blankets on the adirondack chairs in the back lawn for Collette, Carrie-Bri, and Rose. Out into the sunshine for the better part of a half-hour.
“My legs are the same color as the chair,” said Rose, looking woefully at the white-on-white.
Back inside, plans were discussed for the afternoon, after Carrie had explained R.C. Sproul’s opinions on women’s head coverings.
“What are you, an R.C. Sproul groupie?” Mom had chuckled.
They next decided to pick up Linnea in the big green van and then some dry goods for Grandma Snicketts from the store.
So out into the afternoon.
First, to pick up Linnea in the warm winds and sun.
On the way, Dad put on Carrie’s sunnies.
“You look like Elton John,” Mom laughed, as Stayin’ Alive was pumping from the dilapidated radio system.
“She’s going to be so embarrassed when we drive up in this thing,” Carrie laughed.
Indeed, as they thundered through the neighborhood, they could see Linnea with the four other girls, walking towards them.
“Quick, everybody… Onward Christian soldiers, marching as to war,” Mom joked.
Despite not hearing the singing, Linnea’s face had already turned red. As soon as she got inside…
“You had to take the van?”
Laughs.
“Can you scoot over, Joe?” she asked.
“Naw,” he replied. “I didn’t wear deodorant, so I can’t sit by the windows.”
Next, while waiting for Mom and Dad to return from the store, they waited in the van and Linnea began drawing on Rose’s foot with one of Joe’s drawing utensils.
“What are you drawing?” Rose asked suspiciously. “It had better not be anything with a boy’s name on it.”
Linnea giggled.
“What?” Joe turned around. “OK. That pen is not for drawing on people’s feet. It’s actually kind of expensive.”
Giggles.
Mom and Dad returned from the store just as Joe was saying something about giving up toilet paper for Lent…
Upon return, Mom and Dad got busy singing Let’s Go Fly a Kite, while Dad looked up the number for Cecil Whittaker’s. Joe and Linnea off to write papers. OLeif and Puck watched some Gumby on OLeif’s iPhone until the pizzas arrived and everyone gathered around the television to catch up on the news of the royal wedding and reminisces of nineteen year-old Princess Diana.
“That’s what you used to be,” Mom had said to Collette. “We used to call you Shy Di.”