Patrix
The perpetual visitor
Thirsty wood
Aqua Hot FIXED
My friend Kay took me to her writer's class while I was there and she suggested the use of prompts. Hence I've used the above prompts.
Two weeks ago when John
Boehner resigned from the House of Representatives after his audience with Pope
Francis I said, “I bet his conscience got to him and he could no longer stomach
what he was doing.” Everybody around me poohed the idea asserting that he was
politically run off. Then this week I read Pastrix:
the Cranky, Beautiful Faith of a Sinner and Saint by Nadia Bolz-Weber. I
was curious to learn more about this preacher so I read her sermon from
September 15. She speculated the same thing about John Boener only she
referenced the lectionary for that week which was where Jesus said you should
cut off your hand if it offended you, and was much more articulate than me. So
at least 2 of us in the country thought that might have happened.
My sister Jeanne gave… no
she loaned me this book when I was in Brainerd last summer and it finally made
it to the top of the pile of books in my cabinet. Jeanne, you can relax… I just
moved it away from my tea cup. I will do my best to get it back to you without
a frayed jacket or being soaked with tea or I will buy a new one. I tried to
call Jean this morning to talk about the book but she was busy with her
knitting group and will call me when she has time. She has a more purposeful
retirement. She creates beautiful things from yarn.
Ever since we got to Montana
(Don says Spokane) we have been “perpetual visitors”. I can’t even begin to
guess the number of meals we have eaten with family and friends since the end
of June. And here we are in Springfield with our meals scheduled out in front
of us. Don left me home alone and went to visit some of his old work friends. Remember
how happy I was to see familiar faces when we got to Montana. Now we are
looking forward to seeing all strangers until we get back to Palmdale, I think.
It has been wonderful to see you all and I’m glad that I got to spend time with
every one of you. I have put on a few pounds from all that food and that is
good if I don’t continue to add the pounds.
The last time I wrote, we
were in Omaha and were planning to head for Excelsior Springs, MO to see
friends Kay and Max. We arrived at their place, “Black Iris Farm” on September
21 and stayed until October 1. With careful preservation of water and judicious
use of our waste water tanks we were able to remain in one place without full
hookups for those 10 days. It helped that we took the car over to Ottawa, KS to
see brother-in-law Deed for a couple of nights. During our stay with Max and
Kay we lapsed back into the industriousness for which we used to be well known.
We had asked them to think of some work we could do to help them with their
property as they have not been able to do everything that needs doing and they
want to sell the place next spring L.
Turns out their 54’X14’
deck needed a little work. It had been constructed with
nails which were loosening and sticking up in places. Every board needed to be
pried up, nails removed and put back down with screws. Once we finished that,
it needed pressure washing which was mostly done by their son. Then it needed 2
coats of stain which we put down with brushes and rollers. Thirsty wood soaked up
the stain. I have to confess, I pooped out on the last coat of stain and left
Don, Kay and Max to finish the job while I went for a mani-pedi. I’m not proud
of that. I don’t have a picture of the finished product but I will try to get
one from Kay. We took some time off while Erik was washing the Deck and worked
on the Aqua Hot.
On our way out of Minnesota we had stopped at UPS in Maple Grove to pick up the last box of parts that had been mis-shipped. We commenced to remove the old diesel burner and put in the new one. It took about 3 hours and amazingly when we fired it up it worked!!!!
Enough industriousness for now… back to perpetual visiting.
After we left Deed who gave
us a container of the most excellent pulled pork that I’ve ever eaten and some
basil, we returned to pick up the camper and admire our handy work on the deck.
It was vastly improved and will not be a detriment when they go to sell their
place.
So we headed across Missouri
on highway 36 to Hannibal where we stayed at the same place we stayed a year
ago, Mark Twain Cave Campground. We had very full waste water tanks and needed
full hookups so we could dump and rinse them out. We had dinner twice with our
old friends Dennis and Vivian. Dennis was the store manager for Tempo in
Jacksonville, IL where Don worked when we first moved here in 1974. We’ve known
them a very long time. They are like family to us and grandparents to our
children. While they are both dealing with health problems that come with age
they have not lost their sense of humor or their gracious generosity. Once more
we enjoyed a meal, awesome cake and a lively game of cards at their table.
We continued east on 36
which turns in I-72 and came to Springfield where we are staying at the
Illinois State Fair Grounds Campground. It’s a good place to stay as it is
close to town. Needless to say, we are once more having dinner with friends. On
Sunday when we arrived, I couldn’t wait to see my good friend, Mary with whom I
worked for many years in child welfare. She is in walking distance from here so
I walked over and we talked while she made a pot of soup and chicken salad for
sandwiches. We brought that back to the camper to share with Don and so Mary
could see how we live.
Then we had steaks with
friend Dwight and his son Adam. Dwight is also a friend from Tempo Days. Last
night was dinner at Xochimilko Restaurant with friends Kathy and Jon. I stopped
by the office today to see my friends there. They offered me my old job back
but I declined. I think they are better off with the young enthusiastic workers
who have so ably taken over. Later this week I will have lunch with some of my
old lunch friends from child welfare days and breakfast with Kathy before we
leave here on Friday morning. More food…. More friends.
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