Subject: Weekend Update: June 4-6
Date:    Mon 6/7/99  8:33am

Last week, my brother Stephen got engaged to Sharon Nichols.  Details
to follow but those details are said to be "sooner than later."
That's added big news on the extended Metcalfe Family front because my
brother Russell is moving house this month, as is my father who, you
all know by now, is retiring.  I am told they gave Dad a nice tribute
at District Assembly and I'm glad for that; sorry I missed it.  I
think John and I are relatively calm in our family lives, unless John
is thinking of getting another dog.  I suppose with this family, I
shouldn't presume too much.

On Friday evening, Joy held one of the few remaining rehearsals for
the kid's musical play and to make the story short... if we don't get
near 100% participation this Saturday, the play will be in jeopardy.
We've led the little horses to water...

We've begun the projects again.  I put in a gate on the backside of
the pool fence for better access to the playground area (and the
compost heap; I wonder if I can make THAT fun somehow?).  We are
hoping to get a paver to come and put in a basketball court but we're
having a dickens of a time finding someone! Any help out there?  We
also rescreened our kitchen doors, but after a day's test with company
on Sunday, Joy and I need to rethink how to protect the screens from
errant hands.

On Saturday, before heading off to Heather Reilly's graduation party,
a co-worker came over to dig up some plants for her own yard.  We
uprooted perhaps 8 or 10 *kinds* of plants she liked and sent her home
with a car-full.  But it barely made a dent in our yard.  I also found
out later that morning that our inground sprinkler system is pretty
much an underground black hole for water.  We'll call the pros in on
this one - probably the guys with the divining rod logo on the side of
their pickups - and see if we can make it functional again.

I had lunch *and* dinner at the Reilly gala, which had enough food I
think to feed our church several times over.  With all the people that
showed up, I told John (known as Jack to his family) that he should
have price tag stickers on things he didn't want to move to Keene
(where he will assume the pastorate in August).  He might have cleaned
out the house!  Hmmm... maybe he should have a plant-splitting and
transplanting party before he moves.

On Sunday, we played pool hosts to an additional 17 merrymakers.
We're up to 75 degrees or so, which will only climb in this week's
above-90 degree air temperatures.  In a day or so, the pool should
almost be warm enough for people like me (or the people in Florida) to
want to stay in it for any length of time.

Have a great week!  Only 12 days left to public schools here in
Massachusetts.

Mark