Dear Aunt Betty 

 

Dear Aunt Betty,

Just a note to thank you for the flowers, it was a thoughtful gesture and we are all enjoying them.

Asa sends his regards and hopes your leg is better. The kitchen floor is being repaired. We all apologize for the state of the house upon your arrival last Thursday.

The cat’s hair is growing back nicely. That pan of hot water you dropped on her when you fell didn’t do any permanent damage. The vet said she’d be fine in five or six weeks.

But it’s another story about Pauline. Her stitches got infected. Cat-Scratch fever, they called it. She refuses to stop singing at church even though every time she opens her mouth the wound in her face threatens to open. She’s such a trooper, though.

I hope Jerry is well. That smoke inhalation can be deadly. He did a great job saving the drapes from the fire. You’ve got to love him. Bless his heart!

Oh, by the way, we found his kerosene heater in the wreck. The truck that hit the house must have made it jump right out into the lawn. We’ll be sending it to you UPS so you won’t have to trouble yourself coming after it.

Our car was covered by insurance, so we’ll be getting another one in a few weeks. The assessor came to look at the house yesterday. He says it’s a miracle we all survived. The garage was a total loss, but the rest can be saved.

But, I’m rambling…WE should be sending YOU flowers!  After all, you’re the one who went out of your way to come help us prepare Thanksgiving dinner.

Little Tim was the only one who really got sick. The food poisoning was only minimal. But who can blame you – you had a long drive, and what a novel idea cooking the bird in the trunk of your Cadillac on the way from Florida! We never would have guessed! The doctor gave your secret away, naughty man!

Or was it a Goose? I can’t remember, too much excitement.

Anyway, what I really wanted to say was, I wish you well, thanks so much for all your help and we hope to see you Christmas or New Year’s if you can make it.

The guest room will be waiting, although it will be in a new location after the first of January. They say our new home will be available in spring. For now, we are staying at Alice’s in Elmira.

She seems quite a nervous wreck. I don’t know if she’s having personal problems or if it’s just having us all camped on her doorstep.

The police brought her home last night, nice fellows, really. They have done that every weekend since we’ve been here.

I must say, between you and me and the lamppost, that perfume she wears is just AWFULL. It would choke a bull if it got too close. You’d swear it smelled just like stale beer… oh well…another story.

Hope we see you soon and thanks again,

 

Love,

Blanche

 

 

by Diane E. Dockum

 

From “Just Beyond The Hill”   available at Xlibris.com, Amazon, Barnes & Noble bookstores

Also available as an e-book for Kindle and other readers.