March 18,
2007
There were six of us to honour
The Muse Thursday night. Lynette attended and said she had a
good time visiting her mother in California. Ellie says she is
still too busy to focus on writing anything. Gemma had called
to say that she couldn’t attend that night. And my excuse was
that I had to deal with my mother’s level of care that she is receiving
in the nursing home where she lives.
But Margaret, our most senior
member, puts us all to shame. She had another episode in her Peabody
collection to read. We hear that Hamish, Matilda and Rev. Peacock
all show up at the manse where Rev. Peabody is staying with Joseph and
Mary. Rev. Peacock tells of his train trip to the castle, during
which the parrot was sucked out an open window and he had to get off
the train and go look for him. Once retrieved, he and the parrot
arrive late at the castle and go in the wrong door and end up in the
dungeon. Peacock falls asleep, but when the innkeeper arrives
outside looking for them, he hears a voice calling “Blow up the castle!”
and calls the police. But it was the parrot he had heard.
However, that is how Rev. Peacock was saved from being locked in the
dungeon forevermore.
Bob brought with him and read
to us two letters that he will be giving to be kept for posterity.
They were written by his Uncle Sam (a Doctor in Clinton) and his wife,
Bob’s Aunt Amalie. The first letter was written in 1916 by the
good Doctor to his parents in Vancouver, and he tells them of having
to travel to examine students at different schools, for which he is
paid. Then Amalie finishes the letter talking about her “Chink”,
a Chinese servant who worked for her and who wanted to move back to
Vancouver. The second letter by Amalie in 1916, which was published,
tells about a cold front that moved in while they were at a dance, and
the temperature dropped to -10F. and people left for home immediately.
The cold spell lasted about 3 weeks, with evening temperatures at
-60F. Sam would spend all day chopping firewood. Anything
spilled on the floor immediately froze. The dog’s drinking water
was frozen. It was a very punishing winter.
Hearing about the past, our
conversation then turned to coal furnaces, oil heating and cooking,
root cellars, carpenter ants and premonitions of deaths (about people
who are now deceased). Susan gets to read first at the next meeting.
Lynette admitted that she isn’t
doing any writing as long as she’s involved in the course she’s
taking, and other family obligations, and consequently will not be attending
meetings in the foreseeable future. We will miss her positive
outlook at life.
Next meeting here at my place
Thursday, March 22nd at 7:00 p.m. Hope to see you then.
Lisa