I began my reading of Mitford here. Then read another 4 chapters here.
So, let’s dive into chapter 9 and see who we meet. Harold asked for Emma’s hand in marriage – very suitable. Then Olivia delivered her sad news and found a purpose for her final days. I assume Miss Sadie’s insurance questions got handled. That night we meet Cynthia, because Barnabas has chased her cat up a tree, not the best introduction but things are still looking good.
She comes to borrow sugar the next day and the visit is great but disastrous as well. At least it’s honest. And now Dooley has been in some fight at school. Now the mayor has called and put him in charge of officating next summer’s Festival of Roses.
Ah ha! Here is my favorite quote from KJV Psalm 68:19 Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. The NIV version is quite different: Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.
Both are wonderful, and bearing our burdens is a great benefit, but they just seem so different.
On with the book, we have a mystery of the disappearing sandwich and wine. Now death and birth come closely together. Time for Uncle Billy’s art show. The art show was a hit! More food missing from the church kitchen. And Cynthia cooks as well as I do. I too tend to walk away and find something else to do for “just a minute” which doesn’t work well with timed cooking.
Oh, we’re worried about Hoppy, he seems to be finding happiness with Olivia, but we know she’s dying and we don’t want Hoppy to be hurt again.
I’m back, I made up a small salad to eat.
Well, mystery at the church is growing. Now Father Tim has found real jewels hidden in one of the urns in the columbarium closet (guess that explains the ashes in the garden earlier). Then he had a strange encounter with a traveling business man who had stopped in at the church. Now Father Tim has the jewels and his lackluster sermons bothering him.
He spoke with Olivia and her illness and Hoppy. Now he has to tell Hoppy after Christmas. And we learned a bit more about Dooley’s mother and siblings. Dooley’s grandfather has pneumonia and is in the hospital, so Dooley is staying with Father Tim for Christmas.
And now Dooley got his new bicycle for Christmas and has run away! And his mother’s trailer is moved so we can’t find him.
Ah, Dooley is back. And the jewels are gone from the urn. And Hoppy knows about Olivia.
This has been a very busy 4 chapters. Time to get a few things done so the next 4 will have to wait till another day.
