I’m going to catch you up on Arf and Annie tonight, but first I have to say how nice it is to be in my little cottage listening to Amy Grant and looking at my lighted flowery swag and pictures of my grand-kids. The only thing missing is my tea. I need to buy an electric pot so I can brew my tea on-sight. I want to try those tea blossoms. They come in several different flavors and while they’re brewing, they turn from a pod into a beautiful flower. I also need some more beautiful teacups. I’ve broken a few moving things around in here. It’s not a true tea drinking experience unless you drink your tea from a beautiful cup and sometimes add one or two sugar cubes and a touch of warm milk or cream. (Not with the tea blossoms. That would be weird.)

You drink different teas in different ways which we’ll get into later. Tea is also an acquired taste. I haven’t totally acquired it yet, but I’m working on it.

I can’t take a picture of myself drinking tea right now because I’m using my phone like an iPod so I can listen to Amy Grant. It takes me about thirty minutes to get myself all set up in here before I start to write, and then another thirty minutes to breakdown when I leave.

So good night all! Oh Wait! I promised an Arf and Annie story.

Brad and Clark are on their way home from settling things with Clark’s father. Brad’s attorney is going to get Mr. Sanders out of a contract that gave him virtually no income from the fruits of his woodworking labor. In turn, Mr. Sanders should have fewer anger issues and if he does become frustrated, he has agreed to stop taking things out on his family.

Clark and Brad were both pretty quiet on the flight back home. Brad was thinking about Jamie. It was going to be interesting to see how things would work out between them now that her parents had moved to the ranch.

Clark was grateful that Brad could help his family out. It seemed like things would be okay for them. So why wasn’t he feeling over the moon happy? Isn’t this what he had always wanted?…Yes, it was. but he had wanted to experience it, too. He wanted a dad who loved him and was proud of him. Well, If it didn’t happen for him, at least his brothers and sisters had a chance.

Things weren’t going smoothly at the ranch. Dina had forgotten about an appointment Katie and Arf had at the research hospital. Katie had gotten behind in her physical therapy and her therapy dog, Arf didn’t know what he was supposed to do next, either.

Dina had become involved in taking care of Jamie’s mother. She had just moved to the ranch after suffering a stroke and Dina had agreed to be her attendant. She had been assigned to stroke victims in the past and had enjoyed working with them, so it was an ideal situation.

When everyone got home that evening, Katie was beyond upset that her mother had forgotten about her appointment and Katie’s father, Steve, wasn’t too happy, either. He asked Dina if they could have a few minutes alone before supper. They found themselves in Brad’s study where Arf just happened to by lying by the squirrel window.

Arf: I feel bad for Dina, but she shouldn’t have forgotten. It’s really important that Katie doesn’t quit her therapy until she can run and do things that all of the other kids do. I also know that Dina needs to feel like she is being helpful and productive all those hours that Katie is at school.

“I’m really disappointed to hear this,” Steve said. “Our highest priority should be Katie. What were you thinking?”

“I wasn’t thinking. I was helping Jamie’s mother and I lost track of time. I’ll call Katie’s physical therapist tomorrow and make another appointment.”

“I’ve been thinking about something, Dina. What if we leased Jamie’s farm? That would give us a place of our own to start over. We could be a real family again… if that’s something you would even be interested in.”

Dina hesitated and the hesitation didn’t go unnoticed by Steve.

Arf: I sure wish Annie was in here. I don’t know what I can do to help this situation. What should I do? What should I do? I should interrupt before Steve or Dina say something stupid that they’ll regret. I didn’t know what would do it, so I started barking at the window, hoping there was a squirrel out there that wouldn’t give me away.

“Look,” Steve said when things quieted down let’s go and see if Katie is ready for supper. We can talk about this tomorrow.”

Grandma Helen and Miss Bessie looked on as the family picked at the delicious food they had spent hours preparing.

When everyone finished they didn’t congregate in the great room like they usually did. They all went straight to their own rooms.

Katie talked to Arf about what it would be like to run and really dance. She loved music and the thought of dancing. Arf became even more resolved to do everything he could to help her reach that goal.

Annie was with Clark. She was listening to him play beautiful music on his guitar. Soon he started to sing a song his mother had taught him about laughter and love.

Down the hall, Katie, hearing the music, began to hum in perfect harmony.

Arf and Annie couldn’t wait to get together in the morning. They had plans to make.

Somebody stop me. I’m out of control

I’m tired of establishing goal after goal

My poor little cottage has started to flinch

While it’s space is consumed, inch by inch

It doesn’t want to become what it’s not

A storage place for the things I have bought

My collections reign with plenty of space.

The Beasterhop village is quite a showcase

My friend L J designed a swag for the wall

Now are we finished? No, not at all.

We noticed another project outside

Two plain poles we couldn’t abide

We had lots of tools but not one single clue

What could they do except cause a boo boo

We decorated the poles in bows and grapevine,

ribbons and lights. They looked mighty fine.

Are we finished at last? No, just for tonight.

One pole has dim lights and the other has bright.

The minute Brad met Jamie’s parents, Clyde and Clara Langford, he knew they were all going to get along just fine. Mrs. Langford was tired from the trip, and as a result of her recent stroke, she was having some difficulty speaking and walked with the aid of a cane. Even so, she appeared to be a cheerful person. Clyde had a slightly different way of expressing himself that might take some getting used to, but he seemed like he would be an amicable guy to have around.

A Cheerful Casual Old Man Giving a Thumbs Up

700-00027249 © Robert Karpa Model Release: Yes Property Release: No Model Release Portrait of Elderly Woman with Walker

“We have a place all ready for the three of you, and you’ll probably be happy to know it’s on the first floor,” Brad told them when they got back to the ranch.

“That’s good,” Mr. Langford said. “I have a unique problem. I have a tendency to fall up the stairs.”

“Daddy, I think we should let mother lie down and rest for a while before supper. Brad, can you show us where our rooms are?”

“Sure, I’ll grab a couple of bags and have Clark bring the others in a few minutes. I really hope you’ll be comfortable in this little suite of rooms.”

“I’m sure Mrs. Langford is looking forward to lying down on that magical place where suddenly you remember everything you’ve forgotten…the bed,” Mr. Langford said.

“Brad I’ve never seen this part of the house before.” Jamie was more than a little impressed. “It’s absolutely gorgeous.”

Mr. Langford walked through the rooms without saying a word. After he had seen it all, he stood next to his wife and looked at Brad. “I don’t know if we can accept such generosity, Brad. Mrs. Langford and I are used to living in a very modest home. We’re not destitute by any means. We have enough money saved up to last us the rest of our lives…that is if we die by four o’clock.”

“When I added on and remodeled this house,” Brad said. “I had no idea why I wanted it to be, well…  so massive. I think deep down I was hoping It would one day be filled with people that felt like family to me.”

“A man doesn’t know what he knows until he knows what he doesn’t know, and now you know what you didn’t know,” Mr. Langford said rather philosophically.

“Right,” Brad said. “I’ll go get Clark and we’ll bring the rest of your bags to you. I’ll knock on the door Jamie.”

Mrs. Langford had supper in her room, but everyone else ate together at the large kitchen table. The house had a formal dining room, but everyone preferred eating in the kitchen. Miss B and Grandma Helen especially liked it because they didn’t have to miss any of the conversation. The two ladies were serving desert when the phone rang.

“I’ll get it,” Miss B said. She loved to answer the telephone.

“Clark, there is a woman on the phone who says she needs to talk to you. She called you Butch. That must be your nickname.”

Miss Bessie must have forgotten that she’s the one who named him Clark.

When he got off the phone, Clark excused himself and left the kitchen. Brad also excused himself and caught up with Clark.

“Let’s go to my study, we can talk without interruption there.”

Annie was thankful that she happened to be in the study watching squirrels out of the window. Clark seemed very upset.

She was his designated dog friend, and after listening to the conversation, she knew he needed her more than ever.

Clark confided in Brad that his mother called to warn him. His father was very close to finding out exactly where his son was living. He knew the little airport that Clark had flown into and it was only a matter of time before he discovered that he was residing at Brad Humboldt’s horse ranch.

“Why is it important that he doesn’t know where you are? “Brad asked. “I thought he had basically thrown you out and told you that you had to fend for yourself. I can tell you’re afraid…Why?”

“I didn’t tell you the whole story,” Clark admitted. “I was told to find a cheap place to live and get a job right there. I was supposed to give them money every week. Mamma is the one who gave me the two hundred dollars. She had saved it up little by little and had it hidden away. She told me to get as far away from there as I could. I was about to pay her back.”

“How were you going to come up with two hundred dollars?” Brad asked. “I haven’t paid you anything.”

“I was going to sell my guitar. I figure it’s worth about five hundred dollars. I just hate to sell it. It belonged to my grandpa.”

Clark walked over and leaned down to pet Annie. She licked his hand and looked at him as if she understood.

“Daddy will drive all the way here and cause trouble. I just know he will. He knows Mamma must have given me money and he never has wanted me to have that guitar. Brad, can I take the truck to town tomorrow after I do Jamie’s chores? I already know there’s a place there that will buy my guitar.”

“There’s no need for that,” Brad said. “Are you sure your mamma is okay? It sounds like your father is really angry.”

“She said she’s okay, but he’s started to treat my little brother just like he treated me.”

“Pack a bag, Clark. We’re going to fly there tomorrow. Hopefully, if we fly, we can get there before he finds out your here and heads this way. I take it there’s a place where I can rent a car. I assume your airport is as small as the one here.”

“Yes Sir. You can rent a car.”

Annie couldn’t tell if Clark was relieved or worried or both. She followed him to his room and watched while he packed his bag. What she didn’t know was that Clark was confused. He didn’t want to cause Brad any trouble, yet he trusted him to help his mamma. In the end, he took out his guitar and played his mamma’s favorite song, In the Garden. He closed his eyes and began to sing, “I walked through the garden alone…”

Down in his study, Brad was formulating his plan. He had to be smart about this. Clark was only sixteen. He wasn’t legally an adult, yet. He picked up the phone and called his attorney.

Jamie and her parents didn’t get to the ranch for another week. Brad had a lot of time to think about the future and all he knew for sure was that he wanted Jamie in it.

He had grown to love the big family that had been brought together through happenstance. He had people in his life to care about and who cared about him. His brother, Tom and sister, Barbie were enjoying spending time with their mother and getting to know each other as well. He had intended to join them, but he just couldn’t make that happen, yet.

Brad was thinking about all of this when he was headed to the kitchen for his morning coffee. He had a couple of hours before he had to leave for the airport to pick up Jamie and her parents. Dina was going with him in case Jamie’s mother who had just recently had a stroke, needed her attention.

As usual, Clark was already in the kitchen. He was normally the first one there in the mornings, so even though he didn’t drink coffee, he always had it made.

“Good morning Clark. I’m glad we’re the first ones up this morning. It’s been so busy around here, I haven’t had a chance to ask you if you were ever able to talk with your mother.”

Clark had been smiling, but it was quickly replaced with a look Brad didn’t quite understand. He brought Brad his coffee and got a glass of juice for himself before answering Brad’s question.

“Yes, I talked to my mamma last evening. I should be there, Brad. She needs me, but she told me not to come back. She doesn’t want me to come on home.”

“Listen son,” Brad said. “I told you that you could  talk to me about anything and I would try to help with any problems you’re having to deal with, but I’m not going to pry. I figured you would ask for my input when and if you needed it.”

“Well Sir.” I guess I need it. It’s my daddy. He’s not a very good person. He’s got a hot temper and all of us go around in fear that we’re going to do or say something that will set him off. Mamma takes the brunt of it now, since I’m gone. She thinks the only way I can make a good life for myself is to stay away from there, but that don’t feel right, either.”

“Clark, I need to ask you something. Do you fear for your mother’s safety and what about your brothers and sisters? There’s five of you all together, right?”

“Yes, I have two brothers and two sisters…all younger than me. So far, he hasn’t laid into them, just me and Mamma. He roughs her up some, but he’s smart enough to know he needs her to cook, clean, and take care of the little ones. Mamma says it’s her lot to deal with. She says the best thing I can do for her is to make a better life for myself. She might be right.”

“I think it’s time for me to get to school, Sir. Maybe some day I can provide a better life for  Mamma and the kids. Can you help me? I promise to work hard after school and on the weekends.”

Arf and Annie have been lying on the floor by the door and listening to all of this.

Arf: Why do I think there might be problems coming our way, Annie?

Annie: Because dogs sense things, Arf. I’m feeling the same thing you are. It’s the way we feel right before something bad happens.

Arf: We need to be on the look out, Annie. Maybe between the two of us, we can figure out what that something bad is.

Steve was going to take Katie to school, but Dina decided to look in on her daughter before going with Brad to the airport. She found her sitting at her pretty little vanity brushing her hair.

“My goodness, you’re up bright and early this morning. You must be excited about going to school. Is there something special going on?”

Katie put her brush down and looked at her mother.

“Remember Mommy? I brought a note home. Today is rally day. All the kids race and broad jump and things like that. I’ll have to sit in the stands and watch. I don’t want to go, Mommy. Please don’t make me go. Will you talk to Daddy?”

Dina felt like her heart was breaking. She also knew that the situation they found themselves in, was partially her fault. She had let Katie take her eye off the ball. She had not encouraged her to continue with her therapy. She could have made more progress and at least if not today, Katie would have felt like the possibility of doing the things the other children were doing could be something in her future.

“I want you to go today, Katie. I know it will be hard, but spend your time seeing what it’s all about. Tomorrow, I will take you and Arf to see your physical therapist, Sam, at the research hospital. It’s time you all got back to work. How does that sound.”

“Okay, Mommy. That’s a good idea.”

Katie’s daddy, Steve was mulling over some ideas of his own. He was wondering what the possibilities were that he might be able to lease Jamie’s farm. He really wanted to get his family together in their own place and the farm would be ideal. It was closer to town and not far from the ranch. He just had to pray that Jamie’s parents agreed to stay on…and that Dina would be willing to try putting their family back together in a place of their own.

Miss Bessie and Grandma Helen were both in the kitchen cooking up a storm.

“Why are you making pancakes” Miss B asked. “I thought we agreed we were having French toast this morning.”

“Well, I saw that you were making sausage. We always have sausage with pancakes and bacon with French toast.”

Brad was hoping that his regular cook, Alice would be back from vacation, soon.

“When is Alice coming back, ladies?”

Both Miss Bessie and Grandma Helen began to look a little nervous which Brad knew was not a good sign.

“Well,” Miss Bessie said. “She’s not exactly coming back.”

“What exactly does that mean?”

“She quit,” Grandma Helen said.

Yram has heard so much about this Loretta person that her nose for news has led her to track down this Loretta person.

Using her wily ways, Yram intends to snag an interview that is sure to be one that can stop the presses at the Murdo Coyote Newspaper and give Yram another feather in her cap. It’s been so long since she got the first one, she can’t even remember who she interviewed.

Since Loretta is known to frequent Mack’s Cafe, Yram decides to check there first and ask the first person she sees if she knows where Loretta is.

“You can sit anywhere you like,” the first person she sees says.

“Thanks, but I don’t want to sit. I was wondering if you could tell me where Loretta might be.”

“Have you tried her house? She spends a lot of time there.”

“Well, no…Great idea!”

“She has a motel and a house down by the highway. You can’t miss the motel, but the house is a little hard to find. It’s underground. Good luck…I gotta run.”

With that, the waitress goes back and sits at a table where she is enjoying a Bing and a Coke. Yram makes a mental note to make friends with this waitress. They have a lot in common.

With a lot of help and a little luck, Yram finally finds herself making her way down the steps of the basement house. She looks through the window in the door at the bottom of the steps and sees a lady sitting in a booth and talking on the telephone. She waves Yram in.

Yram can’t help but overeavesdrop the conversation.

“You need me to make cookies? Loretta asks. “Well let’s see I……” before finishing the sentence or saying goodbye, she hangs up the phone. Then she picks up the phone and a rather loud busy signal comes on for a couple of minutes.

“They’ll never believe that I hung up on them while I was the one talking,” she says.

“Don’t you want to call them back?” Yram asks.

“No. Why do you think I hung up? I don’t want to make cookies, but the PTA is hard to say no to. If they call back, the phone will ring busy. Too bad. Who are you? “

“My name is Yram Sicnarf. I’m a crack up reporter from Gun Barrel City, TX where they shoot straight. I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions.”

“You should have called first…but since you didn’t, come on into the living room. I have a few ladies over here playing bridge. That’s why I’m all dressed up.”

Yram and Loretta enter a smoke filled room. It’s hard to see the ladies through the haze, but apparently, they could see Yram because they all gasped. (Not for air. They were surprised.)

“She looks just like Mary,” the lady next to the nuts and mints says. “And Mary looks a lot like you. You and Yram look a lot alike. Is it time for cream “o” cheese “o” cherry pie yet?”

Loretta signals to Yram to come to the kitchen with her to cut the pie and make the coffee.

“You can call me Mom, Yram. You probably really are Mary and you’re still mad because I got rid of all your mementos.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Mom. My name is Yram and…Uh Oh. I just have one question. What made you think I would never have an occasion to use my pom poms again?”

“Oh, I gave those to the coach’s daughter. You were her Connie like. I sold the saxophone, your cheerleader outfit, your Betty Crocker Homemaker of tomorrow pin and your Ray Charles album. Who has just one album?”

“One more question, Mom and then I would love a piece of that pie. Why didn’t you ever teach me how to play bridge?”

“Because you didn’t smoke and you would have eaten all of the cream “o” cheese “o” cherry pie. I did take you to the horse races, but it was more your brother’s thing.”

“Well it’s been nice meeting you Mom. Have I ever told you what a good mom you were when I was growing up? Are those Oreos on the counter?”

“They’re just in case I got roped into making cookies for the PTA meeting.”

I never could convince you that you can’t take Oreos to the PTA meeting. The cookies have to be homemade.”

“Now Mary…don’t you remember those last ones I made? I accidentally left a batch in the oven too long and when you came home, you could smell them burning. You knew they must be homemade. It was a good thing I had already made the two dozen for the PTA meeting.”

“Did you know Billy found the package from the store that the cookies came in? It was in the garbage.”

“He loved my cherry turnovers.”

Yram smiles. “That’s another story.”

“Goodbye Mom. I’ve got to go pick up cousin Lav. You know her as Valerie, your sister, Ella’s, daughter. She’s at the Pioneer Auto Museum. She’s been over there all day just sitting in that red convertible. Can I take her a piece of pie? That will get her mind off that car.”

Loretta gives Yram two pieces of pie.

“This was one heck of an interview,” Yram says…”Thanks Mom.”

**********************************************

Don’t worry. Annie and I will be back tomorrow. MG just gets nostalgic sometimes. Big things are happening at the ranch. Some are moving in and some are moving out.
And…Clark is about to get a big surprise.