Those 70ish Girls

Cousin Valerie and I are going to be featuring a few different things on the blog. Val and I will still be writing about our daily lives, both factual and fictional, plus I am going to be continuing on with the story about Aunt Marti and her niece, DeeDee.

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Tea for Two

Aunt Marti had made a delicious breakfast of fried cornmeal mush and bacon. She looked the same as she had twenty years before, which was the last time I saw her. I had come to Pleasant Run hoping to spend time with her before she completely succumbed to the stroke she had suffered. According to my cousin, Tara, Aunt Marti was not expected to recover. The stroke had left her weak and confused, which, considering she was 99 years old, was easily understood.

While I was enjoying my breakfast with Aunt Marti, I answered her house phone, and it was Tara. You can imagine my confusion when Tara told me Aunt Marti had gone home in the night. She had not meant to her house. She had gone to her home in heaven.

Tara was still on the phone waiting for me to respond to the news. “Sorry, Tara I said. “I had a dream about Aunt Marti and it was so real. It was like I got to see her one last time after all. I’m really sorry she is no longer with us, but I must say, in a way, I think she’s still here in her home just waiting to spoil us.”

“That sounds like a great dream, Dee. I also wanted to let you know that our cousin, Drew, is coming in from Montana today. My husband, Tom, will pick him up at the airport. Grayson, and Tonja, who, as you know, are the other 2 cousins who still live here in town, will all join Drew, you, and me at Aunt Marti’s house this afternoon around 3:00 pm. So, you have the morning off. Rest up.

“That all sounds good, Tara. Will Drew be staying here at Aunt Marti’s house?” I asked. There is certainly enough room here.”

“That’s a good idea. I’ll shoot him a text and ask him if he’d like to stay there or at the hotel. You know how men are. He might feel more comfortable in a hotel. I don’t know Drew that well, so we’ll wait and see what he says.”

Now that a plan for the day was taking shape, I decided to grab a shower and then explore the house. Even though I hadn’t eaten breakfast at all, because it was a part of a dream, I wasn’t hungry. I did, however, brew a cup of coffee to take upstairs with me.

The first room in the old house that I found myself exploring was the library. Aunt Marti had been quite the reader. The shelves were filled with everything from children’s books to mysteries. Maybe that’s who I inherited my love of reading from. I had started to peruse the children’s section of books to see if I could find any of my old favorites when I heard someone say, “Gulliver’s Travels.”

I swung around to see Aunt Marti standing there. She was holding a tray with a tea service on it and some delicious looking muffins. She was dressed in a peach colored shirtdress and wore an apron. I couldn’t remember Aunt Marti without her apron, except when she hastily tore it off before we all sat down to a meal.

“The few times you visited when you were small, you wanted me to read Gulliver’s Travels to you. It’s there in alphabetical order by the author’s name. You hardly ate a bite of breakfast this morning,” she said. “I thought you might be ready for some tea and my special cranberry-orange muffins. Don’t look so shocked, dear. You are not losing your mind. I wanted to spend a little time with you. My other sisters and I were close, and I saw their children often, but your mother and I were so far apart in age, with her being the youngest and me the oldest. Well, we never spent much time together. Ten years is quite an age difference. Anyway, I’m here in spirit, as they say. You are the only one I’m here to see, and our time together will take its own course.”

I didn’t pretend to understand all of what Aunt Marti was saying, but I did not question whatever phenomenon was occurring. I wanted to spend time with my aunt. I knew she and my mother hadn’t been particularly close. Mother had very seldom spoken about her oldest sister. I had only recently become curious about the whole family dynamics myself. Mom had died two years earlier, and with her death, my whole worldview had begun to change.

“Aunt Marti, I’m not going to question why or how you are here. I’m just happy to be spending some time with you. Is the ten year age difference, the only reason you and my mother weren’t close? I’ve recently become curious about that.

If I knew you were coming…

I unpacked all of my things and slipped the suitcases under the bed. When I was growing up, my mother had often chastised me for shoving things beneath the bed. “That’s what God made closets for,” said.

I was tired to the bone. I flopped down on the window seat where I had flung my handbag. The one with the sour cream and cheese chips in it. Surely, they didn’t really mean the bag held 3 1/2 servings. Whatever! I finished them off and ate the little pack of airline peanuts that was in there as well. All that salt made me thirsty, so I made my way downstairs to get a glass of water. Considering how sleepy I felt, I was glad I had declined Tara’s invitation to dinner. I changed into my pjs and crawled into bed. The sheets smelled like they had just been pulled off the closeline after drying in a fresh spring breeze. The down comforter was not too heavy and not too light. Feeling as if I was in heaven, I drifted off to sleep.

I slept soundly. I wasn’t even fully awake, the next morning when I was aroused by the aroma of fresh coffee brewing. Who could possibly be here this early. A quick glance at the clock told me it was 6:00 a.m.

Next, I heard a sweet voice singing a cheerful song. “If I knew you were coming, I’d have baked a cake,”

Was Tara already here? I grabbed my robe and rushed down the stairs, stopping short as I reached the door to the kitchen. I saw a diminuitive figure toiling over the stove as she sang. The little lady was none other than Aunt Marti.

“Oh, come on in, dear,” she said. “Sit down, and I’ll pour you a cup of coffee. I’ll get you some fresh orange juice to drink while I finish making you some bacon and fried cornmeal mush. I remember how you like it… with real butter and lots of Log Cabin syrup on it.

“Aunt Marti!” When did you get here. I thought you were gravely ill. When did you get out of the hospital? Sit down! You shouldn’t be doing all of this.”

“Nonsense, DeeDee,” she said as she poured cream into my coffee, which I would have preferred black. “I’m as right as rain. A cab brought me home from the hospital. I knew it was time to go home, so here I am.

Aunt Marti was in the middle of her explanation when I heard my phone (which I had put in the pocket of my robe), ring. It was Tara.

“Tara! I said without waiting for her to say anything. “Was this the right time for Aunt Marti to go home?”

“Yes,” Tara replied. “She passed away during the night. The nurse said her last words were, “It’s time for me to go home.”

I listened to what Tara said and then turned to look at Aunt Marti. She was gone, and there was no sign of the fried cornmeal mush, bacon, coffee and juice that she had prepared.

“Hello,” Tara said. “Dee, are you there?”

My cousin, MG, is a great wife, mom, grandmother, writer, blogger…geeze, auto correct wrote “booger”…and a camper, and when younger, a runner. But a talent that amazes me and shocks me is that she is also a poet. She writes lots…gobs…of touchingly funny, witty and lovely poetry. Honest.

If you have never ever read her poetry, I suggest you purchase one of her books of poetry. It will blow you off…uh…away. One I personally like is titled: A Whimsical Day. How many people use the word “whimsical”? Maybe 6? It does have a musical ring to it. Sounds better than A Musical Day. I’ll give her that. Bet you can find many poems in Rhymes For All Times that you will like. How does she do it? It all works and even better- her poetry rhymes! You will be caught up in her story, even His Story, her journey through life, her emotional experiences.

As I said earlier, she was once a dedicated runner. She ran marathons. She ran in competitions. She ran for fun. She looked super thin and fit. AND when we met last year in Rapid City for the All School Reunion later in Murdo, she looked like a svelte, fit and healthy youngish ex-runner. In short, MG looked great. How can she be a poet on top of all that? It’s not fair.

Some people just have loads of genes in their cards that make them successful. MG was dealt a good hand. Every bet she placed paid off. Almost. So I guess you’ve gathered that I am jealous of all her accomplishments. Who wouldn’t be? No, I am not jealous. Much. But we should all try to be more like her. I’m starting today. Pretend it’s yesterday. Yesterday was Mary Day. No, sorry, May Day.

Lastly, I have decided to gather my wits, whatever is left of them, and try a poem. I am dedicating this to my cousin, Queen MG, with due respect and regard for her work.

THE TRY IT DIET By Val

My cousin inspired me. You might know her name, MG.

My old plan was bombed and blown apart … kinda like Napoleon Bonaparte

Eating was my Waterloo, bet you’ve been there, too.

I’m trying to lose weight and right out the gate, I tried a new diet! You might wanna try it.

You just eat the same and you’re not to blame.

Hey, believe me it won’t sting, so here’s the truthful good thing:

Just eat one half of everything.

Boom.

“As soon as we hang up, I’ll call and see how soon I can get a flight out. Will you be able to pick me up at the airport, or should I rent a car? I know it’s a long drive.”

I was talking to my cousin, Tara, who had just phoned to tell me our Aunt Marti had suffered a stroke. She was at the ripe old age of 99 and things weren’t looking good.

I knew without a doubt that I wanted to go there. I had to say goodbye to the last of my mother’s siblings.

“What?” Tara sounded incredulous.”I never thought for a moment that you would want to come. You haven’t been home in twenty years!”

“Can you pick me up or not?” I asked, a little too impatiently.

“Of course, Dee. Just let me know when you’ll be arriving. I can’t wait to see you, and the long drive back to Pleasant Run will give me a chance to bring you up to date on everything. Small town or not, you’ve missed a lot.”

“Okay, I’ll make arrangements and call you back either this evening or first thing tomorrow…and Tara, thank you for calling me with the news. Give Aunt Marti my love.

One day later, I was on my way. It wasn’t until I had boarded the plane that I finally asked myself the question that Tara hadn’t asked. Why was I going? It wasn’t as if I had ever been especially close to Aunt Marti or anyone else in that town except for Tara. Still, I knew I wanted to be there.

I had asked Tara to make a reservation for me at the local hotel, but she informed me that I would be staying at Aunt Marti’s rambling old house. “It’s just a few blocks off Main Street and within walking distance from where Tom and I live,” Tara had reminded me. “Aunt Marti very well may not be coming home, but regardless, she has plenty of room.

Commerce City was much larger than Pleasant Run, but the airport was small. I had no problem recognizing my cousin Tara, who was standing inside near the little baggage area. She was a fabulous older version of her fabulous younger self. Suddenly, I felt frumpy, but it was a little late to worry about that. As it was, I was trying to stop thinking about the half-eaten bag of sour cream cheddar cheese chips stuffed away in my handbag.

The years melted away as I returned Tara’s smile. It was hard to believe we were both 70. We had gone through twelve years of school together, and then I left Pleasant Run and Tara stayed. I had been back a few times to attend class or family reunions and my parent’s funerals, but all counted, I hadn’t been there more than 20 days in 50 years. And as Tara had mentioned, it had been twenty years since I had been back to my hometown at all.

“Good grief.” Tara said when she saw my bags. “You must have been rather indecisive when you packed. If I’d have known you were bringing this much stuff, I would have tried harder to get my grandson, Jeremy, to come with me.”

“Oh, come on,” I teased. “We can get it all in one trip. How much time do we have for you to catch me up on things in Pleasant Run.

“It’s a two hour drive,” Tara said as she slipped into the driver’s seat. I’m so glad you’re here, Dee,” Tara said as she drove down the desolate highway toward Pleasant Run.

By the time we pulled into Aunt Marti’s drive, my head was spinning. I probably wouldn’t remember half of what Tara had told me, and in a small town, people expect you to remember names and faces not to mention which gossip was okay to repeat and which was not.

I’ll come in and show you where your room is.” Tara said when we arrived. “This is an old house, but I think you’ll be very comfortable. Remember how we loved coming here when we were little?”

My room was lovely. I took the time to hang up my things in the very generous armoire. I was glad I came. This was exactly where I needed to be. I prayed that Aunt Marti would be able to come home. I needed to spend some time with my mother’s sister.

Yesterday I attended an invitation only “Bow wow and Meow” Breakfast at a lovely hotel banquet room. It was for donors and volunteers. I drove along the beautiful Pacific Ocean for about 40 minutes in slow traffic, but I made it on time. After checking in with the SPCA workers, I entered a huge room with 32 tables set for 10 people each, white table cloths were laid out with glasses of orange juice, ice water, and plates, mugs and silverware set atop tables in an unusual manner: fork and knife aside a sparkling white plate, then another fork and knife laid across the top edge of the plate on the table. There was a large serving plate with pastries and another plate with sliced honeydew melon, fresh pineapple, and strawberries. Thermal type coffee pots were brought out also. I randomly chose this table with the board member’s name set up on a card in the center of the table. Her name was Joan and I didn’t know any of the nine people at my table but Joan took care of that almost from the beginning. I felt at home with fellow animal lovers and immediately started to relax.

Joan greeted me and made me feel comfortable and happy. She got me a name card and a server to send hot tea since I’m not a coffee drinker. She was a gem. Everyone started chatting about their admiration for what the SPCA does and how they themselves help either with donations or volunteering. One lady wore a beautiful beige and pink sweater set with stitching of dogs and dog paraphernalia all over it. She even had a necklace with a dog pendant and earrings to match. The other lady next to me talked about the four dogs she and her husband adopted from the SPCA. She explained their breeds and how she’s trained them and loves them. Another lady loves horses and another birds. They asked me about my dog, Ninny, and would I adopt any cats or more dogs but I said my husband wouldn’t approve that. (I often use him as an excuse for not doing things) We had fun together. We were all in love…with animals.

The one nice older gentleman sitting next to me left for a minute and the handsome president of the SPCA sat down there to chat with the beige dog-decorated sweater gal. When the nice gentleman returned, he said, “I leave for one minute and you 9 ladies don’t even save my seat for me!” He said it in a funny way and was smiling. The president laughed and got up apologizing.

After we ate for a while and watched the large screens showing animals, rescue teams, and SPCA volunteers and employees over the years, the board president got up to speak and introduced the man who had taken the chair next to mine. He was the President and CEO for the entire SPCA and gave a great speech. We hadn’t had the Bow wow Breakfast since 2019 and now some people wanted it called the Bow wow and Meow Breakfast so he agreed. However, he would not let anyone add on The Whinny, Squeak, Tweet or Chirp Bow wow and Meow Breakfast. This got a big laugh.

He asked people to stand who have donated for 5 years then 10 years, 25 years and so on. Next he had volunteers stand and I proudly stood up. Then he had a rescue and animal officer who handles animals in danger or abused animals get up and speak. This young man told about horrendous rescues during the winter storms and after the levee broke on the nearby river, his team, police officers and National Guardsmen went out to rescue people’s animals. They had to use high water vehicles and sometimes wade through waist deep water to find scared and hungry animals. He said one rescue that stuck out in his memory was an older lady who had evacuated and whose house was flooded, calling to ask if the SPCA could find and save her older blind dog and her parrot, who were her only companions. They did end up rescuing her pets and many others.

I had one of my best days at this breakfast hearing stories about 250 animals rescued during the floods and how many pet owners relied on this great organization to save their beloved animals. Lastly, adorable pets were brought up onstage to our oohs and ahhhs! We all loved this part the best, especially seeing little puppies. (Please adopt when you can.)

I also ate quiche and home fries. It was all delicious. It was fun to be there with over 300 lovers of animals and share the love.

Love to eat breakfast with lovers.

First, I want to let everybody know that I brought Kip home from the hospital today. His back surgery yesterday went well. Now comes the hard part. Rehab and healing. Thanks, everyone, for your thoughtfulness and prayers. Keep them coming.

I made an important life decision. I’m going with my gray. I’ve been gray for decades, but only my hairdresser knew exactly how gray. I’m the old hair color stylist, but I’m done with the dye and down with the gray. I had the color lifted out – thanks Amanda at A Touch of Grace Salon in Ben Wheeler. You are the best. Heather knows her stuff, too. I watched her color and cut a lady’s hair while Amanda worked on me.

I highly recommend A Touch of Grace Salon. It was a fun experience, and I love the results. No more dying my roots every few weeks. I’m very excited about that! Though I tried to only dye the roots, the ends were getting really dark and dry.

I’ve included some before and after pics of my new do as well as some other local Ben Wheeler color.