This and That... and This and That

Thursday, May 4, 2006

[6:35am] It was a day to watch the kitties for Ivy, while she and Nicodemus were in Branson. And as OLeif and Collette had been named Uncle O and Auntie Collette to the cats, it was time for another visit, as it had been nearly a year since they had seen them. Beverly always set them up nicely for their visit with the grill and barbecue fixings and plenty of soda pop in the basement, even the use of her car (a nice newer dark green Honda) and pretty much anything else they could want, including a usual bag of chocolate set out on the kitchen table.

And meanwhile, Dad, Mom, and the kids (at various intervals) would be camping at Babler over the weekend. And of course, Diana would graduate in a matter of a mere two days. Paige Popp had already graduated Tuesday night from MoBap with a degree in criminal justice. Nevermore would graduate the following week, and Bristol the week after that, all from college. Collette wondered how the English family would fare meeting Shechem once again now that he and Diana were “an item”, if you will. Collette was hoping that there would be at least one chance she might have over the summer of meeting the fellow herself. But all that was yet to be planned. For the moment, Diana was surely engulfed in a little world of emotion over graduation, leaving Wheaton and close friends, including the illustrious and oh-so-handsome Shechem (Collette had yet to see a picture of him that wasn’t blurred), and packing up for a new world and a new life.

Michigan – there above the water, they ate sandwiches in the cool glade. And the skies began to cloud over after they left the wooded path and walked on up past the fort. They eventually came to a grassy mesa (where there was a charming white gazebo, much to Mom’s delight), the pinnacle of the island, and looked down upon what seemed to be the ocean, stretching far off past the twinkling of the sunlight. The horse trails led further on, into more forested paths and rain puddles and firs. Obviously, the horses had been through recently. And that was how they spent the entirety of their day on Mackinac, walking the paths, taking pictures and filming with the old camcorder. It was a near-perfect day.

Back to Thursday – Mom called Collette while Collette was at the office that morning – word had just come in that Eve had received a full scholarship for Deaconess. Collette was very happy for her, and was pleased that another English would be staying closer to home. It was good to know that not everyone wanted to leave just for the sake of leaving, once high school was completed.

“I once lived in service to a lady so fine.
I’ve served her by night and by day-oh.
I’ve carried her dishes when the lady would dine,
And after I cleared them away.
Oh, dear me, how can it be?
The life of a servant is all slavery.