The Family Tree

The morning was for errands: the bank, library, and Costco. Mom, Collette, Francis, and Puck. Francis was given the embarrassing task of retrieving The Secret Garden from the library, by Mom. In payment for this embarrassing fealty, Francis was thrilled to be given permission for having hot rotisserie chickens and waffle fries for lunch.

In other happenstance…

1. Carrie-Bri spent the whole morning gone escorting Grandma Snicketts to the dentist, the shoe store, and lunch.

2. Joe and Linnea attended a swing dance where Linnea worked the concession stand with the American Heritage Girls around a last just-for-fun basketball practice at the gym.

3. Francis invited Creole and Puff ‘o Lump over for the afternoon.

4. And Dad was anticipated to return from Iowa at around 10:00.

Meanwhile, Puck was busy alternating his afternoon between chasing Snuggles outside while Rose trimmed the bushes, trying on Rose’s silver flats (which Linnea was wearing to the dance), and feasting on second, third, and fourth lunches, which included nibbling on Carrie’s salad from lunch.

Also, Collette was ridiculously jealous of Rose. She was headed out to the Symphony that night for a full concert of Gustav Holtz’ The Planets. It promised to be a stunning performance. And Carrie was to be her chauffeur.

And Rose was offered a job at Wells Fargo.

At dinner, Puck, who had been exhibiting lines of temper, was asked by Collette:

“Did you ask God to forgive your sins?” she asked him, trying not to smile.

“I did.”

“What did He say?”

“He says I could eat dem.”

That evening, Collette worked for about three hours researching Grandma Snicketts’ line of the family tree. She got back to Puck’s great-great-great-great-great-great grandfather, Herman Anton Kater, born in Germany, 1774. There was also the Prussian line with Puck’s 5^th great-grandfather, Johann Heinrich Fiegenbaum, born 1788. And possibly the English, where another 5^th great, Frederick Nolte, was reportedly born in 1807. It was fascinating. Collette planned to find more, including that ever-illusive pirate.