The Lord can work in mysterious ways.
My Mother in Law passed away this last weekend, it was a blessing. She had suffered from Alzheimer’s for many years. Great numbers of people have been gathering at our house for the last number of days as family came in from both coasts. I was very good and pretty much put the trains on hold concentrating my energies toward my wife’s families needs, plus trying to be a proper host. After the funeral, yesterday, everyone gathered at the house for a meal as is the tradition in this part of the country. Things were well planned and going well, until the priest arrived. Not the normal parish leader, but a substitute because our parish priest also had a death in his family. I greeted Father Ben as he came up the drive way and then he noticed the railroad tracks. All attention to the grieving was put aside as he explained he was also a model railroader and could he see more of the railroad. Showed him front, back, side yard and basement. We came up and got something to eat, filled our plates and went out on the back patio for the meal. Since we were the last ones in the line for food, the grandkids were already finished and playing in the backyard. Young Luke interrupted our polite conversation with wanting to play trains. I got him a Bachmann coach, coal hooper and box car down from the shelves in Fiddle (his normal powerless consist that he pushes around the track using the coach as a doodlebug). Father Ben kept watching the trains more than eating and when done Grandson Luke, 4, had derailed and needed some help. He wanted a diesel to pull his train. I was just being polite. Fired up the 44 tonner and showed Father Ben how to work the RCS controls. We worked our way from Fiddle through Red Bud, Pin Oak, Seaweed Junction, Sweetwater and over to Beagle Junction dropping off a few cars. At Beagle Junction we realized that many of the guests were beginning to leave and Father Ben also must leave to go visit some people at the hospital. But we both decided we couldn’t just leave the train out on the line, so we spent the next hour turning our consist and working back to Fiddle. By the time we tied up our train, most of the older guests were gone. A quick polite good bye was in order and though my Father In Law, his brother and all the other distant older relatives were gone, we had entertained the grandkids for about 2 hours and allowed the family to handle all the necessary small talk.
Father Ben says he will be back for the OPs Session in November, but there may be a little conflict because of the dates conflicting with All Saints Day. He said he would be working on a way to keep his obligations from conflicting with the OPs Session. 