October, 1994
I’m sitting on the front porch waiting for my daughter, Kathy, and her friend, Roxanne,to arrive from Oxnard. It’s a crisp mid-October day and the Japanese maples are beginning to change colors from green to orange and red. This means it’s time for the chlorophyll to move from the green leaves down inside the trunk of the tree and wait for Spring.
Mike and I were in St. Louis, Missouri a few weeks ago. The leaves were just beginning to change colors as we drove with friends to their vacation home at the Lake of the Ozarks. The sassafras was bright red and the aspen yellows added their color. I just had to collect some acorns dropped by the oak trees.
As we walked along the forest pathway, Anne and Lois pointed out the grapevine which was collected and used to make wreaths. The dogwood trees had big red berries to provide food for the migrating birds. While at the lake, we had one night of lightning, thunder and rain. We looked at old year books from Ursuline Academy and Lois and I talked about those fun High School days. Then Anne joined in as we switched the conversation to Webster College memories.
We returned to St. Louis in time to attend a really fun 45th Medical School reunion. Anne’s husband, John Krieger, and Mike had attended the same Medical School. This was also a Wedding reunion for us , because all but one member (deceased) of our wedding party were available to attend a dinner party given by the girls. I’m the only one of our college group who moved away from St. Louis. The others have been getting together almost every month for bridge or parties for these 45 years.
We came home by way of Omaha, Nebraska to visit our oldest grandson Vincent. Last August he started college at Creighton U. We had a fun two days with him. It’s quite an adjustment to go from a city of 3-1/2 million to a small town of 350,000 …with only one really big mall. His best remark was,”Grandma, most of the students are farmers! My roommate had to go home to help with the corn harvest!”
Elaine's Memoirs 