Subject: Weekend Update: May 12-18, 2003
Date: Mon, 19 May 2003 15:23:41 -0400

Last Monday, Joy and I celebrated our 24th wedding anniversary.
I bought her a used carpet steamer and a serger (a specialty sewing
machine).  When I tell it like that, I get a variety of reactions
about how unromantic I am, until I tell them that we went out for
a nice dinner and then to an auction where these things were purchased.
And when I tell them what I paid, all of a sudden I am more of a hero
than a zero.  I still didn't buy her a card, and she saved a few bucks
on me, too.  Our parsimony in matrimony isn't baloney.

With the wedding under 5 weeks away, Joy has been wondering what
to do with her hair.  I suggested that she cut it "short and sassy."
On Thursday, she put her hair in the hands of the stylist and came
home a different woman.  "Wow! You look different!" I said, which
I know is not the response that a woman wants to get from a hair
cut.  Her girlfriends did much better on the reaction test.  She
wasn't secure with the haircut herself and we both decided that
she would return to the hair-dresser to shorten up the front a
bit more.  The result was even more wow and a better outcome; I
think we both agree.  (Not that the first was bad, but the second
was good.)

Emily had a band concert on Thursday night, and Joy proved her love
and dedication to her daughter by attending the concert. People
who knew Joy did double-takes. I was excused because of Emily's
recommendation that I carefully weigh the price of admission (even
for parents) against her unenthusiastic critique of what I might expect.
I am a full supporter of the benefits of musical arts and programs;
I myself benefited from playing an instrument in the band.  However,
I took Emily's permission to occupy myself otherwise and went to
the store with Rich where I picked up a shovel and over 50 goldfish
for the pond.  To make it up to Emily, I'll be happy to name every
goldfish after her, but since the fish all freeze to death every
winter, I'd better think of something else.

The Barn smells normal these days, so it was high time that Joy
filled the rest of the house with smoke.  She was baking hors d'oeuvres
for a party at the church and something went wrong with recipe. Joy
dumped a bunch of meatballs and sauce into a crock pot as a quick and
easy (and smokeless) substitute in time for the party, and we opened
all the doors to air the house, part two. It wasn't nearly as bad as
the smoky barn, and I suspect that the groomsmen may enjoy it if the
bridesmaids smell like food.

The party was part of a weekend bash to celebrate 100 years of
ministry for the Lowell First Church of the Nazarene. Past members
from the church gathered on Friday night to reminisce and tell
stories.  There was a picture of former Pastor Jon Gray whose
whiskers had turned white.  I couldn't help but notice the irony
that Pastor Gray had turned into Pastor "white" and while our
own Pastor John White was turning into Pastor "gray".  Reunions
are like that; they highlight the passage of time.  I wanted to
say to the assembled guests that they all looked old but not me,
except that I know better.  They're old all right, but I am not
an exception.  A picture from the past of Diane Adams saw her
sporting a pair of nifty horn-rimmed glasses.  She said that she
was relieved that in the same picture her brother's nylon geek
pants would surely divert attention away from her spectacles.
Linda Magnuson reunited with a bunch of her friends to sing a
couple of songs from the 70s. Asked how it sounded, I said,
"dated; but who am I to talk, since I sing the REALLY old
songs?"  Some songs of our heritage we want to bring forward, like
heirlooms.  Some we don't.  I was amused to see Diane singing along
with the group.  I have always conceded that Diane would beat me
in a Songs and Hymns quiz.  More activities were planned for
Saturday and Miranda took pictures of all the events, from Friday
through Sunday. 

Joy and I elected to work on the homestead on Saturday. I think
we are almost done with Spring cleanup around the Manor and soon
will enter the maintenance phase through the summertime. Joy busied
herself with getting the pool ready while Andrew and I tilled the
garden boxes in preparation for planting.  Joy decided that she
would be the first one in the pool this year, though purely
unintentionally.  As I was throwing away from rhubarb flower stalks,
I hear a loud cry and splash.  Joy tripped on the pool cover and
plunked into the water.  She hurt herself trying to prevent her fall
and so I attended to her and got her into a chair.  When she said
that she was going to be fine, I was able to let out the laugh
that I had suppressed.  She joined the laughter but was sore all
weekend.  Later Joy inspected the garden to commend Andrew and me
on the job we did.  Only then did she realize that we had tilled
under the snow peas and lettuce that she had already planted in a
couple of the garden boxes.  Oops.

We rewarded our efforts with a trip to 7-11 for Slurpees and
were surprised when we got home to find that Miranda, Jessica,
and Emily had returned to the roost.  We didn't expect them
until evening, which seems to be the current motus operandi.
Emily was at ENC on Friday and Saturday morning for an Nazarene
Youth International (NYI) meeting.  She came home with Jessica
on Saturday afternoon. Eric and Linda dropped by with steaks for
dinner.  Ryan was in tow because he is bored without his college
chums.  I understand he is dating Katelynn Shaw, which may put
me in the catbird seat, since I am good friends with both parents
and know the scoop on each of their kids!!  Ha ha ha!

We had a very full day at church on Sunday starting at 9:30
and going until 3:30 with a few breaks in between.  We brought
in special guest speakers Ken Mills, Ron Benefiel, and Chuck
Zink.  Even though it was long, the day moved rather well;
the music and speaking were good, and we are ready for the
next 100 years.

Miranda went to a cookout, party-hound that she is, while the
rest of us relaxed for the rest of the day. Wendy brought her
girls over early in the evening. Rich joined us later.  He was
showing their to potential buyers. Life is change.

Mark