that was a secret she was only to tell her father March 26, 2010

Violet finished up her breakfast and was getting her stuff in the sink, and the cereal put away; when her mother came in from the barn.

“Good morning did you sleep well on the couch?”

“Yes I did.  Mom when I went upstairs to get my necklace” as she was talking she took the necklace in her hand “the cat came out of your room after there was a big noise.”

“Wonderful, I wonder what he has done now?”

Violet saw a flash, a picture of her parents bedroom and the cat up on the window; sliding some on the salt in the window and knocking over a lamp as he jumped down.

“Violet are you listening to me?  Violet?!”  Her mothers voice made the picture go away and Violet let go of the necklace at the same time.  “Violet are you alright?”

“Yes I think so, I am sorry.”

“Sorry for what?”

“Not listening, I should go brush my teeth and get dressed.”

“I will come with you, see what the cat has done and help you get your bags.  Today I want you to lay out the clothes you will take for the weekend.”

They headed up the stairs.  Violet wanted to tell her mom what she saw in the kitchen; but it was like what she saw with the boat and that was a secret she was only to tell her father.  She also wanted to know if the lamp was knocked down like she saw it.  “Can I see what the cat did?”

“Sure come on.”  Together they walked into the bedroom, and Violet quickly looked to the window.  The lamp was knocked over, and the curtain was pulled loose on that side of the window.  Violet gasped when she saw it, because it did look so much like what she saw happen in the kitchen.

“It is ok, I can put it all back easily. “  Her mother was walking over to the window, picking up the lamp and then she noticed the salt.  “Hmmmmmm”

Violet walked over and asked “Mom, what is wrong?”

“Nothing, it is fine…just seeing the salt line is no longer in place.  I wonder if that is what caused this?”  Her mother seemed to be talking more to herself than to Violet and it was making Violet very uneasy.  “I am going to go get dressed and brush my teeth.”

“Yes I will be there in a minute, go ahead.” ©

from left to right, like reading March 8, 2010

Up the stairs they went to Violet’s room.  “Now what we are going to do is place a line of salt on each window sill and we will leave it there for a few days until the moon is full.  That means I want you to stay out of it.  Do you understand?”

“Yes I understand, when will the moon be full?”

“Not till Monday next week and we will be gone for most of that on our trip to the city.  All I am going to do is take the spoon, stir the salt in a clockwise motion and then just spread it from left to right on the window.  The way to remember is it is just like reading you start here and go to here.  “  As she was explaining what she was doing she took a scoop of the salt on the spoon and started to spread a line, as the salt ran out, she  scooped more into the spoon and started where the salt trail ended.  Once they were done in her room, they went one by one to all of the upstairs rooms; the bathroom, the sewing room with the treasure chest, her parents room.

As they finished the last one, her mother said “Ok we are done!  Now I want you to go to your room and play quietly, I will call you for lunch.  I will be busy in the basement getting your window finished up in the playroom.  Your daddy was thinking you might like to ride with him and the guys this afternoon.  They will be moving cattle from one pasture to another here on the ranch so you might have some fun with that, if you want?”

“I do want! That would be fun!”

“Well then make sure you come down for lunch when I call you in riding clothes and shoes and with a hat because the sun is out today.  When we are done with lunch you will be ready to go when he is.  Now you be good, and play in your room until I call you, and remember be ready when I call for you. “

“I will, I promise.”  Violet went to her room and closed the door.  She immediately chose her outfit  and got changed for the afternoon, even putting on socks and shoes.  She took her hat and hung it on the door knob, so she would not forget it when she went down stairs.

Violet decided she would pretend library today and be the librarian.  She chose her books carefully, and then stood them up, opened just enough to stand on their own.  The same way they are displayed at the real library.  ©

two metal pitchers March 3, 2010

“Feel that breeze?  Now we are done in here.  Ready to help me with the next part?”

“Sure, what is the next part?”  Violet was very curious, and having a lot of fun with her mom.

“First we are going to pour this hot water, violets and all into two pitchers.  Can you grab those two metal pitchers from under the sink?”

“These?”

“Yes those, bring them here.”  Violet brought the metal pitchers over to her mother and watched as she carefully poured the liquid into them.  You could see the violets that she had thrown in as they were swimming around in the water.

“Now we will start at the front door and walk around the house, and pour some of this water onto each door frame and onto each windowsill.  For the windows that are upstairs we will do something a little different.”

With her mother carrying a pitcher in each hand, they walked to the front door, and Violet opened it and then closed it when they were outside.  Her mother carefully poured some of the water out across the bottom of the door from left to right and then they walked to the window.  Violet watched as her mother intently poured water from one of the pitchers across the bottom of the window again from left to right.  This continued all the way around the house until they were back to the front door.  Violet’s mother then took all of the water that was left and poured it across the front steps.

“Let’s go put this stuff in the kitchen, and we will go upstairs and do those windows with salt.”

In the kitchen her mother sat the pitches next to the sink, near the empty pot and the wooden spoon.  Then she reached up into the cupboard and took down a bowl it was very pretty and had painted flowers on the white sides and there was a white spoon inside.  Violet watched as her mother quietly filled the bowl with salt, and ran the spoon through the salt.

“Ok upstairs to the windows!  We will start in your room.”  She was smiling, and Violet was excited to help … but she really still had no idea what they were going to do.  ©

only my family March 2, 2010

“Very good.  Keep stirring, and I will slowly add some salt in, and the water will start to warm up some since the burner is getting hot.   Very good.”

Violet thought this was great fun, and was working very hard to stir in just the one direction like she was told.

“Ok now I want you to say what I say…ready?”

“Ready!”

“In this house”

in this house

“lives just one family.”

lives just one family

“In this house”

In this house

“lives just one family.”

lives just one family

“Very good see how the water is starting to boil now, I will turn it down so your hand does not get too hot. Let’s add just a bit more salt, there that is good … keep stirring.”

Violet’s arm was getting tired from all the stirring but she did not say anything, and kept slowly turning the water as she was told.

“Ok you can stop stirring now. “  As she said it her mother walked to the sink and grabbed the bowl she had tossed the violets into.  “Now you can take a handful of these violets and as we say who lives in the house, you will throw a handful of them into the pot.”

“This is fun!”

“Good I am glad you are having fun, now take a handful of the violets and say I live in this house.”

Violet reached into the bowl, grabbed a handful of the flowers and as she put them in the pot said “I live in this house.”

“Good job!  Now take another handful and this time say my mom lives in this house.”

Violet took another handful of flowers from the bowl and said “My mom lives in this house.”

“Very good! Now one more time and this time I want you to say my dad lives in this house.”

Violet took one last handful of flowers, and added it to the pot of hot water and salt and said “My dad lives in this house.”

“You are doing a great job Violet!  Now take the spoon and this time stir the water from left to right, we call that clockwise.   Good, very good.  And together we will say – Only my family lives in this house.”

Only my family lives in this house.

Only my family lives in this house.

Only my family lives in this house.

Only my family lives in this house.

Just then there was a loud crashing noise coming from the stairs that go from the living room to the bedrooms upstairs and then a cool breeze came through the kitchen. ©