Remember teachers requesting an essay about what you did in the summer?

Just call me teach ;-)

-- Tricia the Canuck (jayles@telusplanet.net), September 14, 2002

Answers

I'll start us off. I worked all summer, but I was working days, so it was much easier to do than normally it is. We did go on a short weekend trip to see hubby's folks and took a scenic route. Because of the drought, there were not a lot of crops in the fields - things looked very different than they normally do. Other than that, I still went for a walk along the riverbed most weeks, and I took a yoga class weekly. I visited the library a few times and read several books (par for the course - some watch tv, I read). I re-established a friendship with someone I've known since high school who'd moved away and we'd sort of lost touch. I said good-bye to a beloved brother and visited with seldom seen relatives. I made a point of going out for ice cream with my sister-in-law and her daughters more often than usual. I enjoyed the hot, dry weather for myself and in the rainy, cool days (rare) for the farmers.

Now it's your turn!

-- Tricia the Canuck (jayles@telusplanet.net), September 14, 2002.

Well, I think I wrote about all the neat stuff I did this summer. The vacation to Big Bend, the 35 year class reunion, the 20 new pounds I gained lazing under the air conditioner.

But, three weeks ago, I took Kit for some tests. It affected me much more than I thought it would. He had to be given general anesthesia, and that is always a risk with him, since he had open heart surgery when he was four. Anyway, I just posted the following over at Unk's place, but for those of you who do not frequent that particular hangout,

-------------------

“When we’ve been there ten thousand years,”

A young mother in an obviously home-made dress with a bright pattern of daisies sang softly as she rocked a small and very pale baby wrapped in folds of soft pink. They were sitting in the metal and vinyl-covered chairs directly across from us, and I could plainly see the tiny purple veins throbbing gently through the transparent skin of the little one’s forehead.

“Bright shining as the sun,”

The grandmother sat and smiled nervously at Kit and I, her grey hair pulled back in a severe bun, her hands clenched motionless in her lap. She seemed to wish for an opportunity to speak, but the circumstances were somehow beyond words for each of us. In another area of the room, a family of sixteen members and friends talked softly and occasionally rippled with nervous laughter.

“We’ve no less days to sing His praise”

I looked at the three generations of women and held tightly onto the small and delicate hand of my son and remembered another time and another room where I had waited for news of my own then-tiny baby, now twenty-one years past. I knew our errand on this day was not so serious, but still the memory made me return the hesitant smiles as though we too, were family to the women and their tiny, quiet baby. I wish we had moved beside them, perhaps reached out a hand, but a name was called and the three disappeared through a door at the end of the room. I wished then for words, for sincerity; for some way to tell them that in the surgery waiting room, like in life itself, we are all family.

“Than when we first begun.”

Later, when they wheeled Kit’s bed through the automatic doors of the surgery suite, I stood alone and quiet and cried. Not so much for worry over him, but for years of smiles, for days of holding hands, for moments held forever in the glance of an eye.

--

-- Lon Frank (lgal@exp.net), September 14, 2002.

Huh?

What?

Looks around for a cup of coffee......

I'm in the Word of the Day class every morning for Free Republic ..... and now I got take-home homework toooooooo!

(Whiney and cheese voice.)

-- Robert A. Cook, PE (racookpe@earthlink.net), September 14, 2002.

Lon, sometimes words aren't needed. An understanding, compassionate look from someone else is sometimes even more effective. I hope all is now well with Kit!!!

Robert, quit whining and write! We don't hear from you often enough. I'll look forward to seeing what you have to say.

-- Tricia the Canuck (jayles@telusplanet.net), September 15, 2002.

Lon, tears are rolling down my cheeks. Your words reach in and touch my soul. The ability to express what most can only feel is truly a gift. The fact that you share the gift with us, especially when it involves such personal moments, makes me feel very blessed. (((((Lon)))))

-- Gayla (privacy@please.com), September 15, 2002.

Lon, I hope Kit came through it all okay and wasn't too frightened by the whole experience.

Tricia, I was very pleased to read you were working days and I hope that is still the case. It must make your family life much easier. BTW friends of mine are at present travelling through Canada and could not believe your wonderful scenery especially the mountains.

Gayla, Lon sure knows how to mess with the heart strings, doesn't he?

Robert, are we having coffee or wine and cheese?

I can't tell you about my Summer as it was so long ago I've forgotten. The good news is that Winter is over and Spring has just sprung. Roll on Summer. Cheers all.

-- Carol (c@downunder.com.au), September 15, 2002.

(((Lon))) (((Kit)))

-- helen (waiting@for.fall), September 15, 2002.

What I Did Last Summer

Got involved in summer theatre, learned how to handle fire and flashbangs, teetered over 50 drops without barfing, fought off cps over a false accusation, started pre-law classes, and quit my job.

-- helen (no@REALLY.this.happened), September 16, 2002.

I am being so harrassed here .....

(Whiney voice ...)

Do I haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaftaaaaaaaaaaa write something?

-- Robert A. Cook, PE (racookpe@earthlink.net), September 18, 2002.

Robert, it's either that or take me out for supper with "she who must be obeyed" this weekend ;-)

No more whining, or I'll want both!

-- Tricia the Canuck (jayles@telusplanet.net), September 18, 2002.

Ulp! Oops.

-- Robert A. Cook, PE (racookpe@earthlink.net), September 19, 2002.

(Still trying to evade the summer essay ....)

Fall report: Took Tricia to supper in South Atlanta on Friday. It rained.

-- Robert A. Cook, PE (racookpe@earthlink.net), September 22, 2002.

Details! We want details!

-- Gayla (women@lways.want more details), September 22, 2002.

Uhmmmmmn.

It rained lots?

(Dry since the first week in July ...)

Tricia gets here for a conference on medical thingies down south the other side of the airport ..... and it rains the whole weekend.

Not much more to say, eh?

Oh, yeah. Other stuff.

Maddux ties Cy Young's record for consecutive wins across 15 seasons, and Smoltz ties the National League record for most saves in a season. Might break it the next few games.

-- Robert A. Cook, PE (racookpe@earthlink.net), September 22, 2002.

(Hears Gayla cross her arms, tapping her foot in disgust, frying pan in hand, getting ready to clobber me.)

-- Robert A. Cook, PE (racookpe@earthlink.net), September 24, 2002.

Robert, actually I was laughing. :-) You sound like my son. All of life's details pale in comparison to sports (as far as he's concerned.) I'm happy for the Braves, ;-) but I really wanted to hear more about your dinner and conversation. How is Jean?

-- Gayla (picking@up.my frying pan), September 24, 2002.

Yeah, Robert, we wants to know. Since youse had supper with Trish; do Canukians eat like reg'lar folks? I mean, she didn't do nothing stupid like putting kechup on her grits, did she? Or try to eat bar-b-qed chicken with a knife and fork, huh?

Did she use her fork correctly (like a shovel) or did she turn it upside down, like those Continental snobs? (You ever try to eat dirty rice with an upside-down fork?!) Did she make those horrible squealing noises with her knife on her plate? I oncet sat next to some Brits and I swear they sounded like they were cuttin' up a Buick with pinking shears!

Did she put honey on her fried chicken like civilized folks, and salt on her watermellon? Please tell us she didn't cut the corn off the cob before eating it, and that she knew to lick her fingers before wiping them on her socks. But, most of all, did she have to have a napkin, or did she know how to wipe her mouth properly on the corner of the tablecloth?

-- Lon Frankenstien (evil@the.bayou), September 24, 2002.

A creature with bolts in his neck worried about table manners! Hmmmmph! Mr. Frankenstein, I've dined with Tricia and her hubby and they both have excellent table manners. And as for grits... YUCK! Not even ketchup would help! :-P

I guess we're gonna have to wait for the FRLian Princess to give us details.

-- Gayla (hurry@back.Tricia!), September 24, 2002.

Yup, I got to meet the (in)famous Robert Cook. Hmmm, what did we talk about - kids, spouses, life stories, politics, life and whatever else came to mind. Robert looks very much like I pictured him - and is just as fun in real life as he is on the board. I highly recommend lookinh him up if you're ever in the Atlanta area :-)

-- Tricia the Canuck (jayles@telusplanet.net), September 24, 2002.

(Fall report, cont'd......)

Fork status: Like a regular person, even though she's born waaaaaaay south of the Equator and probably thought she was holding it upside down.

Napkins: No table clothes were used.... At least while I was lookin'.

Ketsup: (Spices) Moderate, considerin' we went and found a Cajun style seafood place. ....But probably even a little spice is more than most Canadiianinainainanas use all year, "a little" goes a long ways.

Grits: Not tested.

Waitress. Was the definition of where the name "wait" came from. It took forrrrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeeeever to get served anything.

-- Robert A. Cook, PE (racookpe@earthlink.net), September 24, 2002.

(Fall report, cont'd ... cont'd)

Actually, I've got to admit I wasn't much a host ... Tricia got in real late Thursday for the conference, and I was scheduled for grandedbaby sitting on Saturday all day, do we (tried to) meet up for dinner down near the airport (other side of town from me)

Until traffic turned a 30+ mile trip into a little over an hour-15 minutes (Braves game and GA Tech game/pep rally traffic and Atlantans' ca't drive in the rain anyway .....

Then the road was all chopped up for the new runway construction ... but my direction sent me to the wrong end of the detour (twice ....ARGGGGGGGGH!) so the trip even took forever. But we finally met up, and found a Cajun place down here.

Band was loud, but played well enough... Spices were modest for LA- style food...but like I said, the wait(ress) was slooooooooooow doing anything. Definitely didn't show off real hospitality there.

Conversation solved all the world's problems .. Now we just got to get the rest of the world to listen. (Starting with our teenagers....both of whom we decided are wonderful and smart.)

8<)

-- Robert A. Cook, PE (racookpe@earthlink.net), September 24, 2002.

Ahhhhh... now THAT'S more like it. :-)

-- Gayla (patting@Robert.on the back), September 25, 2002.

And now for a word from our Tricia ... Tricia? ... Tricia???

-- helen (wish@we.were.there), September 25, 2002.

She's suspiciously quiet.

-- Robert A. Cook, PE (racookpe@earthlink.net), September 26, 2002.

Yes, Helen, you called? ;-)

-- Tricia the Canuck (jayles@telusplanet.net), September 26, 2002.

Helen called,

... and Tricia answered with a question?

(She on the metric system or sumtim' up there?)

-- Robert A. Cook, PE (racookpe@earthlink.net), September 28, 2002.