March 24,
2007
Anybody out there? I
think the Ark left without me. Maybe it’s time to devolve and
become amphibious again? What gene produces web feet, or fins?
Where did mine go? What are the steps to a sun dance? Somebody
teach me, quick. I can’t take anymore rain.
But in spite of our wet environs,
six of us were here for a meeting Thursday night. Bob and I didn’t
read, but the other four did.
Susan read first and we hear
of Barley being apprehended at the Peace Arch Border Crossing by an
American border guard named Jackson. Barley is taken to an interrogation
room where he has trouble explaining what he was doing crossing the
border on foot, with no I.D. As he’s held, he hears a train
coming and is terrified for Stanley’s safety. He had left Stanley
tied up 2 feet from the railroad tracks. Barley is still held
as an illegal alien while Jackson takes his supper break. And
meanwhile Newton and Phyllis are anxious to get the clue about the kidnapping
that’s in the cache at the border crossing.
Margaret read some more from
the Peabody collection. She had also drawn a map showing the location
of Eastbourne in relation to London. While still at the manse,
the Rev. Peabody and Rev. Peacock, as well as Hamish and Matilda, hear
stories of ghosts at the castle from Mr. Lettering, the mailman, from
Mr. Fast, the taxi driver, and from Mr. Lance, the surgeon, as well
as from other villagers too afraid to go near the castle. At this
point Rev. Peabody and Rev. Peacock decide they would probably not be
able to banish that many ghosts from the castle themselves. Somebody
else would have to be found to do the job.
Ellie had another story to
read that she had started some time ago. This one starts out in
a more comtemporary mode. We hear of Jenny awakening at her kitchen
table from a dream to find two cups at the table and the lingering scent
from a male visitor she thought had only been in her dream. She
wonders if the visitor had been real or from another space/time continuum.
She leaves her apartment for work. On the bus she notices two
drag queens and wants to take a picture of them but by the time she
gets her camera out, they have disembarked. We learn she is a
graduate student who has a job working for a photographer. We
all like the beginning of this story, and think it could be used to
tie in with another of Ellie’s stories.
Gemma has an article called
“Winter Storms” in the March issue of the Seniors Newsmagazine.
It’s on page 10, and the byline reads M. Raba, which stands for Maria
Raba, Gemma’s middle name and her maiden name. It’s about
her dealing with the major snowfall we had this past winter.
She then read more of Kuma’s
story. We hear of how she goes home with Mary for the first time.
She explores the house and is fed, then falls asleep on her own blanket
beside Mary’s bed. In the morning Kuma jumps up on the bed and
is hugged by Mary. She enjoys her breakfast without having to
share the food with siblings. And she notices the cats watching
her.
Just a reminder that Mother’s
Day is May 13th and we need some submissions for the Mother’s
Day page we hope to have on our website. Anybody have anything
to contribute?
Next meeting here at my place,
Thursday, March 29th at 7:00 p.m. Hope to see you then
and may The Muse bring you words to write like nature brings the rain.
Cheers. Lisa