Esquire Coffinberry's Great-Grand-Niece

Happy Hallowe'en!

Daughter's fifth-grade class is earning money for classroom activities, and as part of tonight's Harvest Festival is having a bake sale. Two goodies, packaged in a plastic bag, for Fifty Cents. She is bringing White-Chocolate-Topped Brownies. When I was a teen, my school did the same thing... we used our money to earn a trip over the mountains and through the woods to go to the Fair in Knoxville in the fall, and a roller-skating party in the spring. The bake sale has a long tradition in my family. Here, circa approximately 1961, is what my grandmother baked for: If baked goods aren't your cuppa tea, could I interest you in a coupon book in support of the Longmont High School Music Boosters? They're only $20.

Many folks, I would guess, are at least passing familiar with what it might mean to be a practicing Jewish mother (of a hundred-some years ago, maybe), if only because of the beautiful images of Sabbath preparation and ritual led by Golde in Fiddler on the Roof. What is not so known, I would guess, are the rhythms of life familiar to a Mormon woman, the harmonizing patterns small and great organizing and shaping life. Rhythms that come daily, like family prayer; weekly, like teaching in Primary; monthly, like fasting for the poor or worshipping in the temple; or twice annually, like joining brothers and sisters around the world in hearing the words of the prophets at general conference. Circles of life opening and closing with rituals marking the passage of time as children grow up and go on missions and start their own families. I find myself in a strange place in life, at the moment; one that I find hard to articulate. My rhythms of life continue, with defining central meaning to me...

In a move not unlike that contemplated by the founding fathers in the unamended Constitution, the elementary school slotted the second-place vote-getter as Vice President. So, Daughter is thrilled to be veep to her very best friend, who is the student body president. Oh, and I passed the Colorado Bar. And Kelly & Company--THANKS for dropping by (and for the root beer). Mr. Coffinberry met me at work to take me out for Sushi to celebrate, then we got the kids and took them out for ice cream. But I am so sorry we missed you! Let's have you and yours over soon to celebrate.

I found this picture on facebook, and poached it for my blog. I guess somebody is deep in thought, out there at college. He asked for a sweatshirt the other day... I said, can't you get one out there, like with your college logo or something? Oh, no mom, he told me, that would take money, and money is scarce. Go figure. So I got him a $10 fleece pull-over from Wal-mart, to keep him warm on the 1 1/2 mile hike to campus. Meanwhile, got an email from the missionary son. He got the copy of the Colorado Bluebook I sent last week (he got our only copy, the rest of us have to use the internet to figure out our vote). His first question: Why do we have so many constitutional amendments on the ballot? A good question, indeed. Maybe Professor Collins would like to use that for a final exam question for this year's iteration of Local Government . And speaking of voting, the student body president vote isn't until tomorrow. Speaking of tomorrow... bar exam results could be released as...