Subject: Weekend Update: November 1-3, 2002
Date: Mon, 4 Nov 2002 16:48:01 -0500

Miranda had a bunch of her friends over for Movie Night
and a little tubbing last Thursday.  We didn't get too
many trick-or-treaters this year.  Perhaps the neighborhood
kids have gotten too old or were spirited off to candy
quarries of more densely packed neighborhoods.  I think
Joy has hidden the leftover candy for Christmas stockings.

Monsters, Inc. was once again the flic-du-jour and while
I like it very much, I chose to listen to it from the couch
in the loft.  The warm air from the wood stove makes the loft
a real cozy place to spend a little leisure time.  As I
replayed the movie in my mind, I thought that one of the
kids had accidentally pushed the "Next Chapter" button
on the remote control.  Instead, the dim lighting and warm
couch combined to slip me into a temporary coma.

On Friday, the younguns had a teen party at the church,
so we dropped them off and went home with Eric and Linda
Magnuson to have a card party of our own.  After six rounds
of Toonerville Rook, Joy was in the lead of an incomplete
and therefore unofficial game.  I was the beneficiary of
too much food left over from the teen party when we returned
to pick up the kids.  Even after we got home, our evening
wasn't over because Rich saw the home fires burning and
stopped in (and I am glad that he does!) to tell us about
his latest brush and escape from the local constabulary
officials.  Now we know where the little mouse got the
name "Speedy Gonzalez."

Saturday was quite nippy, but sunny and dry so we set
about attacking the leaves that had taken over our walks
and yard.  Raking the leaves used to be a week-long event
with Joy doing much of the chore at home during the day
and five or six rakes going on the weekend.  We used to
fill both compost piles with leaves. However, we've gotten
the process down to less than a day by running over the
leaves several times with the mower and then vacuuming them
up into the mower bags.  Mulching the leaves into finer bits
takes a lot less room and a lot less effort.  Most of the
trees around our yard have shed their foliage now, with
some neighbors' trees yet to finish.  I expect there may
be one more clean up before the mower is stowed for the
winter.

Eric Pape dropped Madison off at the Gonzalez' home for
a harvest party and came over to spec out some outdoor
stairs on the Williams Street side of the kitchen.  We
have been meaning to replace them for five years - since
we bought the place - because they are wobbly and worn.

Mom and Dad arrived in the afternoon after Dad held a
memorial service in Wollaston for Marion Janes; a dear
old woman that has been a part of our family and the ENC
college experience for decades.  We had to drop Andrew
off at the Douglas' home for a three-hour quiz meeting
so Mom, Dad, Joy amd I went out to dinner.  Rather than
return to Pepperell before picking Andrew up, we stalled
a bit by taking Mom to the Burlington Coat Factory in Nashua
to help her select a new winter coat.  Dad stayed in the car.

On Sunday morning, Miranda, Emily, and Andrew went to Lowell
and Joy and I went to Nashua. Dad's stint at the Nashua
church is coming to a close in two more Sundays so I took
the opportunity to hear him preach while I can. He preached
very well and the  people there have really appreciated having
him until they install their new pastor later this month.  We
attended Sunday School with David Bickom (Paula was teaching
young children) and met up with some other acquaintences there
as well.

We enjoyed the Sunday afternoon match-up between the New England
Patriots and the Buffalo Bills, though I had to deride Andrew
for losing faith in his team.  All last year he had faith in
the Pats to go and win the Superbowl, but doubted that they had
the talents to win yesterday.  He was glad to be wrong.

After church Sunday evening, we joined a bunch of folks at the
Hamlin home for some desserts and good company.  We came up with
some additional ideas for Jessica's wedding; all in fun and we
have to clear it with the couple, of course.  We thought it might
be nice to have an early wedding and a breakfast reception of
flapjacks, scrambled eggs, bacon and sausage.   Some of the
other ideas are probably better saved for the bride and groom
to-be, I suppose.  We'll get a bit more serious about plans
during the Thanksgiving break.  I've already seen Jessica in
her mother's wedding dress (Miranda, too) so I'll try to keep
my composure when it comes time for me to say, "Her mother and
I" to the question "Who gives this woman..?"

Mark