Author: John
Halloween 2007
Can’t believe it’s another Halloween already. That means it’s pretty much Thanksgiving which means it’ll be Christmas before I know it which means a Christmas break that’ll be over soon as it starts making it 2008. 2008? What happened to 1958? Y’know, I remember when Bic pens were the latest thing. A seven transistor radio that ran on one of those new 9 volt batteries was cutting edge. There was no FM, much less stereo. Color TV was a curiosity. Sometimes the technological advances of humankind seem breathtaking until I stop to think — over 100 years and we’re still getting around on internal combustion engines.
We had a few Trick’r’Treaters; maybe a couple dozen. It was a good night for it. No rain, not cold or windy. One nice thing this year was no teenagers. I never understood teenagers humiliating themselves going around in some sort of thrown together non-costume such as “bum” or “homeless person” ringing doorbells and saying “Trick or Treat!” just like the cute little 4-year-old that was just here.
Becky did some cool decorating! I couldn’t believe she hauled a real hay bale up onto the porch all by herself. Yeah, she did all that before I got home from work.
I think the best part about Halloween, now that the kids are grown, is not having to sort through a bunch of candy trying to spot evidence of tampering with the kids fidgeting like “c’mon you guys, gimme!” Hey, a candy bar sounds good right about now!
Marjorie
Saturday we learned that Marjorie passed away during the night. This news was received with great sadness, but it was also occasion to reflect on a special and remarkable person. Marjorie was a woman who, possibly more than any I’ve known, could not have been faulted for a nihilistic view of life, from the hardships and tragedies it dealt her. But, that was not Marjorie, not at all. She was always buoyant, animated, even exuberant. I can’t recall her complaining about anything; I can recall her enthusiasm about family, golf, cards, everything. She could talk about anything; the breadth of her knowledge and scope of her conversationalism often left me hard pressed to keep up. 
I don’t think anybody could intimidate her; yet she was unpretentious and unassuming. She could cut through any kind of hodge podge and make a point with succinct and incontrovertible insight; yet she was empathetic and open minded. I think above all else she valued and treasured family. In this regard, I feel like I let her down. She would never say so, of course; if somebody sought forgiveness she would insist there was nothing to forgive. So, let me add magnanimous to the list of qualities that made her so special. As so often happens at the loss of a loved one, I wish I had spent more time with her, in person or even just by phone. Any time spent with Marjorie was time well spent. I miss her already; a lot.
You can click on the “thumbnail” images to see larger pictures.
Wellsville Thanksgiving
November 11, 2007
General
Comments Off on Wellsville Thanksgiving
John
After the party Becky and I drove up I-35 to Metcalf Mall so I could see about buying new lenses for my glasses at Lenscrafters. Suddenly, it was Christmas! Took at least ten minutes cruising the parking lot to find a space. Once inside, it was teeming with patrons and jammed with Christmas fare. Lots of booths in the middle of the aisles selling everything from watches to cell phones to calendars to whatever you can imagine.
We got home in time to watch the KU v. Oklahoma State game. We were sure the announcers were putting a hex on us by repeatedly referring to “the unbeaten Jayhawks”; but it didn’t work. We won, anyway; convincingly. This is most strange! KU has suddenly been catapulted into not only a respectable season, but one with national commentators talking about national championship and Heisman Trophy in the same breath as “Kansas”. Most surreal.
You can click on those thumbnail photos to see the larger pictures. Or, you can visit the Wellsville Thanksgiving Collection at Chappell Famly PicasaWeb, which has a few more of today’s photos. While there, you can peruse other new collections I’ve uploaded, if you’re so inclined.