tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74314642867068128012024-03-19T03:56:35.087-07:00Roz and Patty WriteRoz and Patty Writehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17494179758700035542noreply@blogger.comBlogger109125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7431464286706812801.post-31534934105243376362021-05-03T08:00:00.000-07:002021-05-03T08:00:44.218-07:00Happy Mother’s Day<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheXWwO3Eq9HsNOZQEYMU0nP8L22FqmAp5WJRf_Y2zfhJT5SEklsgqjamrvyMhyphenhyphenXvfDsVYJL2zqmlzG0R68sLBZLLARzMmreO_odHdbgWJlCwcnbe21GqZBUm1qTdyCHr_8w0kv_nTuw-XX/s1364/May+2021+tulips.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="498" data-original-width="1364" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheXWwO3Eq9HsNOZQEYMU0nP8L22FqmAp5WJRf_Y2zfhJT5SEklsgqjamrvyMhyphenhyphenXvfDsVYJL2zqmlzG0R68sLBZLLARzMmreO_odHdbgWJlCwcnbe21GqZBUm1qTdyCHr_8w0kv_nTuw-XX/s320/May+2021+tulips.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“So, Mom, about Mother’s Day. I’m sending you—”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“<i>Mother’s Day!</i> Is it that time of the year
already?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“In a couple of days. So, I wanted to give you a heads-up
because I’m sending you something really interesting that I think you’ll like—”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“It’s not one of those baskets of fruit again, is it?
Because you know much trouble the kiwis give me.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Yes, Mom, I’ve got the message. No kiwis, no fruit of
any kind<span style="color: red;">.</span>”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Or flowers—”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Yes, I know, the lilies didn’t smell right.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“However, your brother already sent me a beautiful lemon
tree.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“How ingenious of him.” <i>And shifty.</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“It’s in a pot, Valerie.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“<i>A pot?</i> What will they think of next? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t they normally ship them in a shoe?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Ah.” She sighs. “This is the problem when your family
is scattered all over the country.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Well, funny you should say that because you are about
to receive a package from a company called . . . Kindred
Knowledge—”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“They’re not clog dancers, are they? You know how much
clog dancing annoys me.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“<i>Clog dancers?</i> Why would you even . . . no,
of course not. This company does searches for all your living, and deceased,
relatives.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Why would I want to have my deceased relatives
pointed out to me?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Because, Mom, there may be some you didn’t even know
you had.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Well, knowing of their existence now is not going to do
me much good if they have already—”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Okay, forget them; what about relatives that are
still alive?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“If they’re still alive, they should have contacted
me, not the other way around.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">I continue, stupidly
undaunted, convinced that lifeless ancestors will outshine Buddy’s citrus tree.
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“So,
all you have to do is send Kindred Knowledge a small sample of your DNA, and—”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“<i>Send it? You mean in the mail?</i> Why can’t they
come and collect it in person? In <i>X-Men</i> no one is sending DNA through
the mail.” <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wait! When was my mother
watching </i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">X-Men</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">? Her favorite movie has always been </i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Casablanca.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Well,” I scramble, “I believe Wolverine was some kind
of superhero, and wasn’t the point of the movie to get rid of the gene that
causes bad stuff?” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“I’m well aware of that, Valerie.” <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">She is?</i> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“I just thought it might be fun for you to know where
your great-great-great-grandparents originated from—”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“England and Scotland.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“And if you’ve got a cousin or two living in, say,
Idaho, or Texas? Wouldn’t that be fun?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“For them, maybe.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">I give up.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">
“Have a wonderful Mother’s Day, Mom. I love you.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“I love you too, Valerie. I just wish you could smell
this this lemon tree. It’s heavenly.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“That’s great, Mom.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Well, who knows, maybe these Kindred Spirit people of
yours will dig up a third cousin who’s still alive, with a whole lemon grove.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Yes!” <i>And perhaps they’ll be hard-core cloggers.</i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8fvv0KuwekznJrwb6Fcc_X40ZRNxoZfbzjGc5nd17_g2SHlk8uCGulYSIwhpLxL26Az0lsq0pDHXC51qpaAOCE-zzVPFgFq56OvwpbSrkFbgov7BCXQXXDBIr6yTUc0IENDfgcIp9SE31/s960/May+2021+clogs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8fvv0KuwekznJrwb6Fcc_X40ZRNxoZfbzjGc5nd17_g2SHlk8uCGulYSIwhpLxL26Az0lsq0pDHXC51qpaAOCE-zzVPFgFq56OvwpbSrkFbgov7BCXQXXDBIr6yTUc0IENDfgcIp9SE31/s320/May+2021+clogs.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><i><br /></i><p></p>Roz and Patty Writehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17494179758700035542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7431464286706812801.post-71930892510603143162021-04-01T05:39:00.000-07:002021-04-01T05:39:27.262-07:00 Easter Surprise<p><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWj-Dh8DoZ5SbtHP8k-2LwcjA49oo9CVrGgDXaNp5dke5sMFJ2z9blctb3SLTTe6ZEGH4rNXUMK4T1OK3d43SN1y0aqpXboQa4DiuhlZI97CPUYMLGidvTo4qQKe0bSHbk0_TA_qS-MQO1/s960/april+2021+lilies.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWj-Dh8DoZ5SbtHP8k-2LwcjA49oo9CVrGgDXaNp5dke5sMFJ2z9blctb3SLTTe6ZEGH4rNXUMK4T1OK3d43SN1y0aqpXboQa4DiuhlZI97CPUYMLGidvTo4qQKe0bSHbk0_TA_qS-MQO1/s320/april+2021+lilies.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
“Happy Easter, Mom.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;">”</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">“Easter? Is it Easter already?”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Yes, Mom, you know it is.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Is that the reason for this call? Is that
why you sent those lilies?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Yes. Of course.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“They smell funny, Valerie. You should get
your money back. Your brother sent us a delicious basket of fruit. He always
has such good ideas. It’s from an outfit called Edible Arrangements; you should
look into it.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Er, Mom, I sent you Edible Arrangements
for your birthday, and you said the kiwis gave you heartburn. So <i>(me changing the subject quickly)</i>, what
are you doing today?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“What do you think I’m doing?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I have no idea.” <i>Salsa dancing? Skydiving? Clay-pigeon shooting?<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Well, I’ll tell
you what I won’t be doing. I won’t be spending the day with my children.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Mom, I told you that work is really busy right
now and I can’t get away, but I promise I’ll come up and visit really soon.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Yes, I totally understand. A two-hour
drive from Chicago to Door County does seem impossible—”<br />
<br />
“It’s more like five hours, Mom, and Sunday is a hectic day for Realtors.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“People spend Easter Sunday buying houses?
What kind of people are you dealing with?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“They are heathens, Mom.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Well. I won’t keep you. I know how <i>hectic</i> your life is. Thank you for the
phone call. But don’t worry about us.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I’m not worried, Mom, I just—”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Valerie, I have to go. There’s a car
parked in our driveway, and I better go see who it is. Probably some kind soul
who actually wanted to visit us for Easter.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Yes, someone who very much wanted to visit
you.”<i> </i></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">From my car window,
I watch her open her front door, her phone still in her hand.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Valerie!
Oh, my goodness. You made that six-hour trip to see us? I hope you brought me
some of those chocolate eggs. You know they are my favorite!”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></p>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Yes, Mom, I’ve got
six right here.” I started out with
eight, but succumbed to eating two of them on the ride up. Still, I was confident they wouldn’t give
her heartburn.</span>Roz and Patty Writehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17494179758700035542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7431464286706812801.post-78456842271892400382021-03-01T09:01:00.001-08:002021-03-01T18:07:33.651-08:00Balancing Act (Circa 1971)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixBsSA3UzKXMJxup6W0OsVZ9WB7kXLNuJk-ww3_BSgddfAZ9S__g_g9IdqEi_i5lFKBGxlG_8jULzvAi3ppd4hGtG5V_5G9_K13Nad5FiEmelltueWTTFt6bT5dULzImO4NfmTeFWCU10L/s833/March+2021+ballerina+2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="655" data-original-width="833" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixBsSA3UzKXMJxup6W0OsVZ9WB7kXLNuJk-ww3_BSgddfAZ9S__g_g9IdqEi_i5lFKBGxlG_8jULzvAi3ppd4hGtG5V_5G9_K13Nad5FiEmelltueWTTFt6bT5dULzImO4NfmTeFWCU10L/s320/March+2021+ballerina+2.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">“</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0in;">“Mom.
Can I take ballet lessons?”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">“Last week you wanted to be an air
hostess for Pan Am because you liked the hats they wore. Remember?” my mother reminds
me, while peeling carrots.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">“No, no, no. Not because of the hats.
Because I want to travel—someday. But all I want to do right <i>now</i> is take a ballet class. Not choose a
career.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">“Val, if you want to travel so
much, be a train engineer.” (This from Buddy, my brilliant 14-year-old brother.)
“And you could still wear one of those to-do skirts.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">“It’s a <i>tutu</i>, doofus,” I say in exasperation.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">“Right, Princess,” my dad interjects.
“You can do whatever you want, but you are only eleven, or nearly so. You’ve got
a lot of time to think about it.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Suddenly my mother is pointing her
knife at me across the table. “This is all Katherine Juckett’s idea, isn’t it?
I swear, if that girl was going to join the space program, you’d want to do
that too.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0DP_xNxiwJN9JOY5SFL_6cjQrtA8dLwJsL_HmWoAF1rGYQXb_YmzcGn11UIkd6bsSAveDBq60TG3S4a5Xdvu6ZoWLZs20IHUMCM4DTifx0QZW-pBTW0T4c-bB2ZQzwDWMoGR3O9sSmNX9/s669/March+2021+ballerina+child.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="669" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0DP_xNxiwJN9JOY5SFL_6cjQrtA8dLwJsL_HmWoAF1rGYQXb_YmzcGn11UIkd6bsSAveDBq60TG3S4a5Xdvu6ZoWLZs20IHUMCM4DTifx0QZW-pBTW0T4c-bB2ZQzwDWMoGR3O9sSmNX9/s320/March+2021+ballerina+child.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">“Riiight!” My know-it-all brother laughs.
“Like girls will <i>ever</i> go into space. I
don’t think so.” He pauses. “I know, Val</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;">—w</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0in;">hy don’t you be a bus driver? You
could travel and still be home every night for Mom’s delicious cooking.”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">“It has nothing to do with Kit,
Mom. And for your information, Buddy, the Russians already sent a woman into
space. Nearly ten years ago.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">My mom is shaking her head. “No,
dear, not ballet. It’s not for you. You are . . . the wrong
body type.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">I’m afraid to know what she
considers the right body type, but she obliges me anyway.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">“You are too short. Ballet dancers
have to be about seven feet tall.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">“I think you might be confusing
dancers with basketball players.” My dad grins.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">“Geez, Mom, all I wanted was to
take a few ballet classes. I’m not asking to fly a rocket to the moon or try
out for the Bulls.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">“Well, thank goodness for that.” My
mom has returned to her carrots. “What about being a secretary? That’s a nice
job for a young woman.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">***</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">My mom let me enroll in tap dancing,
which she said would use a lot of energy. But something had apparently made an
impression on her. For my birthday, she made a carrot cake and gave me a jewelry
box lined with pink velvet. Perched inside was a beautiful plastic ballerina. When
I twisted the wind-up key, she began twirling to some lovely old-fashioned music.
She was perfect. And just the right height, about two and a half inches.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl-BJiHzlto-UdYiC9p5YR0rirCyMqsPa4uv7TGEdXJsQCM0-3bWN8KHouPTohyGzVRq1E4yeZ-03WK4aUukKiNm25glEj2BPY4esoFANoStd36SQCrHGGgewCsYg-WcNwEQe7wDhA0nFP/s623/March+2021+ballerina+1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="544" data-original-width="623" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl-BJiHzlto-UdYiC9p5YR0rirCyMqsPa4uv7TGEdXJsQCM0-3bWN8KHouPTohyGzVRq1E4yeZ-03WK4aUukKiNm25glEj2BPY4esoFANoStd36SQCrHGGgewCsYg-WcNwEQe7wDhA0nFP/s320/March+2021+ballerina+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Read more about
Val’s ballerina jewelry box in </span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://amzn.to/2Rv0hfE" target="_blank">Knowing People</a><i>, the latest in </i><a href="https://amzn.to/3oSc0nf" target="_blank">The
Val & Kit Mystery Series</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></p>Roz and Patty Writehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17494179758700035542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7431464286706812801.post-91348097262683587812021-02-01T13:31:00.003-08:002021-02-01T14:04:19.860-08:00A Boy and His Dog (Circa 1970)<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCtdidmX-SB6JlQIp_CS8mKPvwYaGxffmj57BlNRyL75XGd75na1XvZ6jBxnrK9rA8cIu4mQxJLW3g0VcRQOemOfemV00L6N2JcKXucbEY2JkcY_UQp-LIHszsUnTuMaKSaK8LzzBvEK76/s787/February+2021+DOG+4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="605" data-original-width="787" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCtdidmX-SB6JlQIp_CS8mKPvwYaGxffmj57BlNRyL75XGd75na1XvZ6jBxnrK9rA8cIu4mQxJLW3g0VcRQOemOfemV00L6N2JcKXucbEY2JkcY_UQp-LIHszsUnTuMaKSaK8LzzBvEK76/s320/February+2021+DOG+4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16pt;">Mom:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16pt;"> Daddy is taking you kids to a movie today.
I’m going to—<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16pt;">Daddy:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16pt;"> I am?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16pt;">Buddy:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16pt;"> He is? I don’t think I can go, I have
stuff to do—<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16pt;">Mom: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16pt;">And while you’re gone, I’m going to give
your bedrooms a thorough cleaning. Especially yours, Buddy.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16pt;">Buddy:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16pt;"> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">No</i>,
Mom, totally not necessary. I cleaned my room last night.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16pt;">Mom:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16pt;"> Buddy, I don’t consider rolling nine
socks into a ball and tossing them into the corner of your room any form of
cleaning. And besides, I want to take a look under your bed.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16pt;">Buddy:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16pt;"> Mom, there’s nothing under there.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16pt;">Mom: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16pt;">Really? Because this morning while you were
taking your so-called shower, I detected a peculiar smell coming from your
bedroom. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16pt;">Buddy:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16pt;"> Uh . . . that was
probably my football jersey. It’s covered in mud.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16pt;">Mom:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16pt;"> Son, while I can see that storing a
football jersey under your bed is an excellent idea, along with a couple of questionable
magazines, not to mention a—<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16pt;">Buddy:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16pt;"> I’m keeping those magazines for a friend.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16pt;">Mom:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16pt;"> I see. And does this <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">friend</i> of yours have four legs, by any chance? And a wet nose? Oh,
and a tail?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16pt;">Daddy:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16pt;"> What’s going on here?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16pt;">Mom:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16pt;"> It seems we have a new addition to our
family.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16pt;">Val:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16pt;"> Did you have another baby, Mom?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16pt;">Mom:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16pt;"> Yes, Valerie. You’ve guessed it. You
should be a detective when you grow up. Last night, while you were all watching
<i>Bonanza</i>, I had a baby, and I stored it under Buddy’s bed for
safekeeping.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16pt;">Daddy: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16pt;">Will someone please tell me what’s happening
here?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16pt;">Mom rises from the kitchen table, goes out into the
yard, and returns carrying a little dog of indeterminable age.</span></i></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16pt;">Val:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16pt;"> It’s a doggy.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16pt;">Mom:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16pt;"> Valerie, again your powers of observation
amaze me.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16pt;">Buddy: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16pt;">She followed me home last night. Can we
please keep her? I promise I’ll take care of her; you won’t have to do a thing.
She’s so sweet, you’ll hardly notice she’s here—<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16pt;">Mom:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16pt;"> She already chewed one of your gym shoes,
and by the way, she’s finished reading one of the magazines under your bed. I
hope your <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">friend </i>wasn’t overly
attached to Miss October, who seems to have an unnaturally small waist.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16pt;">Val:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16pt;"> Can we keep her, please, please, please.
She’s so cute and—<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16pt;">Buddy: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16pt;">I promise you won’t even know she’s here.
Please, Mom. Dad, please, can we?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16pt;">Daddy looks at Mom, who is holding her coffee cup up
to her face in both hands. The dog is sitting quietly on her lap.</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16pt;">Mom:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16pt;"> Maybe. We’ll put out some flyers and see
if she’s just lost.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But she is your
responsibility, Buddy. And you can pay for some new gym shoes out of your
allowance.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16pt;">Buddy:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16pt;"> I will, no problem. And I’ll buy her food
and a basket for her to sleep in and—<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16pt;">Mom:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16pt;"> Well, let’s hope Sears is hiring twelve-year-olds,
because your allowance is not going to cover it.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16pt;">We called her Buttercup, after Dick Butkus, Buddy’s
favorite Bears player. She lived with us for five years before she passed on.
And her basket, kept in Buddy’s room, was only ever used as target practice for
his rolled-up socks. Every night Buttercup crawled under Buddy’s bed to sleep.
Peacefully.</span></i></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Read about </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16pt;">grown-up</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"> Buddy in the latest Val & Kit Mystery, </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16pt;">Knowing
People.</span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>Roz and Patty Writehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17494179758700035542noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7431464286706812801.post-89809216010141647362021-01-01T09:32:00.000-08:002021-01-01T09:32:09.821-08:00Happy New Year!<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj8QdyYHCgiBlA1XeDKusAZeCYdyq0W_d1EQDr_mFLRPEoyof3X2zBWH1tjRjWPQ_wR4XsvxJaZIC6nxnwTtLMWbPF8ZfoSzLGY0w9qukpqoSsQw-RgRb2Z4vNFjCaMOnqjoCZlRpIohAI/s756/January+2021+Elf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="603" data-original-width="756" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj8QdyYHCgiBlA1XeDKusAZeCYdyq0W_d1EQDr_mFLRPEoyof3X2zBWH1tjRjWPQ_wR4XsvxJaZIC6nxnwTtLMWbPF8ZfoSzLGY0w9qukpqoSsQw-RgRb2Z4vNFjCaMOnqjoCZlRpIohAI/s320/January+2021+Elf.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Daddy:
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Why
are you looking so sad, Sally? It’s the first day of the New Year; you should
be celebrating.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Sally:
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Like
you and Mommy did last night?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Daddy:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">
Well, no; obviously, not like that. That got a little bit out of hand. I had no
idea your mommy was such a superb salsa dancer. Poor thing, she is probably
feeling the worse for wear this morning. Why don’t we take her some coffee in
bed?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Sally:
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">She’s
already had her coffee. She went for a run an hour ago, and now she’s out shoveling
the sidewalk.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Daddy:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">
Well, you know Mommy; she’s a little bit of an overachiever. Do you know what
that means?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Sally:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">
It means she gets stuff done; she doesn’t let things pile up, and she— <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Daddy:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">
Okay, okay, I get it. Now, tell me what’s making my little angel unhappy.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Sally:
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Because
we won’t see him for another year.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Daddy:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">
Who? Oh, do you mean that gnome thing that Mommy moves around every night?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Sally:
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">He’s
an elf, and his name is Edgar, and Mommy doesn’t move him; he moves himself. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Daddy:
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Did
I say Mommy? No, of course Mommy doesn’t move him—<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Sally:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">
Right! Because he can fly. And now he’s gone back to the North Pole.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Daddy:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">
Exactly; he’s sitting on a shelf up there planning next Christmas with Santa Claus.
Is that why you</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;">’</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">re so sad? Because you won’t see Santa for a whole year?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Sally:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">
No, not Santa. He’s very tired and needs to rest.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Daddy:
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Well, of course he does; think of all the places he had to visit in one night. So who
is it that’s making you unhappy?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Sally:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">
Frank.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Daddy:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">
Frank?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Sally:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">
Yes, Mommy’s friend Frank. Sometimes Harry comes with him, but usually it’s
just Frank.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Daddy:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> Wait
a minute! Mommy has two friends, a Frank and a Harry? How often does Mommy see
these <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">friends</i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">?<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Sally:
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Every
day. After you’ve gone to work. But I’m not supposed to tell you.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Daddy:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">
Chicken, don’t cry. You know you can tell Daddy anything. So, what do these characters
do when they get here?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Sally:
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I’m
not sure. Mommy always makes me go up to my room when they arrive. I think she
takes them into the garage. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Daddy:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">
And how long do they stay? Oh, wait a minute, into the garage, you say? There’s
no space in the garage. It’s full of empty boxes and— <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Sally:
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">That’s
just it. Mommy says we probably won’t see them for a long time.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Daddy:
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">When
these guys arrive, are they carrying packages by any chance? <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Sally:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">
Yes, sometimes really big ones. The bike that Santa brought me could easily fit
in one of those boxes.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Daddy:
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Okay,
pumpkin, I have a feeling I know who this Frank and his buddy might be.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Sally:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">
Do we really have to wait a whole year before we see them again?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Daddy:
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Come
here, Sally. Let me explain something to you. I have a very strong feeling you
are going to see a lot more of those guys, and you won’t have to wait too long, either. You’ve got Valentine’s Day, then Easter, then whatever comes after Easter . . . <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Sally:
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Really?
Oh good, that makes me feel so much better. It’s amazing.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Daddy:
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">More
like Amazon. But you’re close enough. Happy New Year, sweetheart.<o:p></o:p></span></p>Roz and Patty Writehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17494179758700035542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7431464286706812801.post-87647125157418206702020-12-10T09:05:00.000-08:002020-12-10T09:05:57.134-08:00It’s Still a Total Mystery<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDVTB8vIJAj9nApqGZq85zkJqjRLfzSxEMc7KHeiq1widAl2R7Sqolj9jFOJHqWJ7UEt6xf7N2vwu6rXa8vO5nx2pAPWUzj2jKfqg3oaEA8pA_x9PUhwvYGFfJ_vTZ9vZupaOcNhnaUT26/s1200/december+2020+AAA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="728" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDVTB8vIJAj9nApqGZq85zkJqjRLfzSxEMc7KHeiq1widAl2R7Sqolj9jFOJHqWJ7UEt6xf7N2vwu6rXa8vO5nx2pAPWUzj2jKfqg3oaEA8pA_x9PUhwvYGFfJ_vTZ9vZupaOcNhnaUT26/s320/december+2020+AAA.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mike and Roz</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br />It’s been a long year,
for all of us, but in October Roz was blessed by a welcome visitor. Her
boyfriend of over 20 years, Mike. He lives in Chicago, and she was so glad he
paid no attention to all her fears about him flying to Houston during a
pandemic. He was lucky enough to arrive just in time for her to read to him the
final draft of the latest in <a href="https://amzn.to/3ouXBgz" target="_blank">The Val & Kit Mystery Series</a>, <i><a href="https://amzn.to/2Rv0hfE " target="_blank">Knowing People</a></i>.
Let’s face it, he had no choice.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">So, just to be sure he heard
every word, when she finished, she gave him a brief quiz. It went something
like this.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Roz:<span> </span></span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">What is Val’s go-to meal?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Mike:<span> </span></span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Dunno.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Roz:<span> </span></span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What is Val’s favorite TV show?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Mike:<span> </span></span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Dunno.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Roz:<span> </span></span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What is Val’s occupation?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Mike:<span> </span></span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Which one is Val?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Roz:<span> </span></span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What color is Val’s
hair?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Mike:<span> </span></span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Er . . . black;
no, wait—red?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Roz:<span> </span></span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Well, you basically
had three choices—and you still blew it.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Mike:<span> </span></span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Is she blond?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Roz:<span> </span></span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Were you even
listening? Okay, last question. When were The Punic Wars?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Mike:<span> </span></span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">246 BC to 146 BC<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic;">Watch for </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">your</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic;">chance
to take a quick Val & Kit quiz on our Facebook Page, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RozAndPatty/" target="_blank">Roz and Patty</a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic;">. Bone up by
reading the newly released No. 7 in the series, </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://amzn.to/2Rv0hfE " target="_blank">Knowing People</a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><i>, </i></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic;">available now in
paperback and on Kindle!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>Roz and Patty Writehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17494179758700035542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7431464286706812801.post-11218557363320779722020-10-30T07:36:00.000-07:002020-10-30T07:36:37.618-07:00Have a Zoom Meeting, They Said—It’ll Be Fun, They Said <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_WuCEOLwMLeV001aXVx5wgeOh6RKAYnhzB0wRIpkX5IsryrPLwZte9vY05UFejlIWro7tP48w_TP9tNbhrMD9mxIds2lvfWiGxcKNd-qDSkTUjvDQZx-6UNY-Hj4HVTcS9G08oqcUpwpN/s2048/oct+2020+blog+zoom+IMG-1139-edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1410" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_WuCEOLwMLeV001aXVx5wgeOh6RKAYnhzB0wRIpkX5IsryrPLwZte9vY05UFejlIWro7tP48w_TP9tNbhrMD9mxIds2lvfWiGxcKNd-qDSkTUjvDQZx-6UNY-Hj4HVTcS9G08oqcUpwpN/s320/oct+2020+blog+zoom+IMG-1139-edit.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Patty's family Zooming<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Jean:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">
“Valerie, why are we doing this?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Val:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">
“Because it will be fun, Mom. And you don’t have to sit so close to the screen.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Jean:
“</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I
know how to Zoom, for heaven’s sake—”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Val:
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“And
you don’t have to shout, either. I can hear you just fine. Why don’t you turn
down the volume—”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Kit:
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“For
crying out loud, Val, why is your mother screeching—”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Val:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> “She
can hear you, Kit. Mom, just sit back, talk normally, and enjoy. Okay, now I
think you’ve put yourself on mute.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Jean:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> “I
can’t hear you with this mask on.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Val:
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“You
probably don’t need the mask inside—”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Kit:
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Or
the gloves.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Emily:
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Hi.
Grandma!”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Val:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">
“Mom, hit the mute button again.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Jean:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">
“Is that you, Emily? Why didn’t you tell me Emily was going to be on this Zoom?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Val:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> “I
did tell you. And hi, honey.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Kit:
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“So
Valerie, tell me again: why are we doing this?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Val:
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Because
it’s fun to see each other. Mom, you’ve muted yourself again.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Kit:
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Val,
I just saw you two hours ago. And last night. And the day before. Can I be excused?”
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Val:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">
“No, you cannot. This is fun. Mom, what is that noise?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Jean:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">
“It’s William Stuckey vacuuming. William Stuckey, stop that right now!”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Val:
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Mom,
turn the volume down.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Elaine:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">
“Hi, everyone! Sorry I’m late.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Kit:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">
“Who’s she?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Val:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">
“Kit, she can hear you. It’s Elaine, Buddy’s wife. Hi, Elaine.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Elaine:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">
“Is something wrong? I was worried when I got your text. I was afraid—”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Val:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">
“No, nothing’s wrong. I just thought this would be fun—Mom, you’ve moved the
screen. We can’t see—”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Kit:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">
“So when does it begin?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Val:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">
“What do you mean <i>begin</i>? It’s already started.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Kit:
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“I
mean the fun. When does the fun begin? And why are we looking at your Mom’s
knees?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Val:
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Mom,
move the screen higher. And take yourself off mute. And Emily, tell us how you
are, for Pete’s sake.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Jean:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">
“Emily, you look very thin. Are you eating?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Emily:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> “Yes,
Grandma, I’m eating, and—”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Elaine:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">
“Emily, you do look thin—”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Jean:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">
“She looks just fine, Elaine—”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Elaine:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">
“But you just said—”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Kit:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">
“Oh, you are right, Val; this is fun—”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Val:
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Please,
everyone; don’t all talk at once.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Everyone:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">
“What?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Val:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">
“Oh hell. I have stuff to do. Let’s try this again another time.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Kit:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">
“Will it be as much fun?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Val:
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Yes,
dammit, it will be fun.”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJCzpmrcfAvwqTJQS_kxsBWRqA_8vdGikgavr9542dleoQcKc93S5Sa8kbka1iJ3pFd9MfE5qyt7kOuT6BQ2U210QxVQb0fdIeVrYVk47lOOf7fgyaj033BxCmBYf-h1sgq6C5aOHjtXrN/s572/oct+2020+zoom+doggies+IMG_9847-edit.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="572" data-original-width="546" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJCzpmrcfAvwqTJQS_kxsBWRqA_8vdGikgavr9542dleoQcKc93S5Sa8kbka1iJ3pFd9MfE5qyt7kOuT6BQ2U210QxVQb0fdIeVrYVk47lOOf7fgyaj033BxCmBYf-h1sgq6C5aOHjtXrN/w306-h320/oct+2020+zoom+doggies+IMG_9847-edit.png" width="306" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;">Before Covid-19 and ubiquitous Zoom
meetings, Val and Kit solved another murder mystery, No. 7 in their series.
Read all about it in KNOWING PEOPLE, to be released December 8, 2020. </span><a href="https://amzn.to/2Rv0hfE" style="font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;" target="_blank">Pre-order now!</a></div><p></p></div><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf327oBSJXmSBSarEP_vqcH5WVIgLqMcM9bJ0YMPw5xZu2I4j_98vCBy8ffHH1KugWMtz5y-L_fdpGHWqrkvS3PJD42_p8VW_p9J0Fb1dNhdMGOtcfph2cHp4Uw8P6Ag1WrbeSLf4KZb5r/s1000/Knowing+People+500+for+Kindle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="625" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf327oBSJXmSBSarEP_vqcH5WVIgLqMcM9bJ0YMPw5xZu2I4j_98vCBy8ffHH1KugWMtz5y-L_fdpGHWqrkvS3PJD42_p8VW_p9J0Fb1dNhdMGOtcfph2cHp4Uw8P6Ag1WrbeSLf4KZb5r/s320/Knowing+People+500+for+Kindle.jpg" /></a></div><br />Roz and Patty Writehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17494179758700035542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7431464286706812801.post-61648206535535270822020-06-21T15:52:00.000-07:002020-06-21T16:18:52.990-07:00Roz Learns There’s No Parking on the Moon<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9L0lcYKiZBTCBT07CylTIhvXbEUKWLo_UaTlQj_tguFSED7BjQxoZhwsgq9W8hLBXUBMoMB7M3obHnyk1GY9HPXt5Gk9cXHtArZPSUspFS_TowHmvfni7zn8UO9DK3-A5ohN90lT3SgB6/s1600/June+2020+blog+Lockdown.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="566" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9L0lcYKiZBTCBT07CylTIhvXbEUKWLo_UaTlQj_tguFSED7BjQxoZhwsgq9W8hLBXUBMoMB7M3obHnyk1GY9HPXt5Gk9cXHtArZPSUspFS_TowHmvfni7zn8UO9DK3-A5ohN90lT3SgB6/s320/June+2020+blog+Lockdown.jpg" width="176" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">The greatest joy for me while being in lockdown has
been “Lockdown School” with my nine-year-old grandniece, Emily. While I’m in my
kitchen in Houston, she’s in her living room in Surrey, England—and with the
magic of Zoom and a lot of help from Wikipedia—we meet once a week to learn and
discuss American History.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Together we have covered a wide range of topics—the
original colonies, Pearl Harbor, Native Americans, and the Wright Brothers, to
name just a few. Emily was most concerned with the possible danger of quicksand
and swarms of wasps on the Oregon Trail. The fate of most of the passengers on
the Titanic made her very sad, but she was heartened by the heroics of the Unsinkable
Molly Brown.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">As for Amelia Earhart, Emily was pretty sure everyone
thought she was daft for attempting to fly solo across the Atlantic, but also very
brave. And when we discussed Amelia’s ill-fated last flight and the theories of
what might have happened, Emily was pretty sure the aviator made it to an
island where she married her navigator, Fred Noonan, and lived happily ever
after.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Emily is a supersmart kid, funny, and so clever. Her
vivid imagination has brought history to life for both of us. I have learned so
much. Her impression of Helen Keller grabbing her throat and trying to speak
was heart-wrenching. Our lesson this week was on the moon landing, and since
she takes copious notes, I asked her to read back to me what she had written. She
read: “The third spaceman, Michael Collins, stayed in the spaceship driving
round and round, because there is no parking on the moon.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Well done, Emily. I am so very proud of you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Roz and Patty Writehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17494179758700035542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7431464286706812801.post-63863728168077928202020-03-19T15:09:00.000-07:002020-03-19T15:09:25.713-07:00Roz Wonders: Is Anyone Out There?<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">This self-quarantine might
not be so bad. Patty is back home from her recent gallivanting around the country,
and so we are free to continue some serious Skyping without the usual
interruptions. I even received an e-mail from my dentist advising that all
routine work was canceled. This was like the prison warden telling me I was out
on parole, as long as I continued to floss.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Our first Skype began
with Patty on her elliptical and me painting my nails. But once we’d hashed out
the world’s news as well as our own, we were quickly able to knuckle down and
start working. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">This quarantine sounded easy.
I have many projects around my house that need attention. Baseboards long
overdue for painting, and an area in my study that needs to have the wallpaper removed.
But staying home isn’t quite the picnic I expected. The painting and wallpaper
stripping has not begun in earnest, or in fact, at all. But I have spent a lot
of time of time online researching newfangled items for home improvement. Who
knew there were so many gadgets to help you paint a straight line? And when did
the good old blue tape become green?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">As the isolation proceeds,
it’s becoming clear that work around the house is going to have to wait, as more
important issues surface. Eating, for example. Where did all those food
delivery services spring from? And grocery delivery, which sounds complicated
to me, but I’m assured is safer than actually going to my store and risking
bumping into an eighty-year-old grocery sacker who may have recently spent
three weeks in Italy and returned home via Iran.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">All news outlets are to
be avoided. The last thing I need is a so-called expert on infectious diseases
sharing his revelation that drinking bleach will kill any virus. So it’s down
to watching TV shows, or rewatching shows I haven’t seen for a while. I thought
I only vaguely remembered <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Downton Abbey</i>,
but it turns out I can quote Lady Violet word for word.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">So back to the isolation
business at hand. I was never aware that I apparently touch my face ten
thousand times an hour, so gotta work on that. And wearing surgical gloves to
collect my mail only to forget to put them on when I retrieve my Amazon boxes from
my front door. This quarantine is no joke and seems to go on forever. I’m worn out
from all the things I cannot do. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">So now I am ready for day
FOUR. Bring it on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">But seriously, we wish all
our readers a safe and tolerable—dare we hope enjoyable?—time keeping their
social distance. To that end, we offer you a FREE getaway to Door County through
March 23 via a download of <a href="http://amzn.to/15xlLvI" target="_blank">DEATH IN DOOR COUNTY</a> to your Kindle or Kindle app.
Although it’s No. 3 in our <a href="http://amzn.to/2eqmVp0" target="_blank">Val & Kit Mystery Series</a>, all our books stand
alone.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">But you do not. We are
right here with you, and we’ll all get through this. Maybe we’ll even finish
our <a href="https://bit.ly/36TpJAR" target="_blank">still-untitled No. 7</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Roz and Patty Writehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17494179758700035542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7431464286706812801.post-87071138658175682662020-02-01T08:00:00.001-08:002020-02-01T08:01:52.250-08:00What Are We Going to Call You?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSXSH-AtT44byVuoUr0I7BhSbMfPTAXnuNYcr_pwXLFAjB6zF2TcLWZSxN-twKQbXhQaXLaQdEEXHLS9THLwCzkAmc_DcEabZW9C52mBdHsuIcR5eOfTQKe2K6K-gae4bDRYD4i5rIv7C7/s1600/February+20-books.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="538" data-original-width="807" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSXSH-AtT44byVuoUr0I7BhSbMfPTAXnuNYcr_pwXLFAjB6zF2TcLWZSxN-twKQbXhQaXLaQdEEXHLS9THLwCzkAmc_DcEabZW9C52mBdHsuIcR5eOfTQKe2K6K-gae4bDRYD4i5rIv7C7/s320/February+20-books.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222;">We are now at an exciting stage in the completion of our next
novel, No. 7 in </span><i style="color: #222222;">The Val & Kit Mystery Series</i><span style="color: #222222;">.
First draft done. So it’s time to stop referring to our baby as “the bump” and
give it a real name.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But easier said than done. We need something catchy, something with
relevance to our story, and something original.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Actually, it <i>is</i>
possible (and not unusual) for two or more books to share the same title, with
a few exceptions. Typically, book titles cannot be copyrighted.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But we don’t think a writer should name her latest book,
featuring a protagonist having a bad hair day because of inclement weather, <i>Gone
With the Wind</i> or <i>Wuthering Heights</i>. Nor do we want to see a
novel that centers on fly fishing called <i>Moby Dick</i> or
even <i>Catch-22</i>. Seriously, if a writer can’t come up with an
original title, who can?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span>
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN2OHQlJeMJk33gWxSSA5e5V_ATphJ-OgLO0PniNYEXXHbFwlSQp1uErhG_iWEK48F0Crf12N7qEfgQwmXAYNz5dFWeKJvMzOXn_y9OfqjuWQV43oZoXEHo7_5fsH1ZpWC5C8RgZgBq9jY/s1600/February+2020-Windy+day.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="441" data-original-width="661" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN2OHQlJeMJk33gWxSSA5e5V_ATphJ-OgLO0PniNYEXXHbFwlSQp1uErhG_iWEK48F0Crf12N7qEfgQwmXAYNz5dFWeKJvMzOXn_y9OfqjuWQV43oZoXEHo7_5fsH1ZpWC5C8RgZgBq9jY/s320/February+2020-Windy+day.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">So, we are putting our two heads together,
hoping one of them comes up with a title. And nobody better steal it, or we
just might call our next book <i>To Catch a Thief.</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><i><br /></i></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDfefilAjh4cUscF3mBC7ieo6Kr3NP8UoQbRYiWAj4UlAjOjWVPdiM3JWZ_JLn7PQyBFDzvUde4INzkEhH3-xzEfRaPJ0byVRZpu8db0rOL9Fztp8Ba_J4nXMETjL3IkmcwLFxOjiTOCqT/s1600/February+20-two+heads.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="539" data-original-width="737" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDfefilAjh4cUscF3mBC7ieo6Kr3NP8UoQbRYiWAj4UlAjOjWVPdiM3JWZ_JLn7PQyBFDzvUde4INzkEhH3-xzEfRaPJ0byVRZpu8db0rOL9Fztp8Ba_J4nXMETjL3IkmcwLFxOjiTOCqT/s320/February+20-two+heads.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Has anybody seen a title?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><i><br /></i></span>Roz and Patty Writehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17494179758700035542noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7431464286706812801.post-91865668625050007322019-12-01T07:57:00.000-08:002019-12-01T08:00:32.305-08:00The First One Hundred: We Gonna Celebrate and Have a Good Time<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_L6Lf01MJIxEqX6ubg1G8j-Zhtp5kA-tDkzNmiwv1fzCtthOE1kRzFqmLbUCORA7_BVYvCi7tcsgVyaiu6K4fUePy_1b6sXseISaI81UFDUoPcvqkJjYpwnLGUP3n8OnxY9WUQVueOKPA/s1600/December+2019+100th+cake+without+text.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="691" data-original-width="1035" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_L6Lf01MJIxEqX6ubg1G8j-Zhtp5kA-tDkzNmiwv1fzCtthOE1kRzFqmLbUCORA7_BVYvCi7tcsgVyaiu6K4fUePy_1b6sXseISaI81UFDUoPcvqkJjYpwnLGUP3n8OnxY9WUQVueOKPA/s320/December+2019+100th+cake+without+text.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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There’s <i>100 Years of Solitude</i> (a great book). And 100 (plus one) Dalmatians.
Kids nowadays even celebrate the 100<sup>th</sup> day of school (in 100 ways).
And now, dear readers, there are 100 posts on our blog.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8wwCQqSU1OJ_eei88PAuq4ocbVYx2YPOUGrg4Qrv1whclYCVNb6z9vv2WEFY78sfaw_LmXMCN3Tln9jvkx-W0QRITjJqw5IgSYZNQW7fr2Fx8yBS9QJJ1AJ3P4bdWWIU4CVrpBj3ZDmh6/s1600/December+2019+100th+dalmation+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="593" data-original-width="804" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8wwCQqSU1OJ_eei88PAuq4ocbVYx2YPOUGrg4Qrv1whclYCVNb6z9vv2WEFY78sfaw_LmXMCN3Tln9jvkx-W0QRITjJqw5IgSYZNQW7fr2Fx8yBS9QJJ1AJ3P4bdWWIU4CVrpBj3ZDmh6/s200/December+2019+100th+dalmation+1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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In our first blog post, <a href="http://rozandpattywrite.blogspot.com/2012/02/youve-heard-of-friends-rachel-and.html">BFFs: How We Got Our Start</a>, we introduced ourselves and told how we came to write
together. Soon thereafter, we wrote about our process in <a href="http://rozandpattywrite.blogspot.com/2012/08/inquiring-minds-want-to-know-how-do-we.html">Inquiring Minds Want to Know: How Do We Write TOGETHER</a> (a topic we are endlessly
questioned about, to our great delight; what storyteller doesn’t like to tell
her own story?). Along the way, we’ve shared many vignettes about our
characters’ lives through the years, from <a href="http://rozandpattywrite.blogspot.com/2016/09/the-start-of-beautiful-friendship-val.html">how Val and Kit met as children</a> to what was on <a href="http://rozandpattywrite.blogspot.com/2014/12/making-list.html">Val’s Christmas list in 2014</a>. We’ve also shared important information about our
own lives, such as <a href="http://rozandpattywrite.blogspot.com/2014/05/rozs-retirement-all-its-cracked-up-to.html">Roz’s adjustment to retiring from the airline industry</a> and <a href="http://rozandpattywrite.blogspot.com/2015/06/we-come-as-we-are.html">Patty’s wardrobe during our Skype sessions</a>.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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And now let us make it clear what
THIS post is about. First, what it’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not</i>
about: it’s not about patting ourselves on the back for having written this
many posts (though we are a bit in awe of ourselves). It’s about YOU, and how
grateful we are that you visit this site and read our posts. We’re especially
grateful for your comments, both public and private. We’re grateful, in other
words, to be connecting with YOU. 100%!!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir1xNnR9-Qd4Csmir2-xhMavmafcNBaLKVm8tX8PCNXBbYWCqO8JF5XGlInJrYqDhc3UMboHK2tEQlL_CRiNooAdqv40f7hlQV8WC6B9847EZMR1utYS7aztZ13ugqDfUVOWwashWbn2-Y/s1600/December+2019+100th+computer+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="693" data-original-width="890" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir1xNnR9-Qd4Csmir2-xhMavmafcNBaLKVm8tX8PCNXBbYWCqO8JF5XGlInJrYqDhc3UMboHK2tEQlL_CRiNooAdqv40f7hlQV8WC6B9847EZMR1utYS7aztZ13ugqDfUVOWwashWbn2-Y/s320/December+2019+100th+computer+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />Roz and Patty Writehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17494179758700035542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7431464286706812801.post-73784687568328642302019-11-01T07:55:00.000-07:002019-11-01T08:02:08.178-07:00Thanksgiving Dinner 1984<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrieeIbPeaOoyBIFC5F53CUhVUpSyByciVY2So1t4YiYMtCnt3F0eSIdU_M_bGpT2C-RyfWy3K_91t_ykUbHtlPdc0lfVDFhrbKbxR_PA33VCYyd2p-a8nj2EEsZ7IGMXWUcnS8IkTsLA_/s1600/November+2019+TG+1+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="646" data-original-width="999" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrieeIbPeaOoyBIFC5F53CUhVUpSyByciVY2So1t4YiYMtCnt3F0eSIdU_M_bGpT2C-RyfWy3K_91t_ykUbHtlPdc0lfVDFhrbKbxR_PA33VCYyd2p-a8nj2EEsZ7IGMXWUcnS8IkTsLA_/s320/November+2019+TG+1+.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">The kitchen was impossible.
I could scarcely fix a bowl of cereal, let alone a Thanksgiving dinner for six
people. What was I thinking? I vowed that once my husband got a raise in pay, and we could
afford to move, I’d never live in such a tiny place again (or consider
cereal an evening meal).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“This place is just
darling.” My mom was the first to arrive, with my dad in tow and enough food to
feed an army.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Mom, it’s ridiculous.
Who lives like this?” I leaned back against the door to let them pass.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Well, some things are
more important than size.” She handed me a Tupperware bowl.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I peeked inside.
Something green to match the bowl.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“I don’t smell coffee,” Mom
said. “Have you made any?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“No, Mom, you know I
never drink coffee. But I’ll make you a pot now.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“So David’s parents aren’t
here yet.” My mother continued into the so-called dining room, which in fact
was a section of the living room, which, in turn, was a section of the kitchen.
“Good. Then why don’t you go and change, and I’ll set the table.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Change? Mom, this is
what I’m wearing. And as for setting the table—”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Yes, where is the
table?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“David’s borrowing a card
table from our neighbor. He’ll be back any minute.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“You don’t have a table? How do you expect to
entertain seven people—”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“We use TV trays mostly—wait,
seven?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“I invited Uncle Oscar. I
thought that would be okay. Oh, and he might bring his latest girlfriend. She’s
sixty if she’s day. But don’t mention anything.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Like what? Like she
looks sixty or that Uncle Oscar is a felon.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“He’s not a felon,
Valerie. Vandalism doesn’t really count, and you know he was taking strong
medication at the time. Anyway, it was years ago; why must you hold on to
everything?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I noticed that my dad,
still standing by the front door, was holding a paper turkey, almost as big as
a real one, with a tail made of wilted orange and yellow feathers and missing
one googly eye that I had bought at the Halloween store. “I brought this,” he
said, by way of explanation. I was touched. I had made Tom the Turkey when I
was in grade school and had no idea my parents still had it. The sight of his Sharpie-drawn
mouth, unlike any real turkey, cheered me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“As soon as David gets
back, he’ll go right in the middle of the table.” I suddenly felt like
Thanksgiving in our rabbit hutch might work, despite the cramped room, Tom’s
missing eye, and whatever green mushy thing my mother had brought with her. For
reassurance, I opened the lid of the green bowl once more, and then quickly closed it,
enjoying its familiar and comforting burp.</span></div>
<br />
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<br />Roz and Patty Writehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17494179758700035542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7431464286706812801.post-53835541148289296502019-10-01T07:46:00.000-07:002019-10-01T07:51:10.000-07:00Cheers!<br />
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPRnryFkAUvaYDD3ZBQnosDG4bN1dnghfduTFhpA4gMPwpAZE2eOwI-E1quCNJfRx96GcphpAmdR4pDZKEXUMNDZsyO6ywqYwSXpuv5vO2kXaPM-LTscnwCMGOszfZo9TLZQVoaVzuGjLj/s1600/oct+2019+Cheerleader+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="629" data-original-width="755" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPRnryFkAUvaYDD3ZBQnosDG4bN1dnghfduTFhpA4gMPwpAZE2eOwI-E1quCNJfRx96GcphpAmdR4pDZKEXUMNDZsyO6ywqYwSXpuv5vO2kXaPM-LTscnwCMGOszfZo9TLZQVoaVzuGjLj/s320/oct+2019+Cheerleader+3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">“Do you want me to knit
you something, Valerie? Something cheerleadery.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Ahh, Mom, please don’t
knit me anything. Seriously. I mean it. It’s completely unnecessary.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“So, that would be a no?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Yes. No. Please, I am
begging you not to knit me anything.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">It was a moot point,
really. If my mom started knitting me something now, whatever it was she had
conjured up that was indicative of a Downers Grove High School Trojan
cheerleader would most certainly not be finished until at least after Easter.
Maybe Christmas of next year. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was still
working on a crocheted afghan for my brother, who I suspected would have long
since graduated from college by the time that task was completed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Well, okay,” she said.
“If that’s what you want.” Did I hear relief in her voice?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Besides, I don’t even
want to be a cheerleader.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“What are you saying? Of
course you do. I’ve got a permanent headache from listening to you and
Katherine practicing your cheers. Why would you put in all that hard
work and—”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“I never wanted it, Mom.
It was Kit’s idea. And I thought she did really good.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Well</i>, Valerie.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I waited a minute. Then,
“Well what?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“She did <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">well</i>, not good.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I sighed. “Okay, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">well</i>. I just went along to tryouts with
her because she was a little nervous to do it alone. But I never in a million
years thought they would pick me and not . . .”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Not her? You got a place
on the squad and she didn’t?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Mom, you can’t say
anything to her. Promise me you won’t. It’s crazy that they didn’t pick her.
I’m a million pounds heavier and—”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“You most certainly are
not heavier. You are just well-rounded, that’s all. She’s too skinny. And
frankly, she’s not what I would call a dancer, whereas you are a natural—”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">“I’m going to turn it down, but
please promise me you won’t say anything to her.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Oh, for heaven’s sake,
is this how it’s going to be with you two? When you’re up for congresswoman or a
judgeship or chief of surgery, are you going to back down so you don’t hurt her
feelings?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I was flattered that my
mother saw me </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px;">figuratively </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">reaching such lofty heights</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">. My own ambitions, however, stretched even higher, literally: I wanted to be an air hostess for Pan Am. “Promise me, Mom.”</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhwf-3YvBjyrVw2mFAelX2X2qJW3X-mJVg0U52pUiaWD2AawkJcwLn4tQMqMVu3da2Nan-bTLgPwM0Ns-uGcnrF75WyV60iaTiRDz1lsHT_WA-2VwhyHrVYLpx61aSTwqSvM6gYhysMK2j/s1600/oct+2019+cheerleader+2+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="504" data-original-width="822" height="122" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhwf-3YvBjyrVw2mFAelX2X2qJW3X-mJVg0U52pUiaWD2AawkJcwLn4tQMqMVu3da2Nan-bTLgPwM0Ns-uGcnrF75WyV60iaTiRDz1lsHT_WA-2VwhyHrVYLpx61aSTwqSvM6gYhysMK2j/s200/oct+2019+cheerleader+2+%25282%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidWh0X5IuH1exhuvcTRsVgB_fuBvmtDzL-Yw6JnsKRdYBEPlv8qrHECJEAkAV9OWLS56_2ZMbgHTfeekVKeKUtA6KRqZxPAolHplYa2uwKZhAyksdFOys-hnnHUJFkLwDLgVlD79WqX_rh/s1600/oct+2019+flight+attendanct.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="722" data-original-width="813" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidWh0X5IuH1exhuvcTRsVgB_fuBvmtDzL-Yw6JnsKRdYBEPlv8qrHECJEAkAV9OWLS56_2ZMbgHTfeekVKeKUtA6KRqZxPAolHplYa2uwKZhAyksdFOys-hnnHUJFkLwDLgVlD79WqX_rh/s200/oct+2019+flight+attendanct.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">My mother put her arm
around my shoulders. “You are a kind girl, Valerie Caldwell. And a loyal
friend. Maybe by next year your pal can fatten herself up a bit and get over
her klutzy dance moves. But I promise, I won’t say a word.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I wasn’t sure,
however, that I could trust her.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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Roz and Patty Writehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17494179758700035542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7431464286706812801.post-61677480020018795642019-09-01T06:38:00.000-07:002019-09-01T06:38:15.662-07:00Labor Day Circa 1971<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgpfKUwExhZxXBi27bkzB4dM3JHIHnrIZWFyJuaB1NYXMXnw-IgdDxdXcAsH_dKmpsKvBkz0zHo2kiXog1wrM4GbczdLrCAPVxLcrQRKlL-Y7sBcWSaN3RiVKIZubZf3iFUjHwFlIx5P-r/s1600/Sept+2019+bbq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="623" data-original-width="778" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgpfKUwExhZxXBi27bkzB4dM3JHIHnrIZWFyJuaB1NYXMXnw-IgdDxdXcAsH_dKmpsKvBkz0zHo2kiXog1wrM4GbczdLrCAPVxLcrQRKlL-Y7sBcWSaN3RiVKIZubZf3iFUjHwFlIx5P-r/s320/Sept+2019+bbq.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">“Do you have any
homework, Valerie?” My mom handed me a bowl of Hamburger Helper. It was Friday
night, and we were having a family dinner.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">“</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Yes,” I said. “This
looks delicious, Mom.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">“How</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;">’</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">s school?” My dad used
wooden tongs to fill his salad bowl with iceberg lettuce. “Meet any new kids?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">“Yes,” I said, eager to
share my recent acquaintance with my family. “There’s a girl called Kit—”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">“</span><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Kit? </i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Like a kitty cat?” my thirteen-year-old brother interrupted,
making a cat-purring sound.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">“She’s really nice,” I
continued, ignoring him. “Her real name is Katherine. And she’s been to New
York, and her mother has a mink coat.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">“Well,” my dad said,
shaking his head a little and laughing, “if her mother has a mink
coat . . .”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">“Right,” I agreed with
his logic. “And Kit has had horseback-riding lessons, and she can do a
pirouette when she skates—”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“She sounds very nice,”
my mom said. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“We want to work on our
essays together. Can I invite her over?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“I don’t see why not.
What’s the subject?” My mom peered at me over her glass of water.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“The importance of Labor
Day,” I said, with great importance. “What do you guys think it is?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“A tribute to the
American workers,” my Dad replied.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“A day to barbecue,” my
brother said. “And no school.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I stirred my Hamburger Helper.
“Kit says it’s important because it’s the last day we can wear white.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">My mother looked at me with
astonishment. “Valerie, I like the sound of your new friend. I can already tell
she’s going to be one of my favorites.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />Roz and Patty Writehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17494179758700035542noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7431464286706812801.post-3130739301737633512019-08-03T06:24:00.000-07:002019-08-03T06:24:23.854-07:00Instant Gratification<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Following, we list some things
we can’t live without. There are many more, of course, but these come to mind
instantly, much like the way they perform.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></i></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Patty: <o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Online
dictionary. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">For someone who has been called a
wordsmith more than once, I have been pitifully lazy about looking up new-to-me
words. But with my phone’s Merriam-Webster app and my Kindle’s built-in dictionary, I have learned the meanings of hundreds of words in recent years.
Remembering them is something for which there is no app (and, thanks to my
handy-dandy online dictionaries, almost no need). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Smartphone
GPS.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">
Anyone who has gone as far as across the street with me <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">knows</i> this is my number one app. Better than any anti-anxiety med
could, it enables me to travel locally, nationally, and no doubt globally with
(relative) calm and confidence.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Smartphone,
period. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I still wasn’t taking the marvels of my laptop for
granted, when voila! I could hold all the ways I could research, proofread, and
promote our books in the palm of my hand.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></i></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Roz:<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Uber</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.
I live in a suburb of a big city. There is no public transport to speak of, and
although we do have taxis, Uber is faster and cheaper—a real godsend for getting
to the airport at four thirty in the morning.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Whatsapp.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">My whole family lives in
England, so free communication to learn what my sister is watching on TV, or to
get advice from my brother-in-law on what paint is best, is both instant and
invaluable. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Alexa.
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">What
time do the Astros play today? What’s the weather going to be tomorrow? And how
tall was Napoleon? Alexa, or Siri, as the case may be, are two smart chicks.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">What are </span><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">your </i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">top must-haves, instant or
otherwise?</span></div>
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<br />Roz and Patty Writehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17494179758700035542noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7431464286706812801.post-31049005823936885642019-07-01T09:02:00.002-07:002019-07-01T09:02:43.343-07:00Roz Proclaims: You Look Good, America!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXveXmK8W1JP-5W7u6zQwNVifA6n7Rll82WCjRGkr1aYpSTTdmph3TB4XDjRLmrG43lHYevYJfz9LZWk5-k0dLJpdpW4W9bi6OhjfFd0gEQ6BXo39E_iJqMjaaD8vYaLwoTpaDurdPzoan/s1600/July+2019-Roz+DSC01740+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="648" data-original-width="462" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXveXmK8W1JP-5W7u6zQwNVifA6n7Rll82WCjRGkr1aYpSTTdmph3TB4XDjRLmrG43lHYevYJfz9LZWk5-k0dLJpdpW4W9bi6OhjfFd0gEQ6BXo39E_iJqMjaaD8vYaLwoTpaDurdPzoan/s320/July+2019-Roz+DSC01740+%25282%2529.jpg" width="227" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roz</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />My admiration of America began
when I was a teenager living in my native England. It had to do with big
houses, mammoth cars, fast food, and a population of really attractive people,
most of whom looked like John or Jackie Kennedy. (Remember, I was a teenager,
and slightly shallow, so my opinion was based on TV shows and Hollywood movies).
<o:p></o:p></div>
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In school my favorite subject was
history, beginning with the Roman invasion of Britain in AD 53. I guess with so
much to get through, our curriculum never got around to America. <span style="color: red;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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So when I moved here, at the age
of 23, I knew practically nothing about the rich history of my new country. I
had no idea what the Boston Tea Party was about. Or Prohibition. Or the
Louisiana Purchase. I was clueless about Native American people. Or how tough
and brave the early settlers traveling west must have been. And let’s not even
talk about the Revolutionary War, which a British person probably should have
known something about. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Now America is 243 years old, and I am in awe at how much has been accomplished in such a
short time. Today I’m proud to be a citizen of this incredible country. After
forty-plus years I still enjoy learning about her amazing past and being part
of the ever-changing tapestry of these United States.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Happy Birthday, America!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl49SnPWjsp5hxZTJa58lJBR8JXqWz4GCVWGx94UG6fsMG6-iY18fui2iXfKt6XAkhTouZ6SQKK7snz24XuZMnDgiqjC2vNm6hTSEfxtWZBZcfhk4Efq7a_MdP2ZMhz-nSgm5XowrWAxyz/s1600/July+2019+firetruck+AAA1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="653" data-original-width="980" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl49SnPWjsp5hxZTJa58lJBR8JXqWz4GCVWGx94UG6fsMG6-iY18fui2iXfKt6XAkhTouZ6SQKK7snz24XuZMnDgiqjC2vNm6hTSEfxtWZBZcfhk4Efq7a_MdP2ZMhz-nSgm5XowrWAxyz/s320/July+2019+firetruck+AAA1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />Roz and Patty Writehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17494179758700035542noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7431464286706812801.post-89632464074140077902019-06-01T06:26:00.000-07:002019-06-01T06:26:02.226-07:00Love and Marriage<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 110%;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMUzsPFVXfM42EiHnzqSk83pFqkIyeh8cY3lRLjhawLEieOAu6udJXZ9j9N5T-jw4oiXBwMx-NPVSaMgVN9STBw_SnFXZ0sciFGO5cywUfza9s-DO4F7UBoZnkQV5Aj6RX8xREdGvFECkV/s1600/June+2019+pen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="650" data-original-width="975" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMUzsPFVXfM42EiHnzqSk83pFqkIyeh8cY3lRLjhawLEieOAu6udJXZ9j9N5T-jw4oiXBwMx-NPVSaMgVN9STBw_SnFXZ0sciFGO5cywUfza9s-DO4F7UBoZnkQV5Aj6RX8xREdGvFECkV/s320/June+2019+pen.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Since
it’s June, a popular month for couples in love to vow ’til death do they part,
we’re taking a brief time-out from murder, mystery, and dead bodies to
celebrate young love. And old love. And all love.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvRb854At2xm1QesMGlYk33I4FViypTzWDmPjOqJLdQ3ANWnZsnEiOaFcHBQQLv_7ZvgYHmFQDNlxJ4DNM3bXPIp_Mmoecd4CUkeXnWDc3M9srIdvdcK6cozXDmzrZZjlFYr388GBZqC-5/s1600/June+2019+wedding+pic+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1271" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvRb854At2xm1QesMGlYk33I4FViypTzWDmPjOqJLdQ3ANWnZsnEiOaFcHBQQLv_7ZvgYHmFQDNlxJ4DNM3bXPIp_Mmoecd4CUkeXnWDc3M9srIdvdcK6cozXDmzrZZjlFYr388GBZqC-5/s320/June+2019+wedding+pic+%25282%2529.jpg" width="254" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Patty and husband John celebrate their 53rd wedding anniversary this month.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Here,
we offer one of our favorite passages about love.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 110%;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></div>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 110%; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">AS YOU LIKE IT<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 110%; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">by William
Shakespeare<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 110%; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Act V, Scene II<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">No sooner met but
they looked; no sooner looked but they loved;<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">No sooner loved but
they sighed;<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">No sooner sighed but
they asked one another the reason;<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">No sooner knew the
reason but they sought the remedy;<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">And in these degrees
have they made a pair of stairs to marriage . . .</span></span><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhttmgCt6RDSwByZ4cG0qKmygNsSRzXPcMgKNobcW6Gdlvcr9CHFpPDNA0e8fOrFydayVa_98BhHwQjGVxA8LlqvehTkeED7sBtfXFXL1N50Yo_3lI6EWS7tm7x1StXVdExnQ0WSZ9B4F6z/s1600/June+2019+Heart2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="583" data-original-width="495" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhttmgCt6RDSwByZ4cG0qKmygNsSRzXPcMgKNobcW6Gdlvcr9CHFpPDNA0e8fOrFydayVa_98BhHwQjGVxA8LlqvehTkeED7sBtfXFXL1N50Yo_3lI6EWS7tm7x1StXVdExnQ0WSZ9B4F6z/s320/June+2019+Heart2.jpg" width="271" /></a></div>
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<br />Roz and Patty Writehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17494179758700035542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7431464286706812801.post-46730948848779028532019-05-02T06:33:00.000-07:002019-05-02T06:33:48.227-07:00Loving Our Personal Shopper<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEict72aGE5-5zSSfCUxnaNxxmU3hy3aFdKTBcCkwEx7hmjTO3Dq6mtQzXbAa_au3iLy7w8pFWx-27I8Er6ArJLQfdiRhRAMJv7t490_iMNjppPNEGpNLDsbqJqtv2n1pYY8WV8ME31S6qDd/s1600/May+%252719+shopping+cart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="684" data-original-width="677" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEict72aGE5-5zSSfCUxnaNxxmU3hy3aFdKTBcCkwEx7hmjTO3Dq6mtQzXbAa_au3iLy7w8pFWx-27I8Er6ArJLQfdiRhRAMJv7t490_iMNjppPNEGpNLDsbqJqtv2n1pYY8WV8ME31S6qDd/s320/May+%252719+shopping+cart.jpg" width="316" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">So, we take a look at our
shopping list and see that we need to purchase the following items:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">3 orange Chinese lanterns<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">6 mermaid stickers</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">1 pair of boots</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk83jjlKHTf39CQ3QMRgVWMkSIKkp82mj2jpxxFr_xNeEKR7usbnoesH_V_xnmtF7_SZcDjMmSCzm0ouV7MTPPLC9oVH3fd5C57CGeOgndXFRkhj5YwMeu-BxBgVtnhpHpd7usi9KgsFs9/s1600/May+%252719+boots.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1134" data-original-width="1215" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk83jjlKHTf39CQ3QMRgVWMkSIKkp82mj2jpxxFr_xNeEKR7usbnoesH_V_xnmtF7_SZcDjMmSCzm0ouV7MTPPLC9oVH3fd5C57CGeOgndXFRkhj5YwMeu-BxBgVtnhpHpd7usi9KgsFs9/s320/May+%252719+boots.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Back in the olden days,
this would involve driving to many different stores. But, in the wonderful
technological age we now live in, it takes just a few clicks of the keyboard,
and bingo! Orange lanterns follow us around for the next month or so every time
we log on. Boots and mermaid tails appear every time we sign into our Gmail or
visit Facebook. The number of options the Internet offers up is surpassed only
by the number of hours it would take us to hunt them down ourselves. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0wqqhp3Clkmc7Z4EXhMFyWRW4RbeBaBwnFduflrYZ9lhLurdy4T63IK2YoQEJdXG7CPY2sXSuaobhgcLJ-6ZKGiCujDoQS3HgeOKQ5XThZFJtmfJV3uF8qAA-lfERYAH4W6UezT1pTtNo/s1600/May+%252719+internet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="610" data-original-width="875" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0wqqhp3Clkmc7Z4EXhMFyWRW4RbeBaBwnFduflrYZ9lhLurdy4T63IK2YoQEJdXG7CPY2sXSuaobhgcLJ-6ZKGiCujDoQS3HgeOKQ5XThZFJtmfJV3uF8qAA-lfERYAH4W6UezT1pTtNo/s320/May+%252719+internet.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Some people complain
about being pursued this way, but we say bring it on. We love our personal
shopper!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Plus, the savings are
enormous because everyone knows you can’t physically go to Hobby Lobby and buy <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">just</i> mermaid stickers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4mbygywWp6yiEjwutg8z1vHk_kf4ab0nVk8Dmuu-E7QZdijRYik0hTsufWU2-HOfi86fDBNfV-1cXgG09ijrNcF9BbXGU4Q8mPki8hzqWeaBHORx5Rd5_nXrmgo7l_9AVz_p_XdUgZIEs/s1600/May+%252719+Mermaid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="764" data-original-width="1168" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4mbygywWp6yiEjwutg8z1vHk_kf4ab0nVk8Dmuu-E7QZdijRYik0hTsufWU2-HOfi86fDBNfV-1cXgG09ijrNcF9BbXGU4Q8mPki8hzqWeaBHORx5Rd5_nXrmgo7l_9AVz_p_XdUgZIEs/s320/May+%252719+Mermaid.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />Roz and Patty Writehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17494179758700035542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7431464286706812801.post-86210920790046212272019-04-01T08:04:00.000-07:002019-04-01T08:04:58.869-07:00Meeting of the Minds, in Person<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Since one of us lives in
Wisconsin and the other in Texas, it’s not possible to meet on a regular basis;
but we recently met for a long-overdue face-to-face visit. It was way too
short, but our plan was to get a lot done on our work in progress, No. 7 in <i>The Val & Kit Mystery Series, </i>as yet
untitled. We started by posing for a couple
of pictures.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Look busy, not clueless (directions from our
photographers, Mike and Johnny).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjUm9sQ2K-1Tz1vO_9-GbyD4FKo3iC1Y6t50H5uzTuGiG58HjKbZ2ZDACpAvd11SHhPqDxRcOCt2PWYpkPzX1NdM1OEfso9Z2r5MlFmd6r9CnTlaMREbVMCJ-eS-zGKC7wS_dkggYSTbbh/s1600/april+2019+and+new+profile+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="753" data-original-width="820" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjUm9sQ2K-1Tz1vO_9-GbyD4FKo3iC1Y6t50H5uzTuGiG58HjKbZ2ZDACpAvd11SHhPqDxRcOCt2PWYpkPzX1NdM1OEfso9Z2r5MlFmd6r9CnTlaMREbVMCJ-eS-zGKC7wS_dkggYSTbbh/s320/april+2019+and+new+profile+pic.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Oh, you mean like this?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Somehow, our regular Skype
session seemed more productive, where there is no chance of going out to
restaurants, or stopping everything to catch the latest episode of <i>This is Us</i>. While we were together, we met a couple of times with Sarah, our editor, who wanted to know when she will be getting our next book<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">—</span>and could she have a Bloody Mary while she's waiting. (We assured her she has time for two or three.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">But despite the many
interruptions, we got a lot of actual work done, together with a lot of laughs.
As for all the fun we have . . . we still got it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Mike, Patty, Roz, Sarah, Johnny</div>
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Roz and Patty Writehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17494179758700035542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7431464286706812801.post-14993688721996340112019-03-01T07:05:00.000-08:002019-03-01T07:05:01.413-08:00Our Favorite Job Perk<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD99tZds_-MyGZMPei3t7DdQUmz4Gl4f5iakdALqSNhl5iZ632nrl-9OXqIIbpzIY9xv5OHK2RvCDB9t6dMuw3zzTGKep6LsNjiNrRpFsuBVxf1xwDIKJyzSlExxp1XHYs4FfWCl8gQIn2/s1600/March+2019+dead+bodies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="541" data-original-width="645" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD99tZds_-MyGZMPei3t7DdQUmz4Gl4f5iakdALqSNhl5iZ632nrl-9OXqIIbpzIY9xv5OHK2RvCDB9t6dMuw3zzTGKep6LsNjiNrRpFsuBVxf1xwDIKJyzSlExxp1XHYs4FfWCl8gQIn2/s320/March+2019+dead+bodies.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Between
the two of us, we witness three or more murders a week. Happily, many of these
vicious crimes are solved within fifty minutes or so, not counting commercial
breaks. And in most cases, we have to use English-language closed captioning to
understand what is going on, particularly for British crimes (even though one
of us </span><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">is</i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> British).</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHPaqRWd8NO0U6Kvc5kA-SEvkHIuzsYAdT0QwsKnlEs8AVlgJOSmP4S0LAj0fVauXiABI5BSPW0bqtMUWftenUwFPRnpyEmaf4HZC2lBNTKIATVDh8HTw-2uSGIfDW2TXEws-QcCEL6vS5/s1600/March+2019+long+hair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="915" data-original-width="960" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHPaqRWd8NO0U6Kvc5kA-SEvkHIuzsYAdT0QwsKnlEs8AVlgJOSmP4S0LAj0fVauXiABI5BSPW0bqtMUWftenUwFPRnpyEmaf4HZC2lBNTKIATVDh8HTw-2uSGIfDW2TXEws-QcCEL6vS5/s320/March+2019+long+hair.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The
authorities working these cases vary, depending on the country where the murder
occurs. American female crime-solvers generally resemble ex-supermodels, with
long, flowing hair that the perpetrator could, but never does, grab during an
altercation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>British female cops usually
arrive at the crime scene looking like they just made breakfast for four kids
and dropped them off at school. Australian policewomen often have a healthy,
outdoorsy look, almost as if they stored their surfboard in the trunk of their
car before putting on their blue rubber gloves. The men, in nearly all countries,
are typically either very good-looking or hopelessly rumpled and disheveled. As a rule of thumb, the more disheveled the guy, and the more
he mumbles, the more likely he is to be brilliant and solve the case.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyoDJwIPtz7xKgZEPNPA4PsqOPak2z093wjbJ42o0SpAxiAoowuF3ADUXorKu49A2ye9u4SdZWalf3PfqLX4Z4HbzLcz_6nhi4GwwPKxcHk9kvfVHNMK_3J-S_khj0aqnexBzwQ4ozqZko/s1600/March+2019+australian+girl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="609" data-original-width="623" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyoDJwIPtz7xKgZEPNPA4PsqOPak2z093wjbJ42o0SpAxiAoowuF3ADUXorKu49A2ye9u4SdZWalf3PfqLX4Z4HbzLcz_6nhi4GwwPKxcHk9kvfVHNMK_3J-S_khj0aqnexBzwQ4ozqZko/s200/March+2019+australian+girl.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWDIhus_DThwEDNYirE-AlK_imWXIflZxI3yedgqTdGXzDlmT0Vzp6uV9Sp8_gKwxhJf1DS9gpFi2DpSjlIiM5z_jk0hjWRou4RL7Xm8aaLdUuT3Ca59H52tK3d7XqG5oRunk-JAVWscCM/s1600/March+2019+detective+with+gun.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="632" data-original-width="596" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWDIhus_DThwEDNYirE-AlK_imWXIflZxI3yedgqTdGXzDlmT0Vzp6uV9Sp8_gKwxhJf1DS9gpFi2DpSjlIiM5z_jk0hjWRou4RL7Xm8aaLdUuT3Ca59H52tK3d7XqG5oRunk-JAVWscCM/s200/March+2019+detective+with+gun.jpg" width="188" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">So,
as a murder-mystery writing duo, does this watching we do help or hinder us? Is
it a form of research, since we are unlikely (we hope) to come across real
murders in our everyday lives <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">except </i>on
TV? Well, we’ve learned a lot about police tape, not compromising the murder
scene, and the popularity of the blunt-force object used to bash in skulls. In
the US the preferred weapon appears to be a gun, whereas knives are widely
popular in the UK (not withstanding an Agatha Christie adaptation, where poison
is very popular).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihjs-6yGylDpv2i5kWuEzbsJv0aFBx5yPJ-rQfvA-PEWMoP4QyCpWyyyOhAyKacTiw1Xtl3GkzKVwpvVhPmo5ayqJkwY_Ckcjx6U0BV6GhgjCGlTRrdlQ5Ta5l5afiSSST9Y-7L3bJr0uX/s1600/March+2019+-+Tape.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="888" data-original-width="864" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihjs-6yGylDpv2i5kWuEzbsJv0aFBx5yPJ-rQfvA-PEWMoP4QyCpWyyyOhAyKacTiw1Xtl3GkzKVwpvVhPmo5ayqJkwY_Ckcjx6U0BV6GhgjCGlTRrdlQ5Ta5l5afiSSST9Y-7L3bJr0uX/s320/March+2019+-+Tape.jpg" width="311" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">We’ve
also learned a lot about DNA, which on the surface would seem to make any crime
solvable. And we’ve learned police jargon. And the importance of CCTV cameras
and cell phones—or mobile phones, as the case may be—both excellent deterrents
when it comes to proving false alibis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Same goes for good old social media and Google, which appear to play an
important role in modern police investigating.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Whatever
the source (e.g., Prime Video, Netflix, or, heaven forbid, regular TV), it
doesn’t hurt us a bit to plunk down on the couch, often still in our pajamas,
with a cup of coffee and a TV remote. Let the bingeing—er, research—begin!!!!!</span></div>
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Roz and Patty Writehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17494179758700035542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7431464286706812801.post-58971438514117282302019-02-04T17:39:00.000-08:002019-02-04T17:39:42.572-08:00Valentine’s Day for the Rest of Us<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">If
you don’t have anyone in your life who is likely to make a romantic gesture
toward you, then Valentine’s Day might just as well be called Small Pox Day. And
it’s not subtle. It doesn’t just creep up on you. No, its pending arrival is
displayed everywhere you go as soon as Christmas is over. Its red tentacles coil
around you with flowers, heart-shaped boxes of chocolate, and greeting cards as
big as cereal boxes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I
was in my office, my eyes transfixed on my colleague’s desk. On display was a
white teddy bear with a lighted red heart beating beneath its chest, glimmering
on and off as it pumped synthetic stuffing through its veins. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">When
my phone rang, I tore my eyes away from Teddy’s aorta. It was Kit, my BFF. “Val,
why don’t you come by tonight for dinner?” she asked. “Larry’s at a meeting and
won’t be home until very late.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Today?
You do know what today is, right?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Of
course. Very important day for tax accountants. They dig out their abacuses and
oil them.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“No,
I meant—never mind. Are you sure you will be alone?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Yes.
And I feel like making paella.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">***<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">At
Kit’s, after two helpings of her paella and three glasses of Rioja, I glanced
at my watch, happy to learn that Valentine’s Day, and all its paraphernalia,
had only an hour to go. “Here’s to Easter,” I said, raising my wine glass in a
toast. Easter I could handle. It didn’t discriminate. It didn’t care if you
were alone and single. It was a celebration for all the people.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Happy
Valentine’s Day,” I heard Larry, Kit’s husband, yell from the front door. “Val’s
here? I noticed Val’s car in the driveway.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Well
spotted. What gave it away?” Kit rose from her kitchen chair.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Larry
now stood in the kitchen doorway. He had flakes of snow on the shoulders of his
coat, wet discarded boots in one hand, and a shopping bag in the other. “I’m
glad you’re here, Val.” He ceremoniously put his boots on the floor and the bag on the table. Then he removed from the bag a box, stunning red and
shaped like a heart. It was as big as the extra-large pizza I like to order.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“I’m
going,” I said, feeling awkward. Like I had been cast in a movie playing the
perennial best friend.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“No,
don’t go. This if for both of you.” He held the box between us, but since
neither Kit nor I made a move to take it, he set it down on the table. “Happy
Valentine’s Day, ladies. And Val, don’t let Kit get all the orange creams. You
have to watch her.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Give
her all my secrets, why don’t you.” Kit untied the red ribbon encasing the box.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Sorry
you have to share,” Larry said.
“But the shop was closing just as I got there, and this was all they had left.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I
smiled up at him, then rose to give him a kiss on the cheek. “Larry James, you
are the worst liar in the world, but a very sweet man. Thank you,” I said. My
half of the chocolates weren’t a romantic gesture by any means. They were
better, so much better.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">He
blushed just a little, then said, “Can you believe it? They were starting to
put out Easter stuff.”</span></div>
Roz and Patty Writehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17494179758700035542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7431464286706812801.post-23225338069699257412019-01-01T07:59:00.000-08:002019-01-01T07:59:41.159-08:00Happy New Year!<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">We
say good-bye to 2018 with mixed feelings. Like many of you, we experienced some
highs, and some heavyhearted lows. But throughout it all, we kept writing,
maybe not as fast as we have in the past, but never letting our work sit on the
back burner for too long.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">This
month’s blog is purely to thank our readers from the bottom of our hearts for
their support. Whether you downloaded to Kindle, purchased paperbacks, or posted
wonderful reviews on Amazon, we can’t thank you enough. And a special thank-you
to all of our readers who have inquired when the next book is due. It’s coming
sometime in 2019.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">So,
here’s wishing all of you a fantastic and safe New Year. May all your dreams
come true.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">With
love,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Roz
and Patty<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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Roz and Patty Writehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17494179758700035542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7431464286706812801.post-67962443524262304572018-12-02T10:41:00.000-08:002018-12-02T10:47:06.790-08:00Making a List, Checking It Twice (And Deleting It Once)<br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">“Kit, I’m making my Christmas list, and I’d like to get you something you
really want.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I
don’t want anything, Val. Just come spend the day with Larry and me. That will
be more than enough present. You are still coming, right?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Yes,
of course.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“And
for crying out loud, I’m begging you, don’t go wasting your money at Family
Dollar. I don’t need a thing.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I
ignored her, and since I had a big, fat Christmas bonus coming, I put a question
mark next to her name. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEppnt3Pnic5lDRuRlBy8F3uc0opWlGxE1WIfS8JmBZ8tpthk_9KsCzj5xbw0dhaRE4kAdnhbW7oKxeu1ZazrzicrFT-lkI5lDkMAMuhtpCiv8mUS_LhS34a-qfMFk6pNMSFDayI2EHnIk/s1600/Dec.+2018-baby.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="932" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEppnt3Pnic5lDRuRlBy8F3uc0opWlGxE1WIfS8JmBZ8tpthk_9KsCzj5xbw0dhaRE4kAdnhbW7oKxeu1ZazrzicrFT-lkI5lDkMAMuhtpCiv8mUS_LhS34a-qfMFk6pNMSFDayI2EHnIk/s320/Dec.+2018-baby.jpg" width="263" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Hi,
Mom, it’s me.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Who?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Valerie.
Your daughter. Remember, you went to the hospital about fifty years ago, and
they sent you home with a little baby.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Oh,
are you that baby? How could I forget? Seventy-two hours of excruciating labor,
and then you howled nonstop for a month.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“That’s
the one. I’m calling because I’m starting my Christmas list, and I wondered if
there is anything you and William particularly want.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Valerie,
don’t go squandering your money on William Stuckey and me. We don’t want a
thing.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Seriously,
Mom, I’m expecting a huge bonus from work, so don’t worry about the cost.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Well,
why don’t you spend it on yourself? Get a decent haircut, or join one of those
gyms.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Er,
no, I love my haircut, and I hate gyms.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“You
know, Valerie, it’s bad manners to ask people what they want for Christmas—”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Oops,
my other line is ringing; gotta go. Forget I called.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUszTTv-07hGgYmV2L5U8pb0kqL25n7W-5FgDazdNOsDVFzt0r1ca3DzRHWhlmGwkGDcpgH0xI0tNvQWfZ70I0cZADT5BUMaQFL4IH-k2Yw9rBQQv4m0RG71burqMQBxjSMnzA67A8oy3m/s1600/Dec.+2018-dog+reading.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="911" data-original-width="684" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUszTTv-07hGgYmV2L5U8pb0kqL25n7W-5FgDazdNOsDVFzt0r1ca3DzRHWhlmGwkGDcpgH0xI0tNvQWfZ70I0cZADT5BUMaQFL4IH-k2Yw9rBQQv4m0RG71burqMQBxjSMnzA67A8oy3m/s320/Dec.+2018-dog+reading.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Emily,
it’s Mom. I know it’s early, but I’m making my Christmas list. Anything in particular
you and Luke would like? And don’t hold back. I have an enormous Christmas bonus
coming.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Oh,
Mom, Luke and I were just talking about this very thing. What we would
like . . .”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Yes,
tell me. Anything.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“We’d
like you to make a donation to a charity; it would mean so much.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“What are you thinking? Whales, baby seals?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Show
Dogs.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Show . . . dogs?
Do show dogs really require a charity?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Yes.
It’s the name of a rescue shelter for homeless dogs.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">“Hmm. Didn’t you tell me about an antique
bookcase you have your eye on?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Mom,
some of the dogs are vision impaired; they would have no use for bookcases or
even books.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Well,
I meant the bookcase would be for you—oh, never mind. I see your point. Because
some of the dogs can’t see. Or read.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Exactly.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Let
me think about it some more.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgagckWhXncLbvy0Syv3Zm-FYLMb00VFMrRkQF9E45xHWwC6H8Z6YAu1JTBfEzf7LJzXTvwv5mgFIEfDhrCpb6J4njBNvSg8rapJ7NyXDF-qeDz4E6ehHnpz-kVXxWewpYo68zN-HhQnodX/s1600/Dec.+2018-cognac.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="578" data-original-width="867" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgagckWhXncLbvy0Syv3Zm-FYLMb00VFMrRkQF9E45xHWwC6H8Z6YAu1JTBfEzf7LJzXTvwv5mgFIEfDhrCpb6J4njBNvSg8rapJ7NyXDF-qeDz4E6ehHnpz-kVXxWewpYo68zN-HhQnodX/s320/Dec.+2018-cognac.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“What
are you doing, Val?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Oh,
hi, Tom, best boss in the whole world; I’m making my Christmas list with the
help of that gigantic bonus we’ve got coming—”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Yeah,
yeah, about that bonus—”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Don’t
worry, you’re on the list too. How about a bottle of that Louis XVI cognac you
like?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“It’s
Louis XIII, and it costs seven grand, and about that bonus—”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Oh,
that much? Do they perhaps sell it in those little airline bottles? Maybe a
couple of those—”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Sorry,
Val, but there won’t be a bonus this year; we lost that big sale on Main Street,
and it looks like the Higginbothams are pulling out of—”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Wait!
No bonus? But I thought—”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">“Sorry,
Kiddo. Maybe later in the year we can catch up moneywise . . .”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">I
deleted my list and opened the website for Edible Arrangements. Who doesn’t
like winter fruit? Even a vision-impaired mutt can enjoy a pomegranate.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<br />Roz and Patty Writehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17494179758700035542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7431464286706812801.post-78314672566972874162018-11-01T06:48:00.000-07:002018-11-01T06:49:54.618-07:00Father Doesn’t Always Know Best (Even in 1979)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMP1u5clcPLJYmaD9e5TcUAZ8zp09Nl0cyiDgaW4I1dgpdNjI9jMJ58waTswkCS5nAVtyWRzDT3FmIAEsrhtPwvetuucyWXfnd3Wq2EKskMaHZ5XH2l2jy88FTAl0VjsaCwWWZsePlorn7/s1600/Nov.+blog+firebird.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="620" data-original-width="930" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMP1u5clcPLJYmaD9e5TcUAZ8zp09Nl0cyiDgaW4I1dgpdNjI9jMJ58waTswkCS5nAVtyWRzDT3FmIAEsrhtPwvetuucyWXfnd3Wq2EKskMaHZ5XH2l2jy88FTAl0VjsaCwWWZsePlorn7/s320/Nov.+blog+firebird.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px;">“</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">What
is </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">that</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> thing?” my mother asked.
Parked at our curb was the most beautiful car I had ever seen. Sleek, red, and
glossy. Kit sat behind the wheel looking like the cat that got the automobile
equivalent of the cream.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“It’s
Kit’s eighteenth birthday present from her parents,” I said in awe.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“A.
Pontiac. Firebird.” My dad said it slowly, as if the meaning of life had just
dawned on him.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">“I love it!” I squealed. My best friend was
waving, urging me to get in. “Kit, it’s so cool!” I opened the passenger door
with great care.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Have
you even passed your driver’s test?” my mom asked Kit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“It’s
a beaut, all right.” My dad seemed to be in some kind of trance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Twenty
minutes later Kit and I were driving, somewhere, we didn’t know where exactly.
“Why didn’t you tell me you had passed your driver’s test?” I yelled into the
wind. My head was hanging out the window, like a golden retriever with floppy
ears blown back.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“I
haven’t,” I heard her shout.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In an instant, I was back from retriever land. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">“You
haven’t? Wait . . . what? You don’t have a license?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Nope.”
She pressed her foot harder on the gas pedal. “But it’s in the works.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Stop!!!”
I screamed, turning down the radio and Chaka’s voice claiming to be “I’m Every
Woman.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Relax.
I’ll have one soon enough.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Later,
over dinner, my dad asked, “So, Val, I expect you would like a car too.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had thought about this a lot, since I did
at least hold a recent license. But with Kit in her flashy new vehicle, and
never really going anywhere without me, I wasn’t in any rush.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“She’s
in no rush to get a car.” For once, my mother, who was spooning peas onto my
plate, seemed to have her finger on the pulse of the matter.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Every
kid wants their own car. They all want to drive, right, Val?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Some
do,” I offered weakly, mentally scanning my group of friends. Cynthia Hogg
didn’t drive, but the Hoggs were so wealthy they had a chauffeur. Eileen
McMullen went everywhere on her bike, which probably accounted for her overly
developed calf muscles. And then there was Bart Purcell, who definitely didn’t
drive, but mainly because he was currently in juvie. I felt sure stealing a car
would be at the top of his list once he got out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Dad
was not convinced. “How about we go car shopping? I have a couple of options in
mind.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Make
sure it has four real seats.” My mother was now spooning carrots onto our
plates. “Not those baby seats in the back like Kit’s death trap.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The
following Saturday, I gingerly drove home in my new (to me) 1969 Chevrolet
Corvair. It was a misleading shade of cream, or possibly white, depending on
the light. The seats were hard black plastic, and there was a strange banging
sound when the engine was turned on. I did my best to avoid driving it, but
wanted to please my dad, who seemed happy with the purchase. Luckily, my mother
came to the rescue when she produced Ralph Nader’s 1965 report in which he
claimed the Corvair was unsafe at any speed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">That
did it. The Corvair was returned and the new search began, this time with my
older brother. I love my dad dearly, but note to self: don’t go car shopping
with a man who is on a first-name basis with the local bus driver.</span></div>
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Roz and Patty Writehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17494179758700035542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7431464286706812801.post-40076382980329122492018-10-01T09:57:00.000-07:002018-10-01T10:04:15.003-07:00There’s No Buddy Like a Brother<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0in;">“Is Buddy home?” I
remember asking my mother back in the 1970s. She was busy spreading meringue on
a lemon pie.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Don’t go bothering
your brother, Valerie. He’s in his room studying.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">As I suspected, my
seventeen-year-old brother was hard at work playing Pong on his Atari. “Buddy,”
I said quietly, opening his door.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Val, it’s you;
good. Here, take this.” He shoved an Atari paddle into my hand, and I reluctantly
sat on the edge of the bed next to him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Man, this is slammin’,”
Buddy said, his eyes alight and focused on the TV screen. “See how fast it is?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I wiggled the joystick
on the paddle. “So, I need a favor, a big one. Would you drive Kit and me to
Milwaukee on the eighteenth to see David Cassidy?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0in;">“Who?”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I relaxed a little
since he hadn’t said no. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0in;">“David Cassidy.
<i>The Partridge Family</i>. He’s got a concert and—”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Oh, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">that</i> guy! No.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Buddy, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">please</i>. Mom will let me go if you go
with, and you don’t have to actually go to the concert—”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Yeah, right, ’cuz
why would I want to see <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">that</i> guy?” He
was furiously moving his joystick left to right. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px; text-indent: 0in;">“</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0in;">That guy blows, Val.”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Later, as Buddy
was leaving to go see <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Blazing Saddles</i>,
the new movie everyone was raving about, I attacked him at the front door. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Pleeeeez</i>, Buddy. I’ll mow the lawn for
you. For a month.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“No.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Two months?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“No. I kinda like
mowing the lawn.” That was true, but only because it gave him an excuse to go
bare-chested, which apparently held some sort of attraction to the sixteen-year-old
Bermondsey twins who lived three doors down.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Next morning at
breakfast: “How about I write your English essay on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">To Kill a Mockingbird</i>?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Don’t need ya; I’ll
see the movie.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">And at dinner that
evening: “I’ll wash your car.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“And vacuum the
interior?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Yes, yes,” I said
eagerly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Still no; you’re
not going near my Mustang.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic1eo6dSqjJHRYa1zsw3e11DWaTjaEweNdM8GWNKaUK-ahdxQ-HpTnZAuG_J4mpZX8UBHDzv4EWa5l1cgkNZAwQBoVb8izzEPoCuRy_MdmpQXEpjLjZHHmPEppv4qEQn54K98hjhKzpI-7/s1600/oct.+blog+mustang.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="900" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic1eo6dSqjJHRYa1zsw3e11DWaTjaEweNdM8GWNKaUK-ahdxQ-HpTnZAuG_J4mpZX8UBHDzv4EWa5l1cgkNZAwQBoVb8izzEPoCuRy_MdmpQXEpjLjZHHmPEppv4qEQn54K98hjhKzpI-7/s320/oct.+blog+mustang.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Finally, that night
I had to resort to Plan B, which involved my dad, which in turn meant it
involved my mother. “Daddy, David Cassidy has a concert in Milwaukee on the
eighteenth, and I was hoping—”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“David Cassidy—doesn’t
he work at Oswald’s Pharmacy in Naperville?” my mother asked.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“No, Mom. Well,
maybe a David Cassidy does work at Oswald’s, but I mean David Cassidy the
singer—”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Ya call that
singing?” Buddy piped up.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“You know, from
that cute TV show, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Partridge Family</i>.”
I looked at my father, who appeared clueless, but my mother chimed in.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Oh, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">that</i> David Cassidy. By the way, I really
admire his mother’s hairstyle.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“You mean his
mother on the show, Shirley something?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“No, I mean David
Cassidy from Oswald’s. His mother has a stunning French twist.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I retreated and
concentrated on my meat loaf. “This is so good, Mom,” I said, hoping to butter
her up some. Twenty minutes later, when she was slicing the lemon meringue pie,
I launched my second offensive. “So, Daddy, do you think you could drive Kit
and me to Milwaukee on the eighteenth?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
know it’s a two-hour drive, but perhaps you could—”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“What, Valerie?”
my mother demanded. “What would you have him do? Drive around Milwaukee hoping
not to get shot by the Balistrieri Crime Family while you are enjoying your
rock and roll?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“True,” Buddy said.
“Because in Chicago we don’t have any crime families.” He gave me a wicked
grin.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Sorry, honey,” my
dad finally spoke. “I will be out of town on the eighteenth.<sup>”<o:p></o:p></sup></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“So, that settles
it.” My mother looked thrilled. “No concert for you, young lady.”<sup><o:p></o:p></sup></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I felt tears of
frustration sting my eyes. I pushed my plate of lemon meringue deliciousness
away, and Buddy quickly moved it in his direction.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I’ll take ya.” He
spooned a heap of yellow and white fluff into his mouth.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">My tears suddenly
vanished. “You will?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">He continued
chewing. “I will. But only you and Kit, and you have to leave fifteen minutes
before the show ends, and no David Cassidy cassettes in the car—”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Done. Oh, thank
you, Buddy, thank you.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I haven’t
finished yet. My essay on that dead mockingbird thing is due on Friday, and you
can vacuum my car, but not wash it. And you can start on the lawn tomorrow.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I remembered then
that the whole Bermondsey family, including the twins, was out of town.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0in;">“You got a deal,”
I said. Triumphantly.</span></div>
<br />
<br />
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<br />Roz and Patty Writehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17494179758700035542noreply@blogger.com0