Grandma Lu Said They Ate Spaghetti Out Of Hubcap Centers

Needless to say Grandma Lu had been a bit unsettled to say the least. When she found the still warm spaghetti she had about lost it. But once again she decided that someone had brought their lunch with them from the local cafe' and had eaten it there. There always seemed to be an explanation for everything...almost.
The children were all wanting a story today and she didn't know if she was in the mood for  telling a story or not. Well, of course, Marlee and her friends convinced her to tell them a story. They all missed Grandma B and were pestering Grandma Lu asking constantly, it seemed,
'When is Grandma B going to be back home.'
So after some thinking she decided okay, she would tell a  fun story that her husband had told her. It had happened to him when he was just sixteen (16) years old.
She called the children into the sitting room and she settled into her old easy chair and started the story.
"Well, if I can remember right, when my husband was just a teenager, he loved to work on cars. There was a salvage yard that he used to go to to get parts for his old cars. In the old days he and his brother used to love to buy old cars for practically nothing and fix them up so that they would run.
 He told me that he met some people young and old that he won't forget. First there was Butch Martin. He owned the salvage yard. Sometimes people call them junk yards. But to Fran they were "treasure yards". They always seemed to have just what he wanted.
On weekends sometimes an old man called Pepper made huge sandwiches. The sandwich was a whole big loaf of French bread. (She measured with her hands to show over a foot long loaf of bread). He would put all kinds of meats and cheeses on that bread. If Fran was lucky and had five (5) dollars he could buy one of those wonderful sandwiches. Pepper was married to a lady called, Evie. Oh, she was a wonderful cook. They lived close to an Army base and sometimes she would make gigantic pots of spaghetti and meatballs. She used cast iron pots and cooked it outdoors right close by that wonderful junk yard. He said lots of times she would run out of plates and she would wash out hubcap centers and serve all the young folks spaghetti right out of those things. You just won't believe this, but she never charged a single dime for all that food she served. She just loved to cook and feed people. See you just don't need fancy china and silverware do you? It has been almost sixty (60) years ago and he still remembers how wonderful everything tasted. And what great friends he made there.
"Ah, my husband remembers those good old days as he calls them with big smiles. That's how he met the man called Jacques that taught him how to do body work  on cars all those years ago. He was married to a lady called Natalie he said."
In just a minute or two (2) while Grandma Lu was finishing up the story for the children, she heard that loud motor noise rev up again out on the parking lot. This time she took her time while she looked out the window. There was that yellow car again. It wasn't a Mustang like she and "B" thought, it was a Camero. It did have a license plate on it that said, Nats though. "Humph, she said to herself, so I made a mistake; big deal. It was yellow and it makes lots of noise." She chuckled to herself, "I wonder who is out there." About that time there was a knock on the door.

   When she opened it she said, "Hello, hurry, come on in out of the cold."
The lady smiled and said, "Why, thank you. I'm Aunt Nat, the photographer. Charlie wrote to me and asked if I would take pictures for you folks. She saw my picture in a photography magazine with some other photographers. Wasn't that something? I'd be glad to help. This looks like a fun place to work.
However, I live quite a distance from here, but I have an airplane that my granddaughter loves to fly that used to belong to my husband. Do you think if we came once or twice a week that would be often enough?"
While that lady was talking, Grandma Lu took her hat and coat and brought her into the sitting room so she could meet the children. Grandma Lu was calm on the outside, but inside she was shivering in her boots. If this lady is Aunt Nat, where was Grandma B? She hadn't heard a word from her in two (2) days.

Disappointment and Excitement For Grandma B

Natalie held out her arm to Grandma B and asked her if she needed to sit down. Grandma B said, "No, but I sure would like to talk to you. I'm from a small town that has a family owned business called Marleewood. We have been having some strange things going on down there and it's a bit unnerving lately. My friend, Grandma Lu and I have been hearing loud engine noises and tires pealing out in the parking lot. We think it's probably teenagers, but we have a business that has many of my granddaughter's friends and their families there during the day. What was it that you told my granddaughter's friend, Charlie, when you answered her letter, anyway?"

Natalie

Natalie gave "B" a rather blank stare and said, "Would you like to come with me into my travel trailer? I think we need to have a visit." Grandma B gratefully accepted the offer. Natalie's trailer was very nice. It was cool and had comfortable chairs.
Natalie said, "Alright, tell me about this letter I was supposed to have received from this Charlie person."
So Grandma B told Natalie the whole story about Charlie seeing Natalie's picture in the magazine and thought that she would be the perfect photographer for Marleewood. She had written her a letter, but Charlie had not heard from her. However, she had found bottles of Diet Coke in the refrigerator, both full and empty. She was of course, not aware of what Grandma Lu had found there since she had been gone.
Natalie just chuckled and said, "I didn't receive any letter from anyone named Charlie. I'm sorry that you made this long trip for nothing."
"B" was disappointed, but told her new friend that the trip had two (2) reasons, one (1) was to hopefully find her and ask her about the letter, but the other reason was to get some help in qualifying for the big race.
Natalie asked her what kind of car she had and if it met the regulations that NASCAR had in place.
Grandma B said that she had a 2005 Mustang Mystic Cobra. She told her that she knew of only two NASCAR regulations that were required. Natalie's eyes got big and said, "Oh you can't go on a race track with that car, that takes a Special Vehicle Team to paint a car like that. What a lucky lady you are. There are only about a thousand people that ever got to own a car like you have. It would get totally ruined on the track, Kidddo."
 She patted Grandma B's hand when she saw little tears run down Grandma B's cheeks. "Oh, I'm so sorry, but there are pages of regulations and rules that you aren't aware of. You can't try out for the "500" I'm afraid."
 But, in the short time she had known her, Natalie really liked "B". She said, "Would you like to go down to the Pit with me? I'll show you around and you can get up close to some of the crew and maybe some big drivers. Maybe even watch a round or two of drivers try out. What do you think?"
"B"'s tears were of both disappointment and excitement. She wouldn't get to try out, but as a very close second she was going to get in the thick of things. Something that she had always wanted to do.
Of course, she yelled "Yes Yes. Yes. Thank you so much. Can I wear my pink Mustang sweater?  Do you mind if I call Marlee and her parents? Do you mind if I call Grandma Lu and tell her about you first? Then I sure would love to go with you." Grandma B was talking so fast she again was getting out of breath.
Natalie chuckled and said, "Of course, you go make your calls then we will go."
While Grandma B was outside making her calls, Natalie quickly made a call of her own. It was even more important than Grandma B's; it was urgent!

Grandma B Spots Natalie In The Crowd

When Grandma B got to the track she was completely overwhelmed. She had been to big cities before, but not to a race track that was enormous and overflowing with people. The parking lot itself was bigger than the small town she lived outside of. She had a goal of trying out and/ or qualifying for the Daytona 500 race in February. So she paid the ninety-nine dollars ($99.00) just to park her car and walked for it seemed like hours towards the gate. She had no clue where to go or who to talk to. She just knew that if her car met the special rules and regulations that there were eight (8) spots they would let anyone try out for.

Her car was a V-8. That was one rule she knew for sure. It also had a roll bar. She knew it had to have that as well. She knew it would go fast. The only thing that she wasn't aware of was the strict engine materials used and measurements that NASCAR had in place. She was soon to find those out.
As "B" was walking the long distance toward the gate she saw someone that she knew instantly. It was Natalie Bargnesi! She practically screamed to herself, "No way! She couldn't possibly be so lucky. If she told her that she knew Charlie and asked her about the letter that Charlie had written her she was sure that she would give her some pointers and help her get in to qualify her car."
Her heart was hammering so fast she could hardly catch her breath. She started to run and yelled out Natalie's name as loud as she could. She just had to catch her!
Natalie thought that she heard someone yelling her name. It seemed like sometimes someone was always yelling at her. She smiled a small smile. She thought, "You know, Girl, you need a vacation. A vacation to a small little town like where Aunt Nat lives close by." She had been thinking about her a lot lately for some reason. She decided that after this racing season was over she would give her a call and see how she was. And maybe pay her a visit soon.

There it was again. Someone was yelling at her. It was a woman with blonde hair and the fanciest pair of pink Mustang tennis shoes she had ever seen.

What in the world was she doing?  She stopped walking and watched this woman running towards her. When "B" got close she stopped, stooped over and tried to catch her breath.
 "Wow, I'm not in shape for this kind of stuff," "B" thought. When she opened her eyes Natalie was just standing there grinning at her. She said, "Are you okay?"
Then "B" relaxed a bit and said, I've been trying to catch up with you because I really need to talk to you."
Natalie smiled and chuckled a bit and said, "I can see that, would you like a drink of my Diet Coke? I think you need to take a break."

"B" took one look and felt quite light headed and a little dizzy...

Marlee Loves The Community Room

Marlee missed her Grandma B, but her Papa assured her that she was having a good time and that she would be back in a couple of days.
 He had heard from "B" and she was on her way to Florida. She assured him that she was fine, having a good time, but was going to see if they would let her special car qualify for the big race. She had no sponsor, and not a lot of money. The Qualifying Requirements really didn't tell her that much. She didn't care much one way or the other. "My face hurts from laughing and smiling so much." Then she grinned and looked at her GPS. She was getting close. "Boy, this traffic is terrible", she grumbled. She never did like "stop and go" traffic. She liked to go fast. (Which incidentally, she had gotten a speeding ticket or two (2) since she had gotten her drivers license.)
While Grandma B was fighting traffic, Grandma Lu was running Marleewood with the help of some of the other
grandmas and Marlee.
They were doing quite well actually. But Marlee kept going to the window watching for her Grandma. Marlee's Papa had told her she was doing the same thing at home. She seemed to be talking more to Stashia again. Marlee wasn't even interested in watching her videos.
As usual, Stashia helped Marlee by giving her good advice. She told Marlee to keep going to Marleewood. Her Grandma B would be back soon.
It was hard, but that's just what Marlee did.
Her Papa had given her a big hug and took her to the break room door. Grandma Lu answered it with a big smile and said, "Hi there, kiddo, let's have a good day with your friends, okay?"
Marlee agreed and headed into the Community Room. There were some of her friends there already. She smiled from ear to ear. Her sad mood changed to a happy mood. It was so good to see her friends after the holidays. She had missed them a lot. They didn't all get to come to her parties so now she could have some fun. It looks like Noah and Bradshaw are doing some painting and crafts. Great job, Guys.
Grayson was even laying on the couch listening to and watching  videos. Marlee just loved the Community Room.
There was room for Addie and Brady to put a puzzle together too. Everyone could each do their own thing.  Marlee went to get her colors and find a seat at the table.
While she was getting them out of her bag she heard Grandma Lu say in a loud voice, "No way!"
Grandma Lu had gone out to the kitchen to get snacks ready for the children and there on one of the back tables was this. A half eaten meal of spaghetti and meatballs and a little salad. The spaghetti was still warm.

Grandma Lu ran through the different rooms searching for someone that she didn't know, but she saw no strangers. She took a deep breath and decided she was just getting too old for this. She sure wished that Grandma B would hurry up and get back. She needed a friend.

If You Believe It Then Anything Can Happen...

Oh, Grandma B was so excited. She was on the road again. She was going to do it this time. She was going to see if her car would qualify for one of the biggest race tracks in the country. She needed to try. Even if she wasn't the fastest, even if she came in last, she just had to try. Then she wouldn't have that itchy feeling that she sometimes had. She had always wanted to race her very very special car. But life seemed to get in the way. She married, had children, went to work; all things that happened to most folks. She loved her children and their families, she truly did. But this was one of the things on her bucket list that she hadn't done.
Grandma B's special car has been stored in a special storage unit some distance from where she lived. Marlee's Papa knew where she was going and why. He gave her the thumbs up, gave her a big hug and wished her good luck.
She had the windows down and was singing at the top of her lungs to her favorite happy song by Jason Mraz "Have It All" at the top of her lungs. One line was so true...'if you can believe it then anything can happen...' Yes, she could believe it, she was going to do it!  Her aim in life was to teach Marlee if she believed in herself she could do things... She was lost in her song and her thoughts when she came off an exit ramp she was going 110 miles an hours."Oh my gosh, I had better slow it down. I will get a ticket and never make it down there." (I've heard tell that she had gotten a speeding ticket once or twice before and didn't want another one.)
Her GPS gave her the canned alert that she would soon be there. She had to watch and listen for directions.
When B had listened to Charlie tell them about how she had found Aunt Nat she had a feeling she knew exactly what was going on. She probably was a race car driver. She just knew that she had been sneaking into Marleewood. That's why she had been finding those Diet Coke bottles in the refrigerator. One was full and the other one was empty. Boy that gave her the shivers, that's for sure.
 She got that same magazine that Charlie had looked at and had read that her favorite drink was Diet Coke. Yes, it was Aunt Nat, but that was not her real name. Her real name was Natalie Bargnesi. She had read all about her. She wasn't the fastest on the track, but she had a reputation for being the Dark Horse. That meant that when she wasn't expected to win she sometimes did. When she saw the picture of her with a Mustang she said to herself, "I thought I saw a Mustang, but the car I saw was yellow. Natalie's Mustang is white. Hmm.
Wouldn't it be something if Natalie was here too? I love my Mustang.  I will tell Marlee all about it someday when she is older."
"That magazine said that her ancestors were from Italy. That is a country far across the ocean. Sometimes people describe Italy as looking like a boot.

The people that lived there were famous for good food, wine, and lovely ocean views and buildings plus so very many other things. Someday I think I will have Grandma Lu find someone to tell the children stories about Italy.
Charlie's magazine said that she loved spaghetti and Diet Coke. It said nothing about her being a photographer.
 Wow, Grandma B loved reading a good mystery, but she loved solving one even more. She had decided that was exactly what she was going to do; solve it!
She was on her way to having a good time, that's for sure.
Well, Grandma B was having a good time, but now Grandma Lu was running Marleewood, oh dear, I hate the thought of what is going on while "B" is gone.

At Some Point You Should Follow Your Dreams...

Grandma Lu stayed very still. She had to think. She was not one to lose her head. She usually kept quite calm in situations like this. But this time it involved her friend and her friend's little granddaughter. This seemed serious to her. The first thing she did was call her husband and told him what she had found. Again, he didn't seem upset. He said, "Oh, she probably just took Marlee home and forgot to lock the doors and turn off the lights when she left. Why don't you just come on home. I have supper started."
Grandma Lu gritted her teeth. Her husband was always so easy going. Sometimes it drove her nuts. She told her husband that she was going to run over to Grandma B's and make sure everything was okay. She would be home in a little bit.
She got in her car and started over to her friend's house. The lights were off there too. She thought, "What's going on, is there a power outage around this neck of the woods?" She pulled up in the driveway and opened the door and yelled inside, "B, are you home?" She got no answer. She tried the light switch by the door and nothing happened.
 Now she told herself to calm down. There was a power outage evidently and thought she would just go home. She probably needed to help her husband light some lanterns and candles. They were on the same power line as Grandma B.
When she got home all the lights were on and her husband was out in the kitchen singing away; happy as a clam.
Again, Grandma Lu was calm. She called Grandma B just to make sure that she had power. She got no answer. So she called Marlee's mama and daddy to make sure that Marlee had gotten home safely. Thank goodness they answered their phone. They told her that Grandma B had dropped off Marlee and had said something very strange. She said, "Sometimes you just have to follow your dreams." Then she gave them all a kiss goodbye and left.
Well, Grandma Lu was not going to accept this at all. She told her husband that she thought that "B" was on a mission to find the mysterious Aunt Nat.
One thing she did know was that she was going to have to keep Marleewood running for Marlee and her friends while Grandma B was gone. "Oh, I sure do hope she knows what she is doing. Where in the world will her dreams lead her?"

Sometimes even good friends don't know everything that there is to know about each other. There are dreams that we sometimes just tend to hold dear to our hearts and think about sometimes when we are alone and quiet.
Grandma Lu had no idea that her friend's dream would lead her to the huge race track in Daytona, Florida.

Grandma Lu Sees And Hears Strange Things

When Grandma Lu got home that afternoon she told her husband that she guessed she had better settle down and forget all about that race car she thought that she had seen out the window the other day. It was probably just her imagination. There would be no reason for a race car to be in the Marleewood parking lot. It was probably just a crazy teenager acting like a a Dale Jr. NASCAR driver.
"It happens a lot to all of us some time or another as we are growing up. We wish we could do things so hard sometimes that it almost seems real." She shook her head and grinned. She had also wished that she could have been in a Powder Puff Derby when she was a young mom. Oh she wanted to race so badly. Her children's father was afraid that she might get hurt though. He didn't tell her that she couldn't drive one, but did remind her that she had young children that needed her in one piece. Mercy that was over fifty (50) years ago and could still remember how much she wanted to be one of those drivers.

She decided that she better get supper started and went out to the kitchen. While she was getting things out of the refrigerator the phone rang, it was Grandma B. She was talking so fast and furious she couldn't make heads or tails out of anything that she was saying. She was laughing and crying and yelling and saying something like, "I just knew it! I found the bottle, I should have listened to you. I'm so sorry, Grandma Lu. I've gotta do it."
Finally Grandma Lu got to get a word in edgewise and said, "Where are you and are you alright? What bottle are you talking about? Do you need a doctor?
Is Marlee okay? Good Heavens, "B" talk to me!"
This time Grandma B was not going to leave Marleewood without  showing someone what she had seen. She asked her friend to come back to Marleewood so she could show her the empty Diet Coke bottle. The only thing was she didn't tell her that's what she wanted to show her. She just begged her to come back down and meet her in the break room.
Of course, Grandma Lu told her husband that Grandma B was upset and needed her back at Marleewood. She would be back in a few minutes. He just shrugged his shoulders and continued to watch his movie.
When Grandma Lu walked in the door she had a feeling that someone was there other than her friend. She smelled peppermint for some reason. She looked around and called out for Grandma B, but got no answer. She called out for Marlee too. She got no answer from Marlee either. Now she was worried. As she walked towards the new Photography Studio she saw a wreath hanging on the wall right by the door. It was made out of candy canes i.e. peppermint. "Well, I never..."
About the time Grandma Lu spoke out loud she heard a noise in the Photography Studio. Being very foolish she just opened that door and said, "Who's in here? Answer me!" Getting no answer Grandma Lu walked in and there was no one in there. She thought, "I must be hearing things. That Grandma B is getting me all nervous." She was walking out the door of the Studio and there hanging on the wall she saw a picture of Marlee playing a guitar.  It had a glow around it. She knew about that picture, but no one had that picture but Marlee's daddy. "How on earth did this get here I wonder," thought Grandma Lu. Normally she was calm as a cucumber, but seeing that picture and that candy cane wreath about did her in.
She hurried out to see if she could find her friend. She headed towards the break room when she heard a rumble and a squeal of tires. Without looking she just knew it was that crazy Aunt Nat.
Where on earth was Grandma B and Marlee?

Grandma B Is Determined To Solve This Mystery

When Grandma B said, "No!" in her sleep it startled poor little Marlee. She made a sad face,  She had been a good little girl coloring and playing with her new Weebles that she got for Christmas. She couldn't figure out why her "B" had used her outside voice. Papa was there and cuddled her and said, "Oh, Marlee girl, your "B" didn't yell at you. She was dreaming. You didn't notice because you were busy with your toys and coloring, but your "B" had fallen asleep in her chair. I think that she had a dream."
About that time Grandma B said, "I'm sorry if I startled you, Marlee. You know what, I'm going up to Marleewood and put a stop to this nonsense once and for all. I don't think there is a Mustang or any  other kind of race car in our small town. For that matter there probably isn't any Aunt Nat. Grandma Lu just got me all worried. I'm going to get to the bottom of this once and for all.  I hope Charlie is there. I need to talk to her and see just where she found this Aunt Nat."
She asked Marlee if she wanted to go with her. Marlee loved to go to Marleewood. Maybe Charlie and some of her other friends would be there. When Grandma B and  Marlee walked in everything looked different. That's because Grandma Lu and Charlie had taken down all the Christmas wall hangings and put them  in boxes. There were no pretty red, green, and shiny  things on the wall. It looked kind of dreary. They needed to find something to brighten up the place again.  But they were quite pleased with themselves. They had worked hard already today. When they saw Grandma B come in the break room she looked upset. She wasn't even smiling like she usually did.
Grandma B took a deep breath, calmed down and poured herself a cup of
coffee. She sat down at the table and quietly asked Charlie just where she had found this Aunt Nat. She also asked Charlie if she had seen a picture of Aunt Nat. Charlie said, "No, but I saw her in a magazine. There were people all around her with cameras. If people get their pictures in a magazine they are good, right? So I sent her a letter just like I did to Santa Claus. He gave me even more than what I asked for. That's what I think we will get with Aunt Nat; more than what I asked for."

Grandma Lu had little tears in her eyes and so did Grandma B. Nothing more needed to be said. They would love to meet this popular and photographed Aunt Nat. They silently gave each other "the nod" which meant, just that.
 They both started playing with the children and had a good afternoon.
Charlie put on her new coat that she got for Christmas and was ready to say goodbye. Grandma B gave her a hug and told her how much she loved her and couldn't wait to meet the new photographer. Charlie hugged her right back and said, "See you tomorrow, Grandma B!"
Grandma Lu told her friend goodbye and got a big hug too. Remember the lesson that we learned? Friends don't always agree, but they always love and support each other.
Marlee got her coat on and "B" started to turn off all the lights. She thought, "You know what, I haven't had a Diet Coke in forever. I think I will take that bottle home with me. No one has come to get it yet. If they do, I will buy them another."
 When she opened the refrigerator this is what she saw.

Grandma Lu Uses Google To Track Down That Mustang!

Neither Grandma Lu or Grandma B could see who was in that car that was making so much noise. Whoever it was, was revving up the engine, vroom vroom! All of a sudden that yellow car backed up and turned around so fast that it's tires spun the gravel from the parking lot all over the place. That yellow Mustang was gone! Grandma Lu knew that it was a Mustang. Her husband used to work on them when he was just a teenager. He told her about it one day a long time ago. She needed to go home and talk to him. She was a little bit worried. When Marleewood was open there were children out there and that's where they parked their cars too. This just would not do.
She and Grandma B both thought they saw "Nats" on the license plate but they couldn't be sure.
Well news of that yellow car spread around town so fast. They were talking about it at the local cafe' and grocery store even before Grandma Lu could get home.

No one that lived in or close by Marlee's small town had a car like that. What a mess this was turning out to be.
As soon as Grandma Lu got home she went tearing into the computer room and got on Google.  One of the things that Google does is  search for people. All you have to do is type in some words and it sometimes finds them. So Grandma Lu typed in "Nat Mustang". Oh no, she wasn't a photographer, she was a race car driver! Why would Charlie hire a race car driver? It just didn't make sense.
She went in the living room where her husband was and asked him if he ever knew a Nat when he was driving a race car. Yes, Grandma Lu's husband used to drive a race car. His car's number was 52. When he retired from driving he gave his number to his son when he wanted to race a car.

Grandma Lu's husband thought and thought. He said, "No, I can't think of any Nat." Then he went back to watching television. After while he said, "You know,  I knew a Natalie once though, a long time ago when I was very young. I worked for her husband. He taught me how to do body work on cars.I think I was only about 16 years old. I had about forgotten those good times."
Grandma Lu wasn't satisfied with his answer at all. She told him what Google had said about Nat. Oh he laughed. He said, "Well, if I remember right she always loved to drive Mustangs and drive fast! So now she's a race car driver, huh? I'll be jiggered."
Grandma Lu stomped her foot and shook her finger at her husband. She said with her outside voice, "If she drives a yellow Mustang, you had better do something about this. We can't have a race car driver pealing out on the parking lot down at Marleewood." With that she went to the kitchen and called Grandma B.
Grandma B did not agree with Grandma Lu at all. She thought a race car driver in their small town was so much fun to think about! She knew that it probably wasn't safe for a fast car to be on the parking lot, but she wasn't about to close down Marleewood. Sometimes Grandma Lu was just such a worry wart!
She and her son would spread the word about town just in case some crazy driver was being a nuisance.
She just smiled to herself wishing that she could drive a race car. How much fun would that be? She leaned back in her easy chair, closed her eyes and smiled.

She could almost hear the roar of the engines on the track. She could nearly smell the gas and burning rubber as the race cars spun their tires! Grandma B could feel her heart hammer in her chest. She was going to win. She just knew she was. She only had one other driver to beat. She could almost hear the crowd roar as she closed in on the other driver. She knew that checkered flag was just around that next curve. Then she saw those license plates in front of her. "Nats" No! No! No!

Marlee Was Tired Today

Marlee and her friends and family had been so busy during the holidays that today she decided to just rest. She and Grandma B did go into Marleewood though just to make sure that everything was clean and packed up. They had sold most everything out of the Holiday Shop to make room for the new Photography Studio. Some of the things that didn't sell were packed up and donated to folks that needed slippers and pajamas. This was now just something that Marlee was getting used to doing. She donated food and quilts and stockings and also a Christmas tree and some gifts to a needy family at Christmas time. Grandma B had told her that donations were not just at holiday time, but anytime that there hungry and needy folks you just donated whatever you could.
 Well everything checked out but Marlee decided to go to the Community Room to color for awhile.
 While Marlee did that Grandma B went to the kitchen and made a pot of coffee and... look at that! Someone had left some Diet Coke in the refrigerator. That was odd, nobody that she knew drank that stuff. She was going to throw it away, but decided that maybe someone that had come to one of the parties had put it in there so she left it be.
It wasn't long before the coffee was done. Grandma B had asked Marlee if she needed a drink, but she hadn't. She was all alone in the break room. She liked the break room. but it reminded her that they had forgotten one thing. The Christmas decorations and wall hangings hadn't come down yet. That all needed to be done. Grandma B thought to herself, "later" and continued to sip her coffee and think about the last few months. A lot had happened that's for sure. Well she wasn't left to her thoughts for long because here came Grandma Lu once again cold as ice and huffing and puffing. She yelled out, "Hey, Girl, Happy New Year!"
Of course, that got "B" to laughing. After some hugs and chit chat, the coffee cups were filled. Grandma Lu said, "What, no snacks? I thought you were getting better about that." Grandma B shrugged her shoulders and said, "I'm kind of in a funk today. I don't feel like baking. Maybe another day."

Well Grandma Lu wasn't convinced that there weren't any cookies or cupcakes left so she got into the refrigerator to look for herself. She saw that bottle of Diet Coke and asked "B" "Who drinks Diet Coke around here?" She shook her head and said, "I have no idea, but it may have been left here after the big New Years Eve party."
Well, they chatted for awhile and talked about going home soon. Grandma Lu told "B" that she would help take down the Christmas stuff the next day. She was getting her coat on and all of a sudden they both jumped a foot! The most horrible loud engine noise you ever heard in you life was coming from the Marleewood parking lot! The revving of an engine, then it would stop and cough and sputter, then it revved up again. What in the world? It sounded like a race car! There shouldn't be any race car around here. They both got up and looked out the window. Wow, look at what they saw. It just couldn't be, could it?
Charlie, what did you do?

Marleewood Halls Are Full Of Memories

Marleewood is closed today. The only thing in Marleewood is memories of Marlee and just some of her adventures. Remember when she first got her new boots to do chores in? She loved them and still does.
Then she discovered that "treasures" were wonderful. They seemed to grow everywhere; In a small box, then outside by the fairy garden and finally in a big lavender bucket. The treasures were found most anywhere.
Stashia had been her best friend for as long as she could remember so there were her memories too.
Oh remember when she got her driver's permit? She was on vacation and could drive that wonderful golf cart. It had teddy bears and green fur all over the seats. That was wonderful.
There was a nice man on a motorcycle that had a stowaway chipmunk in his pocket. Oh that was a vacation that was made into a really long one because of getting snowed in at a pet motel. She met so many people while on that adventure.
She prospected for gold one week, and before you knew it she was looking to be a chef in a cafe.
I can remember when she was just a baby she loved to shop at the mall. She was friendly then too and waved at people as they passed her by. She always got a smile when folks saw her out and about. She learned how to blow bubbles and giggle. She has a fun giggle to listen to and most often folks join right in and giggle with her.

She bought half of her own big wheel because she wanted to get big quicker and decided that her convertible wasn't good enough for a "big girl." She learned how to negotiate and work for something that she wanted.
Then one time she fell asleep and ended up being helped out of a spooky old house by a wonderful dog called Smokey and a dance hall girl, Talia.

My goodness she has had so many adventures for such a little girl. She also has many friends and loving family. The small town that she is part of has been wonderful to her. They have at last supported her venture as a business woman. When she started Marleewood it was a shaky venture because they said she was too young and couldn't make a go of it. But she and the Grandmas and her friends proved them all wrong.

Marlee has had many other adventures along the way, but I think the very most important lesson that she learned was this: Be a good friend. When you have friends that trust you and can do things with you will never be alone. Grandma B and Grandma Lu too have friends that they haven't seen in years, but would do anything for them because they are good friends. All it takes is a phone call and they are there.
So I think for the New Year's Resolution for Marlee and her friends and family is to be a good friend, be kind to one another, and do the best you can. When you need help ask. The last thing is smile. When you smile at someone it almost always gets you one right back. Happy New Year everyone. See you soon.