Michael A. Shelley S

Michael A. Shelley’s Ratte on a Sticke Octoberish, 2002

Probably the last one

On September 9 I was in Port Arthur, about alternated playing short pieces. There was two hours’ drive east of my home, working a enough time to play the Telemann due to the cutover in one of the local refineries. Amanda large turnout, and I’m glad I was able to do so called that afternoon to give me a message without much trouble. Catherine Langley, a from Laura Bourdo that Catie had been found mutual friend, said that it let her feel ‘more dead at a picnic table while out camping. connected’ than the spoken eulogies. The act of playing helped me accept what had Sorry if that sounds blunt. That’s how it was happened, and I hope it did the same for presented to me. others. I don’t remember the however-many stages of There was a light meal in the church gym grief as defined by Kubler-Ross, but I afterwards, where I talked briefly with family remember that they start with denial. I members and friends that Catie and I had in immediately disbelieved what I had heard, but common through recorder playing. (Our that quickly passed as Amanda told me what esteemed CM was there also, as I’m sure you she knew. My next reaction was to ask what all know by now.) was to become of Kelson, and to offer our help in whatever way we could. (He’s being looked Amanda had volunteered to provide food for after by a large network of family friends and the family that evening, so we went over to the church members.) house and talked a bit more with the family (mostly Catie’s sister Amy, her brother Bob, It was impossible for me to leave for home and her parents) and some friends. Amy until the following Friday, but fortunately I seemed especially interested in how people didn’t have to actually do very much work came to meet Catie and David, so I told her during this time. Within a couple of days, I’d what I could remember, and Amanda filled in agreed to play recorder at the memorial service details and added some recollections of her the following Saturday. Catie’s mother own. specifically requested the traditional Shaker hymn ‘Simple Gifts,’ which I don’t have Here’s what I remember of what I told her. I music for, but I figured I could work it out. started going to meetings of the Houston Amanda found a couple of arrangements Historical Instrument Society (HHIS, now online that helped me out, as I had no time to pretty much defunct) in about 1993. I’d started practice or look for music. playing recorder about eight years previously, but hadn’t found anyone else who played in Whenever Catie was asked to play something the area aside from a few people in the SCA. off-the-cuff, or at her mother’s church, she (Amanda and I were getting less involved in always played ‘Simple Gifts.’ After I returned the SCA at that time. We wanted some more home, I picked out an aria from a Telemann normal friends, although I can’t imagine why.) partita that I would play as a eulogy of my own, if given the opportunity. At one of the first meetings I attended, I mentioned that I was looking for a group to The service was on Saturday afternoon in Holy play with informally. Catie mentioned that Cross Lutheran Church, where I’d previously they could use another player – the group she played recorder on several occasions. (The was playing with consisted of Clara Estes, Sue most recent was this past St. Valentine’s Day.) Allen, and John Whitman, in addition to People closer to Catie than I was spoke for a herself. I’d have to drive upwards of 30 few minutes each, and I snuck up to the choir minutes to get to anyone else’s house, but that loft to play my bit during communion. Bruce was okay with me. Brogdon, who was near the altar, and I About a year or so later, I carpooled to the Texas Toot with Catie. Later I found out that Amanda was extremely jealous, as we’d only been married about two years at the time, and Amanda hadn’t yet met Catie. Soon after the Toot, we all got together for some reason and Amanda eventually got over her jealousy after meeting David and Kelson. By 1995 or so, we were getting together a few times a year to play Magic:The Gathering (otherwise known as crack for gamers, as it was the first really successful collectible card game), or go out to dinner, or see a movie, or a concert, or no reason at all. We never got to be as close to Catie and David as we would have liked, as they lived a fair distance away from us, and we both had fairly busy schedules. But we kept in touch, and would just call each other just to see what was going on. We were at Catie’s house for a party two weeks prior to her death. We ate, talked, met people who’se names I’ve forgotten, played boardgames, and even got in some recorder playing. We sounded lousy, but it didn’t matter because we were enjoying ourselves. She was excited about transferring to Houston Baptist University from the University of Houston, which was trying to make her into an opera singer. She had recently started lute lessons with Bruce Brogdon, and was looking forward to continuing. If I’d known what was going to happen, would I have done anything differently? Probably not. Maybe given her a hug when we left that night.