I am groovin' with the man in black

And so it is Friday…

Friday in Fosterville with no internet or telephone. Rachel’s life has been ruined and she thinks she’s going to die. So sad! Apparently the pioneers never had it this tough. I mean, how could they know how hard it was when it didn’t exist. If you never HAD FaceBook you would never miss it right? So really, she has it MUCH tougher! Oh well, apparently there has been a malfunction in New Brunswick with Bell Aliant and so for the past few days phone and internet connectivity has been sporadic – today non existent.

Earlier this week, although the coffee shop was closed a man walked in and asked for my help. I told him I wasn’t serving coffee that day and I had no baking or eggs available. He handed me a CD and asked me to record him some Johnny Cash music, specifically, “Bud on Bud” or “Brother on Brother”… because Johnny had a brother you know. I told him, yes, I had heard that, but did not think there was a song called that although I was not all that familiar with much Johnny Cash music.

As he sat there, holding his CD and offering to pay me to download some music and record it for him, we went through the library of Cash music. He said he would wait while I did the work for him, however, after having waited for about ten minutes, he started to get antsy. (Did I mention he was drunk and smelled like an old brewery, had left his car running with “mother” and the dog in the car?) He then mentioned he was going up the hill to see a neighbour who also liked to drink and I realized he was going to go into withdrawal or pass out if he didn’t get a beer or some thing soon. (I did hear that he went to a few other neighbour's houses as well, but I am the only one who got cash for Cash!)

The upside is, I now have a Johnny Cash CD filled with music as well as the $5 he paid me and he never, ever, showed up again! So, now as we sit here on a Friday night without phone or internet, I am writing on a Word doc (yes Rachel, the computer can be used without internet!) and listening to Johnny “Walk the Line” in a “Ring of Fire”. This allowed for a lovely chat about how poor people used to have their kids work and drop out of school to help support the family…. AND my kids should be grateful for what they have even WITHOUT Bell Aliant working properly.

I have to give Rachel credit she spent the day helping Anita paint her house so they can get their move in process and Len and I went over and helped out tonight. While we were gone Rachel cleaned the kitchen and did the dishes. Hmmm, maybe she is getting the pioneer thing! If we still have no Bell tomorrow maybe she will weed the garden and make some jam!

Earlier tonight in the midst of frustration I blurted out “Oh, WHY did I EVER have children???” and Jessica, the object of my frustration at the moment replied, “Well, because YOU and daddy, ‘did it’.” That pretty much ended that conversation!

So now, I am listening to John and June Carter Cash sing “Jackson” and changing the words to “Houlton” our local US town. The girls have done the dishes, Len has come in for the night and I think I will read a book until I fall asleep, because as John and June say “Time’s a wastin’!”

And looky here! My man just walked up to me all dressed in black to attend the Harvest Dinner at the community centre, so I better go on out with my black dude!