Day 315 CJSM-book IV

Day 315

 

 

Becky’s A, B, C’s in the dining room table

 

 

When we finally got around to building our first house, we furnished it with Ethen Allen.

No! We couldn’t afford such quality; I never let finances stand in my way! Hmm!

Our dining room table sported a wide and long plank of dark pine with six chairs.

Now, I can be “frugal” (occasionally!?), but I do manage to “care for my material items.

I still have a rubber dog (it still” squeaks) and my very first baseball glove (in a shadow box).

I maintain that I am not materialistic, but I do cherish what little I have. Lady Candice decorates our homes with an elegant creativity and keeps an immaculate house. A friend once inquired of me as to what kind of housekeeper she was. I proudly replied that it was like living in a display home---pristine. I added that if I laid down a half-eaten sandwich, she’d clean it up.

We worked pretty hard for whatever we had and each of us treasured and took care of it.

One fine evening after dinner, we were all gathered around the kitchen while our girls did their school homework. Out of the blue, little Becky started crying uncontrollably: She was sitting at the dining room table busily practicing writing her “a, b, c’s” on a sheet of tablet paper; none of us could figure out what had happened as she was generally un-flappable.

“It’s your fault!” She blurted. “You told me to sit here.”

Her effort to mark the letters onto the paper had marred the table surface with several “a, b, c’s” emblazoned into the polished pine! We assured her “Not to worry”, that we didn’t care.

To this day, nearly 40 years after the fact, those “cherished” letters are still there. Adorable!

As far as I am concerned, Becky or, any of the kids, can mark-up that table---or anything else.

Not any one of them would ever do anything malicious; I would never hold any accountable.

What a delicious story---the telling, filled with love…brings a tear to the eye.

If only we could just do it all, again---once more…For the “Good”-times! Sweet! Sweet! Life!

I’m all-in with that sacred-lamented wish---and…I do Love! that very “special” table!

And, Girls! I (honestly) am practicing my “a – b - l’s”: “A –B – ‘L-M-N-O-P’…-Z!”

My counting is “better”, too: “1 – 7 – 4 – 2---10!” Gee! I am---“trying”…very “trying”!

I confess: “L – M -  N – O – P” is my very favorite letter! Don’t forget: I love you!

 

Ah! Cookie Jar Sweet “A -  B -  C! 1 – 2 – 3!” Memories!