Betty Steps Into The Past With A Book Called Rondo Items

 Joey's mom walked over to where her son and the lady people called Grandma Lu were talking. "Hello! My name is Betty. I am this young man's mom. The librarian told me that folks call you Grandma Lu. What is your real name?" Grandma Lu smiled and said, "My real name is LuAnne. Children and their parents and even strangers started calling me Grandma Lu years ago about the same time my own grandchildren started calling me Grandma Lu. Then my friend, Bonnie, also was called Grandma B told me about an empty building that was going to go to ruin if it wasn't kept up to date. The rent was cheap, but it needed a lot of work and painting etc. It was in a small community not far from here. The community all came together and helped us. B started calling me Grandma Lu and like most nicknames, it caught on and even now most folks call me Grandma Lu."

"Grandma B had a very small granddaughter at that time. Her name was Marlee.  B or Bonnie and I decided to rent the building from the town and I eventually referred to it as Marleewood. We remodeled and added rooms and it became quite the community center. Folks came to listen to my stories, shop, drink coffee, and we even had a room where you could just sit in a comfortable old chair and read or take a nap.

And oh, I forgot to tell you about the parties. Mercy did we have parties. But that was years ago. I don't even know whatever happened to Marleewood nowadays. There was a mayor that had it auctioned off for back taxes. I haven't been back there in years. I have lost touch with a lot of those folks since my husband and I moved.

Betty told Grandma Lu that she was glad to have met her and she and her young son, Joey, left the library only after checking out a book that might give Betty some insight into the area where Marleewood used to be and other communities that was chock full of pictures. Joey might like the pictures too.

When Betty and her son got home she got them both a snack and asked Joey if he would like to look at the book she had checked out at the library. He said that he would rather play with his trucks, but maybe later he would look at the pictures in her book if there were any good ones.

Betty opened up the book called Rondo Items with a feeling that she was about to step into the past as well as the future. As she took a sip of her cold drink she felt a shiver of something that she couldn't identify. It was a feeling of family and friendship. She somehow knew that she should include Joey in this book, but right now she needed to read about the lives of the folks that were connected by what looked like a school, a church, and maybe a woman who kept a diary of daily happenings. 

Betty looked at the clock and checked on her little boy. She had about two hours before she needed to start supper, and Joey was content with his toys.

As Betty started to read about the author of the book and some of the dedications she thought about Grandma Lu. She may have to find this older woman again and perhaps gain a little insight into these people in the book.  "Yes, Grandma Lu. I think you and I just might become friends, if I can find you again. I wonder if you know the author, Ruby Sharon Downs."

She started by reading a big title called A Great Reunion!!