Rumor Laid To Rest

So yesterday I called the chiropractor's office to see which foot of Matt's needs an insert in the shoe since he's back on his feet, sacking seed, and needs to know and it's been so long that he got out of the habit of using it.

So I left a message and, soon after, the phone rang. "Hello, this is 'Elonna'." Oh, ok, must be Elona Ketcham from the Shoppe of Shalom, otherwise known as the Mennonite Store. But she went on, "I'm calling from Dr. Ruckman's office and I got your message, and it's the left foot."

She then went on to ask how I was doing and just chitchatted like an old friend. I was thoroughly confused. How many women are there with names pronounced "Elonna"?? But WHAT would Elona K. be doing calling from the doctor's office? To my knowledge the only place she works is the store.

But there she was, chatting like she knew me. I don't do well with shifting contexts, like if you'd be in an airport overseas and see your neighbor lady. Wait, is that really her? But it looks just like her. But WHAT would she be doing here?

But whoever this woman on the phone was, she was asking me what I'm doing on the Fourth of July. I tried to act nonchalant and normal despite my confusion. "I think I'll have Amy take the kids to the parade and then we'll all go hear the Knox Brothers and watch the fireworks."

And she said, "So is it true what I heard, that this is the last year the Knox Brothers are singing at the gazebo, or maybe the second-to-last year, and they're going to be disbanding?"

Oh dear, I had heard nothing of the sort.

We ended the conversation with me still confused about who I had been speaking to. And at the supper table I broached this very important topic: Were the Knox Brothers disbanding? I found this alarming, feeling like I had never appreciated them as I ought, or gone to their concerts (besides the 4th of July ones), the way we Oregon people don't go to Crater Lake.

No one knew. "Ask Grandma, she'll know," someone said, but if she didn't know it could just fan the flames of rumor even more.

Wait, you don't know who the Knox Brothers are? Shocking.

Ok, they are these six brothers who grew up in this very house and their mom was Paul's grandpa's half sister. They have been singing together for many years and if you knew what you ought to know about Gospel music, you would know who the Knox Brothers are. Especially if you're over 40.

Half of them live just down the road from us, and every year they sing in the gazebo on the riverfront in Harrisburg on July 4th while we all wait for the fireworks, which is a lovely summer ritual.

This evening I sat by EG who knows everything about Gospel music. " Are the Knox Brothers disbanding?" I asked.

"No!" she said emphatically. "There's this crazy rumor out there because they're not doing the one Gospel music festival any more, and next month there's a big 40th anniversary celebration for them. But they're still singing like they always have and there's no sign of them quitting."

What a relief. I really need to actually take in one of their concerts sometime, just in case they actually do retire. And I should go see Crater Lake again sometime, just in case they drain it or something.

And now you know that that rumor isn't true.

Quote of the Day:
"Excuses, excuses, you hear them every day. . . "
--a song the Knox Brothers sang this evening, by special request, for someone's 11th anniversary. Not sure we want to know the reason this was requested.