Part 23 If Oak Trees Could Talk!
As I begin this Monday morning I want to say that my prayers and thoughts go out to the people of Paris, France this morning as they are mourning the loss of at least 129 people following the brutal and cowardly terrorist attacks last Friday! It is heart wrenching to see the pain on the faces of those who are in shock that such a thing could happen! As an American, we remember all too well of having the same feelings of disbelief as our eyes were glued on our televisions during the 911 attacks of our own country. We pray for courage, unity and resolve to the citizens of all of France this morning!
Wow! It’s hard to believe that next week is Thanksgiving! This year seems to have flown by, but I wanted to let you my readers and followers know that I count you as one of my many blessings to be thankful for! Thank you for taking the time to read or “tune in” each week to If Oak Trees Could Talk! I appreciate that you sacrifice your time to read, listen, or comment, for this I am truly grateful!
Today we pick back up in Chapter 12 No Place Like Home and will continue reading a bit into Chapter 12 The Picnic!
Chapter 12
No Place Like Home
“Mom let’s go out the garden way! Can we please?” Dylan pleaded.
“Sure, why not!” Mom agreed.
They walked through a hallway into a vestibule or a very narrow room that housed a grand staircase. This area of the house did not hold lots of furniture with the exception of a few fancy side tables and a huge curio cabinet with beautifully curved wooden carved legs. This room displayed precious relics of past generations of Grandparents and Great Grandparents and even Great Great Grandparents. The boys loved to go into this area of the house because it was like a museum of many treasures that painted a history of the families past.
The boys walked slowly through this narrow area only to keep going forward into their Gramma’s favorite room, which was originally designed and presented to her by Henry himself on their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary! This room was the only new edition to the original Victorian. One usually gasped in awe when entering this bright and cheerful hide-away. This room served as a prelude to what was to come if one chose to continue to walk out the French doors onto the beautiful patio and formal gardens. However, it was difficult to leave this eye pleasing room. The edition was Helen’s own indoor gardens. This exquisite tropical room was Helen’s very own oasis, which displayed beautiful mosaic tiled flooring in bright vivid artistic patterns. Huge marble columns stood royally and held up huge pediments of artistry scroll works. The room was laden down with green lush tropical plants delicately planted in beautiful mosaic pots where they flourished in this room. Loads of sunshine beamed through the French Doors and the specially designed window panels that seem to magnify the warmth of the rays. Of course, in the corner of this exquisite room was what Helen considered one of her most exquisite and valued material treasures that Henry had ever purchased for her. It was a stunning three tiered mosaic water fountain imported from Italy that Henry found on one of his Home Show buying expeditions for the Hardware store. He had surprised her with this stunning piece of glory that weighed so much that Henry had to use special lifters and levels to get the fountain in place. As with anything Henry had done, he presented it to her with a grand gesture. He hired a band that knew how to play authentic Italian ballads and marched his Helen blindfolded into the room that stole her heart. The acoustics of the room rang out with the wonderful sounds of cascading waterfalls and sweet ballads of romance and love.
“This room doesn’t feel the same either does it Momma? Rob asked.
“No, Honey, I’m afraid not. I try to take care of Momma’s plants and of course the fountain is off now. No, sweetie, I am sure nothing is going to be the same until Gramma and Gramps come home.” Amelia replied rather quietly almost at a whisper as if she never wanted the living plants to hear such sad news.
“Come on, we’ve got to get these things to Gramma!” Dylan said as he opened the French doors and proceeded out the door with the picnic basket in his hand. The others followed. Their timing was to be perfect as Robert pulled up into the drive with the food that Helen had ordered for her and Henry’s picnic at the same time. The boys ran around the wrapped porch to meet their Daddy around front and Amelia followed.
“Well, let’s hope your mother knows what she is doing,” Robert said.
“If anyone knows what to do to help Daddy, it’s Momma. Let’s just get this stuff to her and find out what else she wants us to do.” Amelia said as she headed toward the Oak tree.
Chapter 13
The Picnic
When the family had walked slowly toward the tree, they could hear her Helen singing softly while she was pushing Henry in the swing. As they drew closer, Helen nodded up and down so that they knew it was okay for them to come down to the tree! They obeyed. Amelia showed Helen all that they had gotten for her from the house and she motioned again, so as to go unnoticed by Henry, with one hand for them to set everything up. She continued pushing Henry with her other hand. Occasionally they heard Henry let out a whoop and then he would yell, “Higher, higher!”
Amelia noticed her little Momma who normally needed a walker at Glenview to stabilize herself, standing as straight as she could muster to push Henry as high as he desired to go. Again as she watched her parents, she witnessed more of the great love that her mother had toward her father.
“Always put your spouse first.” Amelia heard in her thinking as she relived the conversation that she had with her Momma in the hospital about how to love with passion. She was witnessing what her mother meant. She watched her mother putting her father’s needs above her own. Tears stung Amelia’s eyes as she hurried to try to fulfill her mother’s wishes.
As always thank you so much for either reading along or “tuning in”! I want to wish everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving! May you have lots of Living, Laughing, and Loving!
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http://www.amazon.com/Christine-Hornback/e/B00J43R78C/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1413214474&sr=8-1
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