Dusty Roads to the Heart

We didn't want to notice that ugly "For Sale" in the front yard.  We didn't want to notice all those boxes piled here and there, or the sheets of that ugly brown paper laying .... just waiting to wrap up all their plates, glasses, little nick knacks.  We didn't want to notice the empty walls.  No we didn't want to notice but we wanted to help so we went over and helped them go through the little building setting east of the house.  We helped in the big house that to us had become home.  We helped go through all those things putting some in piles to be sold and some in piles to be taken to their new home.  There were old trunks, Roy's old service uniforms, old magazines, old papers, dolls and so many things.  The auctioneer came with trailers and hauled away what was to be sold and the rest was loaded on a truck and taken to their new home. On a sad fall day, Harold locked the back door of that square farm house standing tall there on the hill....

Have you ever had the privilege of watching two people fall in love in their golden years?  It is a beautiful sight really. She calls him "my hubby" or "old fellow".  He calls her "sweetie".  She combs his hair with her fingertips.  He squeezes her hand so softly.  She would reach up and straighten his tie just right.  Every sunrise, every sunset is beautiful to them, and they love to walk hand in hand under the full moon.  There is that twinkle in their eyes when they look at one another across the room.  Their whole world revolves around one another.  This is what happened to my Jeannie, my "second mother." In a city miles away, a man sits on his bed, his phone in his hand.  He wants so badly to call her...but what would she say?  "I'm going to call, if she says yes that's my answer."  He makes the call.... It was a cloudy spring Sunday morning when our old wall phone rang and I ran to answer. "Hello" she sai...

                                                        Chapter   1 It stands tall and square there on its hill close to the road.  Every time I go past it I look at that big front porch, its upstairs windows, its little car port, a sign at the end of the road, with the word "Ponderosa" written across the front, its mail box with the little yellow flag that would "pop up" after the mailman had come.  I see all of that....and it calls out to me..."We love you, you know."   "Yes I know and I love you.  Love you for always." It was the people who made this house a home.  I don't know why, but all three of them took hold of my heart and wouldn't let go.  I can picture...