View from the Cottage

Oh my goodness, what a day!

November 22, 2017

Several poignant reminders of JFK’s two speeches, one planned and one impromptu, in For Worth on November 22, 1963, sent my mind plummeting back in time to the long weekend we spent glued to the ongoing pageant of tragedy and grief on TV. I was living in Missouri at the time, with no inkling that I would someday live in Fort Worth. Texas was still a foreign country to me. When we moved to Fort Worth and drove occasionally to Dallas, I could not bear to drive by the Book Depository. But oh that weekend—moments that remain forever engraved on the mind.

This morning, Sophie knew something was up. She always knows when I drag out the bag I pack for visits to kids’ houses where no public transportation is involved. She’d stare at me, watching my every move. My assurances that she was going too did not calm her. When Jordan began loading the car, Sophie went beserk, barking and jumping around. But she’s been a good traveler all day. Now she is doing a dance around Colin’s shepherd-mix dog. Soph seems to be saying, “I know you’re bigger, but I will only put up with so much.” She barked harshly just now when I gave Grace a little love,

Jordan and Jacob planned to drive me to Waco. First thought was that we could meet Colin, Kegan, and Morgan for lunch, but as noon approached and there was no plan, I announced I was going to eat lunch. We left Fort Worth a little before one o’clock, and when we arrived in Waco, Colin was still forty miles away. I said Jordan could leave me in a McDonald’s, and she fixed me with a look. “With one dog, two walkers, your bag, computer, and dog food?” We drove on and met the Tomball contingent in Reisl, maybe  20 miles from Waco.

Those who know the area will understand when I say Hwy. 6 from Hearne on was a solid line of traffic headed north—A&M people going to the Metroplex for the holiday. After College Station, it was heavy but moving traffic, until about Prairie View where it slowed to a crawl--people heading to Houston. By then we were in territory familiar to Colin, so we took back roads, but they too were crowded, and we spent some time moving inch by inch.

At one point I said something about looking forward to turkey, and Morgan told me we were not having turkey. Hogshead is on the menu. I said I thought I’d be a vegetarian, and she said, “I’m with you, Juju.” Colin finally admitted there is a turkey but says the hogshead is the center of the menu—only 79 cents a lb.! Fancy that bargain. He is curiously reluctant to show it to me, and I suspect it’s a figment of his imagination. More on that later.

A long day, but I’m grateful to be here.

Colin, just out of the hot tube, with his Turkey Trot medal

They were an hour late for the race, still ran the 5K course, and got medals