Yet Another Journal

Nostalgia, DVDs, old movies, television, OTR, fandom, good news and bad, picks, pans,
cute budgie stories, cute terrier stories, and anything else I can think of.


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» Sunday, June 05, 2005
The Unexpected
On Room by Room, Matt Fox and Shari Hiller are always talking about putting something "unexpected" in a room to draw interest.

Early in the afternoon, Mom got collected enough to say "Let's go for a ride," just as we always did on Sundays, so we did. I made a quick stop at Lowe's to get some Ortho (the ants are setting up condominiums on Mom's driveway).

I had intended to go out to Riverside, where I used to work, and perhaps out to where Crescent Park [amusement park] used to be; there's also a little area along the parkway which would have been a cooling place to park for a while and overlook the Providence River. But Cranston Street was blocked where they are demolishing the old trolley barn and there was a detour.

(I think it's a shame no one has ever been able to save this structure; they have been trying to do something with it for years. It was a sturdy, once-beautiful brick structure with clerestory windows and unexpected towers, made to last when it was built back in 1900. There have been various plans for it: shopping center, mixed business, loft apartments, etc., but none ever came to fruition. A fire several weeks ago ended any hope of salvage and now the once-majestic thing is being torn down. Sigh. For an ugly concrete-and-neon strip shopping center with a nail place, a Chinese restaurant, a Mexican restaurant, and a phone store, I'm sure.)

So we ended up on Route 10 and downtown, which I drove around for nostalgia's sake, although there's a big empty spot in my heart for the big empty space that was once the Outlet Company, and then I went up College Hill and past my old allergist's and Thayer Street, where I used to like to go to the Brown Book Store. I kept following the signs for I-195 and finally got on the freeway—but more east of the Riverside exit. So we were heading for Fall River despite my best efforts.

One thing I figure is that you shouldn't argue with God.

The moment you round the curve after Somerset and enter Fall River, the big green expanse of the Braga Bridge is straight ahead of you, with the city of Fall River spread out to the east. And sitting on the highest elevation with the green patina of its spires is St. Anne's Church. You couldn't miss it if you tried.

Inside it is as beautiful an old Catholic church that ever existed: wooden pews, ceiling that goes up to the sky, walls painted with murals of St. Anne and other Biblical scenes, statues of other saints (mostly French; it was started as a French church), a hugh pipe organ and choir loft, balconies, and several chapels in the rear, and warm with the scent of old wood, furniture polish, incense and wax candles. Even on hot summer days like today—it was 89°—with the front doors open it is always cool and peaceful. It was intensely comforting and Mom just loved it. We lit some candles, said some prayers, went to the lower church and prayed at the altar of St. Anne. Unfortunately there was no priest there, so we couldn't have a Mass said.

The nice times always end. We had Chinese for supper; it came up on me. It's hot and no thunderstorm in sight. Damn weather.