When true hearts lie wither'd...
Sunday, October 8, 2006
Sunday School that cool morning went as usual. When asked during the lesson, one girl defined treason as “a special holiday”. And Red Blunt told everyone that he was going to see “The Sound of the Music”.
“Where’s that?” OLeif asked him.
Red Blunt’s jaw dropped in surprise. “You don’t know where The Sound of the Music is?”
They had a visitor that day with tangly blond hair, whose family were missionaries to Papua New Guinea, and on furlough.
Before class ended, all the kids huddled around OLeif to grab a chance of bowing his violin while he did the fingerings.
Shortly after church, they gathered back at the house for Linnea to open her birthday gift from them – A Sid Meier’s Pirates computer game. Frances also changed clothes in preparation to get his swimming merit badge at the RecPlex after Bristol and Nerissa-Christianne’s wedding reception. Part of this merit badge required him to jump in a pool with all of his clothes on.
The reception went well, aside from OLeif and the kids causing mischief from time to time. The sandwich buffet momentarily quieted them. But Frances got his hands on a Coca-Cola, which probably shouldn’t have happened. Caffeine and kids did not mix well. Joe shoved a miniature corn cob into Rose’ Coca-Cola. And he and Rose had several thumb wars until Joe noticed the ceilings vents.
“Swastikas!” He exclaimed, pointing towards them.
All the kids stared at the ceiling where a pattern generally resembling a swastika was worked into the grates.
“The Communists are watching us!” He said.
Joe forgot that he meant to say Nazis.
Meanwhile, Linnea was drumming her plastic knife and fork on the bottom of two Yankee Candle tea lights, the guests’ favors of the afternoon. She did distract herself long enough to point out the wedding cakes to Collette.
“Cool!” She said.
There were four separate cakes iced in sky blue.
“There’s white squiggles all over them,” she grinned, apparently liking the idea.
During lunch itself, Collette noticed a guy sitting at the table in front of them in a brown shirt and pinstripe pants. His mutton chops were rather large and he looked just like Rocketman.
At any rate, most of the family who could make it there were gathered. Dad, Mom, (Carrie was home studying), Joe, Rose, Frances, Linnea, OLeif and Collette, Grandma Snicketts and Aunt Rebecca, Uncle Hilario and Aunt Corliss (all their kids not attending, being scattered around the world), Uncle Clarence and Aunt Galena (Samwise and Schroeder were also at home studying), and Grandpa Snicketts and Martha could not attend; neither could Amanda who was in Washington as usual.
Bristol seemed very happy walking around the tables in his usual jeans and black top and black shoes. Nerissa-Christianne also rounded the tables dressed in her wedding gown, which had only two weeks before been worn over the sands of Mexico.
Bistol also chatted briefly with Dad about receiving his commission on the twentieth of October to enter the Air Force. Travis was already gone, a Marine. Collette had not even heard where he had been sent yet.
It was a good afternoon, followed by two rounds of mah-jongg before youth.