Secrets in the Grove

 

“These trees are old, really old, Aunt Celia!” Buddy whispered to the elderly lady holding his sweet hand.  “They’s older than you, even!”  He skipped to a hidden tune.

“Yes, little boy, I know they are old,” she mused, smiled down at the intense face.  “They were old when I was your age.”

His surprised face turned to laughter as he pictured this old woman skipping.  “Then you know all about the ‘sterious dis’pear’nce of Miss Cassandra!”

“Yes, my dear Buddy, but you tell me all about it, will you?”

Buddy flew into the story of the missing Cassandra, a story handed down to each generation.  Celia hid her chuckles as Buddy threw pirates and ghosts into the simple recounting of a young lady who ran away on eve of her wedding with her fencing instructor, and her “’sterious dis’pear’nce”.  “You reckon Miss Cassandra’ll ever be found?”

When Buddy finished the grand story, both were exhausted.  “Come, little man, let’s rest here a while,” Aunt Celia indicated a bough leaning to the ground.  She perched on the lowest bend, just as Buddy’s dog came bounding by.

His question unanswered, Buddy took off after his pet.

Great-Great-Aunt Celia gazed at the ground beneath her feet, knowing that just a few feet below lay Miss Cassandra in her wedding dress. Oh, well, Cassie. These things happen. You should never had trusted me.

Celia smiled. Life has been good. 

This is photo prompt from Delores in 2012. I think this is from Atlanta, GA.

 

Snow in Chicago

 Snow holds no mystery for us as we have experienced it for our entire lives until we got married and fled. But then my husband was a TA at Iowa State University. Snow swept across the prairie and locked us in at any given time.

Victorville, California

And then...

We dwelled in Victorville, California, in the Mojave Desert, a hellish wasteland. Surrounded by flat fields of sand, sagebrush, scrubs, and tumbleweeds, our family grew there for seven years. When the temperature plummeted to 94 deg. F/37 C., it felt like we needed jackets.

And then....

We moved to Ireland then where there was rain every day.  It was joyous, for the world was green and lush. Sadly, we lived there for only a few years.

And now...

Now we are enjoying a fairly even climate and enjoying the beauty of our area.  But, we miss some of the spring, all of the fall, and maybe a nibble of winter from Illinois. Summer in the Midwest is not missed at all.

And then...

My son John married Arlette in Chicago at December 4, 2016, with both families all around. What we also experienced was an unexpected taste of winter.

Just a taste, a beautiful taste was all we needed.

A cemetery was across the street from our really cool hotel. When
we arrived , I promised our gr-daughters we would explore
it tomorrow.

And then...

The next day we woke up to see snow, it was glorious.

The table on the balcony was pure and smooth.

Our gr-daughters were thrilled when the snowflakes began
to fall. 

And then the next day, we left the snow behind and flew

to LAX. The diamonds of light lay down below, making Los Angeles 

truly resemble where angels might actually have been.

God created snow, rain, desert, etc. He has a plan for us, for what awaits us. 

Snow? It is all part of the plan, just like barren wilderness or swamps, it is all part of His plan.

So, I guess we have to go with "Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow."

This is a post from long ago.  Our son John got married back in 2016, and it was a great day.

Wed. Words: Love and Marriage

  

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Love is tricky.

Belinda inhaled deeply as she descended the marble stairs. The room was lavishly prepared with champagne and caviar, shimmering in candlelight. Carrying a heart shaped bouquet, Belinda beamed at her Prince, her heart beating with the excitement of love.

When all was going well, the whole event smashed into floral and cake pieces. Immediately, after the following stampede, the groom’s Royal Parents examined the carnage.  What had happened? There had been some scurrying in the far corner, which led to discovery of a nest of rats.

Anyway, so much for royal weddings. Elope.

                                  

These Wednesday Words are in colored italics, and come from C. Lee McKenzie who is an excellent writer.  Pop on over!

Joy to the World

We never see snow at all, so this was such a treat. We left the next day, for LAX California

The year I was born: 1951.
The day was: 4th

And on December 4, 2016, I turned 65 (sixty-five, yup).

It was the best birthday of my life.  Our son John married Arlette Foy, and we rejoiced in a big way.  Chicago sparkled all on its own.

This was a truly joyous day, just can't tell you how much.

John and Arlette Foy Kane

In the pass way

John and John, son and father

Lily and Clara, our granddaughters

Cemetery across the road from our hotel

Our hotel looked out on a cemetery

Catching the snow coming down

On the balcony of the hotel

Flying in to LAX

And then...

John and Arlette with Flynn, born May 6, 2018

Grandpa and Grandma

July 2018

Today is my 67th birthday. I look good, a few wrinkles or more, surrounded by those whom I love, my husband of 46 years, and a field of happiness around us. 

We are blessed.

Thank you, God.

Romantic Interlude with Snow

From my phone, cemetery across the street from the hotel

My son John was married on December 4^th. to a lovely woman Arlette.  We flew to Chicago for the weekend and witnessed a beautiful wedding, which filled me with tears and happiness.

It was cold, just below freezing.  Not 1° like it is today, but just cold enough for flakes of snow.

Bare trees, as we never see them in desert California

By the time we returned to the hotel after the wedding, big flakes of wet snow were falling heavily.  My granddaughters were with us, and they ran in and out onto the balcony.

Falling snow as seen through my phone, with streetlight below

It was an amazing day.  We are blessed.

All is at peace.


This is my last post until after the New Year.  May God bless you all, and keep you, make His face to shine upon you, and grant you peace.

Wednesday Words for second week of November

Talent stretches across decades.

Last Wednesday brought some great writing!  It was, like, a gift.

This second week of November provides two sets of words and a sentence prompt. Choose one set, both sets, sentence prompt, just a few words--it is yours for the taking! See what you can make from them:

Wall, mail carrier, cool, flourish, wedding, creep

And/and or/Or

Poll, graduate, floor, message, break down, exclusive

The sentence prompt for this week:

Half the names on the list had already been crossed off.

Write!  Take a leap in the world of words!  Start with one word and let your fingers do the walking!

You may post on this comment space below, or post on your own site.  Please post back to this site so writers can find you!

Wednesday’s words are being posted on Tuesday, 11/10/2015, because tomorrow is Veterans’ Day. On November 11th, my own blog will be dedicated to remembering and honoring brave men and women who put themselves in harm’s way for their country.

Wednesday Words...Jenny and Jim

Yum

The wedding was tomorrow and Jenny was definitely jittery.  Her future mother-in-law was hosting the rehearsal night dinner at her own home, with her future husband Jim requesting his favorite foods for all to enjoy.

“Wait ‘til you taste Mom’s meatloaf—it is her specialty.” 

That alone raised alarms. Jenny had a refined palette while Jim would eat anything, even with a shovel.

They entered Jim’s boyhood home and his mom Ella greeted them warmly.  Jenny was clinging to Jim as she met every relative known to mankind.

Every one sat down as Jim’s dad Harold lifted his glass to toast the couple.  “Here is to Jim and Jenny.  We toast you with this raspberry wine, laid down by Great-Aunt Ethel (who giggled demurely) in 1947.”

Here! Here! And the wine was tossed back, followed by murmurs of pleasure.

Jenny gagged as she tried to swallow, but then spit the wine that had turned to raspberry vinegar,into her linen napkin.  She looked around at these relatives, who nodded in pleasure.   Oh, no…can't they taste that?

The meatloaf, covered with serpentine gelatinous gravy, was served with a glob of creamed peas and lime jello.  Jenny’s stomach gave one big spasm. 

She gave the meal her best shot, ate a few bites, and then stirred the rest into the heap of green and brown.  When asked why she hadn't eaten, Jenny took a few more bites. 

The plates were removed, only to be replaced by tapioca pudding. 

I personally love tapioca pudding.

“This is my favorite!” Jim cried as his mother smiled indulgently.  Jenny cautiously took one bite and then she stood up,  whereupon she covered the relatives with one big blast of projectile vomit.

And that is all there is to say.

Thanks go to Delores at Under the Porch Light for challenging writers to create poems, prose, fiction, etc.  Each week Delores provides six unrelated words with which to create something comprehensible, or not.  The underlined words above are the words provided. Please click on the freezing cardinals in the right sidebar to access her site. Interesting stuff, there.