1. Debbie and I have been friends with Harold Lannom for many years. We were active together at St. Mary's Episcopal Church. We sang in a small choir, the St. Mary's Singers, under his direction. We used to go to Billy Mac's together. Harold moved to Corvallis several years ago. Today, Debbie and I drove to Corvallis to visit Harold in his apartment. Harold is 97 years old. He quit driving years ago. Harold lives on his own and has a solid group of friends and people he hires to help hm out. Two of those friends, Pam and Ron Leonard, were at his apartment today -- they, too, were active at St. Mary's and were St. Mary's Singers and we've known them for years.
Ron and Pam moved on the next phase of their day and Harold, Debbie, and I piled into the Camry and headed to the Block 15 brewery for some beer, lunch, and great conversation. I very much enjoyed Block 15's Mexican Lager and ordered a Ginger Sesame Salad. Harold, Debbie, and I reminisced about days in the past and told stories about our present lives. Harold seemed much the same as he did the last time he and I got together in November, 2015. Yes, he has a bit more difficulty getting around, yes, his eyesight is diminishing, but mentally he's sharp. His memories are clear and his thinking about all sorts of things ranging from politics to spirituality, is acute.
Harold also continues to write and self-publish poetry. After lunch, he invited us to return to his apartment. He gave us a copy of his last book of poems. Not only that, Harold thought highly of the way I read from the Old Testament back when I was a lector at St. Mary's and asked me to read a couple of his poems aloud to him. Debbie videotaped me reading for Harold and texted him the video clips so he can go back and listen again.
2. Debbie and I returned to Eugene and Debbie dropped me off at Perugino where I met up with Jeff, Margaret, and Michael. For many years, the four of us met about once a month for coffee at different places around Eugene and it's heartening, as well as fun, when we "get the band back together" on those rare occasions that I visit Eugene. Margaret, Michael, and Jeff continue to meet in my absence, so when I get to join them, I am stepping back into a stimulating and enriching routine that they've kept going, thank goodness, in my eight year absence.
As is always the case, our conversation was lively and wide-ranging. We talked about movies, books, music, Maureen Dowd and Shakespeare, Dowd's editorial in the NYTimes analyzing Will Smith, college basketball, and any number of other things.
Time flew.
Perugino's closes at five. We started our conversation around 3:15. I wasn't ready for it to end, but Debbie and I had another engagement this evening, so even if we could have stayed longer at Perugino's, I was up against another get together. (I think the others needed to get going, too.)
3. Michael gave me a lift to to 16 Tons where I enjoyed a couple 6 oz pours of a really good Hazy IPA, but I don't know its name. Debbie joined me for a short pour of an Imperial Stout.
I settled up and we headed to North Eugene for dinner at Herb and Francoise Pendleton's with Martha Moultry. Martha used to be the principal at Charlamagne where Debbie taught and where both of Herb and Francoise's boys went to elementary school.
Wow!
It was a lively night, featuring a filet mignon dinner and deeply involving conversations about the Eugene School District, Martha's tenure at Charlemagne, Debbie's experiences teaching in Greenbelt, MD, and a host of other topics.
I'm very grateful for how gracious Debbie, Martha, Herb, and Francoise are.
After dinner and after a day of intense conversation with Harold and with Margaret, Michael, and Jeff, I hit the wall and left the dinner table and relaxed, even fell asleep, on a recliner in the living room.
To be honest, I was done. My energy for conversation was depleted.
No one took offense. That I excused myself and rested for the last two or three hours of our visit was not a problem. I was awake for much of the conversation at the table and listened in attentively, but I was mostly silent and just blissfully worn out from having had a full and superb day.
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