Math in the Morning

On a normal Saturday I would refrain from exiting the bed until at least 7 o'clock. Jubal and Nolan attended the WOL SuperBowl however, which required a 6:15 pickup after their night of Portland Pirates hockey, bowling, rollerskating and general rowdiness. The early pickup, in turn, required coffee so I found myself at the Dunkin' Donuts drive through window. My caramel swirl hot latte came to $2.77 and I confidently passed the server two dollar bills and three quarters. In my brain, I expected change; this is how math works in the morning. With a slightly quizzical expression the lady held the money in her hand for a moment. "OK, $2.75?" the fog lifted from my brain as I realized my mistake. Laughing, I reached for two more pennies on the dash and told her, "This is why I need the coffee!". We won't mention that in reality, with my math skills, I could just as easily have made the same mistake in the middle of the day.


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Eat and Runny Pie

I tried to make a pie for the Men's night at church today. I followed the recipe. I'm not sure what happened. It looked more like chocolate pudding than chocolate pie. We all have our talents. Baking is clearly not one of mine and I'm OK with that.
So when you can't cook well, make sure you find places to eat where they do! ....like the Olive Garden. The three younger kids and I had a nice evening there with Anthony, Laura and the kids. They're here for their lightning fast October visit to attend the annual Pig Roast of Laura's Grampy Hammond. Mom, Dad and Alex Burgoin ( who's flying out with Dad to MO on Monday) joined us. Jubal and Jim had to decide between the already planned Men's night, complete with steak and plenty of pie, or seeing family that you'll see at Thanksgiving anyway. I suspected that Jim would choose the pie. I was right. And finally, if Alex and Dad are in the house, the night is likely to end up in a game of Catan. It did. Jubal won.


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Freezing In Fryeburg

In recent years we've been spoiled by the mild temperatures during our annual excursion to the Fryeburg Fair... not so this trip! Wednesday's weather was reminiscent of some of the early years when our family would be sure to break out the winter gear once the warmth of the sun was swallowed up below the horizon of the Western Maine mountains.


Touring the livestock barns was saved for later in the evening when we could enjoy the natural heat emissions produced by the animal population.

Somehow we missed the goats and hogs buildings, however.. How did that happen? I love the goats!

The dip toward 40•F in the mercury prompted us to leave a couple hours earlier than usual but did not diminish our enjoyment. I am fairly certain, however, that Dad would have preferred for Mom to have told him at the beginning of the night, that she had packed his hat and gloves, rather than 20 minutes before we left the fairgrounds.



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October Rain

Rain on Thursday canceled Jubal's soccer game. Rain on Saturday canceled Atira's soccer game. On Sunday evening the rain followed us to the shores of Lake Winnepesaukee in NH for the wedding of my cousin Jessie, to Tyler Moul. Atira, who appreciates the beauty of a wedding, came with us. Relying on my memory, because my invitation was lost in the vortex months ago, I thought that the ceremony began at 5:00. I was aided in this belief by a text from my cousin Greg, who told us that the wedding was at 5:00. We left with 45 minutes to spare but promptly encountered a clogged 295 right below the Brunswick exit. That, combined with Jim's generally slow driving, the rain factor and a bathroom break, whittled away our extra time and we arrived thinking that the wedding would be starting in 5 minutes. I was relieved to see that Papa and BauBau were only just arriving with Uncle Frank, Aunt Cheryl and Uncle John. As it turns out, the ceremony wasn't until 5:30. Knowing that we are chronically tardy, Greg had taken the liberty of lying to us, ensuring our timely arrival. The rain did nothing to dampen the spirit of the lovely wedding. I thought, instead, that it was an appropriate symbol of the spiritual refreshing and renewal that took place a couple years ago in Jessie's life, which brought her back to the Lord and eventually to this godly man.


At this moment, I hear that the rain that carried us into October has subsided, making way for a crisp, autumn day.

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