Those 70ish Girls

What was an ordeal for my mother and me, has now become a fond memory.

It was back in the fifties when little girls had long pretty ringlets or short pixie curls.

I wanted long hair, but none of the fuss. Mom thought pink plastic curlers a must.

Once a week we went through the routine. I leaned over the sink while Mom scrubbed my head clean.

I thought I would drown. I shut my eyes tight. It was hair washing day. We were in for a fight.

“The water’s too hot! It’s burning my head.” Mom surely approached this day with dread.

She wrapped a towel around long wet hair, and sat me on books stacked high on a chair.

She picked up a comb and began to wrangle, each section of hair and each stubborn tangle.

“Ouch! that hurts!” I cried out in vain. Didn’t Mom know that I was in pain?

Then came those curlers Mom rolled up so tight. I didn’t think she put them in right.

“They have to be perfect,” I always insisted. “My curls won’t look good if not evenly twisted.”

“You look like a rag muffin most of the week,” Mom said as she continued to curl and tweak.

“You fuss and complain from beginning till end, and I tell myself never again.”

But your curls look so pretty at least for a day. The rest of the week they all fly away.

That routine belonged to us alone. When was the last time? Do I wish I had known?

There are so many things in our lives that we experience for the last time, but we don’t know it’s the last time. It’s not always a bad thing not to know. I’ll never play golf again and even though I can’t remember that last time, I don’t really care.

I do remember the last day I spent with Mom. We watched five hours of music on the public television station and Mom sang “In the Garden” to me. It was her favorite hymn. Once I was listening to my voice mail messages and there was Mom singing her song.

With this covid virus consuming our lives and now the total unrest in our country, I’m becoming aware that last times can sneak up on you and I should make good use of each minute God gives me. Who do I need to spend more time with, and how do I make that happen?

***I primed the outside of the cottage from 7 am until 5 pm. I’ll be back at it tomorrow and Kip is getting to the final stage of completing the deck.

 

 

Jamie didn’t know if it was a good idea to stay for dinner. She had no idea if Miss Bessie had been able to give Brad the Will and if she did had he read it? If he had read it, how did he feel about it? She hadn’t even read it. Maybe she should have.

“I guess the chores can wait for a couple of hours,” she said. “The days are getting longer, now, so the animals should be okay.”

“That’s wonderful,” Dina said. “I’ll go tell Alice and Helen.”

As Dina got up to leave, Jamie couldn’t help noticing how at peace she looked. She had the chance to be with and care for the daughter she hadn’t seen for six long years.

Jamie was also grateful that she had a few minutes to be alone with Miss B.

“I’ve been waiting all day to find out what happened this morning,” she said as she sat down in the chair Dina had occupied.

“Well, I gave Brad the envelope, but he didn’t open it in front of me. He left a short time later, and I haven’t seen him since.”

I’ve been on pins and needles, Miss Bessie. I’ve been alternating between wishing I had read it, and wishing you had thrown it away like you threatened to. Who knows when we’ll know what was is it.”

“I said he didn’t open it in front of me. I didn’t say I didn’t know what was in it. Brad left it lying around, so if he didn’t want others to see it, it’s his own fault,” Miss B. said as she tried to hide the smug look on her face.

“We might not have much time, Miss Bessie. Tell me what it said.

“I can’t,” she said.

“What! you have to. I have to know how much trouble I’m in for getting Tom involved.”

“I can’t because Brad just pulled up. It probably won’t be long now before we know if he’s upset with you.”

Jamie didn’t say anything more to Miss B. because Brad got out of his truck and was heading toward them.

“Hello Ladies,” Brad said as he approached them. “Jamie…what brings you down from the attic?”

“She’s staying for dinner, “Miss B. said. “Isn’t that nice?”

Miss Bessie gave no indication that she intended to leave the two of them alone, which Jamie was grateful for. She might need her support.

“Would you mind going to see how much longer it will be, Miss Bessie? I need a couple of minutes to talk with Jamie.”

“Okay,” Miss Bessie said. “But it won’t be until Lassie’s over. Arf’s favorite episode is on.” With that said, she reluctantly left.

“So what did you make of the Will?” Brad asked.

“I didn’t read it. I put it in the envelope with the note and gave it to Miss B. to give to you. I’m happy to see you don’t seem very upset by what it said.”

“I haven’t read it yet.”

“Really? Miss Bessie found it lying around somewhere and she quite innocently read it. In her defense, she wouldn’t tell me what it said.”

“Well then, can you stay for a while after dinner? I assume you haven’t done your chores yet, so I’ll see if Mark will drive over and do them. We’ll go to my office and catch up with Miss Bessie. Here comes Arf to tell us dinner is ready.”

***After dinner, I followed Jamie and Brad into his office. Katie’s mom was helping her take a bath and there is a window in Brad’s office that I like to look out of. There are always lots of squirrels in the trees. I love this house. I hope I get to live here for a long time.

“Here it is on my desk. Right where I left it.” Brad said as he picked up the Will and sat down behind his desk. “Before we read it, I think I should tell you what I did today.”

Jamie sat down in the chair on the other side of the desk.

“I was pretty sure that no matter what the will said, I wouldn’t lose the ranch. It’s a much bigger operation now. The house is three times as big as it was, and thousands of acres have been added not to mention the the set-up for the horses. Even so, I went to see my lawyer who told me that most courts won’t look at a Will that shows up more than three years after probate has been settled.”

“That’s good news,” Jamie said.

“I suppose so, but Jamie, if that Will says my grandparents intended to give the original property to my mother’s sister or Tom, then I can’t keep it. At least not the house and the original acre that came with it.”

“I can’t say that I agree with your thought process, but don’t you think we should start by reading the Will?”

***I saw a car drive-up so I barked at Brad to let him know. It was the guy who was here the other night. He wasn’t very nice to Jamie and Brad. This time he had a lady with him.

“I asked Tom and Aunt Mildred to join us. I see that they’re here. We’re going to have an old fashioned “Reading of the Will.”

“Hello Tom, Mildred. Please have a seat. Can I get you anything…coffee, tea?”

Both declined.

“I told you there was a Will, Tom,” Mildred said. “Go on…read it,” she said to Brad.

As Brad read the Will a couple of things came to light that answered some questions they all had. Brad and Tom’s grandparents had indeed left the property to their mother’s sister. Sitting there, Aunt Mildred could hardly contain her excitement.

“Hold on a minute, Mildred, Tom should be interested in what follows. Here Tom, you read it.” Brad handed the Will to his brother who looked rather surprised at what it said next.

“I says here that in order to obtain ownership, you would have to pay off the lien against the property that was held by First Cypress Bank. Apparently the bank gave your parents, our grandparents, a loan. You would’ve also had to pay the amount equal to the taxes the bank had paid until they were able to foreclose.

Aunt Mildred was beginning to look rather uncomfortable.

“It looks like you knew all about the loan, Aunt Mildred,” Tom continued. “The explanation goes on to say that the loan was to pay for my expenses including private schooling.” Tom handed the Will to Mildred, and then got up and walked over to the window.
“I don’t recall going to a private school, Aunt Mildred. Was it nice?”

***I was beginning to wish I hadn’t come in here. It was getting too dark to see squirrels and I was tired. Steve has the day off tomorrow and he’s going to take us to where Dina used to work. She wants me to see all of the sick people. Katie is coming, too. I hope these people leave soon. They don’t seem to be happy in their hearts.

“I owe you an apology, Brad,” Tom said. “Everything you said was the truth and this ranch is yours fair and square. Come on Aunt Mildred, we’ve got an hour’s drive to your place and it will take me another hour to get home. I’m on duty for the next few days, too.”

Brad stood up and handed Aunt Mildred an envelope. “I want you to have this,” He said. “It might help the pain you feel because what existed way back then slipped through your fingers. Tom, when you get back from wherever your going, I would like very much to get together. I don’t know what you do for a living or anything, and I really want to know what your life has been like.”

“Tom,” Jamie said. “I haven’t had a chance to tell Brad about your career.”

“I’m a fire rescue pilot and it sounds like the fire I’m flying to tomorrow is deadly. Now if you’ll excuse us, We’ll get going…and Brad, I’d really like to get together with you when things settle down.”

Brad nodded his head and shook Tom’s outreached hand.

“Goodbye Aunt Mildred,” Brad said. “I want you to know you are welcome here, anytime. You and Tom are all that’s left of my original family and I’d like to get to know you both better.”

Jamie was so proud of Brad, and she was so emotional, she could barely say goodbye to Tom and Mildred. Who would have believed the finding of the Will would finally prove that all the blood, sweat, and tears Brad had put into this beautiful ranch had not been in vain.

When Jamie and Arf came down from the attic, the house was quiet and all but the usual nighttime lights were off.

“Well Arf,” Jamie whispered. “It appears that everyone has retreated to their rooms for the night. They must think I went home and you’re in with Katie. She was so exhausted, she’s probably been sleeping the whole time and didn’t miss you. Just a minute, and I’ll take you to her room, in case the door is closed or something.”

“There you are.” The voice startled both Arf and Jamie. “I knew you were around here someplace, but I wasn’t about to go searching for you. It would take me a month of Sundays to look through this whole house.” Miss Bessie was standing in the hall doorway.

“Hi Miss Bessie,” Jamie said. “Arf and I were looking around up in the attic. I love to explore up there and we let time get away from us. Do you know where I can fine an envelope and sheet of writing paper? I need to leave something for Brad.”

***It was good to hang out with Jamie and Miss B., but I wanted to get up to Katie’s room in case she needed me. It had been a long day for both of us and we needed our rest. I decided I would go on up and see if I could get into her room, but I wanted to see if I could remind Miss Bessie that I hadn’t had one of the good kind of bones yet today.

Luck was with me. She had one in her hand. I took it and went upstairs.

“I’m sure we can find what you need in the office, Jamie. Let’s go see.”

Jamie was surprised that the door to Brad’s office was unlocked. She was just as surprised when Miss Bessie just walked right in. It was his private office and it somehow didn’t seem right for them to be in there. It was apparent that Miss Bessie felt right at home. She walked over to a credenza and opened one of the drawers. She took out a legal sized envelope, a pen and some paper and handed them to Jamie.

“Here,” she said. “Will this do?”

“Yes,” Jamie answered. “I just need to write a note and I’ll leave this here. Would you mind letting him know in the morning that I left something for him on his desk?”

“I’ll tell him as soon as I see him.”

Jamie waited for Miss B, to leave, but she didn’t. She sat down in a nearby chair to wait. “Is that the Will?” She asked. “I overheard someone say that the boy’s grandparents left a Will that no one had been able to find. If it were me, I would be tempted to read it. That way if there’s something in it that could cause trouble for Brad, it just might go back to being lost…or maybe it never existed. I wouldn’t do it of course, I’m just saying I would be tempting.”

Jamie sat down and wrote a note to say she and Arf had decided to look for the Will and had discovered it in an old filing cabinet hidden behind a large piece of furniture in a dark corner of the attic. When she finished writing, she put the Will and note inside the envelope and handed it to Miss Bessie.

“I was going to leave it on his desk, but it might be better if you gave it to him. It’s getting really late, and I have to put in some hours at the clinic tomorrow. Thank you so much, Miss Bessie. I’m going to take off now.”

Jamie and Miss Bessie walked out of Brad’s office, shutting the door behind them.

***The next morning, Katie and I got up early and I helped her get ready to go downstairs for breakfast.

We didn’t have to go to our spot to practice balancing, because she needs to learn how to do everyday things. I hope we still go on our picnics, though. I have fun doing things with my Katie.

After I helped her get out of her bed, she wheeled herself around and did everything she could do like wash up and comb her hair. She got the clothes she needed from her chest of drawers and wheeled over to the big vanity with the big mirror. After maneuvering around in her chair to dress, she stood. There was my Katie, standing by herself in front of the mirror with the biggest smile on her face.

“It feels so good to stand here all by myself,” she said. “My next goal is going to be to stand behind Mommy while she sits at this vanity. I’m going to brush her hair. I’ve dreamed about doing that for the longest time. I’m going to walk and stand and do all kinds of things, Arf. Do you think I’ll be able to run someday?”

***Bark, Bark, Bark, Bark, Bark, and Bark….

It was a long day at work for Jamie. Even though she hoped to hear from Brad, she didn’t expect to. What if Miss B. hadn’t given him the envelope with the Will in it. Was she secretly hoping she hadn’t? She decided to drive to the ranch after work. She couldn’t stand not knowing.

“Hi Helen,” Jamie said as she walked into the kitchen at the ranch. “Something smells good.”

“You’re just in time for dinner,” Helen said. “Alice is making BBQ ribs and I just took an apple pie from the oven.”

“Actually, I was looking for Miss Bessie. Is she around here somewhere?”

“She and Dina are out in the garden, I believe,” Helen said as she started to set the table. “Can I set a place for you?”

“Uh…I can’t stay long, today…chores you know, but thank you, anyway. I’m going to see if I can talk to Miss Bessie for a moment.”

The garden is so beautiful, Jamie thought as she walked over to where Dina and Miss B. were sitting.

Photos by Nancy Authier

“Hello Jamie,” Dina said. “Did you just get off work? You must stay for the delicious dinner Alice and Helen are preparing.”

“I can’t tell you how amazing you look, Dina. You’re glowing. Yesterday was a special day for all of us, but it really was incredible for you, wasn’t it?”

“All of our prayers were answered. God sent us Arf and he worked a miracle,” Dina answered.

Jamie looked at Miss B. who was sitting there uncharacteristically silent.

“Oh my goodness,” she finally said. “Steve is home and here comes Mark, but I wonder where Brad is. I haven’t seen him since this morning? Please stay for dinner, Jamie. It will be nice to have everyone at the table.”

It was clear that Tom was very resentful of Brad, and Jamie knew she had a hand in what was happening between the two brothers.

Brad had left the room and she stood there with Tom, not knowing what she could, or better yet should, say to him.

“Do you mind telling me what happened, Tom? I’m not totally sure I should even ask, but if I have caused any kind of confusion, I would like the opportunity to clear it up.”

“I don’t think anyone is confused, Jamie. I think Brad is leaving out some important facts about how he came to own this place.”

Jamie tried to bite her tongue, but it wasn’t going to happen. “If you think your brother fabricated anything, you’re wrong.”

“So you’ve known Brad for how long, Jamie? A few short months? And now you swallow whatever he says, hook, line, and sinker.”

“It doesn’t matter how long I’ve known him, I would bet my life that it all happened exactly as Brad said it did.”

“We’ll see,” Tom said. “I have an appointment with an attorney tomorrow. I’m anxious to learn how a bank could foreclose on a property that didn’t have a loan against it. And as far as the taxes are concerned, Aunt Mildred said my grandparents had their own attorney set up an escrow account for the purpose of keeping the taxes and insurance on the property current.”

“Now I’m confused. Why is this being researched now?” Jamie asked. “Brad has not only owned this property for years, but he has built on it and just look at all the improvements he has made.”

“My Aunt has always insisted that my grandparents willed the property to her. Unfortunately, the will has been elusive. In the absence of a will, the deceased’s assets would normally go through probate and after all debt was paid, the remaining funds would go to the closest living relative.”

Tom kept looking toward the doorway to the hall. Jamie wondered if he was hoping Brad would come back to the room.

He continued his explanation.

“I was stationed overseas when my grandparents died, within months of each other, and I had no sympathy for Aunt Mildred, anyway. It wasn’t until you told me how Brad came to buy the house and property that I decided to question Aunt Mildred further.

When a will could not be found, and Aunt Mildred discovered the house and property had been badly neglected, she backed off. She expected to get a final accounting once everything had gone through probate and was sold, but she never heard anything and assumed the attorney’s fees and payment of outstanding bills had eaten up all the assets. She was naive about the process to say the least, and did not even know the name of my grandparent’s attorney.” Tom paused for a moment. “Neither of us were aware that the property was sold to Brad. Anyway, I hope to get more information, tomorrow.”

Tom turned to leave. “Tell my brother I’ll be in touch. I’ll let myself out.”

Once again, Jamie had a dilemma. Should she tell Brad what Tom had said, or should she let them battle it out themselves? She decided that she would tell Brad…but not before she paid another visit to the attic.

Arf was lying on the floor eating dogfood from his frisbee. “What do you think, Arf? Could you help me find some more paperwork in the attic?”

***Jamie and I went up to that musty old attic again. It isn’t really my favorite place to be, although it is kind of fun to find stuff up there. Maybe there would be some frisbees or balls up in the attic.

When we got up all those stairs, Jamie showed me some scraps of paper and I got the idea she wanted me to play a game. It’s called, I find more paper and bring it to her. I looked everywhere. When it started to get dark, Jamie found a flashlight and started shining it into the corners and the drawers of the old furniture. Then, she saw a filing cabinet way over in a dark corner, behind a bed with a huge headboard.

“Maybe there is something in here that will help us,” Jamie said. She tried to pull the top drawer out and found it was locked. She tried the second and third drawer and they were locked, too. Finally, she pulled on the last drawer. It took some effort, but it opened.

“There is a folder in here, but it looks empty,” she said. She was about to shut the drawer when she almost dropped her flashlight. Arf happened to be looking where the light was briefly shining and spotted something. He let Jamie know that he saw paper taped to the back of the drawer. It turned out to be a small envelope. When Jamie opened it, she found two keys inside.

She put one of the keys in the lock of the top drawer and it came open. The only thing in there was a flat wooden box which was locked with a padlock. Thankfully, the second key opened it.

Inside the box was a manila envelope that held several folded legal sized papers.

“Bingo!” Jamie said. “Good work, Arf. Now…should we see what is in this thing, or should we go straight to Brad and give it to him?”

***I was so proud of Katie. She could have walked more steps, but she’s really supposed to start learning how to stand and balance without the sticks.

Right now, I’m sticking by Jamie. I want her to notice me at all times just in case she’s going to the Vet Clinic. I really want to play with Annie. Please, Please, Please!!

Jamie knew she should talk to Brad about her visit to see Tom, but he rushed out to do his chores as soon as the excitement of seeing Katie take her first six steps died down some. She had to get to work soon, anyway. She was saying her goodbyes when she felt a cold nose on her hand.

“Arf…are you trying to tell me you want to come to work with me? Let me find out if that’s okay with Katie, first.”

Katie was curled up beside Dina. They were reading a book together, and it looked like Katie was ready to fall asleep. The poor thing was worn out. Dina saw that Arf was with Jamie and nodded her head.

“Looks like you get to go have fun with Annie today,” Jamie said. “I’ll like having the company, too. I miss you, Arf. I suppose I’d better bring you back here tonight, though. Katie will need you to help with her balancing exercises, tomorrow.”

Brad was disappointed that Jamie had to work. He was hoping she would want to go horseback riding with him. “It’s funny,” he thought. “It never used to bother me to spend days or even weeks at a time, alone. Now, I want to spend time with the people I love.”

In the end, Brad took a long ride by himself. It gave him time to think. Jamie said she had done her best, but had been unable to locate Tom. “Well,” he thought. “If Jamie can’t find him, then he must not want to be found.”

Brad had only been home a short time when Alice told him there was someone at the door who wanted to see him.

“Who is it?” Brad asked, just as a tall young man walked into the room. He immediately knew it was Tom and got up to offer his hand, which Tom didn’t take. Instead, he kept both hands in his pockets.

“I just had to see if everything Jamie told me was true,” he said. “She told a very different story than the one I know about.”

“Jamie? When did you talk to Jamie?”

“Yesterday…didn’t she tell you? She drove two hours one way just to tell me a pack of lies. Did you send her, Brad?”

“Look, Tom,” Brad was visibly upset. “I knew Jamie was looking for you on my behalf, but I had no idea she had found you much less talked with you. It was my understanding that she would give the information of your whereabouts to me, and I could follow up…or not! What did she tell you that has you questioning my integrity?”

“She gave me some contrived story about how you came across this place accidentally and purchased it for a little bit of nothing. I believe she said it had something to do with paying off back taxes. This is a nice house, Brad. Was anyone bidding against you on the courthouse steps?”

“Not that I have to explain myself to you, Tom, but I did a search and found out the house was owned by a bank. They were anxious to get rid of it. The house and the one acre that went with it were run down and they knew they wouldn’t get much for it, anyway, so I made a deal which included paying the amount equal to all the taxes owed.”

Tom folded his arms and leaned against the doorway. He hadn’t heard enough yet.

“Why would our grandparents let their house go? Aunt Mildred said they didn’t have a loan against it. Why would a bank own it? Besides…they had money. They lived in a pretty swanky retirement community which cost a fortune.”

“I don’t know, the story behind it, Tom. I only know they had renters in it after they moved who did a lot of damage to the house. The bank owned it and wanted to get rid of it, quickly. You can believe that or not, I really don’t care. It all happened a long time ago and I’ve put a lot of work into improving the place.”

The brothers stood there and just looked at each other. Both had run out of things to say.

It was at this point that Jamie and Arf walked in. Jamie could have sunk through the floor. It was very apparent that things weren’t going well between the brothers and it was entirely possible their anger would be turned on her.

“Tom,” she said. “I had no idea you were coming.”

Brad answered her without taking his eyes off Tom.

“Apparently not,” he said. Then he turned and walked out of the room.

Arf ran to get a frisbee.

An Arf story is in the works, but I was too tired to write last night, and I was too tired to get up early enough this morning. In the meantime, I want to show you a few pictures. The first is a tiny glimpse of the sun setting on the lake. I took it from the porch of our tiny home. We now have a tiny home, a little cottage and a home on wheels. Even with three dogs and a cat, I think we’re good.

I found the cute little hand painted desk below on the Facebook Marketplace site. I’m back to moving things around and hoping I don’t have to remove something else. I don’t want to make the little cottage look or feel too crowded.

I’ve since moved it to the left a couple of inches and will see if I have room to put some of my hats back on the side of the storage cabinet. If not, I’ll hang them somewhere else.

Not finished with this thought, yet…I’m challenged by the fact that all of my electrical outlets are in one corner, and I have lots of things to plug in…(fireplace, air conditioner, lamp, computer, future CD player, etc.)

Kip has finished replacing the trim, and today, we’re going to power wash the siding. He is going to start working on the deck in the next few days while I start painting. Pretty exciting. The rain is even supposed to hold off for a while.

It was a busy day, yesterday, but a fun one. I got to have lunch at a friend’s house with two other friends that I haven’t spent much time with recently do to social distancing and the fact that people are most comfortable staying at home. It’s even a special treat to make a trip to the vet.

***Watch for an Arf story to be posted later today. That little dog has developed quite a following and I don’t want to disappoint…

Does everyone go through times in their lives when they wish they could be exactly, I mean exactly like someone else? Do they change their hairdo, buy different clothes, join different groups, make different friends…Is this is sounding like some crazy person?

Thankfully, I never got caught, and I wasn’t what some people might think of as being a stalker. Though I have confessed many times, people don’t seem to be afraid when I come around. Well maybe when I’m dressed like Yram Sicnarf or Venus the laughter coach, but those two are just alter egos.

I’ve written so many times about my admiration for a certain girl I knew in high school, I won’t make you see that movie again, but something happened this week that really touched my heart. I will have to backtrack just a little, here.

When I started writing the longer fictional stories on my blog, I began with the story of Abbie Ann. The second book was The Story of Bonnie Blue. Both were inspired by dolls that I had purchased at the Goodwill store.

“B” was as far as I had gotten in the alphabet when I attended the All School Class Reunion of 2016 held in my hometown of Murdo, SD. The wife of Eddie Jackson, (one of my classmates) told me about a doll she had that reminded her of Connie Jackson, who was the subject of my deep admiration. (Connie was also Eddie’s sister.) They said when they got back to Nebraska, they would email me some photographs, which they did.

That was the first sign that a Connie doll story had to be my next endeavor. I now had a “C”… Eddie even helped me by writing true stories about what it was like for Connie and him to grow up on a ranch near Murdo and go to country school.

When I put my Murdo Girl Memories into a book, I wrote more about my days of worshiping Connie. I coined the phrase Connie like. My hair, clothes, shoes, school activities, like girls basketball and cheerleading, all had to be Connie like. I fell a little short on some of my Connie likes such as basketball, but I tried.

When I moved all of my dolls and collections into my then she-shed, now cottage, I mentioned on the blog that I did not have the Connie doll. I have Bonnie Blue and Dakotah’s princess doll from my “D” story, and I have since changed my “A” story to Arf. I never published Abbie Ann, anyway. I don’t have an Arf doll, but I’m looking.

A couple of days ago I received something very special in the mail from a very thoughtful person who happens to be Connie Jackson’s cousin. Her name is Kerri Venard.

Meet the real Connie like.

Bonnie Blue is warming up to her…

My Dakotah’s Story princess doll is coming around, too. She and Connie like are about the same size.

Arf will love her…

This is a picture of Connie Jackson that was posted on the Murdo and Jones County Facebook page. She was modeling for some event. I think she was a senior in high school.

I didn’t see Connie again after high school. She was a couple of years older than me and we both moved away from Murdo. It was after I had written about her that I learned she had died of cancer at the young age of 63. I wish I could have seen and talked with her one more time.

Thank you, Connie, for the memories and thank you, Kerri, for giving me this beautiful Connie like doll. I love her.

The next morning…

Jamie was so worried about telling Brad about her conversation with Tom that once again, sleep escaped her. She arrived at the ranch a little after seven, hoping to have a few minutes for one of Alice’s delicious cups of coffee before encountering Brad.

What she found was a house full of anticipation and excitement. Everyone including Katie was up and having breakfast at the huge table in the kitchen. Alice, Helen and Miss Bessie were all cooking and serving. Dina and Steve were sitting on either side of Katie, who had a big, but slightly nervous smile on her face. Mark was even there and Brad was seated at the table as well. Arf was lying on the floor beside Katie.

“Wow! I didn’t know all of you had missed me so much. I feel really honored that everyone got up so early to greet me…and just look at that breakfast. Seriously, I hope there’s room for one more!”

“I’m glad you’re here, Aunt Jamie,” Katie said. “After breakfast, Arf and I are going to show you something you’re really going to like. Can you stay? Please!!”

“I have to be at the clinic by ten, but if that’s time enough, I wouldn’t miss your surprise for the world.” Jamie decided this morning would not be the best time to approach Brad. It would just have to wait.

After breakfast everyone went to the great room. Katie told everybody to please take their seats. When the room had quieted down, she began to speak from her heart. The whole time she spoke, her hand was resting on top of the head of a very proud and pleased Arf.

“Arf and I have worked so hard and now we get to show you what we can do, but before we get started, I want to tell you something.” Katie was speaking to everyone, but her eyes were on her mother.

“When I first got to the research hospital, I was really afraid I wouldn’t be able to learn what everyone thought I could. Then Daddy brought you, Mommy and I was even more afraid that I would disappoint you. You see, I dreamed about you all of the time, and in my dreams when I was with you, I could walk. I never had to use this wheelchair. Then one day, Sam had a talk with me. He told me that I had a guardian angel and she had written something just for me. He helped me read it, and he told me to read it every day.”

Katie held a worn letter in her hand and she began to read from it. It was pretty obvious to everyone watching that she had memorized every word. They understood that the letter had been a lifeline for her these last few months. Instead of reading it, Katie talked about what it meant to her.

“My guardian angel said that she could tell I was confused or afraid of something. She said that maybe I didn’t want to make a big life-changing decision and even though I knew trying to learn to walk was what was best for me, I hadn’t been able to make the decision to try my best. She said I had to decide to believe in myself and my abilities no matter how afraid I was. She said that I must believe in the power of my protector in heaven and know that he had given me Arf. She told me there were six things that would help me through it all…

• Having a peaceful heart
• Love for my family
• The love of my family who would always be there no matter what…
• Appreciation for my new home and the wonderful life I have been given
• Trust in myself and Arf.
• And most of all, belief in my protector in heaven who had given me a special friend named, Arf, who loves me unconditionally and is eager to help me to be my very best.

She said she was my guardian angel and she knew if I kept my mind focused on those six things, that I was going to be okay.”

(It is in our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light…)

Everyone in the room was spellbound. They couldn’t believe that this little girl, who had been through so much, had garnered so much strength and wisdom.

“Mommy, I’m so sorry I thought you left me last night. It makes me really sad when I make you sad. I love you so much and I’m going to try really hard to do better. I have the best Daddy in the whole world and I believe in what my angel told me.

Come here Arf. I want to take you for a walk.”

Steve was the only one in the room who had seen Katie and Arf perform their magic. Even so, he was mesmerized along with everyone else. He knew he and Dina, as well as all the others who loved little Katie, would be forever grateful to her heavenly protector who had given her such a wise guardian angel and a wonderful and caring physical therapist named Sam.

Their hearts were filled with joy as they watched Katie with the help of her amazing dog, Arf, take six beautiful steps.

***I saw Blackie was gone. I don’t know if that’s the horse’s name, but I call him Blackie because he’s black. Dina wasn’t home and I know for sure that Katie wanted to show her that she could walk six steps right away. Then I saw Steve and Brad take off and I figured they went looking for Dina and Blackie. Then I saw that Blackie was back, but Dina wasn’t, so the only thing I could do was to go and find her. I went down the same road I went with Steve when we saw that little house. I don’t know why that’s the direction I went, but it’s a good thing I did.

Dina wasn’t on the road. She was off the road. I couldn’t really see her that well, but I saw something move in the tall grass and I went to have a look. It was Dina.

“Arf? Arf? is that you? Please help me. I twisted my ankle and it’s already swollen twice it’s size.”

***I could see she was hurting. I went over to her and barked and then turned around to go get Steve and Brad.

“Don’t leave me here, Arf! It’s getting dark. The horse got spooked by a rattlesnake and I fell off and landed on my ankle. Luckily the snake had slithered off by then, but I don’t want to be laying here in the dark with rattlers around. Stay with me. I know someone will eventually drive down that road and they’ll be close enough for you to be able to hear them and get their attention. I heard a car on the road earlier, but I was too far away for them to hear me yelling. Oh, Arf…I don’t know how much of what I’m saying you even understand, but please…stay with me.”

***I knew that wasn’t the right thing to do, but I stayed with her, anyway. I didn’t want to leave her by herself in the dark.

Brad drove everywhere he could think of that a horse could go and was about to return to the house to see if they had heard anything, when he decided to backtrack and go down the road to the house he and Steve had gone to earlier. It was dark and he was beginning to get very worried. Wherever Dina was, she was on foot, and where was Arf?

A little while later, Arf heard Brad’s truck and so did Dina. He didn’t wait for her to give him permission. He left her to go chase Brad down. Brad was driving slowly, so it was easy to get his attention.

“Arf!!!…I was really hoping you would have Dina with you.”

Arf did his usual bark and follow me routine and Brad did as he was told. They hadn’t gone far when he saw Dina. She was about a half mile from the road and she was sitting there in obvious pain.

“Brad…Thank God. I was beginning to wonder if Arf and I were going to have to be here all night. The horse got spooked by a rattlesnake and I fell off. Guess I’m not quite the horsewoman I thought I was.”

“I’ll drive the truck over here in a minute, but let me take a look at that ankle. I need to know if I should take you home or to the emergency room.”

“No Brad. The emergency room is not an option. I’ve probably already missed Katie’s homecoming. Have you seen her? Do you know how she did?”

“I’ll let them tell you all about it when we get home. We’ll at least get that ankle iced down and see how everything looks in the morning.”

When they got home, Steve told them that poor Katie had cried herself to sleep. “Why couldn’t you just stay here and wait for her?” Steve knew he had no right to be so angry. Dina was already in a lot of physical pain. “I’m going to check on Katie and then I’m going to bed.”

Dina wanted in the worst way to ask if she could come with him, but there was no way she could put any weight on her ankle. Besides, she had a feeling he would refuse to allow her to take a peek at her daughter. In his eyes, and most definitely Katie’s, she was still not to be trusted. As hard as she tried, she couldn’t stop the tears.

“I brought you some ice and a sandwich,” Brad said as he walked right past Steve who was leaving. He could see the tears in Dina’s eyes and he knew they had nothing to do with her ankle. She was an emotional wreck.

“Did Steve tell you that Katie did well today? She can’t wait to show you what she and Arf have accomplished. Tomorrow is a new day, Dina, and it’s going to be a good one. Just keep believing in yourself and that beautiful little girl of yours. Right, Arf?”

***Bark, Bark, Bark, Bark, Bark, Bark…Here comes Miss Bessie. Maybe she’s got a good bone for me.

“Brad…Jamie’s on the phone for you. Here Arf…here’s your bone. As always, you certainly deserve it! And guess what? Jamie is coming to talk to Brad tomorrow and then she is going to take you to the vet clinic for a play date with Annie. Looks like you get the day off!”

***But what about Katie? She needs me to show Dina that she can take six steps. I’m staying here. Maybe Jamie can take me the next day….

Later that night, when Brad was helping Dina to her room and Helen was along to help her change and get her settled in, Dina asked if she could just peek in Katie’s room. She needed to see her daughter if only for just a second.

Helen looked at Brad and nodded her head.

“Isn’t she beautiful?” Dina whispered.

She heard a little voice in the darkness say, “I can’t wait until tomorrow, Mommy. I’m going to tell you all about my six steps. Daddy said you fell off the horse and hurt your ankle. Maybe Arf and I can teach you how to walk six steps, too. We’ll do it together. Goodnight Mommy…I love you.”

I promised a party and I always keep my promises, so let’s have some fun!

What: A Good Time in Murdo

When: Wednesday

Where: In the Harold Thune Auditorium on the Jerald Applebee floor

WELCOME TO MURDO

Every Murdoite from the youngest to the oldest is chocked full of excitement about the upcoming blowout at the Harold Thune Auditorium. Mr. Applebee has been cleaning his floor all week and boy does it shine! Good work Coach. Mr. Palmer has changed out all the light bulbs in the crow’s nest, so everyone should be able to toot their horns and beat those drums with amazing accuracy. There’s nothing better than a band that can see.

GET OFF OF MY FLOOR, I JUST CLEANED IT!!

There will be so many children’s activities, the little ones will run Mom and Dad absolutely ragged. To name a few, there’ll be piggy back rides, on the backs of the basketball team, bobbing for lemons in a tub full of free water donated by Murdo Wall Drug, and lemons from Sanderson’s store. We’ll have pin the tail on the Coyote, and the Queen has offered to be in charge of the pony rides in the parking lot.

We know that the little darlings can get away from you sometimes, so Deputy Fife has set up a “Nip it in the Bud” stand where you can go and holler for your kid on the megaphone. He will also be lurking around incognito. That way if he spots trouble brewing, he can nip it in the bud. Murdo Girl will be assisting him when needed.

For adult entertainment, there will be a twist off. This is for men and women under 40. The older people should not participate. It’s hard on your core to twist like that. For the geriatric crowd, there will be a place reserved in the SW corner of the auditorium where you are welcome to dance the tango if you’d like. Hopefully, it will be one of your good days. A single plastic rose will be provided for as long as the supply lasts. Some like to hold a flower in their teeth when they dance. One rose per couple please. Unless you can twist and tango to patriotic music, you’ll have to wait until the glee club is finished and the band starts to play.

Under 40 welcome

I borrowed these photos from Judy Dykstra Brown’s blog, Lifelessons. I’ll give them back Judy.

We are committed to using every square inch of space in the auditorium. As previously mentioned, The girls glee club will be on the stage. They will be singing a series of patriotic songs. You won’t be able to see their performance because the curtain will be closed. We decided that we wanted the singing to be subtle and kind of drifting in the air. Having the curtains closed will promote the atmosphere we’re shooting for.

Speaking of shooting..When the glee club takes a break, there will be a shoot the basketball contest. You have to shoot from the free throw line. Five out of five baskets will get you a prize. It will most likely be a lemon meringue pie from Mack’s Cafe. Four out of five gets you a box of Millionaire candy from The Murdo Wall Drug Store. Ever since all the Wall Drug signs were moved to direct the tourists to Murdo, the store has become pretty flush and they wish to share their wealth.

In the girl’s locker room, Madame Queen will be telling your fortunes. She recently obtained a Certificate in Fortune Telling from the School of Mediums in New Underwood. I’ve heard she’s extremely accurate. She will tell you anything you want to know without even asking any questions. Consult Madame Queen on love, marriage, wills, and power’s of attorney. She will succeed where others have failed. She will even review your blood work if you want her to. Your reading will be private and confidential. A line will be formed at the top of the stairs, by the back door. If we have to, we’ll even rope off an area so people don’t try to cut in.

The mega talented Photographic drawer, Sherri Miller will be in the boy’s locker room where for a nominal fee, she will draw your photograph. If you’d like, you can contact her early and show her what colors you’ll be wearing. That way, she can pick up the pencil that most closely matches your outfit, at The Gambles store on her way over.

Has the Queen seen this Sherri?

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A few housekeeping matters

Just to avoid confusion, males and females will be allowed in both locker rooms for this event.

Parking will be tight, so walk if you’re able. Some of you live real close.

Now…Have yourself a ball!!