Of Cards and RosesKisses and Catastrophes
JUST AS WE’D FIGURED, with the funeral behind them, our esteemed relatives slipped back into their secure niches, a bit sobered but not inclined to learn from it. The whole idea of a party was met mostly with apathy. The inevitable, “Too much to do, sorry! Can’t fit it in this year!” A first, “No one ever gave us a party!”
Then there was the gentle brush off given in regretful accents: “Oh, if only it could have been for the week before . . . or after!” Not to mention the “If you’ve got something to do with this party, Joleigh-Anna, I don’t know—something’s bound to go wrong!”
And that was only from those who bothered to respond at all. Turdy and Aunt Dorene were among those who didn’t bother. Life didn’t allow for time to reflect on changes or
