CLAY AND WATTLES

Day Trippers

Paul and I left Sunday morning around 8:00 going to Iuka, stopping in Memphis at Amy's briefly. She thought we were leaving Wynne at 9:30 instead of being at her house at 9:30, and she had just gotten up. I really don't blame her for deciding not to go with us, with the hours and on-calls she's been working.

I saw where Richard had called, so I called him and got Linda. "This is a strange woman calling your husband," I told her. He had called about the storms Saturday. They stayed an extra day in Destin and drove the whole way back on Saturday. Later he called me back; I also told him about Beck's surgery.

It was a beautiful day for a "Sunday Drive." Remember those? When we used to just drive around for the sake of getting out and seeing the countryside, or driving through neighborhoods to look at lawns, new houses, renovations? We got to Iuka at noon and Mama Nick had dinner for us. (I told her not to, but...) It was simple but good - hamburgers, chicken tenders. David ate with us; Aunt Ginny popped in after they got out of church (he'd gone with her). Mama Nick was well, though I worry about her cooking. She had put her hamburger skillet, with grease, in the oven for some reason, but then had turned the oven on to warm the hamburger buns and I heard the skillet popping from the heat! She had also forgotten to put the carafe under in the Mr. Coffee to drip and water and grounds went all over the counter top. (It is a 3-cup one, though, so wasn't too bad.) I remade the coffee, and found myself almost forgetting to put the pot under the drip! So... Can't say much about that! (Also, when we left Wynne, I guess I thought Paul was going to put something else in the back of the truck or close the gate, but the gate was open all the way to Memphis! Just my little bag of stuff - cake, orange juice and the leftover beans/cornbread I was taking to Amy, and the flowers. We were surprised they didn't fall or blow out!)

Jessica graduated from Ole Miss Saturday with a degree in physics. Jenni (MS State) is going to both summer terms at Northeast. David said she is number one in her class of 2500 freshmen! All the Nichols girls are very smart!

I left Oscar's leash on him and left him outside for a good while and he didn't seem to mind. He didn't paw at the door like he does at home (sans leash). Since it was a pretty day and I didn't want him under foot (Mama Nick's especially!), I thought I'd try that and he seemed pretty content. It was a change of scenery for him (do dogs notice things like that?), and he was in the cool of the carport.

I had bought cut flowers at the grocery store and wrapped the stems in wet paper towels so they'd not wilt, so around 3:00 we left MN's and took those to Pleasant Hill. Brenda met us there. She was just leaving Southern Magnolia when I called to see if she could meet us. We weren't there over half an hour. It was still pretty cool and very windy - the trees were still swirling around post-tornadic fashion, you could see the swirling wind direction in the branches and leaves. I put the bricks we've used several times before on top of the flower stems at Mama's marker so they wouldn't blow away. I pulled out two flowers and put one each at Goobie and Papa's places at their markers. There just wasn't long to meditate or visit; I couldn't stand the wind since I've still got this bloomin' sinus problem. I told Mama I love her; Bren told her, "This isn't just any old girl," something Mama had said to her at the hospital. She loved Bren.

Bren looks really good. Her hair is longer and she can put it up at the end of the day, she said. She said Eliza, Mary Jane's new baby, is home, is jaundiced, but they have a bili-light on her at home for a few days. She isn't moving as fast as they'd like, but seems to be okay. She said MJ said she didn't move very much during the last 2 months of her pregnancy. So will just wait and see and I know that is so hard - I hope all is well. I went to the hospital website today and saw Eliza's picture. Such a pretty baby; MJ said she is reminding her of Lily, their oldest. Wonder what little Georgia (age 2) thinks of her? They have almost the same birthday - Georgia's is May 8; Eliza was born May 6. LIly is the late summer baby - August 18, I think. (Nate's is 8/17 and hers is one day later...)

It was fun listening to Bren and Paul talking - they can both talk ninety-to-nothing and did! Talked about cemeteries and divining rods that they both knew about to find "disturbed earth," does not indicate an actual casket, but if the ground had been turned over for a burial, the rod will turn down. "Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't," Paul told her. The time someone "divined" for Paul, it evidently worked. They were able to dig and hit nothing, so knew it was alright for a burial. Bren said she had a rod; they list cemeteries all over the county for the genealogical society that she loves so and is involved in, so was hopeful the rod would come in handy. Bren also told us about the Natchez Cemetery and an interesting grave there.



We left Iuka and got home about 6:30. Oscar slept all the way there and back. I went to bed after Cranford was over (only an hour show this week and I was glad).