"My stars it's getting so cold outside, Grandma Lu grumbled when she came in from outside. The wind is blowing fifty miles an hour I swear." She rubbed her arms and thought about when she was a young girl on the farm. My mother knew what would make us warm when the weather got colder. She would get out her sauce pan, a can of Hershey's cocoa and make us some coco (that's how I spelled it in my head when I was about eight or nine)," she grinned. She called into the living room. "Would you like a cup of hot chocolate? I'm going to make myself some." She got the answer she knew she would so she took two envelopes of hot chocolate mix and two cups of water. Heated the cups of water in the microwave, stirred in the chocolate mix and that was it. Instantly it seemed were two steaming cups of hot chocolate. She carried them into the living room beside each chair. Then she wriggled herself into a comfy sweater and waited for the familiar feeling of home. It didn't come. She tasted the mixture again. Nope it certainly wasn't like what her mother made. It wasn't even like the hot chocolate she used to make for her children.
"When they say 'times change or it's progress', that doesn't make it automatically better." She turned and watched her husband dose after his warm drink. "That's about all this did for me; make me sleepy."
Grandma Lu dosed off as well with sweet dreams of her childhood on the farm. She could see her mother and her old silver saucepan, a pint jar of cream, a pitcher of milk, a cannister of sugar and an old can of Hershey's cocoa. She smiled in her sleep as she relived the smells and the wonderful taste of homemade cocoa. There they all were; her little brother, her older sister, and of course, her dad. They were all waiting for the wonderful warm drink. Wait they did, because the stove had to be heated, the milk had to be just the right temperature and of course, the taste testing by her mom. Then her mother's smile, meant that it was just right. There was as always, a plate full of home made cookies to go with the warm drink.
A knock at the door woke Grandma Lu up from her wonderful dream. She shook the cobwebs out of her sleepy head and wondered who would be knocking at her door after dark. She soon found out. There stood Joey's mother, Betty.
Grandma Lu said, "Well, hello! May I help you? Betty smiled and said, "I think that you are a relative of mine. If I am wrong I apologize, but I have just had this feeling ever since I started listening to your stories at the library. May I come in?"
Grandma Lu said, "Of course, you may. Come on out to the kitchen. All I have to offer you is a cup of instant hot chocolate. Not like the old days, but it will warm you up. So what is this all about? You think you are related to me? Why is that, do you think? Oh, you brought pictures. I love pictures. Maybe we can get this sorted out. No, of course, I don't mind. Oh there' the bell on the microwave. That didn't take long did it? There you go. Okay, let's see what you have there.
pleasant memories often appear in my dreams. Hot chocolate, homemade cookies and homemade bread. Sometimes with cinnamon and sugar for a treat. Now this lady Better is something new. Let's see if the pictures she brought with her tell a story
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