Friday, June 17, 2005
JULY AND AUGUST....1993
Jennifer came home over the 4th of July. She made it home safely, driving from Canton. That was quite a drive for her but she was becoming more independent all the time. I still caught myself thinking of her as a “little” girl. The next day we decided to go to Springfield shopping. Jennifer was working part time at a Petite Sophisticates store in Quincy, IL. which was just across the river from Canton. She wanted us to see a “sister” store at our mall in Springfield…..and she buzzed around the racks finding coordinating outfits for her mother and me. She was quite the efficient little gal. We had dropped Bear off at the movie while we shopped and he later raved about how funny Dennis the Menace was with Walter Mathieu.
The next day was the 4th so I fixed the usual cook-out fare….potato salad, baked beans and fresh apple pie. We grilled burgers on the deck and made a day of eating and relaxing. Later that night when we were alone, Bear and I watched the final performance of John Williams with the Philadelphia Symphony. He will be missed. We always watched the fireworks from the big cities all over the East Coast on TV…..when one finished we turned to another. The pyrotechnics are absolutely amazing. It seems every year they become larger and more of them. I cannot imagine the brains behind wiring the many containers of powder to go off with certain music…..and on time. It certainly beats out any little back yard celebrations.
Jennifer had to go back after the weekend and we were concerned with the flooding going on up near Hannibal, MO. With her old car and the flood, we had reason to be concerned. It was rising higher every day. My cousin, Mary Powell, called to tell me aunt Inabelle died about 3:30pm our time. (July 14th) Uncle Tom had been lovingly taking care of her for several years in their home and now she was gone. I called the three children to let them know and each had different stories to relate of aunt Inabelle that was special to them. She was buried the following Saturday…..in the Blair Cemetery where the family gravesite is.
Bear and I went to the Lake to visit the Bryant’s again for the weekend. We always enjoyed the area and relaxed way of life. We did some shopping and some boat riding…had wonderful food and came home on Sunday. Becky called when we arrived and told us Jennifer was stranded in Quincy. One of the dams broke and the bridge was impassable….it had been closed. At the height of Becky’s anxiety, Jennifer called to tell her a friend picked her up, took a round-about-way up river to Iowa and then down on the Missouri side. It worked well and she was safe. The flood was 10-miles wide in some places and we watched unbelievable scenes play out every night on TV……houses floating down stream, cars, you name it…..all caught in water they couldn’t get out of.
Jennifer’s birthday was the next day, she was 21 this year. She was feeling blue because she had no cake, no dinner and no presents. We all thought she would get to come home for her birthday but she totaled her car and couldn’t come. We ended up mailing her gifts which took a while to get there so she had a pretty slim birthday at the time.
Pete called early in the morning one Friday to tell me his left arm was numb and he wouldn’t be able to go to work. He asked if I’d come get the car and pick Corky up. When I went to the door to get the key, he looked terrible. We were all worried about him. He was off to the doctor’s office.
Jonathan came into our office at Eminence to apply for a CDL license that same day in August. He had dreamed of driving a truck since he was a little boy. Now he was legal age to get a license and he passed the written. He had been promised a job if he had proper licensing so he was now ready to make application for the driving part of the test. He left the office with wings on his feet and a big smile.
Later that same day we received word that our retired supervisor had surgery for colon cancer. He hadn’t been retired very long and we were hoping he could have a full recovery to enjoy more years. He was an avid gardener and we knew he would be anxious about the condition of it while he recuperated. I bought a bushel of peaches off a truck near the Court House in Van Buren and put them out to ripen more before preparing them for the freezer. I love the taste of home-grown fruits and vegetables. We didn’t have a garden so we relied on roadside stands and the surplus friends had from their gardens.
Thursday, August 12th was a banner day for me. It was the first Chiefs exhibition game of the season and the first game Joe Montana played with them. He was only in a few times and we were subjected to bad officiating on both teams. We were star struck with Montana playing for the Chiefs………surely it would bring a better season for us.
The Bryant’s came to visit the weekend of the 21st and we took them to Van Buren to see the park and Big Springs. It is the largest single spring in the world…..millions of gallons boil up each day. Besides the spring, there is a lovely area to enjoy a picnic and the bounty of Nature. A young man was working out front of a shop making a “John Boat” with old tools used many years ago. We took pictures and had great respect for his ability. A quilt shop with handmade items took my eye and I stopped to admire handwork of the contributor’s who were local ladies. There is much to enjoy yet in this old world of ours. It just takes a little time off the beaten path……and eyes to see………
Until next time,
Essentially Esther
The next day was the 4th so I fixed the usual cook-out fare….potato salad, baked beans and fresh apple pie. We grilled burgers on the deck and made a day of eating and relaxing. Later that night when we were alone, Bear and I watched the final performance of John Williams with the Philadelphia Symphony. He will be missed. We always watched the fireworks from the big cities all over the East Coast on TV…..when one finished we turned to another. The pyrotechnics are absolutely amazing. It seems every year they become larger and more of them. I cannot imagine the brains behind wiring the many containers of powder to go off with certain music…..and on time. It certainly beats out any little back yard celebrations.
Jennifer had to go back after the weekend and we were concerned with the flooding going on up near Hannibal, MO. With her old car and the flood, we had reason to be concerned. It was rising higher every day. My cousin, Mary Powell, called to tell me aunt Inabelle died about 3:30pm our time. (July 14th) Uncle Tom had been lovingly taking care of her for several years in their home and now she was gone. I called the three children to let them know and each had different stories to relate of aunt Inabelle that was special to them. She was buried the following Saturday…..in the Blair Cemetery where the family gravesite is.
Bear and I went to the Lake to visit the Bryant’s again for the weekend. We always enjoyed the area and relaxed way of life. We did some shopping and some boat riding…had wonderful food and came home on Sunday. Becky called when we arrived and told us Jennifer was stranded in Quincy. One of the dams broke and the bridge was impassable….it had been closed. At the height of Becky’s anxiety, Jennifer called to tell her a friend picked her up, took a round-about-way up river to Iowa and then down on the Missouri side. It worked well and she was safe. The flood was 10-miles wide in some places and we watched unbelievable scenes play out every night on TV……houses floating down stream, cars, you name it…..all caught in water they couldn’t get out of.
Jennifer’s birthday was the next day, she was 21 this year. She was feeling blue because she had no cake, no dinner and no presents. We all thought she would get to come home for her birthday but she totaled her car and couldn’t come. We ended up mailing her gifts which took a while to get there so she had a pretty slim birthday at the time.
Pete called early in the morning one Friday to tell me his left arm was numb and he wouldn’t be able to go to work. He asked if I’d come get the car and pick Corky up. When I went to the door to get the key, he looked terrible. We were all worried about him. He was off to the doctor’s office.
Jonathan came into our office at Eminence to apply for a CDL license that same day in August. He had dreamed of driving a truck since he was a little boy. Now he was legal age to get a license and he passed the written. He had been promised a job if he had proper licensing so he was now ready to make application for the driving part of the test. He left the office with wings on his feet and a big smile.
Later that same day we received word that our retired supervisor had surgery for colon cancer. He hadn’t been retired very long and we were hoping he could have a full recovery to enjoy more years. He was an avid gardener and we knew he would be anxious about the condition of it while he recuperated. I bought a bushel of peaches off a truck near the Court House in Van Buren and put them out to ripen more before preparing them for the freezer. I love the taste of home-grown fruits and vegetables. We didn’t have a garden so we relied on roadside stands and the surplus friends had from their gardens.
Thursday, August 12th was a banner day for me. It was the first Chiefs exhibition game of the season and the first game Joe Montana played with them. He was only in a few times and we were subjected to bad officiating on both teams. We were star struck with Montana playing for the Chiefs………surely it would bring a better season for us.
The Bryant’s came to visit the weekend of the 21st and we took them to Van Buren to see the park and Big Springs. It is the largest single spring in the world…..millions of gallons boil up each day. Besides the spring, there is a lovely area to enjoy a picnic and the bounty of Nature. A young man was working out front of a shop making a “John Boat” with old tools used many years ago. We took pictures and had great respect for his ability. A quilt shop with handmade items took my eye and I stopped to admire handwork of the contributor’s who were local ladies. There is much to enjoy yet in this old world of ours. It just takes a little time off the beaten path……and eyes to see………
Until next time,
Essentially Esther
