Sunday

When I called Mama and Daddy this morning, as I do every Sunday, Mama was out getting the fried chicken for the church potluck and Daddy was asleep. I woke him up long enough to tell him that I was just checking in. We were getting ready to eat breakfast and head out for the day. He said he had told me everything he knew when he said, "Hi", so I let him go back to sleep.

We went to the Black River Falls Labor Day Pow Wow, and it was an interesting experience. Besides the druming, singing and dancing, there were a few traditional ceremonies that were more than performances for the public. One young man had just completed boot camp and is preparing to go to Iraq. He was honored in several ways for carrying on the warrior tradition of his people, and other tribal members serving were mentioned by name. There were a lot of veterans and they had a big role in the program. They have a Memorial Day Pow Wow, too, and one could have thought this was it.

It was particularly fun to watch the little children participate in the dancing. Very small ones -- two years old at the most -- with their parents, teenagers, adults and even elders. There was one group of elderly ladies, each more serious looking than the next, that Tom called the Hyde Park Matrons.

From there we stopped at an "all-town" flea market in Hatfield. The population sign at the edge of town said "Hatfield, Summer 5,000; Winter 50". That tells the whole story.

Back home to let Buddy the Dog out, eat Tom's stir fry and an unplanned viewing of the Sound of Music on the television. I was clicking through the channels before dinner and came across it. Then after we ate, Michelangelo wanted to watch "just a little", but we wound up watching the whole thing. I suppose I first saw it in Houston over forty years ago...