Life has revolved around three different events since last Friday: the Threshermen’s Show, the Phifer reunion and the release of the Harry Potter book and movie.
A FULL HEAD OF STEAM. This year’s Threshermen’s Show has my vote for the best one in years. The weather was perfect! The third weekend of July is normally one of the hottest times of the year here in Tennessee. Those of us who want to go to the show know this fact and just deal with it. This year a weather system came through last Thursday night moving the humid air out of here and dropping our high temperatures to the low 80s. It was so pleasant! The show itself was larger than it had been the last few years. My favorite was seeing five engines under steam at the show. There had only been two there for many years.
Vicki and the kids came to the show Friday. Jenna paired up with her cousin Bonnie and I think they had a great time wandering around and enjoying each other’s company. Ben had a good time playing with his cousins, Nate, Spencer and Allen. We now know the bottom branches of the maple tree next to where the steam engine was parked will hold several boys. The straw stack was quite a bit flatter when the boys got done with it too. Our Nate (this is where it can get confusing) also enjoyed playing with his cousins but he was a bit too small to to keep up and stuck with me and Vicki some. Will Bumpus was the oldest of all the cousins there. He has outgrown playing with the younger kids but is coming into his own in helping his dad around the engine.
The bittersweet part came in seeing Uncle Paul’s picture on the show’s program. There was a nice write-up inside about him and on Saturday they had a memorial in his honor. He never missed a show in his lifetime and never had to have anyone drive him there. We all missed seeing him watch the engine work from his golf cart.
AN END TO THE SAGA. Jenna, Vicki and I all started reading the Harry Potter books last summer. Jenna and Vicki headed to the store Saturday to pick up their copy of the much anticipated Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. It has been quite interesting trying to share one book between three people. Vicki and I both sped through the book and Jenna has had it all to herself since Tuesday. We also went to see Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix last Thursday. Jenna got to come and we teased her about tagging along on our date. When Vicki suggested that we might even double date with her and a boyfriend, say, ten years from now she reacted with her typical smirk, then a giggle, then hiding her face. While the movie and book were both great I am glad to have closure and return my thoughts to the Muggle world now.
A DAY TRIP. Sunday we drove to Camden for the Phifer reunion. Except for Pauline we didn’t know many of the relatives there, but the food was good. We also visited a few other relatives and friends before leaving town.
MR. HELPFUL. Ben has really changed a lot this summer. Not to talk bad about the boy but he has always been the one to complain when asked to do something and try his best to procrastinate in hope of getting out of the job. But here lately he has been complaining less and less and even asking to help with things around the house. For example, the only reason he doesn’t do the dishes all by himself is that he simply isn’t tall enough to reach everything. I told Vicki to enjoy it now, puberty will be here before we know it.
NATEISMS. The other day Vicki called Pauline’s where Nate was staying. Nate answered, “Hello.”
“Hello.”
“This is Nate.”
“Well, hi Nate.”
“Hey! Is this you Mom?”
“Yes.”
Nate responded with much enthusiasm, “Oh, I’m sooo glad to see you!”
Laughing, Vicki said, “You can’t see me silly.”
“I know. I mean see you on the phone.”
And then one day Nate came in the bathroom where Vicki was folding clothes. Bored and looking for something to do he climbed up on the counter and started peering into the bathroom closet. After a moment he asked, “Mom, can I have a band-aid?” When Vicki asked him what he needed a bandage for she saw him take a quick survey of his body before replying, “Uhh... [then locating a small scratch on his arm] right there.”
Joe
