Musings

A Tough Season (not woodworking)

Last week as we were preparing to head south on our two-day drive to attend my mother’s memorial service, we received the word that Mrs. Barn’s father, who had been declining, had reached a precipitous state.  At first we thought she would deliver me and then jump on a plane immediately, but as events unfolded she was able to remain though the glorious celebration of her life and her Redeemer (a very moving homily on the 23rd Psalm) and then we delivered Mrs. Barn to the airport early Sunday morning.  (On top of all this my son-in-law’s grandmother is gravely ill as well.)

Yesterday I arrived back in Mordor, the epicenter of the nation tearing itself apart and The Imperial City currently an armed encampment, and this morning got the word that my father-in-law died late last night with Mrs. Barn at his bedside, holding his hand.  He was a man of astounding gifts and was literally a mechanical savant from his earliest years, when even then he was renowned as the boy who could repair farm machinery with no instruction.  That gift remained throughout his life as a mechanical engineer.  Several times I have witnessed him touching the casing of a malfunctioning machine or appliance and say, “Yeah, I know what the problem is.”  And he would fix it.  Based solely on the vibrations.  I am not kidding.

At the moment it appears I might be jumping on a plane soon myself if there is a scheduled celebration of his life (nothing is certain in the land of Commissar Newsom), and there are likely going to be considerable disruptions to life for the immediate future.  I will do my best to keep plugging away on all the projects I can accomplish with my compewder, and perhaps get some posts finished in advance.

Stay tuned.

Farewell, Richard.  Though parted for a time, we will see you again soon enough in Paradise.  Thanks Be To God, from Whom all blessings flow.