Another cold and gray day in North Iowa happened again. Too many past Septembers have been remembered as being dry, sunny, and warm, which I would say didn’t place most of this month. With all the rain we’ve been getting, there are some lawns around town that appear a near florescent green. Let’s hope October will bless us with much warmer and sunnier days.
Early this morning, I decided to travel out of town to an area church which I’ve attended in the past. To my surprise, they actually have a children’s choir with about twenty members. They were stationed up front for everyone to see and hear. For the most part, I believe they did a pretty good job of it considering the number of pieces they had to sing.
There were three of them which I believe will be doing some memorable things with their voices. Two of them were girls, and the third was a boy who’s voice hasn’t yet changed. He was actually given several solo parts which reminded me of a soundtrack featuring the Vienna Boys Choir. If I had closed my eyes while he was singing, I would’ve sworn I was listing to a woman’s voice. He made me smile when realizing he already knows he has a good voice, and was showing off a little bit with his facial expressions. Hopefully he’ll be able to hang on to his pitch/tone when puberty comes a knocking.
Towards the end of the service, there were several that started those familiar “squirmings”, which were most likely due to their having to go to the bathroom. I’m sure if we think about it, we can all remember the times when we were in similar situations. I’m sure before they go on stage the next time they’re scheduled to sing, their director will insist they all go to the bathroom even if they’re not sure they have to go. If I noticed it, she noticed it, and likely half the congregation.
On my way back into the City, I decided to stop at McDonald’s for something light. Since the drive-thru line was so long, I parked and went in. To my surprise, I ran into two different people who purchased and sold their homes through Holtz Realty. I spent a little time visiting with them and then ordered. One of them was on his way somewhere south of here where there was being held an old vehicle auction. I had to share with him something that was recently told me by a client which was about the sale of an old Lincoln. I was shocked to hear that someone from Sweden purchased it and is having it shipped all the way from here to there. I guess whomever that person is, has a fat check book, along with a real love of any old vehicles that was made by Ford. I can imagine how much that will cost to have it shipped half way around the world. It’s just one more example of how the internet has made finding something you really want, even if it’s as far away as Sweden.
One of my well knows called today to tell me about a recent trip to Italy. The more she talked about her experiences, the more I found myself craving for a far away trip. Most of her time was spent in Venice and Rome, and also one day in Florence. I told her if I were to go to Italy, I’d bypass Rome and spend more time in Florence, Milan, and Venice. I’d also like to see Genoa which is also rich in historic attractions, as well as being a major Italian port. Oh well, I’ll have to keep dreaming about any future European adventures.
With the exception of a late afternoon appointment, I spent the bulk of my free hours doing some menial labor which I should’ve had done months ago. I’d say I have about three or four hours left to finish, and all the happier when I can walk away from it for good. Since I was also pulling nails out of old boards, I managed to collect about 30 good-sized square nails. Oh, if those square nails could share their stories from the time back in the 1860’s or 70’s when they were manufactured. For some reason, square nails have always fascinated me. I once knew a retired teacher who made eye-catching rustic miniatures out of them. What a great way to re-purpose!
Tonight’s one-liner is: It’s not enough to be busy, because even the ants are busy, which leads us to the question: What are we busy about?
