he was a big , big man , with foxy-red hair and a bottle-red nose . beth picked up on the shift in my mood quickly . if she did n't cook up a good batch of chicken and dumplings , he 'd be turned off of the dish for the rest of his life . `` true , '' she agreed , not really believing it . and who knew what was happening to him out there ? `` where d 'ye think he is now ? '' 