Hello Ruth, it’s so good to see you! Oh, it’s been a while! How’s that new grandbaby of yours?
Oh, he’s just as fat as a woodchuck, keepin’ his mommy busy. He’s figured out how to roll over and over and over to get to things. No, he hasn’t started to crawl, he just rolls along like a little log; he’ll look at something, and decide he wants it, and just rolls right over to it. He’s a clever little one.
Isn’t that darling!? My Dan used to inch along like a caterpillar before he learned to crawl. Just scoot up onto his knees, then bellyflop down. He got around pretty well that way, but it was murder on his clothes.
I can only imagine.
It’s just amazing the way they grow. Doesn’t seem like that long ago that your Denise was getting detention for bringing a frog to school, and now she’s a mother!
Oh, but she was a handful! I suppose she’s going to see what it’s like when Braden gets up and around more.
Braden, ah! I was telling Trina about Denise’s baby the other day, and darned if I couldn’t remember his name. I thought it might be Brandon or Bradley–I knew it was Br-something…
Denise said from the start that their baby was going to be called Braden if it was a boy or a girl. This newest generation of kids are going to have the oddest names. You know Jackie Ball’s daughter Lorrie named her little daughter Chandler? And Allison Graff’s youngest son is called Taben.
Well, Taben is a family name from the Keller side. Seems like Maria, who, was a Streicher before she married Lucas Keller, had a grandfather by, that, name. At least that’s what Allison was saying. ‘Cept back in those, days, Taben was the man’s last name. I think his name was Augustus or Gustave or something like that. I know Alison was saying she couldn’t bear having a son called Gus.”
Couldn’t be any worse than ol’ Gus Schlicter. He was a wildman. Remember when he got all lit up at Baughman’s New Year’s party and swore he could shoot the tailfeathers off the iron rooster on their weathervane?
Oh yes, and then he took Jake’s .22 and had a go at that weathervane. He hit it all right; got it to spinning so fast it unscrewed itself and flew off through the windshield of his own new Plymouth.
Hmm…that was a nice-looking car too. Stylish. They sure don’t have that kind of style these days. Such a pretty shade of minty green, and all that chrome. What was that, a 1966?
1965, I think. He got it the year they put that Spanish tile roof on the Lindeholst bank building. That held up better than anybody ever thought it would. It looks about as good today is it did thirty-odd years ago, though that’s not saying much.
I heard Everett Klein was thinking about selling that building to some new development concern.
Oh, really?
Yes; the University is interested. Apparently the old bank is considered an architectural landmark. Jasper Lindeholst, the original banker’s son was apparently a pretty famous architect back in his day, and the old bank is the earliest standing example of his work. The University wants to use the old Lindeholst building as an annex for their architecture program.
You want some more coffee, Ruth?
Thanks, just a half-cup, though, I really ought to be running. I meant to go up to the K-mart and check out that sale they’re having; it’s only on through the 19th.
I’d come along with you, Evelyn, if it wouldn’t be a bother. I just don’t like to drive on the highway anymore, but I wouldn’t mind having a look around and see if I see anything good for Braden’s first Christmas.
Well! That wouldn’t be any problem at all. Maybe you could even help talk me out of buying things I really don’t need.
Only if you’ll do the same for me.