FEBRUARY 2005 I had to come up with another good plan to deliver those BLACK BOWLS back to mom.  So I thought and thought and thought about it and it hit me!   A song!  The only song that came to my mind was “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot”.  So I came up with a BLACK BOWL version of the song.  BLACK BOWLS version of SWING LOW, SWEET CHARIOT Chorus: Swing low, sweet chariot BLACK BOWLS for her to carry home Swing low, sweet chariot BLACK BOWLS for her to carry home I looked over at the Larry and Erv and what did I see? BLACK BOWLS for her to carry home Joanie’s deliverer cumin' after me BLACK BOWLS for her to carry home Repeat Chorus If you get to my mom before I do BLACK BOWLS for her to carry home Just tell her that I love her too BLACK BOWLS for her to carry home Repeat Chorus I shot off an email to the pastor of her church, Pastor Jeff, asking for his help in delivering the BLACK BOWLS to mom.  He replied saying he would be happy to help.  The Sunday before Valentine’s Day, during the offering, the offering plate came thru the row my Mom was sitting in.  Then one BLACK BOWL came thru, then Erv came up behind Mom to hand her the other 3 BLACK BOWLS.  You will love my Mom’s expression in this picture!!  Then Joel, who was the worship leader, came down to greet my mom with a heart shape box of candy and explained the BLACK BOWL saga to everyone in attendance.  Mom called me to say that she was totally surprised and said “Just you wait!!”  I did!     Black Bowls Saga by Joan Cook   2005 Continued   MARCH 2005 Shortly after Rod and I had accepted a dinner offer from some friends that live near us, Mom had emailed Ray. Hi Ray, this is Joan’s mother.  I understand that you would like to make a delivery on the Black Bowls and that you know all about the story. I have this idea……. That I would send them to you and you can plan a surprise on Joan with the Black Bowls for April Fool's Day.  You can do it any way you wish and but come up with something clever. - Rowena Ray had told Mom that he already had plans with us to attend a dinner party at his home and he would deliver the BLACK BOWLS then.  Ray did not waste any time in thinking up a clever way to deliver them back to me.  When we attended Ray and Lynn’s dinner party, another friend of ours by the name of Bob attended as well and he was secretly included in Ray’s plan of delivery.  While we were eating appetizers, Bob came up to me with such a sincere look and told Rod and I that he had a present for us.  I could not imagine what kind deed I ever did for him to justify such a gift.  I guess I am gullible!!   Then I noticed everyone looking at me and I looked at the size of the pretty wrapped box.  Yup!   It was the perfect size for BLACK BOWLS!   I looked at him and asked him if it was the BLACK BOWLS?  Everyone encouraged me to open the package.  I hesitantly opened it and just as I had suspected, BLACK BOWLS with Easter M&Ms (my favorite).  We laughed and I got everyone to spill the story out.  My mom had sent the package out the previous Monday and it took longer than expected to be delivered.  Saturday, Ray found out the box had finally arrived the day of the dinner party and had to run into town 18 miles away to pick up the package.  He called me up to delay our arrival time for the dinner party by one hour and gave me some sob story.  When Bob arrived at his house for the dinner party, Ray pulled him aside and asked him to join in his scheme of BLACK BOWL delivery.  Of course, Bob jumped at the chance.  Ray put his camera on top of stacked crackers and set the camera on timer so he could join the picture.  While Ray was downloading the pictures onto his computer, he said he needed to let my Mom know that the BLACK BOWLS arrived and have been delivered.  Then he stopped!   He asked me what my next plan of delivery was??  How was I to know?  I just got the BLACK BOWLS back!!  You could just hear the gears grinding inside of Ray’s head and he shouts “I HAVE A PLAN”!  He said, “Let’s not tell your Mom that the BLACK BOWLS arrived and you can send them to her for April Fool’s Day (6 days later)”.  We all agreed that it was a good plan indeed!! I wrapped the box with the newspaper comics and wrote “April Fools” in highlighter pen all over it.  Then I added a note inside with a BIG “APRIL FOOLS!” and then slipped it into a bigger box.   I checked UPS online to see what day I should send the package so it would arrive right on April Fool’s Day!!  I had told my sister about my plan, Peggy (she loves playing the secret coordinator between my mom and me) and she laughed.  Three days after the dinner party, Ray got an email from my Mom. I assume the package didn't get there in time for Sat. evening dinner.  Hope it is there by now.   If you had been able to deliver it as planned, I would have heard about it by now. Ha Ha. - Rowena Ray emails my Mom back: The package did not arrive on time.  I’m hoping it is there tomorrow or the next day.  I did not go to the post office after I didn't see it in time for the party.  I'll let you know when I get it. - Ray  :0) When my sister got home from work on April 1, she noticed the package on Mom’s doorstep, she called my Mom about it.  My sister told my Mom that she thought she saw the UPS truck leave and wondered if you had a package.   When Mom found the package by her front door, she noticed the package was from me.  She said “It can’t be the BLACK BOWLS, because Joanie is suppose to getting the BLACK BOWLS today.”   APRIL FOOL!!!     MAY 2005 IRod’s uncle was having a reunion in the Denver area with his World War II Navy buddies and had extended the invitation to families to join the reunion events.  Rod’s parents drove down from Montana a few days earlier to visit with us before joining the events of the reunion.  We had scheduled one night to have dinner with family members from out of state and we were having fun catching up with each other’s news.  When the waitress brought us our drinks, she placed some BLACK BOWLS in front of me on the table.  When I saw those BLACK BOWLS, I suddenly realized that these were my BLACK BOWLS.  I sat there looking around trying to figure out the culprit.  Since Rod’s cousin, Kathy, was taking pictures, at first I thought it was Kathy was the BLACK BOWLS deliverer and then Rod’s mom, Anita, confessed to be the guilty one.  Mom had added stickers of Volkswagens with clouds of fumes coming out the exhaust along with some wording.  Such as:   Oh!!  Say can you see the BLACK BOWLS are here again………..WHOOPIE!!!! By the dawn’s early light, Joan and Rod are on their way home from Victorian Dancing! FatCat awaits their return. WOW….It’s time to celebrate Joan and Rod’s 31^st Anniversary!!! My Mom had made arrangements with Anita by email and had sent the BLACK BOWLS to her in Montana prior to their trip to Colorado.  I was aghast to learn that those BLACK BOWLS were in my house prior to delivery.  I have given everyone in our family notice, that in the future all suitcases will be subject for search for BLACK BOWLS prior to entering our home!!!  Peggy died laughing when I told her that, because next month her family will be coming out for a visit.  Have those suitcases open and ready for BLACK BOWLS searches!!