Railroad Time

Good God, it’s supposed to get up to 90 degrees today.  HA.  So much for the last of my peonies—the poor things feel like I do about 90 degree weather.  I know it will make my zinnia and cosmo seeds happy though—and my morning glories and moonflowers will feel at home.  Ah well.  We do live in the central Illinois, what do I expect?

Poor Leo inherited my inability to function well in high heat.  He gets the same pink cheeks and slightly pained and wounded expression as I do when it gets over 85 degrees.  He’ll be spending much of his time this summer in the basement anyway.  That’s right—-the Lionel train is finally making its way down to the basement.  He and his father have been working on it the last few days and lately whenever I bellow "Leo, where are you?" I hear the shadowy distant response wafting up through the heater vents "I’m in the basement working on my trains…" He has been cutting out green paper and yellow paper, to approximate grass and sand, and placing them in the appropriate places.  Of course we need more tables too…and more track…and more crossings….and….and….and….

I realize that we are responding to Leo’s love of trains just as my parents did to my love of antiques.   When I was twelve I bought an antique glass salt dish for one dollar—the beginning of my collection.  Well, let’s just say that within months the salt dishes weren’t costing anywhere near a dollar.  My parents always antiqued above their means.  Now I realize we are in over our heads with trains…..but you know, it makes Leo SO happy….not just happy either, but so purposeful.  It’s wonderful to see.  When we are Third Sunday Leo stopped in a booth that had some train sets and various model railroad cars and engines.  As he stood there giving me a lecture in which gauge and which railroad line each piece was, a woman next to me stared at him in amazement.  She looked at me and said in wonderment, "he knows so much about trains."  I told her that yes, we were all about trains at our house.  She shook her head as she listened to him and then asked, "are all the kids into trains these days?"  I just shook my head no.

We’ll see where Owen’s obsessions land, toy firetrucks might be cheaper than guitars and drumkits…  Whatever it is I’m sure we’ll spend what we don’t have…..