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On Being a Grandma

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Scan_20150909Today is my granddaughter, Brenna’s birthday–she’s eighteen years old–Yikes! It seems like only yesterday that we were meeting her for the first time when we took her brother, Christopher to the hospital.

Christopher, who was two and a half, was anxious to get to the hospital,  but his first few moments with Brenna showed he had some doubts about this new family member.

Being a grandmother has been the source of some of my greatest joys in life. Before Christopher was born, I was given a book entitled “Funny, You Don’t Look Like a Grandmother.” It is a fun and engaging book and I related to it very well. The first chapter is about naming grandmother. The author points out that you won’t get to name the baby, but you will be able to choose what the baby calls you.  At first consideration, it doesn’t seem that important, but to someone used to calling an old person grandma, it is cause for concern.  I wasn’t sure how I would feel about being called grandma, but I didn’t especially like any of the alternatives either.  Of course, it would be some time before that would actually be a concern. And what I learned is  you don’t name yourself, your grandchild decides what you will be called.  At first Chris called me “Ama.” Because my niece still calls my mother “Bema,” I figured that would be my name from then on. But by the time Brenna was old enough to talk, I was Grandma and my husband was Papa. We have carried those titles proudly ever since.

I have cherished every moment I have been fortunate to spend with my grandchildren, and look forward to any time I have with them.  When my grandchildren are staying with us, I put everything else aside and spend my time with them.  That time is too precious to waste on housework or other chores that can wait. There are better things to do, like hide and seek, or dress-up. I had a box full of bead necklaces. One of our favorite things to do was to hang them from the ceiling fan. Then we would turn on the fan and hide under a blanket while the beads flew around the room. It was great fun!

At one of their birthday parties, as they opened gift after gift, I came up with a idea. For the next birthday, we would spend a day with that grandchild. At first it was a day–a trip to the Phoenix Zoo, or a movie. Eventually, it grew into a short trip. We traveled to Tucson to see Kartchner Caverns and Old Tucson. We even hiked to the bottom of Havasupai Canyon. The gifts we have given them are long gone–broken, out grown. But the memories of the times we’ve spent with our grandchildren will be with them forever.

I want to close with a poem from “Funny You Don’t Look Like a Grandmother.”

 

Inheritance

 

China cupboards filled with cups of memories,

A piano’s tune that sang its note before me,

Secret drawers that hold my parent’s past,

All these are here for me to see

And so piece together what has gone before

To understand the people who once walked these halls.

 

For in the home my grandmother created,

I find the beginnings of the love I have inherited.

 

 

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A Rocky Start: Chapter Eleven

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Chapter Eleven

 

The senior center was buzzing with activity when the Happy Helpers arrived. The Easter luncheon was one of the big events held at the senior center every year. Mrs. Snow was there, directing the volunteers. When she spotted the girls, she waved them over to where she was.

“We have to get these favors on the tables at each place.” She handed a boxful to each girl. They were tiny straw hats decorated with flowers and birds attached to tiny hat racks with even more flowers and birds.

“These are really cute,” Melissa said. “The ladies at our church made them.”

“That’s right,” Mrs. Snow responded. “They brought them here this morning. Now we need to get them on the tables.”

Amber noticed some of the ladies from the Community Church arranging larger hat decorations in the center of each table. Some other ladies were setting up the buffet tables and placing hat decorations there as well.

“The theme is ‘Hats Off to Spring,’” Mrs. Snow seemed to read Amber’s mind. “Wait until the other seniors start arriving. You’re going to see some crazy hats today.”

The Happy Helpers took their boxes of favors and started putting them out at each place. When they were finished, Mrs. Snow gave them boxes of silverware wrapped in pastel-colored napkins, each tied with a pink, green, or yellow ribbon. Plates had been placed at the beginning of the buffet line, and the glasses were on the beverage table.

“You did a lovely job,” Mrs. Snow said, surveying the room. “I knew my faith in you wasn’t misplaced.”

“Is there anything else we can do?” Laura asked.

“Would you like to be greeters at the door?” Mrs. Snow suggested.

“That sounds like fun,” Melissa said with enthusiasm.

“Yeah,” added Amber. “Then we can check out the crazy hats you mentioned.”

Mrs. Snow positioned the girls at the front door and handed them some programs to give out to each guest. The first couple through the door was Hank and Clarisse Anderson. Clarisse was wearing a fancy red hat with tiny roses and feathers around the brim. When Melissa told her how beautiful it was, Clarisse said that it was called the Titanic.

“It cost about as much as the Titanic,” Hank added. Clarisse shot him a dirty look.

“I see you have your video camera out already,” Amber said. “Are you going to make a movie of the Easter luncheon?”

“I want to catch everyone when they arrive in their hats,” Hank said.

“You have a nice hat,” Laura commented. “It looks like something from the Titanic movie too.” Hank wore a brown felt hat with creases in the front.

“It’s a fedora,” Hank said proudly.

“It’s a Stetson,” Clarisse added. “And it cost as much as mine.”

Gus was the next to arrive. The girls tried not to chuckle when they saw his hat. It was a black visor with black and gray hair sticking out of the top. This was especially funny since the girls knew that Gus had no hair at all underneath the hat.

“Like my hat?” Gus asked.

“It’s really you!” Melissa giggled.

“If there are prizes for the best hats,” Amber added, “you’ll win for sure.”

“Maybe the goofiest,” Melissa whispered to Amber.

Doris Duncan came in using a walker. Her hat was made of straw and was decorated with beautiful fresh flowers. Betty Jenkins wore a gray cowboy hat with a decorative band and black feather.

Once all the seniors were seated in the lunchroom, Mrs. Snow told the Happy Helpers to go to the kitchen. Bob Stone was there getting the food ready. Three Handy Guys were seated at the table, but when the girls came in, they stood up.

“What are you doing?” Amber asked.

“What do you mean?” Spike asked suspiciously. “We’ve been coming here to help before you even knew this place existed.”

“She didn’t mean anything,” Logan defended her. “She just asked what we were doing. We’re going to help serve the food, and then we’re going to help clean up.”

“Okay,” Bob said. “The food’s ready. Everybody grab a dish and take it out to the buffet tables.”

The girls didn’t wait to ask if he meant them. They followed the guys to the waiting dishes and helped move the food to the buffet tables. As soon as the food was set up, Walt Collins walked to the microphone. After welcoming everyone to the luncheon, he called on Pastor Evans from the Community Church to give the blessing. Then he instructed the guests at the first table to begin getting their food. Laura offered to help Doris Duncan since it was difficult to fill her plate while using her walker. Laura carried the plate for Doris as they made their way around the buffet tables.

When all the guests were seated and eating their lunches, Bob told the kids to grab a plate and get some food. Then they could eat in the kitchen. A buzzing sound coming from the lunchroom told Amber that Walt was speaking at the microphone again.

“Maybe they’re giving out the awards for the best hats,” she said.

The kids stood in the open doorway to watch as one by one, guests were called up to receive their awards.

Doris Duncan was awarded the “most decorative.” There was an award for most comical, but it didn’t go to Gus. There were three other men at the luncheon who had hats like his. That award went to a man wearing a pink flying pig hat. It had wings that he could raise and lower using the attached sticks.

“Well, Dave, I said you’d beat me at something when pigs can fly.” Gus laughed. Dave moved the sticks up and down to make the pig flap its wings. The entire lunchroom burst into laughter.

“Most original” went to a lady who had made a hat out of light-green felt. It looked like she was wearing a cabbage on her head. The girls were sure that Clarisse would win the “most stylish” category, but she was outdone by another woman who had a black hat with even more roses and feathers.

As the guests were leaving, the girls began clearing the tables. The Three Handy Guys went into the kitchen to get ready to wash everything as the dishes were being brought in. Chris rinsed the dishes while Spike loaded the dishwasher. Logan helped Bob with the leftover food.

Just as they were finishing, Walt came into the kitchen.

“I want to thank you for all of your help,” he said. “I don’t know what we would have done without you.”

“It was fun,” Amber said, and everyone nodded in agreement.

“I’d like you to have these gift cards,” Walt continued. “It’s the least we can do to say thanks.” With that, he handed each one of them a five-dollar card to McDonald’s.

“Wow,” Spike said. “Thanks a lot. This will come in handy.”

“Thanks,” everyone said.

The Handy Helpers book series is available at Amazon

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Looking Forward To Fall

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rosemaryHaving spent the summer battling the weeds on my two-and-a-half acres of land, I must admit that I can hardly wait for fall. Yanking out weeds as tall as I am by the roots is a task that gets old quick. To make matters worse, our lawn tractor seemed to be on the fritz more often than it was operational.

Maybe because I grew up in Phoenix, or maybe because much of Chino Valley seems to be various shades of brown, I do have a small lawn that I try to cultivate. In my on-going efforts to get the grass green and the weeds gone, I purchased something that I thought would feed the grass and kill the weeds. Apparently,  I bought the stuff that kills the lawn and feeds the weeds. You’ve never seen a healthier crop of dandelions in your life than I have growing happily in my lawn. My lawn, in spite of all my efforts, has some patches of green in among the brown and bare spots.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, or so they say. With that in mind, I’ve decided to look upon the dandelion as a beautiful flower and just let nature have its way with my lawn for what little remains of the summer.

Here is a poem that expresses my newfound feelings.

                                        THE KING OF THE WEEDS

                                                             by Rosemary Heddens

                    The other weeds hide deep in the lawn,

                    Bending and twisting, too fearful to be seen.

                    But the king of the weeds stands straight and tall,

                    Bearing his golden crown high above the blades of grass.

                    “You are just a weed,” he is told.                       

                    To this he shakes his head,

                    Spreading his seeds across the earth,

                    Knowing that he is more than just a weed,

                    He is a dandy lion!   IMG_0924

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A Rocky Start: Chapter Ten Continued

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Shopping opportunities were somewhat limited in the town of Bluesky. For a quest like this one, Mary and Amber had to drive into Marshallville. For really serious shopping, like Christmas shopping, they might even drive to Phoenix. But they were sure that one of the shops in Marshallville would have exactly what they wanted.

The road from Bluesky to Marshallville winds through open grassland before climbing up into the mountains. Around curve after curve, mountaintops covered with tall ponderosa pines come into view. Approaching Marshallville from the east, it seems to appear suddenly among the mountains, as though it sprang from the pages of a pop-up picture book. It is a city with a long history and a colorful past.

Mary drove past quaint neighborhoods with beautiful old homes built in the Victorian style. The streets were lined with tall elm trees, the branches seeming to hold hands high above the pavement. Victorian streetlights completed the allusion of traveling backward in time. Mary found a parking space along a side street in the downtown section of Marshallville. From there, she and Amber could explore the many small shops. Redbrick storefronts reminiscent of the early twentieth century lined both sides of the streets. One called Lavender and Old Lace was their favorite. Inside, they found some beautiful dresses. Mary quickly chose a flowered dress she liked for herself. It had a fitted waist and a full skirt. A matching hat completed her outfit. Then they looked around for a dress for Amber. She turned up her nose at the ruffled pink dress her mother held up.

“Yuck.” She shook her head. “I haven’t worn dresses like that since I was four.”

“What are you looking for?” Mary asked after they left the third store with no success.

“Something with no ruffles, lace, or bows,” Amber said. “Maybe a simple skirt and a nice top.”

“I know just the place,” Mary said excitedly. “I think you’ll find the perfect outfit there.”

Back to the car, Mary drove them across town to a small shopping mall where a tiny dress shop advertised fashions for teens and preteens. Amber gave a loud sigh of relief.

“I should be able to find something here,” she said with enthusiasm. “This place is new. How did you find out about it?”

“I sold them insurance a few weeks ago,” Mary said. “I had forgotten all about it.”

Several other mother-daughter teams were moving around the store from rack to rack, exploring the stylish choices. After trying on several outfits, Amber selected a black-and-white skirt that she matched with a short black jacket and white top. The skirt was a little shorter than Mary was comfortable with, but she changed her mind when the saleslady suggested tights to wear under it.

Now that Amber was satisfied with her Easter outfit, it was time for lunch.

“What kind of food would you like?” Mary asked.

“Mexican, of course,” was Amber’s answer.

Mary drove them to Amber’s favorite restaurant, Angelina’s Mexican Food. After being seated by the hostess, they studied their menus.

“You always order the same thing,” Mary said. “Are you thinking of trying something new?”

“I was thinking about it,” Amber said. But when the server came, she ordered her usual green chili burro with sour cream and guacamole on the side.

“I’m really proud of you and your friends,” Mary said as they waited for their food. “You’re sticking with this Happy Helper idea. I wasn’t too sure about it when you started, but I can see how important it is to you.”

“It is, Mom,” Amber said excitedly. “I like helping. It makes me feel good inside. But I also like spending time with the seniors. They know a lot of things, and they have lots of patience with us.”

“They probably miss their grandchildren,” Mary added. “You and your friends are sort of filling in for them in a way.”

“That’s true,” Amber agreed. “But it works the other way too.”

“What do you mean?”           “Well, Melissa’s grandmother lives with her family, but the rest of us don’t get to see our grandparents very often. Betty talks to me just like Grandma Snyder does. I really like that.”

“That’s a keen observation,” Mary said. “Obviously, you’ve thought about this quite a bit.”

“The seniors are a lot of fun,” Amber continued. “Take Gus for example. He tells these corny jokes and pops out his teeth.”

“What do you mean ‘he pops out his teeth’?”

“He has these false teeth on the bottom, and sometimes he pops them out. They’re just sitting there on his bottom lip. It’s the funniest thing I’ve ever seen.”

“He sounds like a real character.” Mary laughed.

“Oh, he is,” Amber agreed. “But he is a really nice guy.”

 

Back at home, Amber and her mom put on their new Easter outfits and gave a fashion show for Kyle and John. Mary strutted across the living room like a model while her husband whistled and clapped.

“Way to go, Mom,” Kyle called out. “You’ve still got the stuff.”

“Thanks,” Mary said. “I think.”

When it was Amber’s turn, she walked casually across the living room, looking at her shoes.

“Come on,” her dad called out. “Show us your model pose.”

Amber stopped and put one foot in front of the other, hands at her side as she had seen models do.

“That’s my girl,” her dad said with pride.

The Handy Helpers book series is available at Amazon

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The Clawson Sisters

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IMG_0474 (2)Spike meets the Clawson sisters in book three, when he goes with Gus to handle a little plumbing problem the ladies are having. In book four, not only are the Clawson sister back, but you’ll know the whole story–how they came to live in the elegant Victorian home in the middle of Bluesky. But it’s not just their story, it’s the story of how the town of Bluesky came to be.

Here is Spike’s encounter with the Clawson sisters from Red, While, and . . . Bloopers.

“I hope you don’t mind if we make a stop on the way home,” Gus said. “The Clawson sisters are having a little plumbing problem.”

“The Clawson sisters?”

“Rose, Violet, and Daisy,” Gus said with a grin. “Some people call them the Flower Girls .”

“I can see why. Their parents must love flowers.”

“Yes, they did. Rose was married, but her husband died several years ago. Now the three ladies live together. Violet and Daisy are what we used to call old maids.”

Gus pulled up in front of a gray Victorian-style house with a peaked roof and gingerbread trim. It had a huge porch that went across the front of the house and wrapped around to the side. Rose bushes grew along the white picket fence and beds of daisies, bachelor buttons, and zinnias lined the walkway.

“Wow!” Spike exclaimed. “I guess they really do like flowers!”

Violet Clawson answered the door. She was wearing a bright fuchsia dress with a strand of pearls around her neck. The flower motif continued inside the house—pink mums on the wallpaper, vases full of flowers on every table, and even flowered floor coverings. Her sisters quickly joined her in the living room. “Good afternoon, ladies,” Gus said. “This is my friend, Michael.”

“Thank you so much for coming.” Rose invited them in. “We are having a slight problem in the upstairs bathroom.”

“Daisy dropped her teeth in the toilet,” Violet whispered to Spike.

“I’ll be right back,” Gus said as Rose led him away up the stairs.

Spike stood near the door while Daisy fussed with the vase of flowers on the coffee table. She hadn’t said a word since Gus and Spike arrived.

“She won’t talk without her teeth,” Violet said in Spike’s ear. “She’s so vain!”

“Michael!” Gus yelled from the top of the stairs. “Can you go get the wrench from my truck? They’ve got a little leak up here.”

Spike was relieved to have an excuse to go outside. He climbed into the back of Gus’s truck and took a wrench from the toolbox. In the bed of the truck, he saw the whoopee cushion he had thrown there that morning.  Spike picked it up. It was almost too hot to handle after lying in the sun all day. Spike tucked it in his pocket and went back in the house with the wrench.

“I’ll take it to him,” Violet offered, taking the wrench from Spike’s hand.

Spike sat carefully in one of the fancy high-backed chairs. When Gus came down the stairs with Rose and Violet, Spike stood up quickly, not noticing the whoopee cushion fall from his pocket.

“Okay, ladies,” Gus said. “I think everything is fixed.”

“Thank you so much,” Rose walked with Gus and Spike toward the door.

“Oh, look!” Violet exclaimed. “Daisy, here’s your hot water bottle. It’s still nice and warm.”

Before Spike could say anything, Daisy sat down on the chair he had just vacated. “Pfffbt” came from the whoopee cushion.

“Oh!” Daisy exclaimed. “Excuse me!” Daisy stood up and then sat down again. “Pfffbt” came from the whoopee cushion again.

Gus and Spike hurried out the door. “I guess I should have left the whoopee cushion in the donation box,” Spike said as they got in Gus’s truck.

“Why do you say that? Those ladies are gonna have fun with that whoopee cushion for days.”

The Handy Helpers book series is available at Amazon

 

 

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A Rocky Start: Chapter Ten

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AmberOn Tuesday afternoon, Amber was surprised by a phone call from Doris Duncan. She asked if the Happy Helpers could come to her house after school on Wednesday to give her a hand at watering her plants. Amber was so excited she said yes about six times.

On the way to Doris’s house, Amber told her friends what to expect.

“Doris has the cleanest house I’ve ever seen,” Amber said. “We’ll have to be very careful not to make a mess anywhere.”

When they rang the doorbell, Doris yelled for them to come in. She was seated on the sofa in the living room as she had been when Amber was there with Betty.

“It’s so nice of you girls to give up your afternoon like this,” Doris said. “I can usually manage by myself, but with this darn back, I decided I’d better get a little help.”

As Doris instructed them, they carried the plants into the kitchen. Doris had slowly made her way to the sink. As each plant was placed in the sink, Doris used the sprayer to water the plant. Then she asked one of the girls to remove it from the sink so it could drain. The plants that were too high for them to take down were watered using a watering can. Melissa, who was tallest, volunteered for that job. She stood on the step stool Doris had her get out of the laundry room. With that, she was able to reach every plant.

“You girls did a wonderful job,” Doris said when they were finished. “I’d like to pay you something for your trouble.”

“We’re volunteers,” Amber explained. “We do it because we want to help others. We don’t expect to be paid.”

“Isn’t there anything I can give you?” Doris asked.

“Your plants are so beautiful,” Laura said. “Can you tell us your secret?”

“Of course,” Doris said proudly. “It’s very simple. I talk to them.”

“And that works?” Melissa looked doubtful.

“Well,” Doris said, waving her hand around the room to indicate the plants, “what do you think?”

“It must really work,” Melissa said with surprise.

“I’ll tell you what,” Doris continued. “If you girls come back and help me next Wednesday, we’ll take cuttings from some of the plants, and then you can take them home and grow your own plants.”

“Wow,” Amber said. “Would you really do that?”

“Of course.” Doris smiled. “It’s the least I can do to thank you for all your help.”

Friday was Good Friday, so there was no school. Mary took the day off from work so that she and Amber could have a girls’ day out. They both got up early to take Domino for a walk. Either Mary or Kyle walked Domino every day.

Amber hadn’t been allowed to walk Domino by herself since he was five months old. Something happened that made her parents decide Domino was just too much dog for her to handle. Amber had been walking him on the next block, when Domino spotted a rabbit. Domino and the rabbit stared at each other for a minute. Then the rabbit took off running. Domino tried to run after the rabbit, but with Amber holding on as best she could, he wasn’t able to catch it. When the rabbit ran under a wire fence, Domino tried to follow it. He dug at the ground, throwing dirt all over Amber. The rabbit just sat there on the other side of the fence, taunting Domino. Finally, Domino gave up trying to go under the fence and went over it instead. He would have pulled Amber over after him, but she let go of the leash. The rabbit hopped away across the yard with Domino hot on its heels. When the rabbit went under the fence on the other side, Domino continued over it. Amber ran to the alley to cut them off, but they were nowhere in sight. After looking for Domino for twenty minutes, she went home. Kyle jumped on his bike and rode around the neighborhood, calling Domino. He told Amber to stay home in case Domino showed up there. By the time Kyle caught up with Domino, he had terrorized someone’s cat, torn up a flower bed, and eaten another dog’s food. Kyle and John went back the next day and fixed the flower bed, but they all agreed that Amber’s days of walking Domino were at an end.

After their walk, Mary and Amber got dressed up to go shopping. It was their annual quest to find the perfect Easter outfit. Before starting their journey, they attended the Good Friday service at church. As they walked into the church, Amber spotted Mrs. Snow sitting by herself in a pew.

“Hello, Mrs. Snow,” Amber said. “I’d like you to meet my mother.”

“Hello, I’m Mary Snyder. Amber told me you are the volunteer coordinator at the senior center.”

“That’s right,” Mrs. Snow said. “It’s nice to meet you. You have a very fine young lady there.”

“We think so.” Mary gave her daughter a squeeze. “Thank you for giving the girls another chance. I’m sure they won’t let you down.”

“No one can figure out what happened with the spoons,” Mrs. Snow said. “But I thought I should at least give them the benefit of the doubt.”

“We’ll be there tomorrow,” Amber promised. “And we’ll do exactly what we’re supposed to do.”

“I’m sure you will,” Mrs. Snow said. “We got off to kind of a rocky start, but I’m sure things will work out fine from now on.”

The Handy Helpers book series is available at Amazon

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Kirstin’s Jamz

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Scan_20141205My mom  says I have a very eclectic taste in music. That means I like all kinds of music.  I’ve always been  a huge Amy grant fan.  I have so many Amy Grant songs I love, it’s hard to choose one, but I think “Thy Word,” is my  favorite. Sometimes we sing it in church.

When I was a small child, I had a cassette player that I took everywhere I went. Back then, I played all the Disney music. I still love Disney music and I listen to it sometimes.

As a kid, I liked most of the pop music.  I was a huge fan of the  New Kids on the Block. I remember being teased in school because I liked to wear my New Kids on the Block T-shirt.  Later,  I listened to other boy bands like the  Backstreet Boys and Boys to Men. I still think they are cool. Of course, I danced along with Michael Jackson videos. At Halloween time, they always play “Thriller” at the dance. It is so much fun acting like a zombie. Debbie Gibson and Hilary Duff were  some of my favorite artists.

David is a huge Luke Bryan fan and of course I am too. David has all the CDs and I have a lot of them. Sometimes we sing karaoke when David is at my house. “This is my Kind of Night” is one of the songs we sing.  David and I both like country music. I think it is important that we  like the same kind of music.  David and I went to a Band Perry concert at Cliff Castle Casino. It was great to see them in person. We were dancing in the aisles.

Even though we are huge country music fans, David and I like other kinds of music.  I like Celine Dion.  David likes Elvis music. I think that’s because David looks like Elvis Presley and Luke Bryan all rolled into one. He is the total package–actually two of them. I like the beach boys.  I even like Gretchen Wilson and her band, Wilson Philips.

When I lived with my grandmother, I learned to enjoy the oldies. That was what she played on the radio all the time. I’m talking about real oldies like Patti Page, Doris Day, and Frank Sinatra. My grandmother even introduced me to Lawrence Welk. I was just crazy about all those bubbles.

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A Rocky Start: Chapter Nine Continued

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Image1-17_edited-1Laura gave her career report on Monday morning. Just like Logan’s, it was perfect in every way. First she talked about some chefs she liked to watch on television, like Rachael Ray. Then she talked about famous cooking schools. “The best ones,” she said, “are in Paris, but you really don’t have to go that far. There is Le Cordon Bleu College in Scottsdale that has a very good reputation.”

At the end of her report, she passed out samples of her homemade cookies. She called them Laura’s Everything Cookies because they were filled with chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, white chocolate chips, macadamia nuts, and pecans. Everyone said they were the best cookies they had ever eaten. Amber was thinking that Betty Jenkins still made the best cookies she’d ever eaten, but she’d never tell Laura that.

After school, the girls rode their bikes to the senior center. Mrs. Snow saw them looking at the bulletin board. “Girls,” she said, “I need to see you in my office.”

The Happy Helpers looked at each other as if to ask, “Did we do something wrong?”

“Have a seat.” Mrs. Snow pointed to some chairs near her desk. “Bob said he had you set the tables for lunch on Saturday.”

“We did, “Laura said. “We did exactly what Bob told us to do.”

“He said that he made it quite clear that you should put out forks, knives, and spoons,” Mrs. Snow continued.

“That’s what we did.” Amber sounded concerned.

“Well, there were no spoons on the tables when the lunch was served. In fact, there were no spoons anywhere in the kitchen. Later, Walt found them in the recreation room.”

“I know there were spoons on the tables,” Melissa defended. “I put them there myself.”

“Maybe you forgot to put out the spoons,” Mrs. Snow suggested. “That’s possible, isn’t it?”

“No,” Laura insisted. “There were spoons on the tables. We didn’t forget.”

“Well,” Mrs. Snow went on, “I guess we’ll let it go at that. We all make mistakes sometimes. Try not to let it happen again.”

“We won’t,” Amber promised. “We like helping, and we always try to do our best.”

“Next Saturday, the women’s auxiliary is setting up for the big Easter luncheon. We could use your help with that. It’s an important event for the seniors. I hope I can count on you.”

“You can,” they all assured her.

“That was so strange,” Melissa said when they got outside.

“I wonder what happened to the spoons.” Laura shook her head.

“I don’t know,” Amber said thoughtfully. “But I think someone doesn’t want us here.”

At dinner that night, Amber told her family about what happened at the senior center.

“We really did set the table correctly,” Amber insisted. “The spoons just disappeared.”

“It sounds like someone was playing a practical joke on you,” John said. “I wouldn’t take it too seriously. Anyway, you have a second chance to prove yourselves.”

“Yeah, sis,” Kyle added. “What would your life be like without a little drama now and then? Pretty boring!”

“Not to change the subject,” Mary continued, “how are you coming with your career project?”

“Fine,” Amber answered. “It’s almost ready. Laura gave hers today. It was perfect, just like Logan’s. I think Ms. McGuire had the best students give their reports first to make the rest of us look bad.”

“She’s probably trying to let you slackers have more time to finish yours,” Kyle said with a laugh.

“Your teacher’s a smart woman.” John frowned at Kyle. “She had the best students do theirs first to give the rest of you an idea of how to do it. She let them set the example.”

“You might be right,” Amber said. “Logan did a little show-and-tell at the end of his report, and so did Laura. I suppose everyone will have to do that now. I’d better think of something I can show.”

“How about some of your drawings?” Mary asked. “That is, if you are doing your report on art as a career.”

“That’s my secret,” Amber reminded her with a sly smile.

The Handy Helpers book series is available at Amazon

 

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Crazy about crayons

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crayonsWith school starting parents are or have recently been school shopping. One item sure to be found in nearly every cart is a box of crayons. I remember getting a new box of crayons as being one of the highlights of back to school. Even now, I occasionally  find myself picking one up in a store.  I love looking at the neat rows arranged by color. I love smelling them, counting them, and reading the names of the colors. Recently, there has been a renewed interest in coloring as an adult activity. The benefits of coloring are being recognized as a way to wind down after a busy, stressful day. For all those who also cherish this time-honored treasure, here is my ode to a box of crayons.

COLOR ME GREEN 

                        I have a box of ninety-two;

                        It looks like I have more than you.

                        There is green in every shade,

                        Avocado, emerald, jade.

                         I have so many reds it’s scary.

                        There’s rose, fire engine, and cranberry.

                        I could start a yellow craze

                       With lemon, buttercup and maize.

                        I think my favorite ones are blue,

                       Like midnight, sky, aqua and true.

                       Purple shades are truly delicious.

                      There’s grape and plum and violet dishes.

                      Oh! Pink! How can I forget you!

                      You’re shocking, hot, or pale as dew.

                      Look at all the oranges I’ve got.

                     There’s peach and flame and apricot.

                     What’s that? You have a hundred and four?

                     Well, I guess then you have more.

                     Maybe the sun will melt yours down

                     To just one color….yucky brown.

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A Rocky Start: Chapter Nine

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Amber

As she promised, Amber’s mom picked her up at Laura’s at noon. On the way home, Amber was thinking that she would get her chores done quickly and then take a nap.

“Did you have fun?” Mary asked.

“It was great,” Amber said. “We made pizzas on the gas grill. We each made our own. Then we made s’mores.”

“Leave it to Laura and her mom to come up with a unique idea,” Mary said. “Maybe we’ll try that some time.”

Amber filled her mother in on the rest of the sleepover and the trip to the senior center. “I sure would like to know how my poster ended up under that table,” Amber said thoughtfully, “and why our names were erased from the volunteer list.”

“It’s probably just a mistake,” Mary told her daughter.

“Yeah, and I’m pretty sure I know who made it,” Amber said to herself.

As soon as Amber got home, she put away her sleeping bag and other gear. Then she started getting out the vacuum sweeper so she could do her chores.

“You don’t need to do that,” Mary said. “Kyle already did it for you.”

“Why?” Amber asked.

“Maybe he just wanted to do something nice for his little sister,” Mary answered.

Yeah, right, Amber thought. And I bet he reminds me the next time he wants me to do something for him.

Sunday morning, Amber awoke to loud screeching from outside her window. She pulled back her curtain to see a cat crawling out on the branch where the bird nest hung. The worried parents were dive-bombing the cat, trying to keep it away from the nest. Amber opened her window and yelled at the cat. At first it just stared at her. Then it crawled backward along the branch until it could climb down the tree. By that time, the parents were back with their babies at the nest.

“That was a close one,” Amber sighed to herself. She worried that the cat might return later and finish the job.

After church, Amber asked her mom if she could go visit Betty Jenkins. She found Betty busy in the kitchen, getting some food ready to take across the street to Doris Duncan.

“Why don’t you come with me?” Betty asked. “It’ll give you a chance to meet Doris. I know you’ll like her. Besides, I can use some help carrying this stuff.”

“Okay,” Amber said. “Do you take food to her all the time?”

“Not usually,” Betty explained. “Doris injured her back a few days ago, and she can’t get around too well right now.”

“How sad,” Amber said. “She’s lucky to have a good friend like you. Are you bringing her chocolate chip cookies?”

“Not for Doris,” Betty said seriously. “She has diabetes.”

“That’s awful!” Amber exclaimed.

“She’s had it for a long time,” Betty assured her. “She’s really healthy otherwise.”

“I meant it’s awful that she can’t have chocolate chip cookies.”

“Oh, I see,” Betty said. “But you can still have some when we get back.”

Doris Duncan’s house was neat as a pin and filled with beautiful green plants. Tiny little figurines sparkled on glass shelves in her very tidy living room. Doris was stretched out on the sofa in her robe but sat up when they arrived, which obviously caused her some pain. It was her daughter Lisa who let them in. She had come to take care of her mother for the weekend.

“They brought you some food, Mom,” Lisa said. “I’ll put it in the refrigerator for you.”

Betty introduced Amber, and the two of them sat down in chairs across from the sofa.

“How are you feeling today?” Betty asked.

“A little better,” Doris said. “The doctor told me it will take a few months before I’m back to my old self.”

“That’s too bad,” Betty responded. “How did you hurt your back?”

“The usual way,” Doris explained. “Trying to reach something on an upper shelf. I hadn’t cleaned up there for a while.”

“I’ve told you before,” Betty scolded, “dust that is out of sight should be out of mind.”

“I can’t help it,” Doris said. “I like a clean house.”

“Amber here might be able to help you while you’re laid up.” Betty nodded in Amber’s direction. “She and two of her friends just started a club to help seniors. What do you call yourselves?”

“We’re the Happy Helpers,” Amber said. “But we really haven’t helped anyone yet. You could be our first though.”

“I’m sure I’ll be able to keep up with things.” Doris grimaced as a movement caused her some pain. “I’ll just have to take it easy for a few days.”

Doris and Betty chatted for a while about friends and things that were happening around town. Then Amber and Betty said their good-byes and left. Back at Betty’s house, the two enjoyed some chocolate chip cookies and milk.

“Why doesn’t Doris want us to help her?” Amber asked. “Does she think we’ll break things?”

“She does have a lot of pretty things,” Betty said. “But I don’t think that’s the reason. You have to understand something about seniors. We need to be independent. Sometimes people treat us like we can’t do anything. Sometimes they make us feel like we’re just in the way. Doing things for ourselves is really important.”

“I do understand,” Amber said. “It’s the same way for kids. Sometimes adults treat us like we’re helpless. We may make mistakes, but it’s because we’re still learning. We like to be independent too and show everyone what we can do. That’s what we like most about being Happy Helpers.”

“Just give the seniors some time,” Betty went on. “After they get to know you like I do, I’m sure they’ll ask you for help.”

The Handy Helpers book series is available at Amazon