How come you don’t have a name? April 23, 2010

“How come you don’t have a name?  How come everyone just calls you Uncle?”

“Well little lady Violet, I do have a name it is Tom but everyone calls me uncle or brother because your grandma, my mother started it and it just stuck.  And besides there is already a famous Uncle Tom so I think just uncle suits me just fine.  Now I bought you something, do you want it now or later?”

“Now, I want it now!”  She could not wait to see what it was because Uncle always bought the best gifts.  Her mother was coming from the spare room where she had been settling their things and asked what was going on.

“Oh I bought Violet a gift, and was wondering if she would like it now or later, and before you start to pout you should know I got you something too.”

“You did, did you?  Well then by all means lets see these gifts!”  They were all laughing now.  “You two sit down at the table and let me get them, sure hope you like them now after all of this.”

“We will!” Violet was so excited and sure that they would.  He went into the kitchen and opened a cupboard and pulled out two small boxes.  Both were wrapped in pretty paper, one had little daisy’s on it and the other violet’s; he brought them over to the table and asked Violet “which one do you think is yours?”

“The one with the violet’s on it!”

“Yep that is right and as for you Annie, I think we will have to call you Daisy now, since yours has the daisy’s on it.”

“No we will not” her mother replied firmly but with a smile.

“Well open them already, see what they are.”

The exchanged a smile and a look and then both quickly opened the boxes.  Inside there was a small paper, kinda like a ticket and nothing else; Violet was very puzzled and looked at her mother to see what she had opened.  In her mother’s box there were two of the papers and her mother looked very happy.

“Violet do you know what these are?”

“No?”

“They are tickets for tonight, the three of us are going to go see a play! A real play, a theater play oh Tom, thank you, thank you so much. “  Her mother looked like she might cry as she jumped out of the chair and ran to her brother, throwing her arms about his neck and giving him a big hug.

Tom was laughing and said “No worry Violet, you will like the gift a lot more once you see what it really is, but now we need to get ready and go shopping because I want to buy you each a special dress for tonight, my treat!” ©

Look we are almost there! April 22, 2010

Finally after a long silence Violet got up her nerve and asked “Do you think we could have those cookies and milk now?”

“Yes that is a wonderful idea, you are such a good girl!”  Her mother seemed happy and fine again and Violet got the cookies from the cooler and two of the boxes of milk, carefully passing some forward to her mother.  Then she settled in to tell her mom about the stickers she had done so far and the writing project.  They chatted happily as they kept on driving.

Finally they came over a hill and her mother said “Look we are almost there!  Can you see the city?”  Violet leaned way up and yes she could see all the buildings and the roads and there were more cars around them then there had been before.

“We are very close.  The next exit is the one we will take and then we will be almost to Uncle’s !”  If you look really close you will be able to see his house and his yard, before the exit, it is right about there.”  Her mother was pointing, but they all looked the same to Violet.

“Did you see it?”

“I am not sure, I think so..”  Truth was she was not sure at all, but she knew that was the right answer. They pulled off the freeway and onto the city streets, making a series of turns to the right, and then left, and Violet wondered how anyone could ever find anything in the city because there was so much of it all in one place.

Finally they pulled into  a driveway, just in front of a closed garage door and her mother honked the horn.  Beep, Beep, Beeep! and out came her Uncle.  Her mother hurried out of the car and gave him a big hug and then came back to open the door and let Violet out.  Her uncle picked her up and swung her around, just like the man at the truck stop had with her mother and when he sat her down he said “You are getting so BIG, how old are you know?  12?”

Violet laughed and said “No silly! I am FIVE!”  Her mother had opened the trunk and her uncle was grabbing the bags.   Violet grabbed her back pack and pillow, and her mother brought the cooler and they all headed into the house. ©

truck stop princess April 21, 2010

After awhile sitting on the floor just was not very comfortable and it was kinda hot, plus her soda was all gone.  Violet decided to lay down across the back seat, with her pillow and to just read instead.  At some point she fell asleep, because she woke up to a man knocking on the window “Hey little girl are you ok?  Little girl wake up!”

Violet woke up and was a little afraid because she did not know who the man was and she was not supposed to talk to strangers.  “I am fine, go away.”

The man smiled at her “ok glad you are fine, and I do not want to scare you, I was just worried is all… a little kid all alone at a truck stop.”

“Oh I am not alone I am with my mom, but she is in a truck right now.”

“She is in a truck?”

“Yes that one over there.”  Violet turned and pointed to the big truck she had watched her mother get into.

“Ok well as long as you are ok, maybe you should roll the windows down a little more let some more air flow through there.”

“Get away from my car!  Who do you think you are!?  Get away from my car!”  Violet jumped as she heard her mother yelling but the man did not, instead he winked at Violet, stood up and said “Lady just wanted to make sure the girl was ok, little one doesn’t need to be alone while her mother is playing truck stop princess.”  And then he turned and walked away.

Her mother unlocked the car, and crawled in the front seat and was clearly upset.  “Honey are you ok?”

“Yes mom, I am fine.”

As she turned the mirror towards herself and started to fix her hair she was talking but more to the mirror then to Violet.  “Some people just can not mind their own business, I am a perfectly good mother, and we are having a special trip and some fun, nothing wrong with that!”

Violet was not sure why her mother was so angry, but she knew this was not the time to ask.   As they left the truck stop and headed back to the freeway they never discussed any of it, just pretended like it had not happened and got back on their way. ©

He who throws dirt is losing ground April 20, 2010

On one side of each fortune were their lucky numbers, and on the other side there was a sentence.  Her mothers read He who throws dirt is losing ground and Violet’s said A closed mouth gathers no feet.   “Mom how come they don’t have real answers on them like watch for the hawk, or crow will teach you a lesson, or stuff?”

“Well honey they are not real fortunes, not from real gypsy’s it is just a game, a silly machine.  It is not like what we really do with cards and such.  It is like when you ride the horse at the store, real horses are nothing like the pretend ones but it is still fun to put the coin in and play.. right?”

“Yeah I guess, is there a horse here?”  Her mother was laughing again “No but they do have cold soda’s lets go get a couple.”  Sure enough there were a lot of cold sodas in the big refrigerator, and they each chose one and headed to the cash register to pay – on the way her mother grabbed a bag of licorice and said “I think we need these too.”

Violet loved when her mother was so happy and thought this is the best trip ever.  As they paid and headed to the car a mans voice said “Annie?  Annie is that you?”  Violet and her mother turned and there was a very big man, even taller than her father, walking toward them with a big smile.  He grabbed her mother and swung her around in a circle saying “well as I live and breathe!”

It all seemed odd to Violet, but her mom was still smiling so she guessed it was all ok.  She stood there just watching them hug and say hello and you look wonderful and stuff like that.  Violet wondered if they remembered she was even there…just then her mother said “Violet I tell you what, I am going to put you in the car with your soda, and you can work on your workbook and I will be right back ok?”

Sounded ok to Violet and they walked back to the car.  Her mother opened up the back door and the cooler and turned the lid over and put it back on.  “There you can sit on the floor and use this as a desk now, and you can put your soda in this cup holder right here.  Ok?  And I will lock the doors, but roll the windows down a little and I will be back soon.  You have fun.”

It was kinda cool to be alone in the car, she could pretend like it was her own house and she was doing work.  She watched her mom walk with the man over to a really big truck, the kind that will pull the horn and honk at you when you pull your arm down like you are tugging on a bell.  Violet watched her mom climb up in the truck and the man behind her and as he closed the door she slid down to the floor to work on her book.  Since the car was not moving she decided now was a good time to do some of the writing pages. ©

she opened the backpack up and took out April 19, 2010

They went through a couple of small towns sharing grapes and then it was time to hit the freeway or highway.  It seemed to be the same road but different grownups called it different things.  Now they would be driving much faster, and there was not a lot to see really; mostly just desert.

“Can I open my workbooks now?”

“Yes of course you can.”

Violet was excited she opened the backpack up and took out the workbooks and started to look through them.  She decided it would be easiest to start with the stickers, after all she would not have to worry about staying in the lines or writing neat that way.  All of the stickers were at the back of the book, and had lines and numbers to show which ones went to what page.  She thought it would be easiest to tear all of the sticker pages out of the back and lay them beside her and just start at the front of the book.

Violet was so busy doing the stickers and the pages, she did not even realize that her mother had pulled off at an exit until they were coming to a stop at a truck stop.

“Come on Violet, lets take a potty break and see if there is anything fun in there we might need.”

They headed into the truck stop and back to the bathrooms.  When they came back into the store there was a machine to one side and it had a head in it, and hands and a crystal ball.  “Mom what is that?”  Violet had never seen such a thing.

Her mother laughed “Oh that is a fortune teller, here we will do it.  See you put a coin in here and then she will tell you your fortune.”

“It looks like a puppet, and not a person..”

“Oh Violet, it is not a real person, it is not even a real fortune just a silly game.  It will be fun.”  Her mother placed a coin in the machine and turned the nob, suddenly the head and the hands moved, and her eyes opened, there was weird music and then she closed her eyes and stopped moving.  Just then a small piece of paper came out of the front of the machine near where the coin went in.

“See this is my fortune.  Here is a coin, you try and then we will read them together.”  Violet put in her coin, turned the nob and the puppet again moved, opened her eyes, there was the music and then the fortune came out.  She quickly grabbed it and said “ok what do they say?” ©

oh it will be so fun April 18, 2010

Once they were in the car and on the way down the long dirt road and everything was settled…pillow to one side, backpack to the other side, cooler on the floor and Violet in the middle; both mother and daughter were smiling.

“We will have so much fun!  And I am so excited to see your uncle and to go shopping and dress up and go out and oh it will be so fun.”

Violet thought it was pretty nice to see her mother so excited, it was not often that she was just bubbling over with happiness and chatting away.  At the road, at the mailbox, they turned to the right and headed the same way that they would go to swim and camp;  in fact they would drive right past it on the way to the highway.

“Ok Violet, open up that cooler and see what we have for breakfast.”

“Ok!”  Violet leaned down and pulled the cooler lid back and peeked inside she found a lot of fun stuff and even napkins.  There were bagels, and cream cheese, and even a plastic knife; smoked salmon, fresh grapes, both red and green; small boxes of orange juice and of chocolate milk.  Chocolate chip, oatmeal cookies; and even some cheese and crackers.

“Wow mom, there is a LOT of stuff in here!  What do you want first?”

“How about you fix us each a bagel with some cream cheese and salmon.  You can pass mine to me in a napkin when it is ready, and you can place the cooler lid on your lap like a table.”

“This is fun!”  Violet quickly made two bagels with cream cheese and salmon, and passed one to her mom along with a carton of orange juice.  She selected a carton of chocolate milk for herself and closed the cooler back up.  Before long they passed Uncle Lacey and Aunt Ellie and Sara’s house and then not long after that the swimming place.  As they drove along the winding river they could see the water falls, and the smooth clear surface of the river and every now and then some birds.  ©

everything was ready to go April 14, 2010

After dinner they all worked together to bring everything inside.  Violet’s father took her upstairs and started her bath for her while her mother put everything away in the kitchen.  Once she was safely in the tub he headed down to watch tv.

Violet’s mother had packed up all of the clothes that she had laid out; while Violet was taking her bath.  When she got out she saw everything was ready to go for when they woke up in the morning.  Her backpack with the workbooks in it, her duffel for camping and the suitcase for the big trip.

Violet was so excited, that she really was thinking she would never be able to fall asleep.  But the truth was that almost as soon as her mother kissed her and told her goodnight, and shut off the light she was sound asleep.

Her dreams were filled with birds, and stars and bar-b-q’s and more.  When she woke up it was to her father saying — “Violet, wake up sweetie.  There you are good morning!”

“Good morning”  Violet was confused as she was waking up, she had not remembered yet today was a big day.

“Honey I have to get out there, but I wanted to tell you good bye and that I love you, before you left today.”  He gave her a big hug, kissed her on the forehead and told her to have fun and he would see her Sunday.

Violet was  wide awake and ready to get going, as her daddy was leaving she was happily headed to get dressed and brush her teeth.

“Oh good you are up!  Hurry and get finished we will eat in the car on the way there.  I already have my things in the car and will take down your stuff.  Well I will leave the backpack you bring that down, oh and a pillow bring a pillow.”

Violet chose her necklace for the day, and was trying to decide where to put the pouch with the necklaces in it and decided safe in her backpack was probably best.  She grabbed a pillow and the pack and headed down the stairs to start their adventure. ©

cheese in the cheese box, bread in the bread box April 13, 2010

When Violet’s mother returned there was a lot to do.  Violet helped her mother to put the groceries away, and to mix up potato salad for her father, and to fill the small containers , that stay in the camper.  Mustard, ketchup, mayonnaise, cheese in the cheese box, bread in the bread box and all the other things from the right toilet paper in the porta-potty closet, to the paper towels.

Finally they had everything done and in its place, including a small cooler in the refrigerator with stuff they would take on their trip to the city to see uncle.

“I don’t know about you Violet but I am tired, and hungry.”  Her mother seemed very happy and it really had been a lot of fun getting to help.

“I am not tired but I am hungry!”

“Ok well we better choose some dinner and get it started.  You know what I bet we could get your dad to bar-b-q tonight.   Oh look here he comes – hey Dean how about we bar-b-q tonight?”

“By we you mean me?”  He was laughing because he loved to use the big brick bar-b-q in the yard.  It was taller then her father in the center where the chimney went up and it was so long across the front.  You cooked in the middle but on both sides there were wood counters built into the bricks.  Her father grabbed a couple of beers out of the refrigerator and said, I will go get it started.

“Now what will we make?  I am thinking hot dogs because we have plenty of those.  We have buns, hot dogs, cheese what will we have with them?  Oh I know I will cut up some salad with fresh tomato’s and peas from the garden.   Since you are not tired you can run stuff back and forth – here start with these.”

Violet ran all of the things from the kitchen out to her father, one to two things at a time.  It was a lot of fun and she was getting very hungry.  Finally everything was finished and they all sat outside at the big wooden picnic table and ate.  It was nice that they were all together and all happy and laughing.  Even crow came and landed not far from the table, watching what was happening.  Her mother took part of a bun and tossed it at him, and he did not even flinch, just stepped forward and with his beak started to tear bites off…still watching them enjoy the meal. ©

just now in the barn, well there is a problem April 12, 2010

“Daddy I don’t know!”  She was excited that she was right, and she was glad he was happy but she really did not know and she did not like the way that felt, not at all.  “Daddy look.”  She pointed to the back of the barn where one of the men was running out of the barn, towards the fencing; he was looking around and they both knew he was looking for her father.

“Looking for me?” her dad hollered as he stood up and together they started to walk towards the back of the barn.

“Yes Dean I am, hello Violet.  Dean just now in the barn, well there is a problem.”  Violet and her father looked at each other and smiled, because they both had heard the big noise but had forgotten about it as soon as it happened; they were so focused instead on the birds and their secret.

“Well I guess I better get to work shorty, you going to be ok?  Why don’t you head back to the house and find something to do.”

“Yes daddy I will.”  She turned and ran to the house wondering what she would do.  Just as she got to the back door her mother was coming out the door.

“Oh there you are, I was just coming to holler for you.  I am going to run into town real quick and get groceries for your dad to take camping and pick up a couple of things for our trip to the city.  You go in and watch tv till I get back.”

“Ok!”  Violet did not get to watch tv often, and hardly ever during the day so she was very excited.  Plus she would be all by herself and would get to choose what channel to watch.  She hugged her mother goodbye, quickly said I love you and went to the living room to turn on the tv.  There were shows on her favorite channel PBS and she sat down to watch the kids on “Electric Company” all the time thinking it would be fun one day to get to play on tv.©

It is a game? April 10, 2010

“How would we play a game?  It is scary when it happens, and it just happens and only two times, maybe it won’t happen any more?”

“Actually Violet I think it will be happening more and I think that people will not understand it so it needs to be a secret.  As you get older you will be able to control it better.  So maybe if we practice some..I know come on.”

Her father turned around and helped Violet crawl up on his shoulders; then they walked over to the shady side of the barn.

“See up there, in the tree?  See the birds?”

“Yes I see them.”

“Close your eyes and think, which bird is going to fly away first.”

“Ok”  Violet looked again at the tree, and then closed her eyes tightly, thinking really hard about the birds.  Nothing happened, nothing at all.  “Daddy it doesn’t work it is just dark when I close my eyes.”

“That is ok, it will be practice.  Now what bird do you think will fly away first?  Just look at them.”

Violet was still perched on her fathers shoulders and she absently put her necklace in her left hand and put the stone up to her lips while she was thinking.  She was thinking that she was not sure this game was a good idea and what if her father got mad at her for not being able to know what bird would fly away first and then it happened.

She felt a little off balance as her body rocked back a little, and at the same time she could hear her father saying “Shorty you can not lean back like that, you could fall.” while he was leaning them forward and putting his hands on her legs; she also saw a flash of a woodpecker flying out of the tree and then all of the small black birds.

“The woodpecker, I guess the woodpecker!”

Just then there was a loud crash from inside of the barn it startled Violet and her father and the birds!  The woodpecker flew out of the tree and towards the house, and right after all of the small birds flew out too.

“Violet you did it!” You did it! How did you do it?  What did you do?”

Her father was swinging her down to stand on the ground, and he squatted down in front of her so they could see almost eye to eye. ©