Well, it’s September, so much for summer. I don’t miss those hot temperatures but I don’t look forward to the cold temperatures that are coming. Time, she is a passing but does she have to go by at a dead run? We’ll just enjoy the cool weather while we can.

We met at Susie Kleffner’s lovely farmhouse for our August gathering. Those present were Pam Hale, Lucy Branson, Mary Jo Crider, Shirley Huffman, Linda Crider and Susie Kleffner, our hostess.                                                                              

Everyone was present when I arrived and I joined them at Susie’s comfortable and roomy farmhouse table. I was late because I needed to be chauffeured there because of the surgery I had the week before. I was going to have Kiersha bring me down and have her and baby King join us for the day but that didn’t work out. So, my great-nephew DJ Zink drove and Kiersha and their son King came and toured the town while I went to the gathering.  I guess you all know by now that Lucy has moved back to Vienna. The porch on the apartment she left looks so bare and forlorn. I miss seeing her trucking up and down the sidewalk in front of my apartment on her way to the community room. I miss going down to check on her and having her come check on me. Well, welcome back home Sis.                                         

Breakfast was waiting for me when I arrived so I filled my plate and ate. It was delicious. The meal consisted of a ham and egg omelet, muffins, mine was zucchini, and a large platter of fresh fruit, strawberries, grapes, pineapple and blueberries.                   

I can’t report on what was said before I arrived. When I asked what was discussed prior to my arrival no one offered a reply. I took this to mean they were talking about me or their poor old tired brains couldn’t remember.                                             

Shirley and Bob spent a week in Conway at a Bluegrass festival.  They hunt up the nearest Catholic Church and attend Mass on Sunday when they take these trips. Shirley took some pictures of the church in Conway.  It is a beautiful little church. Thanks for sharing Sister dear.                                                          

Remember the giant Angel Wing begonia Lucy had that went to the roof? Well, Pam got it when Lucy moved back to Vienna. It’s doing fine and Pam got several more starts from it after it road all the way to their house just this side of Iberia.                           

One of the nephews had a birthday and made us all realize how old our nieces and nephews are getting. I will never get use to the idea or the realization that they are aging as fast as I am.

The subject of appropriate dress came up again. It is frightening to some of us how the standards have changed since we learned what was considered appropriate dress. Church use to be a place you dressed up to go. Now, it seems most people dress for what they will be doing after they leave the church. Our Dad always wore a suit and tie to Mass. He got back into his overalls the minute he got home but would never have thought of wearing them to Church. Now they come in ragged old blue jeans and short shorts. Mom always wore a dress and heels. Some people dress better to go to work than they do to visit the Lord’s house. Someone asked Lucy if she knew how to pickle peaches. “Why yes” she said. We all know how to do that. We had a little cling stone peach tree and Mom pickled them all the times. They were delicious, it makes my mouth water just to think about them. Mom sent a half gallon to brother Norman when he was in the service. He wrote her and ask if she could send some more. He said he didn’t get but a couple. Once he let some of the other soldiers taste them, they went fast and he didn’t get very many.  We talked about the book sale. It went well. They sold a lot of books but had quite a few left over. This year instead of sending them to be recycled they put them up for adoption by other libraries. Small town libraries are grateful to get books even if they are used. After all, books were made to be read not ground up and made into something else. Good Job All!                       

We talked about EWTN—The Catholic Television Network. It is in Irondale, Alabama. It was started by a dedicated nun named Mother Angelica. From one local TV station, it has grown to a worldwide television and radio network. The headquarters have grown from one small building to a pilgrim destination including a beautiful church, a nunnery, monastery and a broadcast mega industry. We all agreed we would love to go visit this sacred place.                                                                                        Have you seen the new editions of the picture of the Last Supper? Instead of having all 12 apostles sitting at the table, there are only 11. There is a door behind the table on the left side. There is the shadow of a man going out. That’s supposed to be Judas leaving. Apparently, you can’t get the other ones with all twelve sitting at the table anymore. No one knows why it has been changed. I think it is just an artist wanting to outdo Michael Angelo. I prefer the original painting to this modern interpretation. Of course, there are some folks who prefer the Mass to be said in Latin. I suppose it all depends what generation you grew up in.    I  suppose Thursday was a bad  day for several of us. I can’t remember why. I just know I wasn’t one of the ones that had a bad day. Mine are very much the same and not very interesting. Lunch time rolled around and as usual Susie outdid herself. We had a cornbread casserole with ground beef, a BLT pasta salad and strawberry poke cake for dessert. It was all wonderful. I was going to say the cornbread casserole was exceptionally good but then I realized so was everything else. Congratulations to Susie on another delicious day. 

Shirley told us about a guy who used to come to the Bluegrass festival. He had only a thumb and a very short stub on the first finger of his right hand. He was born that way but he was one of the best banjo pickers around. Shirley said it was amazing to watch him cord the banjo with his right hand. If you just listen to him play you would never know he had no fingers on that hand. He got along so well that his grandkids they didn’t even realize his fingers were missing. When he passed away his wife lifted one of the little boys up to see Grandpa one last time. The boy said, “Grandma, that undertaker stole Grandpa’s fingers.”  “No” Grandma said, “He never had any on that side.” 

Sister Betty has a saying when age is mentioned. “Old age ain’t for sissies.” I must say we all agree with that statement. It seems like we just take turns having health problems. It’s Lucy turn now. I had a small problem but I got over it in about three weeks. Lucy’s going on about three months with little relief in sight.     

We talked about getting older and Shirley being Shirley said, “ I knew a guy who said he was so old he remembered when rainbows were black and white.” Ha! Ha! I will leave you on that note and we will connect again next month.                      

Thought: Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.  Isaac Asimov                                       

Fun Fact: The first man to fly and the first man to walk on the moon were alive at the same time. Neil Armstrong was 17 when Orville Wright died. Now you know.