Bill’s Dr. Pepper

Before Bill and I started seriously dating, when our friendship was just starting, another of our friends and I stopped by his apartment one day while he was still at work, probably just to use the restroom before going on to somewhere else. Although still in high school, Bill lived on his own. His parents had moved to Mesa, Arizona and he wanted to stay at the same high school until graduation. He already had a job at a cabinet-making shop.

I’d never seen a single guy’s apartment before. Just a mattress on the floor for sleeping and not much else . . . . Except that every floor and counter space was covered with empty Dr. Pepper cans! I think he must have waited to pick them up until there were enough to recycle.

Dr. Pepper is still one of his favorite drinks; I drew this 2 liter bottle this morning when he got some to drink before heading to church. (Our daughter Kristen takes after him in sometimes drinking carbonated beverages for breakfast, though her choice is Diet Coke.)

And this crazy-abundant year for wildflowers? Just this morning I found Indian Blanket and Texas Dandelion growing through the pavement where we parked for church! (Actually they were growing in decayed leaf matter — the city of Somerville never takes care of their roads.)