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Granny's right... and I just learned something new. I always was told that "Accent" WAS a "meat tenderizer". But now I look to see *closely* and see that it only says *flavor enhancer*. So I looked further online... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ How do Meat Tenderizers Work? Meat tenderizers are proteolytic enzymes or proteases, enzymes specialized in breaking the peptide bonds between amino acids found in complex proteins. Meat is held together by a complex protein called collagen, and aside from mechanical tenderization and cooking, enzymes are the only other available meat tenderizers. Meat is often tenderized before cooking, to make it less tough and more suitable for consumption. Meat tenderizers often come in a powdered form that can be sprinkled directly on the meat. Meat tenderizers dissolve some of the sinewy connections within the meat at room temperature. If meat tenderizers are allowed to act for too long, the meat can become squishy and lose its special texture. The most popular meat tenderizer, called bromelain, is composed of a number of protease enzymes and harvested commercially from the stems of pineapple plants, where it is concentrated. The substance can be found throughout the entire plant, but is harvested from the stems because they are usually not consumed and are therefore available to be processed. Besides being a meat tenderizer, bromelain is an excellent anti-inflammatory agent, blocking metabolites that cause swelling. It has been used effectively to treat sports injuries and swelling caused by arthritis. Papain, extracted from the papaya, is another popular meat tenderizer. Less well-known are actinidin, from the kiwi, and ficin, from the fig. In the past, meat tenderizers were injected directly into living animals, but today this is viewed as both inhumane and unnecessary. Most ranches do not put their meat through a tenderization process, leaving that instead to the preferences of consumers in the home. If pure meat tenderizers are put in the mouth, they cause a tingling sensation but are not especially harmful. Meat tenderizers are a common ingredient in marinades. If sprinkled on top of uncooked meat, they independently penetrate the meat within minutes. http://www.wisegeek.com/how-do-meat-tenderizers-work.htm ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The things I learn here...

Usually when you see it listed as an ingredient, they're referring to monosodium glutamate (MSG) mostly sold as the Brand name "Accent". This may explain it: The debate about the pros and cons of MSG (or monosodium glutamate, if you want to practice saying polysyllabic words with a mouth full of take-out) is no ancient Chinese secret. Cooks in the 1950s and 1960s used this food additive mainly as a meat tenderizer under the brand name of Accent. MSG has since become more commonly associated with Chinese fast food (unless you ask for it to be omitted, which people often do). This flavor enhancer, used for almost a century, is made by fermenting starch, corn, sugar beets, molasses, or sugar cane to free naturally occurring glutamate; sodium salts of glutamate are then created that can be used to make certain foods (mostly meat dishes) more intensely flavorful. Glutamate itself is a naturally occurring amino acid found in many protein-rich foods, including cheese, milk, meat, walnuts, and mushrooms. This amino acid is also produced by the body and used in metabolism. MSG first came under criticism and study in the late 1960s, after people reported experiencing a variety of physical symptoms collectively known as the MSG symptom complex that includes severe headaches, a sensation of flushed burning skin in the neck and chest areas, nausea, rapid heartbeat, and difficulty breathing. MSG is now the most exhaustively studied of all food additives. Based on research studies, both the American Medical Association and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have declared MSG to be safe for general consumption. Although MSG has been shown to be a safe food additive, some people have a sensitivity to products containing MSG. Because these folks experience headaches or difficulty breathing (most often, they have severe and poorly regulated asthma) after eating foods that contain MSG, the FDA requires the labeling of food products that have MSG added. Other sources of free glutamates that may also cause sensitivity reactions in people who experience trouble with MSG include: hydrolyzed protein sodium caseinate calcium caseinate autolyzed yeast yeast extract http://www.goaskalice.columbia.edu/2208.html ****** And here's the Wikipedia page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monosodium_glutamate ****** There are natural liquid tenderizers, like papaya juice, but those are usually listed by name. Does this help?

CHAPTER 23 “What about me?” Joy asked quietly, trying to blink away the tears that threatened to come in waves. All eyes turned to look at her as a tear rolled down her face. Liz got up and came to hug her, “Oh, honey!” She said as Joy buried her head on her shoulder and allowed herself to cry. It’s just not fair, Joy thought. Why did Dave have to die? I wouldn’t be in this mess now if he hadn’t died. What was she going to do now? She wondered. Even though she had just had an encounter with God and she trusted Him, Joy felt lost and alone. Ed got up and walked over to where Joy was standing and put his hand on her shoulder. “Joy, I know this isn’t fair to you. Nothing of this has been fair to any of us. But we can’t despair. We must do what we can to keep faith. God will not abandon us. He has not yet, and he never will. Look, we’ll figure something out, ok? We will. I promise.” Joy smiled at her dad, knowing that he was doing everything that he could to comfort her, and nodded her head. She knew he was right, but it seemed like there really was no hope for her at all. She dried her tears and smiled again. “Well, what are we waiting for? We have a couple of weddings to attend!” Ed gave her a quick hug and got back to where he had been sitting. “Ok,” he said. “We are going to do this real quick and simple, then we will do the real thing at a later time. Ok?” After everyone nodded, he asked Liz to get his papers and the seal that the town leaders had provided him with to make things official. Once Liz came back with the papers, he had her give them to Joy. “Ok, Joy, now as nicely as you can, I want you to write up some marriage certificates. While you do that,” he continued as he turned to the two couples, “who wants to go first?” Ann spoke up, “I think Roger and Marie should. That way they can always say that they got married before Leslie did.” She smiled. “Ay, Ann! Who cares?” Juan said. “Actually, I do,” Marie said. “Can we get married first?” Ed nodded. “Sure. Step right over here.” Ed waited until they were standing in front of him, holding hands and then said, “Okay. Roger, do you?” Roger looked at Ed with a blank stare. “Pardon me?” he asked. “I said, Roger, do you? I figure we’ll fill in the blanks at the ‘real’ wedding.” Ed replied shrugging his shoulders. Roger smiled and looked at Marie. “Yes, I do.” “And Marie? Do you?” Ed said, looking at Marie. “I do,” she said, smiling up at Roger. “Ok, then. You can save the kiss for the ‘real’ wedding. Next!” Ed laughed at their disappointed look. Marco and Leslie came and stood in front of Ed. “Marco, do you?” Marco nodded as he looked at his young bride, still dressed in her pajamas. “I do.” “Leslie, do you?” Ed continued. “Yes, with all my heart.” She responded, squeezing Marco’s hand. Just as they were about to kiss, Roger stopped them. “Hey, if we can’t, then you can’t!” He said and everyone laughed, including Joy. After Joy finished making up the marriage certificates, everyone involved signed them, plus two witnesses on each. “It’s late. Why don’t we pray and get to bed, and we will see what tomorrow brings?” Ed said. They all nodded and bowed their heads. Ed prayed that God would bless the marriages that had taken place, and that they would find the right answer for Joy. That He would protect her, and bring about His will in her life. After the prayer, Liz sent the girls home with Juan and Marie, saying that they were not allowed to sleep with their husbands until the ‘real’ wedding took place. There were some complaints, but she just hushed them up. Roger, Allen and Marco went back downstairs to get some sleep. Joy went back into the room she was sharing with Victoria and brushed her hair back to see her face. She kissed her softly on the cheek, and then lay down next to her, running her hand through her hair. She could hear her parents talking, but couldn’t make out what they were saying. She heard footsteps going towards the door, so she quickly got up to see what was happening through the crack in the door. Ed was dressed and was heading out the door. Where could he be going? Joy wondered climbing back into bed, praying her heart out to God, asking Him for more faith. “Jack, Jack!” Ed knocked quietly on the cabin door as loudly as he dared, not wanting to wake the kids up. “Who is it?” Jack said, grabbing his pistol. He had heard commotion at the farmhouse earlier, and wondered if they were now coming to see him. “Jack, it’s me, Ed!” Jack went to the door, still holding his handgun, careful not to wake the babies up. “Is everything ok?” Jack whispered after he made sure that Ed was alone. Ed shook his head. “No, Jack, it’s not. Some men came to the farmhouse tonight to get Joy.” Jack looked shocked. “Joy? Why? Is she ok?” Jack felt a knot form in his stomach. Where did that come from? he wondered. “Look.” Ed said as he handed Jack the paperwork that the men had brought. Ed held up the flashlight he had brought as Jack read the new law. “What? This is ridiculous! Who came up with this stuff? It’s gotta be a joke!” Jack said, not being able to believe what he had just read. Ed shook his head. “Well, maybe it is, but that man, Simon, sure seemed to take it for absolute truth.” “Simon?” Jack asked. “Are you sure it was Simon?” Jack’s stomach tightened into all kinds of knots as Ed nodded his head slowly. Jack shook his head. “Well, then what about Marie and Leslie, and Bethany? Are they going to sell them off too?” Ed shook his head. “We hope not. I just married Marie and Leslie a little while ago.” Jack looked at him and nodded his head. “That was smart. But each of them has someone to marry, and Joy doesn’t”. Ed nodded his head. “Can you help us?” he asked. Jack nodded. “I’ll see what I can do,” he said. “If you stay here with the kids, I’ll go talk to Mr. Bodaway. The twins shouldn’t wake up for a while, but there is stuff ready to be made for them on the counter if you need. I’ll be back as soon as I can.” Ed nodded, “Thank you, Jack. You don’t know how much this means to me,” Ed said, his voice cracking. Jack nodded his head. “I can’t imagine what you are feeling, Ed, but if anyone tried to touch my daughter, I know I’d do anything in my power to rescue her, too. I promise that I will do whatever I can to prevent anything from happening to Joy,” he said as he put his hand on Ed’s shoulder. “I promise.” Jack took off as Ed went in to the cabin and sat on the chair at the small table to pray. Jack went across the lake quickly and then went to the barn and got his horse ready. He rode as fast as he dared in the dark, glad for the full moon. As he reached the Reservation he knew that the tavern was still open, and that all the usual drunks would be there, including Simon. He slowed down, not wanting to draw any attention to himself. Just then, the doors swung open, and one of Simon’s friends came out, struggling to stay on his feet. As soon as he saw Jack, he yelled back into the tavern “Hey, Simon, your friend the Vet is here!” Jack rolled his eyes and held on tightly onto his grandfather’s old Winchester. He waited for Simon to come out of the tavern, not wanting to have his back exposed to him. Simon came out, drunk as ever. “Hey, well, lookie who we got here,” he said loudly, then laughed, thinking that he was real funny. “What are you doing over here at this time of night? You ain’t come to out bid me on that foxy lady, did you? Man she’s hot…I sure do look forward to”- he never got to finish his sentence as Jack spoke up. “So what if I am. It’s a free country, isn’t it? Well, it used to be, anyway,” Jack said, wishing it still was. Simon laughed. “You are so funny, man! You oughtta come in the tavern and get a beer with us! We could have some fun together!” Jack nodded, relieved that it seemed that Simon was drunk enough to not be thinking straight. “Yeah, well, maybe another time,” Jack said, as friendly as he could, wanting to get going. “Well, boys, I got a game I need to finish beating you at. Let’s go!” Simon yelled, going back into the tavern. Jack sighed a heavy sigh of relief. He had never hated anyone, but he was close to hating Simon. The way he had looked at Joy earlier that night at the party made Jack’s blood want to boil. Jack made his way towards Mr. Bodaway’s home as quickly and quietly as he could. He didn’t want any more encounters, especially at this time of the night. Once there, he got off his horse, and tied him to the railing in front of the house. He knocked on the door softly and waited to see if anyone answered. When no one did, he knocked a little louder. This time, he could hear footsteps coming towards him. “Who is it?” Mr. Bodaway asked nervously. “Mr. Bodaway, it’s Jack. Jack Daniels.” Jack replied quickly, wanting to put him at ease. Mr. Bodaway opened his door, a pistol in his hand. “Jack! Are you ok? Are your kids ok?” “We’re all fine, Mr. Bodaway. I’m sorry for disturbing you this late. May I come in? I promise to be real quiet,” Jack smiled. Mr. Bodaway nodded. “Sure, Jack.” They sat on the couch as Jack took out the paper that Ed had given him. “Do you know about this?” Mr. Bodaway adjusted his glasses and squinted in the dim light, then nodded his head. “Yes, I’m afraid I do,” he said sadly. “But, how does this concern you?” he looked at Jack confused. “Well,” Jack answered, “it doesn’t really concern me. It concerns one of my friends, Joy. She lost her husband in one of the terrorist attacks in the Twin Cities, and now she is considered ‘single’. Who agreed to this stuff, anyway?” “My son did, Jack. My son did. I tried to warn him that it wasn’t going to work, but he went ahead and did it anyway. I know this Joy you are talking about. There are several men that have already put a bid in for her, including Wamblee. She is a beautiful woman, and will raise a lot of gold,” the old man nodded thoughtfully. “But why? Why do this? What’s the point?” Jack asked, trying to understand. Mr. Bodaway looked at him surprised. “Well, Jack, because men are greedy, that’s why! There are more men in the Reservation than there are women. They all want to make sure they can get a wife, or at least secure a significant other. Some of them don’t feel like they can compete, say, with someone like you. So they came up with the idea of biding for them. I think it’s one of the most stupid ideas I have ever heard,” he shook his head in disgust. “Your friend Joy will probably end up with the likes of Simon, or even John Runt.” “John Runt? But he is one of the elders of this tribe! Surely he would not stoop this low,” Jack said angrily. Mr. Bodaway put his finger to his lips and motioned Jack to keep it down, as he looked around the living room as if someone were listening. “Who do you think came up with the idea?” he whispered quietly. Jack sat back and shook is head in shock. “This was his idea?” he asked in disbelief. As Mr. Bodaway nodded, “Do you think they will change their minds?” Jack asked him. “No, Jack, I don’t. Not until it’s too late for some of the women. You see, not all men have gold. So it’s not fair to them. Sooner or later, they are going to start complaining that the whole thing wasn’t fair to them, and then, I’m afraid, a worse fate might come on your friend, and women like her. The only ones safe will be the ones that leave, but unfortunately, they probably wouldn’t be able to survive outside of the Reservation. It’s a very different world out there now, Jack. Women don’t stand much of a chance. Neither do men, for that matter, unless they are in a group, like we are.” He shook his head slowly. “So what hope is there for her, then, Mr. Bodaway? What can I go back and tell her father?” “Hope?” Mr. Bodaway smiled sadly, “Like I said, Jack. Her only hope is to escape, or to be married by tomorrow.” Jack shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair. What could he possibly do? If she left, he knew she wouldn’t survive, possibly not even a day. But if she stays, isn’t the fate that awaits her here at the Reservation worse than death? He wondered. Mr. Bodaway interrupted his thoughts, putting his old hand on Jack’s back. “What about you?” “What about me?” Jack looked at him startled. Mr. Bodaway smiled, “Don’t tell me you haven’t thought about marrying her yourself?” he asked. Jack’s face blushed in the darkness. He was glad Mr. Bodaway couldn’t see him that well. “Well, no, actually, I haven’t. But, even if I had, where could I get any gold?” he stammered. Mr. Bodaway laughed softly. “Jack, Jack,” he shook his head. “For a smart man, you are pretty dense!” He looked at his old clock. “It’s still the 2nd, my dear friend. It’s still the 2nd. If you hurry, you still may be able to marry her. That is if you want to, of course,” he paused. “This is the only viable solution I see to this dilemma, Jack.” The old man got up from the couch. “And now you must hurry, man. If this is what you are going to do to save the young lady, then you must hurry.” Jack shook his head and stood up, offering his hand to shake Mr. Bodaway’s. “Thanks Mr. Bodaway,” he said and then turned to go. “Jack,” Mr. Bodaway stopped him by putting his hand on his arm, “are you even remotely attracted to Joy?” he asked. Jack knew why he was asking, but he really didn’t want to answer. It’s as if Jack himself didn’t want to know the answer. For crying out loud! They had both just lost their spouse! How could he be attracted to her? But Jack knew the old man was right. He needed to be at least a little attracted to her to make this work. Jack slowly nodded his head. “I guess I am, Mr. Bodaway, and now I’m off to find out if she’s in the least bit attracted to me.” He said good-bye to Mr. Bodaway and took off as quickly and quietly as he could back to his place. Once there, he put the horse away, and made sure it was well taken care of. He had the chore down pat and was able to do it quickly and efficiently as he had done countless times before. He got to the canoe again and went across the lake, back to the cabin. He went in to find Ed still sitting at the table, praying. Ed looked up at Jack and smiled. “Jack, you’re back!” he whispered. The men walked out to the porch so they could talk, but still keep an ear out for the kids. “Were you able to work something out?” Ed asked, his voice full of hope. Jack shook his head. “No,” he said sadly. “I talked to Mr. Bodaway, and he said this all started because of one of the elders. The elder felt he couldn’t compete with some of the men to get a wife, so he suggested they do this.” Ed looked down and shook his head. “But why?” “Well, it’s quite simply, as Mr. Bodaway put it, greed. Unfortunately, he doesn’t think it will work.” Jack said. “What do you mean, unfortunately? Surely you don’t agree?” Ed asked. “No, of course not!” Jack went on to explain about the fairness of the whole thing to Ed, and what that would mean to the women later on. Ed sat down on the steps and buried his face in his hands. “Oh Lord, oh Lord, what are we going to do?” He said, tears beginning to run down his face. Jack took a deep breath and squatted down in front of Ed. “There is one more option, Ed,” he said quietly. Ed looked up at him quickly, his eyes full of tears. “What?” Jack looked down at the ground. “She could get married.” Ed shook his head. “But to who? Who would want to marry a woman with a four-year-old child? And would she want to marry him?” Jack smiled and shook his head. “Believe me, Ed, there are plenty of men lined up, all ready to marry her. None of which she would have, I’m sure. Ed, we don’t have much time. I’d like to ask your permission to ask Joy to marry me,” Jack finished quickly. He hadn’t thought he would be this nervous about the whole thing, but somehow the seriousness of it was kicking in. Ed looked at Jack surprised. “You?” Jack nodded and shrugged his shoulders. “I like her. She’s a good friend. I can’t say I love her, but I care about her more than all those other yahoos that have bid gold on her already. I think we could make it work. She’s a great mother, and Luke loves her already. He talks about her and Victoria constantly. And, I, I would make sure Joy and Victoria wouldn’t lack anything they need. I promise.” Jack felt his heart pounding. He was asking for Joy’s hand in marriage and somehow it was much more important to him than he had thought it would be. Ed smiled as he put his hand on Jack’s arm. “You have my blessing Jack, and my deep gratitude. Now we better get going. You go on ahead, and once there, send Allen to come and stay with the kids. Then I will come over and see what Joy has decided, ok?” Jack nodded. He helped the older man up and watched him wipe his tears away. “Go Jack, we don’t have much time!” Jack went back into the cabin to grab his heavy shirt, wishing he’d had it when he went into town. He trotted to the farmhouse, the wind brisk on his face. It was a clear night, and the stars were shining brighter than ever. There was a full moon that night, so he had no need for his flashlight, but he brought one anyway. As he made his way there, he prayed that he was doing the right thing, that the Lord would bless his willingness to help Joy. Once at the old farmhouse he knocked softly on the door and a few seconds later, the door opened a crack. He was surprised to see Joy standing there, her long hair pulled back into a braid. “Jack, what are you doing here?” She whispered, holding up a candle and opening the door a little bit more. “Can we talk?” Jack asked quietly, noting that she had been crying. Joy nodded and opened the door and motioned for him to come in. Jack shook his head. “Do you mind if we walk a little?” Joy frowned, but she felt Jack wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important. “Just a second,” she said as she closed the door on him. She went back into her room, pulled on a pair of jeans and put on socks and tennis shoes. She went outside and found Jack sitting on the porch steps, wringing his hands. He got up quickly, and they walked side by side toward the lake. Joy had left her candle at the house since she knew Jack had a flashlight, and now her hands had nothing to do. She stuck them into her jean pockets and shivered as the cool wind blew against them. Jack glanced at Joy in time to see her shiver. He took off his shirt and draped it around her shoulders, wanting to make sure she was warm enough. “Here,” he said, “put this on.” Joy thought about refusing but decided against it, grateful for the warmth it provided. “Thanks,” she said as she turned to look up at him, a little embarrassed. “Your dad came to see me,” Jack started, not knowing where to start. “My dad did? When? Tonight?” So that’s where he must have gone to, she thought. Jack nodded. “He showed me the paperwork to the so called ‘law’,” he continued. Joy’s eyes started filling up with tears again. “Yeah, I guess I’m out of luck, huh?” Jack paused to look at her in the moonlight, struggling for a second to keep focused. He hated how beautiful she was, as he knew that it was what was getting her in this trouble. Was there nothing she could do about that? The tears that were forming in her eyes made them look brilliant, and her soft skin looked pale under the light of the moon. No wonder so many men had already bid on her! “Look, Joy,” Jack said and then had to pause. “What?” Joy asked him quietly, trying to figure out what he wanted to say, but not wanting to push him. Why had he brought her out here? She enjoyed his company, but at this hour of the night? In the cold? Jack cleared his throat, nervous at what he was about to say. “Like I told your Dad, there is one solution to the dilemma that you are facing.” Dilemma, Joy thought. What do you know about dilemmas? She almost asked him, but decided not to. She knew that Jack also had his share. She felt bad for feeling so irritable and taking it out on him, and knew that she wasn’t being fair. “So, what is it? Leave the Reservation and trust God to provide for me?” She asked, a little sarcastically. Jack shook his head. “No. You could marry me.” Jack watched Joy closely to see her reaction. She looked at him shocked, disbelief filling her eyes. “You want to marry me? Why would you want to do that?” Jack looked away. “I just don’t want you to end up being auctioned off, that’s all!” He responded, feeling a little defensive. Joy shrugged, even more irritated than she had been before. “And this is the best idea you could come up with?” she asked, spreading her arms wide, almost dropping his shirt. “Come on Jack! You’ve got ties! Can’t you go talk to your friend, Mr. Bodaway? He could help, couldn’t he?” “I tried Joy!” Jack responded, trying to calm himself down, but it was hard. Man she can be stubborn, he thought to himself. “And what do you get out of it, Jack?” Joy asked eyeing him suspiciously, wondering if in the end he really was like all the other men. “Nothing!” Jack raised his voice as he threw his hands up in the air. “ARGH! Doggone it, Joy, I’m trying to help you! Look, do you want to marry Simon or do you want to marry me?” Joy turned so Jack couldn’t see her smile. For some reason she found it humorous to see him so upset. ‘Doggone it’ was as close as she had ever heard him come to swearing, so she figured she must have really touched a nerve. Her smile faded as the seriousness of the situation came flooding back. They walked in silence for a little while, each deep in their own thoughts. “Really, Jack. What would you get out of it?” Joy asked softly, her eyes searching his face. She could tell he was really trying to help her, but she needed to know what the motivation was behind it. Jack looked at Joy and saw the fear in her eyes. He shook his head. “Look, Joy, I know this is hard for you. It’s hard for me. Carol died just a day or two before your husband did. So, in that sense, we’re both in the same boat.” He paused and turned back to look at her. “I’m not asking you to be my wife. I’m asking you to marry me. I know it sounds stupid, but it’s the only thing I can think of to get you out of this, this dilemma.” “But why, Jack? If you aren’t asking me to be your wife, then what will you expect from me?” Joy asked, trying to sound as neutral as possible. Inside, her mind was racing and her heart was pounding. She had only had one other proposal in her life, and that had been Dave, because he loved her. She had not been one for casual dating, and had not foreseen getting married again, at least not this soon. But she realized she didn’t have a choice. She would have to marry, and the only choice she had was whom she would marry. Joy knew that Jack was doing what he thought was best for her. But what about him? She didn’t want to be in a relationship where he was her savior. What if he ever got tired of her? What if they didn’t get along? Jack shook his head, and then paused. “Actually, Joy, if you think of it, I stand to gain almost as much as you do.” “What? How?” Joy asked, very interested in what he had to say about it. “Well, I’m depending on you and your family all the time to help with the twins, and most of the time even Luke. There is no way I can be both father and mother to them. They will need a mother, not just now, but growing up also. Especially Grace,” he said with tenderness in his voice. Joy liked that about Jack. She could see the change in his face and the sound of his voice any time he talked about his children. “If we get married, you and Victoria could come and live over at my new place, and we could be a family. You could help me around the house and with the kids, and I will provide for you and Victoria. We both win.” Joy stopped and looked up to him to see if he was serious. Did he really mean it? It sounded like he did. “Jack, you need to know this, as it might change your mind about this whole thing,” she said, searching his eyes. “I may be pregnant.” --------------------

CHAPTER 21 The water was cold and the sound deafening as the rain and hail hit the lake around Joy. The sky had gone black with the sun nowhere to be seen, and as she slipped back into the water it was almost as dark as it had been when she had gotten stuck in the elevator. Joy struggled to go back up for air, her face barely clearing the surface. “Help!” She yelled as loud as she could. The only response that she heard was of loud thunder and the roaring rain before the milfoil that had her trapped pulled her down again. Jack looked out the cabin’s window, a look of concern on his face. Luke and Victoria had both fallen asleep, and he was glad that they didn’t seem bothered by the storm. The twins woke up and he took care of them, looking out the window time and time again for Joy. They were now lying contentedly on his bed, staring at the ceiling. He went out, got some wood and started a fire in the fireplace, knowing that Joy would be soaked when she returned. He put water on to heat, hoping that she would be back soon. He pulled a towel from one of his boxes, and set it near the door, ready to be used when Joy arrived. He peered expectantly through the window once more, and was disappointed to not see her coming. Jack looked through the stuff that she had brought, and was happy to discover that she had packed some tea. At least now she would be able to have some flavor in the hot water, he thought. He saw another lightning strike through the corner of his eye, lightning up the sky. Maybe she stayed at the house, Jack hoped. He knew that it was dangerous to be out on the water in a thunderstorm, and didn’t want to think of what could happen to her. Jack sighed and put his hands on the counter, lowering his head. “Lord,” he prayed softly, “please protect her!” His heart was racing, and his gut told him she was in trouble. He walked over to the fireplace and poked it, making sure it kept the cabin warm. The temperature had taken a remarkable drop, but that wasn’t uncommon for this far up North. He checked on each of the four kids, and made sure that they all had blankets on them, keeping the chill off. The twins had fallen asleep on their own with out crying, much to Jack’s amazement and relief. Joy kept struggling to get free from the milfoil and get another breath of air. Her lungs were getting tired as was the rest of her body, and she felt that she was losing the fight. “Joy.” Joy shook her head and kept struggling in the dark. She recognized the voice inside her head, as she had heard it many times before. She refused to listen. “Joy, relax.” No! She wanted to shout. Joy was able to come up just enough to get some air, but not enough to call out for help again. It seemed that the time she went underwater was longer than the time she spent outside, and she was beginning to feel weak. “Joy,” the voice said again, “trust Me. Relax.” I don’t trust you! I can’t! You let Dave die! Joy shook her head under the water again, determined to win this fight by herself. “You cannot do this without Me, Joy. Relax.” Joy could feel the tears of frustration coming down her cheeks, even in the water. But I’ll die! “Trust Me,” came back His reply. Joy finally gave in allowing herself to relax, sinking deeper into the water. At the same time, the milfoil around her released its grasp. As she realized what was happening, she calmly, but quickly, took the milfoil off her arms and legs, freeing herself to go back up for air. As she reached the surface, her lungs received the much-needed air that she had been deprived of. She looked around for the canoe and swam to it, careful not to get caught again. She wrapped her arms around it, glad to have a place to rest, even in the middle of the storm. Joy allowed herself to float for what seemed to be for hours, when in fact it was just a few minutes. She cried her heart out to God, her Maker, her Savior, and Friend. She allowed the tears to run freely, glad to know that God was indeed on her side. She would probably never understand why Dave had had to die, but she would trust that God would use it for His purposes. She determined that she would also allow Him to use her life for the same thing. What had Dave prayed for that last time they were together? That above all, for God to be glorified and for His will to be done in their lives, whatever that may be. She closed her eyes and as the tears continued to flow freely, she made Dave’s prayer her own, feeling the peace of God, the one that passes all understanding, flooding her heart once more. Jack almost jumped when he saw Joy coming. He opened the door and stepped out onto the porch as she ran through the rain, her clothes cold against her body. He held out the towel he had prepared for her and wrapped it around her shoulders. “Are you ok?” He asked, leading her back inside to the warmth of the fire. “Yes,” she replied quietly, her eyes filled with joy, “I am now.” Jack smiled down at her, relieved that she was ok. “I want to know what happened, but you need to get out of those clothes, or you’re going to catch yourself a cold.” “But I didn’t bring any extra, and I’d really rather not go back out in the rain.” She responded. “Well, I guess you’ll just have to use some of mine. I’m sorry, Joy. I should have known the storm was coming with the humidity being so high.” He said as he pulled out a pair of clean sweatpants and a t-shirt. “Here, put these on. They’ll probably be a little big, but it’s the best I’ve got” Joy nodded gratefully and took the clothes. She closed the door to his bedroom behind her and quickly changed into the dry clothes, appreciating the warmth they brought to her cold body. Joy picked up all of her clothes and placed them near the fire to dry, except for her undergarments. Jack handed her a cup of tea and made her sit near the fire, putting a light blanket around her shoulders. He took a chair and turned it around, crossing his arms on the back, resting his chin on his hands. He looked at her expectantly, waiting to hear what she had to say. “Where are the kids?” Joy asked, taking a sip of the hot tea. Jack nodded towards Luke’s room, and Joy could see them through the halfway opened door. Luke was sprawled out across the floor and Victoria was lying on the bed that she had just made that day for Luke. It almost seemed like a lifetime ago to Joy, and the scene of her daughter sleeping peacefully made her smile. “I had a fight with God, Jack.” She stated simply. Jack raised his eyebrows and nodded, encouraging her to go on. “He won.” She smiled. “And I’m glad He did, or I’d probably be dead right now, meeting Him in person, trying to explain why I was holding such a grudge against Him.” Joy related the events that had happen, going into details about how she had finally allowed God to enter her life once more. Jack listened intently, his eyes never leaving her face, not wanting to miss a word. Tears formed in her eyes again as she retold of her struggle in the water. “Once I gave in to God and relaxed,” she said, “I remembered seeing something in the news about a guy drowning because he had panicked under water. The more he tried to free himself, the more he got tangled up. They told the viewers that if they were ever in a similar situation, that they should just relax and calmly take the milfoil off So I did, and here I am.” Jack let out a deep breath and smiled at her. “Well, I’m so glad you are ok,” he stated simply. Joy smiled back. “Thanks Jack. And Jack,” she paused, not quite knowing what to say next. Jack looked at her with the same intensity he had before, wanting her to know that he was still available to listen. “Thank you.” “For this?” he asked, a little confused. “You would have done the same for me.” Joy nodded. “Yes, for this,” she said, nodding at the fire. “But also for being my friend. I treated you so badly the day we met, and I’ve felt horrible about it since then. Will you forgive me?” Jack smiled at her, making her relax. “Of course I will. I’m sorry for assuming that you were in trouble. It’s just that that man, Simon, gives me the creeps.” “I was in trouble,” Joy confessed. “I was just too proud to take any help. By the way, Simon was at your barn today, while I was there.” “What?” Jack asked surprised. “Why would he be there?” Joy recounted what she had seen, and was surprised at the troubled look that came over his eyes. “And you say he had a piece of paper?” Jack asked, the sound of his voice matching his eyes. Joy nodded and stood up, leaving the blanket behind. “You think about that and I’ll get supper started.” She said, patting his shoulder as she walked by him. “Are you sure you are ok now?” He asked her, concern still in his voice. “Positive.” She replied, pulling out what she had prepared the day before. It was all ready to just put together so that it would still be fresh. She busied herself preparing the spaghetti and warming the French bread she had made. She put the salad together and soon the cabin was filled with the wonderful smell of the tomatoes, together with all the other spices. She hummed as she worked, oblivious to the fact that she was doing so. As Joy worked on the meal, Jack helped by setting the table. He couldn’t help but notice her humming, and was pleasantly surprised at the sound of her voice. He looked up to watch her, and stood there almost entranced at her beauty. She was beautiful on the outside, but the beauty that Jack was witnessing came from deep within her heart. He worked quietly, not wanting to miss hearing her voice. Joy washed her hands and came to join him, putting glasses and silverware on the table. Jack reached to take some of the silverware, and their hands touched, making Joy blush. She turned away quickly so that Jack wouldn’t notice, not wanting to think about the feelings that were arising in her. Soon Luke and Victoria woke up, and joined the adults in the main room. Then the babies awoke too, and Jack offered to watch the kids and keep an eye on the meal while she took care of them. Joy took each baby and took care of them, feeling like she was doing it for the first time. She was still a little week from struggling in the water, but she felt fresh, like she had a new lease on life. After she put Victor down, she paused and pulled her hair out of the braid she had made earlier in the morning, allowing her hair to cascade down over her shoulders. She figured that this would allow it some time to dry, and laughed when Grace grabbed hold of a lock of hair tightly. After Joy was done taking care of the babies, she gave Grace to Jack, and laid Victor on the bed. She got the food on the table, and after Jack gave thanks for the meal, she went to pick up Victor, and they all ate their meal, Jack and Joy with a baby each. The kids enjoyed slurping the noodles, and Jack and Joy enjoyed laughing at them. The rain had stopped and the clouds had moved on. The sun was shinning bright again, and Jack allowed the fire to die. After they were done with supper, Joy put the babies down for one more nap before they were put down for the night. Jack and the kids cleared the table, and as Joy washed the dishes, they enjoyed a game of Candy Land that Joy had brought over. Joy laughed with the kids as Jack pretended to be in deep sorrow over loosing the game. The kids asked to play another game, and then another, until Joy finally said it was time for her and Victoria to go home. “But I don’t want to go home!” Victoria whined. “Well, we’ll see Luke and Dr. Jack again tomorrow, ok? They are going to come over to our place to the party that Auntie Bethany is preparing.” Joy said, gathering some things to take back. “A party? Yeah! Luke, do you want to come over to my house tomorrow for a party?” She asked excitedly, jumping up and down. Luke nodded, but didn’t exactly mirror her enthusiasm. “Dr. Jack, do you want to come over too?” She asked, still excited. “I sure do!” He exclaimed. “But, who will take care of the babies then?” She asked, her eyes clouding over. Jack and Joy laughed, and Jack responded. “Don’t worry. They’ll be there too!” Joy knelt and gave Luke a hug. “Good night, Luke, I’ll see you tomorrow.” She said, kissing his cheek lightly. In the few days that she had really gotten to know him, Joy had grown attached to the little boy. Luke looked down, a little embarrassed that a girl had kissed him. “Good night,” he replied quietly. Joy smiled and stood up. “Good night, Jack.” “’Night, Joy.” Jack replied, feeling a little awkward. Should he hug her too, he wondered? He didn’t wonder for long as Joy reached up and gave him a quick hug. “Thanks for listening,” she whispered in his ear before turning to go. He smiled at her and held the door open for them. She was still wearing his clothes, and had taken all of hers so that she could wash them once she got home. Jack and Luke watched as Joy and Victoria made their way back to their home, following them as far as they could with their eyes. Luke turned to look at Jack, and put his little hand in his big one. “I like her,” he said softly, looking back out the window. “Who, Victoria?” Jack asked, turning to look at him. Luke shook his head. “Miss Joy.” Joy and Victoria made their way back to the farmhouse and were met at the porch by Liz, Bethany and Ann, worried looks on their faces. “Joy! Are you ok? We were worried about you!” Liz said giving her a hug, and then bending down and giving Victoria one. “We’re fine,” Joy reassured everyone. “I do have a story to tell, though” she said, her eyes shinning. “Why are you wearing Jack’s clothes?” Bethany asked accusingly. “I’ll tell you all inside,” Joy responded. Not even Bethany could take away the joy she felt in her heart now. They all went into the house, and Joy allowed Victoria to play in her room while she and the other adults talked about her experiences of the day. They were all thankful that she was all right, but Joy noticed that there was even a deeper satisfaction in Ed’s smile, and she knew that it was because he was rejoicing in the fact that she had returned to the Lord. They spent the evening talking and catching up on all the events of the day. Bethany announced the plans for the next day, and Joy was happy to hear that it involved some games and outdoor activities, if the weather cooperated, of course. Joy took another long bath that night, but this time put a towel over the window. She spent time talking with the Friend that she had ignored for so long, thanking Him for His hand of protection on her life. The next day started out a little later than usual, with everyone sleeping in, even Ed. Soon the hustle and bustle of the activities started, and Joy and Victoria joined in. Victoria played with her second cousins outside while Joy helped in the kitchen, getting breakfast ready and putting in some pies to bake. Jack, Luke and the twins soon joined them, and he came into the kitchen to see if he could help, only to be told to wait outside with the rest of the men. They all enjoyed their breakfast outside, after Ed had given thanks. Joy had not been too excited about the “party day”, but it was turning out to be a lot of fun. After the dishes were done, she followed the ladies outside to see what Bethany had planned for them. They played a bunch of games, some even childish, but they had a lot of fun. Joy laughed like she hadn’t in a long time, even when Jack and Bethany’s team won at tug of war, sending her team through the mud. After lunch Bethany made the announcement that there was going to be a co-ed game of Tackle Football for whoever was interested. Everyone decided to join, except for the older and younger crowd, aside from Linda offering to referee. Bethany assigned teams, trying to make it fair. Jack and Joy again were on opposite sides, but Joy failed to see that Bethany made sure that she and Jack were on the same one. When Bethany came to Joy to let her know what team she was going to be on, she laughed at her quietly, and then teased her that this would maybe prove to be to tough of a game for her. “Aren’t you afraid you’ll break a nail?” She asked sinisterly. “It’s bound to get rough, maybe you shouldn’t play.” Bethany laughed and glanced at Jack for approval, who was oblivious of what was happening. Joy tilted her head slightly and raised her eyebrows. “Bring it on!” she yelled in the best macho voice she could come up with, clenching her fists near her sides. Bethany went over the rules quickly, making sure that everyone knew that they had to count to five Mississippi before rushing the quarterback for each team. Seth was the quarterback for Joy’s team, and Jack had been assigned as the quarterback for his team. A few minutes into the game, Joy’s team had the ball and they were close to scoring a touchdown. In the huddle, Seth called a play for Roger and Joy to go out for a pass. He told them that he expected they would cover Roger and let Joy go free. “Be ready, Joy,” he said, “I’m going to look for you first.” When the ball was snapped, the other team yelled their five Mississippi’s and Seth dropped back to pass. He saw that Joy was open and threw the ball to her. She was excited when she caught the ball, only for her face to drop when she saw Juan and Jack running towards her, followed close behind by Bethany. She ran for all she was worth, laughing hard as she went. She knew that the other team was not too far behind and she wanted desperately to turn and see how far they were, but knew that it was probably going to cost her. So she kept running, the ball tucked tightly in her arms. Jack did catch up with her, and tumbled her to the ground, his body halfway landing on hers. She turned to see who it was, and grinned when she realized it was Jack. “Fooled ya, didn’t we?” Jack smiled at her, aware of her closeness and the sweet smell of her perfume. He looked at her eyes intently, wondering why they were greener today than they had been the other day, and why he had even noticed. He shook his head, more to clear it than anything, then stood up and held his hand out to help her up. “You sure did,” he mumbled as she took his hand “you sure did.” Joy’s team came running and gathered around her. “Joy! You did it! We got our first touchdown!” Roger held her hand up in triumph. They cheered, but it would soon prove to be premature. Jack’s team proved to be too much and too fast, and Joy knew they would probably lose the game. She was not too competitive, but had gotten in the spirit of the sport, and really wanted her team to win. Jack’s team had the ball, and they all took their places, getting ready to make their play. Jack called out the snap count and Juan hiked the ball to him. Joy’s team started to count loud enough for all of them to hear. “One Mississippi, Two Mississippi…” Joy joined them, but then at the last minute changed her mind, skipping the counting and rushing Jack, taking him by surprise. She wrapped her arms around his waist and turned him around, finally wrestling him onto the ground before he was able to throw the ball. Joy stood up quickly and laughed as Jack struggled to get up, trying to figure out if he had missed something. Jack realized what had happened, and went after Joy, making her run for all her might when she saw him coming for her. He was too fast for her, though, and soon caught up, putting his arms around her waist from the back and picking her off the ground. “You little cheater,” He laughed, swinging her around in the air. He finally put her down and everyone laughed as she walked around a little dizzy, trying to find her footing. Jack laughed and held her steady, hoping that he hadn’t over done it. Everyone soon joined them, and Bethany declared the game won by her team, due to Joy’s cheating and the fact that they were five touchdowns ahead. The game died down, with everyone wanting to get a bit of rest before they went on to other things. Joy walked back with the others to the porch, where some of the older crowd was playing dominoes. She was surprised that Mr. Bodaway was there, playing with them. “Hello, Miss Joy. How are you today?” He asked with a big smile. “Good, Mr. Bodaway, and you?” She answered with a smile of her own. “Good, thank you. I came by to invite all of you to a party the Reservation is holding tonight, hoping that you aren’t too tired after all the playing you have done today.” Joy nodded looking at her dad. “Are we going to go?” She wondered. None of them had been back to the Reservation since the last meeting they had had there. Joy thought it might be fun, and was excited at the prospect of going. “Yes, I think so,” Ed replied, much to both Mr. Bodaway and Joy’s delight. “Good!” Joy said, leaning in to give her dad a kiss. “I’m going to take the paddle boat and go swimming, ok? Victoria and Luke are outside, and Aunt Linda is taking care of the babies, so they should be ok. I’ll be back later to help with supper. Send someone to get me if I’m taking too long, I promise I won’t go far.” Joy’s started blushing as she realized that she had assumed that Jack’s kids were her responsibility. She was grateful that the two men didn’t seem to notice, but Joy caught the look of concern in her dad’s eyes. “After yesterday? Are you sure, Joy?” He asked her. Joy nodded her head firmly. “Yes. I’m getting back on the horse dad! I promise to be careful, ok?” “Ok. But I’m sending someone out looking for you from time to time to make sure you are ok.” He replied, his voice serious. “Ok, Dad. And I will be careful. I promise.” Joy made her way back into her bedroom where she put her swimming suit on, and pulled a pair of shorts on over it. She made her way down to the paddleboat, this time putting on a life jacket. She went into the lake, enjoying the warm breeze, marveling at the difference in the weather from one day to the next. It had been just yesterday that Jack had had to have the fire going to keep her warm, and here she was, swimming again in the lake. This time she was thankful that she had a lifejacket on, just in case. Joy had seen Allen coming to check on her while she was out swimming, and had waved to let him know that she was ok. After she had swam for a while, she went back to the paddleboat and paddled to the dock. She tied it back onto the dock and left the life jacket there, taking her towel and shorts with her. She walked to a small sandy beach, surrounded by the trees and spread out her towel, lying down on it and enjoying the sun. She was close enough to the others to hear their voices, and yet far enough to be able to relax. She closed her eyes for a while, glad that she was able to enjoy some time alone. “Joy? Joy!” Joy heard Allen calling for her. “I’m over here!” She yelled, standing up and picking up her towel. As she bent over, she heard a noise through the trees and looked up. Standing there, behind one of the trees was Simon Little. He smiled at her, not taking his eyes off of her, then turned and walked away. “Allen!” Joy yelled, running to where she had heard Allen’s voice last. She finally met up with him, her hands shaking. “Are you ok?” Allen asked her, helping her climb over some bushes. Joy nodded her head, not wanting to worry him. At only fifteen years old, Allen seemed to be a lot more mature for his age. She had found him to not only be a fun companion, but a faithful friend as well. Joy knew that she should probably tell him about the incident, but he interrupted her thoughts. “Grandpa says that we need to get ready for the party. I’m going to wear my cowboy hat.” He said proudly. “You brought it?” Joy asked and then laughed as he nodded. “Well, I think you’ll fit right in, then!” They laughed as they made their way back to the house, arm in arm. Once there Joy discovered that Jack had gone to Seth’s place to shower and get ready there, and had taken his kids with him. Part of her was disappointed, but she focused on getting herself ready for the party. She took her turn in the shower, glad to see that her sisters had already showered and were getting ready in Joy’s room. Liz had given Victoria a bath, and they were helping her get pretty for the event as well. After they were all ready, they climbed up on a horse drawn wagon that was normally used for hayrides in the fall. They all sang and clapped, enjoying each other’s company. Bethany wasn’t with them either, since she had gone to Seth’s as well, and instead they had John. He and Allen led the group in singing, laughing along the way until they got there. Once at the party, Joy heard the sound of music, and saw lights all around the center of the town. At first she was confused, but then figured out that they were using generators. The food smelled wonderful, and the ambiance was very nice. All the men seemed to be wearing western clothing, while all the women were dressed in pretty dresses. The music that was playing was mostly country. Joy had never danced country, or danced much at all, but gave in when Allen pleaded with her to dance with him. And he sure knew how to dance! He gave her a few tips before they sat back down, only for him to pull her back up a few minutes later when they all started line dancing. Most of her family joined in on this one except Ed and Liz, who where content sitting back and watching everyone else. Seth and those with him finally arrived at the party in time to join the line dancing. Linda had again offered to baby-sit the twins, but they had brought them to Mr. Bodaway’s home so that they wouldn’t be alone at Seth’s. Jack and Luke joined the dancing right away, followed by Bethany. She made sure she stayed close to Jack, with the excuse of learning how to dance. Jack felt very uncomfortable. She had sat next to him on the way to the party, and had about landed on his lap when they went over a bump. He had moved over to give her some space, but she had slowly inched herself towards him again. When they got to the party, instead of taking his hand that he had offered her to get down, she put her two hands on his shoulders and jumped down, making him almost loose his balance. She had looked up to him with the same expectation again in her eyes, but he still couldn’t read what she was trying to tell him. After the line dancing ended, the crowd dispersed, allowing those who stayed to dance for the next song to have some space. Joy was making her way back to the table her family was at when someone pulled her hand back and jerked her around. Simon gathered Joy into his arms, holding her close for the slow song. Joy could smell the liquor on his rancid breath and tried desperately to pull away. “Ah, come on, darlin’! Let’s dance!” He sneered, allowing his hand to go further down her back. “Knock it off, Simon!” Joy said in a loud voice. “Get your hands off of me!” Simon lifted his head back and laughed as he danced her further away from the people, his hands holding her tight. -------------------- CHAPTER 22 “I believe the lady said to let her go,” a voice behind Joy said. Joy looked over her shoulder and was relieved to see Jack standing there. She didn’t care what he thought of her at this point, she needed his help! “Jack!” Both Joy and Simon said at the same time, although the tone of their voice was definitely different. “Look, Jack, I got to her first. You are just going to have to wait your turn, and that won’t be until my turn is over.” Simon said, then turned away and spit, still holding on tight to Joy. “Well, it sounds as though she thinks your turn is done, so back off. If you don’t, I will certainly be glad to make you.” Jack said, grabbing Joy’s arm gently and one of Simon’s arms not so gently. Simon lifted his hands and backed away, shaking his head. “Now, now, Jack. Nothin’ to git upset about. Soon we will all be on level playin’ field, and we’ll see who comes out on top then!” Jack looked at him a little confused, but didn’t let go of Joy’s arm. “Well you just make sure you stay away from her, do you hear? If I see you bothering her, or any of the other ladies here, you’ll have me to answer to.” Simon spat again and looked at Jack with hate-filled eyes. “Don’t mess with me, Doc. I swear I will have her if it’s the last thing I do. Mark my words, one way or another, she’ll be mine!” “What’s going on here?” Andrew Atsidi, the chief of police, asked. “Are you in trouble Ma’am?” “No trouble, Officer. Jack here just couldn’t wait his turn to dance with the lady. But that’s all right! I have a forgivin’ heart. We’ll all get our chance soon enough, right?” Simon said as he winked at Andrew and laughed again, sending chills up and down Joy’s back. “I’m fine, now, thank you,” Joy answered, scowling at Simon as he walked away. “Alright, then. Jack. Ma’am,” Andrew said, tipping his hat and making his way back to the dance floor. “Are you really ok, Joy?” Jack asked, his eyes searching her face for any clues of how she was feeling. He was afraid that she might get angry with him again for intervening, but was more concerned about her well being than anything. “Yes, I am. Thank you for helping me, Jack. I won’t be as foolish as I was the last time and yell at you for helping me. I’m not sure what he would have done if you hadn’t come along. Now, if you would be so kind as to let go of my arm, maybe I could get some feeling back in to it.” Joy grinned at the look on Jack’s face when he realized that he had not let go of her arm yet. He let go immediately, embarrassed that he had held on so long. “I’m sorry, Joy,” he said quietly, looking down at his feet. “I didn’t realize, I hope I didn’t, I mean I…” Joy laughed and locked her arm in his, leading him back to the dance floor. “Come and teach me how to cowboy dance, Jack.” When he hesitated, she pulled on his hand with both of her hands, smiling and batting her eyelashes as big as she could. “Please?” she teased. Jack smiled and gave in, pulling her closer to him to dance. “I haven’t danced in years,” he admitted to Joy. Joy smiled up at him and responded, but Jack didn’t hear her over the music. He leaned his head closer to her, waiting for her to repeat what she has just said. “I said you could have fooled me!” Joy responded and laughed when she stepped on his foot. “I’m sorry!” Jack laughed too, and tuned her around like a ballerina. “You are a dangerous woman, Joy. Not sure I’d trust my feet around you!” Joy gave him a playful shove with her hips, laughing when he overcompensated for it. They continued dancing until the music stopped, and they waited for the next song to be played. Jack looked at Joy, wondering if they were done. “Do you want to keep dancing?” Jack asked, wondering if he wanted to himself. Something about Joy deeply moved him, and yet he refused to allow himself to look at her as anything other than a friend. The encounter with Simon had stirred some deep emotions in him that he hadn’t felt in a long time, and he had to fight himself from wanting to pound the guy for even looking at her, let alone touching her. Joy looked up at him and nodded eagerly, fully enjoying the dance. “I’ve never danced this much in my life,” she said excitedly, her eyes shining in the dark. Jack reached over and put his hand on her waist, noticing her stunning figure as she drew closer to him when the music started. It was a slow song, and Joy felt her cheeks growing warm at the touch of his hands. She turned her face from him as she reached her hand up to his shoulder, feeling the strength of his arm, and allowed him to lead her around the dance floor. Jack was quite a bit taller than she was, and she felt almost powerless in his arms. She was glad that it hadn’t been him that had threatened her, or she really wouldn’t have stood a chance. Jack looked down at Joy, disturbed by her beauty. Her eyes were shining and her hair was gleaming in the lights, making her face the most beautiful sight he had ever seen. She looked up at him and smiled, her lips full and tempting, and for a moment, he felt like it was just the two of them dancing under all the lights and candles. It was only for a moment, though. Jack’s eyes went past Joy to someone standing behind her, his face showing a little concern. “Hey, can a girl cut in?” Bethany asked, tapping on Joy’s shoulder. Joy looked back at Bethany and blushed, feeling as though she had been caught. “Um, yes, of course. That is, if Jack’s okay with it. I mean he’d be the one doing the dancing.” Joy took a couple of steps back, embarrassed to now be left standing alone on the dance floor. She looked at the couple as they danced away, catching Jack’s eye. He shrugged and rolled his eyes, letting her know that there wasn’t much he could do. Joy smiled at him, more to reassure herself that she was fine than anything else. Just then a very well dressed man approached Joy, smiling at her and offering his hand. “Would you care to dance?” he asked. Joy nodded her head and took his hand, a little uncomfortable with not knowing who he was. She noted that her family was watching her, so she felt better about agreeing to dance with him. “You are Ms. Wilson, right? Joy Wilson?” he asked, his mustache hiding a slight smile. He was an American Indian man in his late forties, his long black hair pulled back into a braid. He was a good looking man, and seemed to know exactly what he was doing, at least on the dance floor. His hands were large, yet soft, not at all like Jack’s. Joy noticed that Jack’s hands were not only large, but used to work, and hard work at that. Joy nodded and looked at him a little surprised. “Yes, I am. And you are?” The man smiled and nodded. “Forgive me. I thought perhaps you would have remembered. I’m Wamblee Bodaway, the chief of the town,” he said with obvious pride. “Oh, yes! Now I do remember. I’m sorry,” Joy said apologetically. “I saw you the first day we got here, at the meeting at your father’s home.” Wamblee nodded, his eyes full of pride. “I’m sorry I haven’t been able to come to your new home to see you and your family. We are glad you are here, that you have decided to stay. I trust you are settling in okay?” Joy nodded, and smiled. “Yes. And we are very happy and grateful to be here. I’m not sure what our fate would have been had we not been able to come and live here. Thank you!” “Well, I’m glad you are doing well. Do you like the town?” “Oh, yes, very much! It has such a warm feeling to it, and it seems like everyone knows each other and gets along well,” Joy responded, looking around her. Wamblee nodded and looked around himself. “Yes, most everyone gets along well. We have some issues, but we are working those out for the good of the Reservation. Are you aware of what is happening outside the area?” Joy looked at him in all seriousness and shook her head, expecting him to continue. “Well, it’s not good. At all. Things are falling apart, especially in the cities, as if there was no way for the government officials to control what is going on. Well, maybe not quite that bad, but it’s all over the country. The Government had to bring more than half of its troops back from all around the world just to keep order around here, leaving the countries they were in at the time in a bad way. Did you know that the Government has gone bankrupt?” Wamblee asked, amused at how little Joy really knew. After she shook her head, her eyes wide with fear, he continued. “Yup. I’m not the best at all the foreign policy stuff, but several countries, including China, decided to collect what they were owed all at once, throwing the American economy down the hole. It’s a whole different world out there, Ms. Wilson. A worse one, I’m afraid. Not many people would make it out there, especially ones that didn’t know how to defend themselves.” Joy looked at Wamblee, wondering what he was saying. She had been okay dancing with the man, but was glad that the song was now over and she could go back to her family. She felt uncomfortable still in his arms, but he had not let go, and looked like he had no intentions on doing so. “It’s good you are here, Joy. We are glad to have you. Do you mind dancing with me again?” Wamblee asked, not waiting for an answer. Joy looked back at her family, but none of them seemed to notice that she was uncomfortable. Jack and Bethany had gone back as well, but neither of them was looking in her direction. “Mr. Bodaway, are you trying to tell me something?” Joy asked, a little irritated. Wamblee looked at her, surprised by how direct she was. He laughed and squeezed her hand. “No, no. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable. Not at all. I do think it would be good if you could learn how to shoot. I guess that is what I was getting at. Are you familiar with guns?” Joy felt herself relax, glad that he wasn’t kicking her out of the Reservation. She wasn’t sure why she thought that, but he had made her feel like she was somehow in trouble. She shook her head to answer his question. “No, not at all. I’ve never even touched one,” she admitted, feeling a little foolish. “Well, that will be no problem. There are several men on the Reservation that would be happy to teach you, and your family of course, me included. We have things set up in a way that you shouldn’t have to worry about the outside world for a long, long time, Ms. Wilson. Not until it’s safe to go out there again, that is. But it’s always good to be prepared. If we had not listened to my father about any of this, we would not have been able to provide this protection, to be this organized in time. Now, although things are changing in the Reservation, we are in a place where we can rise from this whole situation and come out on top. “I will have a talk with your father soon, and ask permission to come and teach you to handle a gun. I don’t think you will take much time in learning, and you might even come to like it.” He smiled at the confused look on her face, but wasn’t able to continue. “Ask my father?” Joy asked. Wamblee nodded. “Yes. One of the changes that we are making in the Reservation is that all the women need to have a man that will be responsible for them. I know that sounds like we are going back to the Stone Age, but it could be dangerous for the women, especially beautiful ones like yourself, even here in this protected environment. We feel like the best way to protect women is to have someone that will be responsible for them, and will defend them.” “You don’t think women can defend themselves?” Joy asked incredulously. “Can you?” Wamblee retorted kindly. “Look, Ms. Wilson, we aren’t trying to be condescending. But we can’t afford to have single women in the Reservation to be taken advantage of, or worse. By having a man with them, well, it would at least give them more protection. We want to protect the women, and yet be fair to the men in the Reservation as well. We are still trying to figure all that out, and I have a feeling it will be a late night for the members of the committee and I. We will be taking a vote on some suggestions and passing the laws tonight.” Joy let out a sigh, not knowing what to think. “How,” she stopped to clear her throat, “how will this affect me and others like me?” “Oh, I’m sure it won’t be anything too bad, Ms. Wilson. It will be something that we can all live with, I assure you,” Wamblee said in his most reassuring voice. “How ‘bout we change the subject? I didn’t mean to put a damper on your evening,” he said, putting his hand on her chin to raise her face to look at him. Joy looked away, uncomfortable with the way he was looking at her. It wasn’t like Simon, but she knew that he still enjoyed his hands on her body. “I’m fine, thank you. But if you don’t mind, I think I’m a little hungry and would like to get back to our table.” Joy said, letting go of his hand. Wamblee nodded, and put his arm around her shoulder. “I’ll walk you back, Ms. Wilson, and then maybe we can practice some shooting tomorrow after the service, if you’d like.” Joy nodded absentmindedly and walked faster, hoping that his hand would not follow her. It did. When they got to the table where her family was, Joy noticed that her parents had already left, and that it looked as the others were getting ready to leave as well. “We are getting ready to go home,” Ann said when she saw Joy. She noticed the look on her face right away, and held her hand out to Joy. Joy took it immediately, pulling away from Wamblee, glad to be out of his embrace. “Is the Reverend gone?” Wamblee asked Juan and Ann. Juan nodded. “Yes, they left a little a while ago. Did you need him?” Wamblee shook his head, and tipped his hat. “No, thank you. It can wait until tomorrow. Juan, ladies.” As Wamblee walked away, Ann put her arm around her baby sister. “Are you okay?” she asked her in Spanish. “I am now,” Joy answered. “He is a strange man. He told me some things that I’m not sure what to make of, and I really didn’t like him hugging me like that.” “I’m sorry, Joy, we were all keeping an eye on you, but you seemed to be doing fine. Then when Seth and his family left it created quite a commotion, trying to get everyone back into the wagon they had come in. Bethany has gone there to stay over night, and they took Jack and Luke home as well. We thought that it was getting late, so we should get back too, especially since there is going to be church tomorrow. Mom and Dad have gone to get the wagon, and Roger and Marie went with them. Every one else I think is still dancing, but Juan is going to get them now, right Juan?” Juan smiled back at her and stuck his tongue out at her. “Yeah, I’m going, I’m going.” Soon they were all on their way back, with Victoria fast asleep in Joy’s lap. Joy told her family about what Wamblee had said, and they all discussed at length what they thought it meant. “Well, we will pray about it and trust the Lord,” Ed said, careful with the words he was choosing. “We have come a long way, and he has not let us down yet. We’ll take all this one step at a time, and ask Him to help us cross that bridge when we get there.” Joy smiled at how simple he made it sound. Just trust the Lord. She realized that they were now in a time that those words would be have to be practiced often, if not every day. They traveled the rest of their way home in silence, each into his own thoughts. John had gone home with his parents, and Joy noticed that she and Allen were the only ones without a partner. She reached over and patted his leg, smiling up at him. Here he was, her little nephew, tall and strong. She admired him for how well he was handling everything, and was glad that they had been able to remain close through it all. Allen reached over and put his arm around her arms and gave her a squeeze. “It will be okay,” he whispered in Spanish, his voice calm. Joy nodded and smiled again, glad for his comfort. Once home, Joy got Victoria ready for bed and then said goodnight to her family. She got ready for bed herself, tired from the active day they had had. She climbed into bed quietly, not wanting to disturb Victoria. She pulled the covers up to her chin and shivered, wishing that she had put another blanket on the bed. Even though they were in the middle of summer there was a cold front going through, and Joy was sure that it was sixty degrees outside or less. She tossed and turned for a while, trying desperately to fall asleep. It had been a long day for Joy, but she had really enjoyed it. She almost laughed out loud when she thought about pushing Jack over and the look of surprise that had crossed his face. He’s such a good sport, Joy thought and blushed when she remembered his arms around her while they danced. She pushed the thought far in the back of her mind, not wanting to think about it. She still missed her husband terribly, and wished that he could be there now, holding her and comforting her. She didn’t realize how much she was going to miss just having a man. She reasoned with herself that that was why she had enjoyed dancing with Jack so much, having his strong arms embrace her. It had nothing to do with him personally, she told herself. It’s just that I miss having a husband. He was turning out to be a good friend, and she was glad for that. Just as her eyes started to close, she heard someone knocking at the front door of the farmhouse. Who in the world could it be at this time of the night? She wondered. The sun had set a long time ago, and Joy knew that it meant it was late. The knocking turned into pounding, until she heard her dad yell out “Who is it?” from their room. There were some loud shouts, and then Joy could hear her dad heading to the door. “Ouch, ouch,” he whispered as he tripped over something in the dark, making Joy smile. Ed peered out of the front door. “Yes, can I help you?” Joy heard him say. “Sure ya can, Preacher man! Now, it is common knowledge that you have a single girl over the age of 18 living here with ya, ain’t that right?” A man with a high-pitched voice answered. Joy shot up in bed. She recognized that voice. Simon! What was he doing here? She shivered even more when she remembered his arms around her at the dance. If Jack hadn’t shown up when he did, Joy shivered again, not wanting to think about what had happened. “Yeah,” Ed responded, “what of it?” “Well, there is a law right here that says that she needs to come with us.” Simon said, triumph in his voice. “What? Why? Did she do something wrong?” Ed sounded confused. Joy knew his best time wasn’t at night. He was easily confused during this time, and she knew that lately it had been worse, especially with everything going on. “No, no, sir,” Simon continued. “She’s fine, mighty fine, actually.” He paused and looked back at his friends as they laughed at his joke. “No, she just needs to come with us. Right now. Chief’s orders, see?” Joy could hear him shuffling papers. “But, but she’s married!” Ed said, skimming the papers before him. “Oh, no she ain’t! I know for a fact that she ain’t. She just lost her husband a while ago, and that makes her single. Even if she does have a kid.” Joy’s face started to flush in anger as she realized they were talking about her. This whole time she thought they were talking about Marie! She got up and went to the door of her room, thankful that her sister wasn’t there. She looked through the crack of the edge of the door and saw that there were more men than just Simon. And they all had weapons. Ed had just started to learn how to use the one Seth had given him, but against these many men, he didn’t stand a chance. “Well,” Ed said, “you can come and get her in the morning. I’ll have her ready for you then.” Joy could see the small man eyeing Ed carefully. “Well, I guess one more night won’t hurt. I can wait one more night. All right people, let’s git goin’! The tavern’s awaitin’,” Simon shouted as the men filed in behind him, his voice cracking in mid sentence. This seemed to give the men a good laugh, and they all walked away, with Simon swearing at all of them loudly, making them laugh all the more. Ed closed the door with the paperwork still in his hand and leaned against it. Joy could see his tired face as he studied the content of the papers in the dim light of his candle. When Joy was sure the men were gone, she carefully opened the door. “Dad? What was that all about?” She asked as she came to him and put her arms around his waist. He put his chin on her head and wrapped his arms around her. “Oh, Joy,” he said, his voice quivering. “Is everything ok, Ed?” Liz asked as she entered the living room and spotted the two. Ed shook his head. “Joy, get Allen to go get everyone. We need to talk.” Joy could hear it in his voice. It was a sense of panic. She had hardly ever heard it in her life, and she didn’t like the sound of it at all. Joy got Allen to go get his parents, sister and Marie. Roger came up from the basement he was sharing with Allen, and then Joy checked on Victoria. She was still fast asleep. Joy bent to kiss her on the forehead and then headed back into the living room, after softly closing the door behind her. Liz had turned the oil lamps on and had sat down, looking at the papers that had just been delivered. As Joy stu

CHAPTER 19 The world had gone black to Joy. She was faintly aware of her surroundings and what was going on, but could not seem to get her head to stay up straight, her long hair falling over her shoulders in front of her face. Jack pushed her hair back and picked her up in his arms in one swift move. “Luke!” He called through the door as he took Joy into Luke’s room and laid her gently on his bed. Luke and Victoria came running in and Victoria started crying at the sight of her mother lying on the bed. “Victoria, your Mama is going to be just fine, she’s just really tired. Luke, run over to the Larson’s place and get one of the ladies to come here and take care of the twins please. Make sure you run as fast as you can and ask if Dr. Roger can come too.” Jack said, gently leading Victoria out of the room and having her sit outside. As Luke took off running, Jack asked Victoria to wait out on the porch to make sure the people coming knew where they were. He was glad when she did, and he was able to get back to Joy. He took care of her finger gently, after finding his bag in Luke’s room. She came to slowly, and tried to sit up in the bed. “Just lay down,” Jack ordered, pushing her back down gently by the shoulder. Joy complied, her head pounding, and her finger feeling numb. Soon Luke and Roger came in the door, followed by Bethany. “What has happened?” Roger asked, his voice full of concern for his future sister in law. “She was cutting tomatoes for lunch and cut herself. She must have fainted and almost fell off the chair. I’ve worked on her finger some, but she may need stitches.” Jack said, holding Joy’s hand up for Roger to look at. Roger nodded his head. “You did a good job, Jack, but I am afraid you are right, and she is going to need stitches. We need to get her back to the farmhouse where I have more supplies to do it with. Joy, do you think you can walk?” “I wondered when you would start talking to me,” she smiled weakly, her face pale. “Yes, I think so.” Joy sat up on her elbows and got up slowly, grateful for the men’s help. She noticed that Bethany had Luke and Victoria busy playing with the babies, and was glad she didn’t have to worry about Victoria. “We can drive her there,” Jack suggested, looking out towards his truck. “Nonsense, I’m fine. Anyway, I think the walk and some fresh air will do me good.” Joy answered, embarrassed that she was causing so much trouble. “I’m sorry you had to come out here, Roger.” “Now you are the one talking nonsense. I am happy to be here to help you, although I am sure our friend Dr. Jack here would have done fine without me.” Roger said, appreciating Jack. “Thank you,” Jack said quietly, helping Joy to the front door. Bethany came out of the room to see what was going on, and asked to see Joy’s wound. Roger stated that it’d be best to leave it covered, as it was still bleeding, and they still needed to keep pressure on it. Jack stood at the door, not quite sure what to do. Should he go and make sure that Joy made it to the farmhouse ok? Or should he stay with the kids and relieve Bethany to go back to what she was doing? Roger answered the dilemma for him. “Jack, do you mind walking with us? I’m sure Bethany can stay with the kids until you come back, right Bethany?” Bethany nodded. There was a strange look of confusion on her face that Joy didn’t recognize, but she agreed to stay with the kids until Jack came back. Jack and Roger walked one on each side of Joy, in case she needed further assistance. Joy wished she had accepted the ride, but was determined to make it as far as she could without any help. About halfway there, the world started to spin around again, and she started to feel like she wasn’t going to make it. As she started to fall, Jack and Roger reached out to grab her, each awkwardly holding her up on his side. “Can you carry her Jack?” Roger wondered, knowing that it’d be less awkward if only one of them carried her, but wasn’t sure he was the man for the task. Jack nodded his head. “Yes. Do you want to go ahead and make sure there is a place for her to lay on?” “Yes, Marie should be working on that now.” Roger answered, helping Jack pick Joy up. It was more difficult this time since she was halfway standing, instead of on a chair. Once Jack had a good hold of Joy, he carried her easily in his strong arms, her head lying softly against his shoulder, her long hair blowing about in the wind. Roger made his way back to the farmhouse ahead of Jack, and waited at the door for him. Jack carried Joy into the house, careful not to hit her against the doorframes. By now the towel that Joy had been using was soaked in blood, and her face was as pale as ever. She woke up as Jack laid her gently on the bed in the room where she was staying. She heard Marie thank him and told him that they would take over from here. Jack looked at Joy nervously, and then left the room. Could the cut make her faint like that? Or was there another reason? He peered into the room as Roger and Marie worked together as a team, oblivious to anything else going around them. It appeared that they had done this many times before, as Marie anticipated each move Roger was going to make. “Jack?” Liz said, walking up behind him, startling him. “Hi, Liz. I’m sorry, I didn’t see you.” Jack said apologetically. “That’s ok, Jack. Thank you for bringing Joy over. She’s going to be fine. This is not the first time this has happened to her, and she’ll be as good as new as soon as she gets some rest.” Jack looked at Liz surprised. “Does she faint often?” Liz shook her head. “No, only when she’s around a lot of blood. Now, did you get anything to eat in all this commotion?” Jack shook his head, relieved that Joy was going to be ok. “You were really worried about her, weren’t you?” Liz asked, leading the way to the kitchen. “Well, it’s not everyday that someone faints in my kitchen,” he said, trying to bring a little humor into the situation. Her comment bothered him for some reason, but he couldn’t put a finger on it. Liz supplied some leftover lunch for him, and they chatted a little about the day and how things were going for them. Jack wondered if Liz knew about Joy’s method of training the babies to sleep through the night, and wondered if there was any way that all the ladies could do that while they were at his place so that the babies could have some consistency. Liz assured him that she would pass the word on. Their chat was light and humored, and soon Roger and Marie joined them after they had washed their hands. “Well, what’s the verdict?” Liz asked Roger, looking for clues in his face. “Oh, she is going to be fine. She only needed one stitch, and that should heal fast. In a few days she won’t even know it happened. I think the fainting is what really got her worked up. We gave her some medication for the pain and she will be asleep for an hour or two. Then she will wake up and wonder why she was asleep to begin with!” Roger laughed. Liz and Jack sighed with relief, glad that it was really nothing major. Jack stayed a while longer, spending some time with Roger as the women went about doing other things. He felt bad that he was taking Roger’s time, but it seemed to Jack like he was enjoying just having some down time too. They talked for about an hour, and then Jack got up to leave. “Well, I better get going,” Jack said, hating to leave. He took his dishes to the sink and washed them as well as he could. He said good bye to Roger, and made his way outside, making sure he didn’t let the screen door slam behind him so he wouldn’t wake Joy up. Once outside, Liz caught him before he took off again. “Jack, why don’t you come over for supper?” she asked him. “I better not, Liz, but thank you for your offer. We kind of left Bethany abruptly, and I’m sure she is worried about Joy. Maybe another time?” “Sure! How ‘bout Saturday? We’ve been talking about making it an all day play-day. We will be inviting Seth and Rebecca over too, and thought you’d maybe want to join us. You think you can make it?” Liz said, putting her hand up to shield her eyes from the sun. Jack nodded. “Sounds like fun. It’ll be a nice break. You want me to bring anything?” Liz shook her head and smiled. “Nope, just a couple of babies and a cute kid!” Jack laughed. “Well, I think I can arrange that! Thank you, Liz.” Jack waved and turned to make his way back to the cabin. Once there he found all of the kids crying and Bethany frazzled. “Well, it’s about time you got back!” She snapped at him, handing Victor over to him. “Victoria, stop the crying, you are driving me nuts!” Jack looked around him surprised. In the hour or two that he had been gone, the place seemed like it had been hit by a hurricane. Jack wondered how it had gotten so bad, so fast, but decided that if he wanted to keep his head where it was, he better not ask. “Well, I think I can take over from here,” Jack said cautiously. “Ok. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have snapped at you like that. It’s just that everything kind of got crazy, and I lost my temper. I’ve got a pounding headache, and the crying hasn’t helped. I think I just need to lay down for a little while.” Bethany looked at Jack with a look he didn’t recognize, as if she was waiting for something. Was he supposed to pay her? He hadn’t before, and he thought that the arrangement that they had didn’t include money. Maybe she thought she deserved something as this really wasn’t her day to take care of his kids, and she had had to do so anyway. “I, uh, ok. Thanks for your help.” Jack said, not knowing what else to say. There was a brief show of disappointment in Bethany’s face, but it only lasted a second. “Ok, we’ll see you later. Oh! Do you want to come over on Saturday and hang out? I told Liz and Ed that we are all in desperate need for a day of playing and just getting to know and enjoy each other, instead of working so hard all the time.” Bethany said loudly, trying to make herself heard over the babies. Jack nodded his head. “Yup, I already talked about it with Liz. I’ll be there!” “Great!” Bethany smiled and headed for the door. “Let’s go, Victoria,” She called, and Jack knew she was making an effort to be sweet, although she wasn’t being to good at it. Victoria agreed, but was not happy about it. She waved at Jack and Luke, and pleaded once more to be able to stay. “No!” Bethany yelled, “and that’s final!” They disappeared through the door, and Jack wondered if Joy was aware of how short Bethany’s temper seemed to be with Victoria. Maybe he was over thinking things, but it seemed to him like Bethany had little patience with little ones. Maybe he’d see if there was a way to relieve her of her duties taking care of his kids so she wouldn’t get so stressed out. Jack managed to take care of himself and his kids for the rest of the day, enjoying the fact that he was able to stay home. He hadn’t been able to spend much time with Luke, and took the opportunity to talk to his young son. Tomorrow would be the one month anniversary of Carol’s death, and he wondered if it would affect him. He prepared a simple supper for them with some of the things Joy had brought. It seemed like she had a lot of stuff prepared, but he didn’t want to use it all up. That night he was finally able to go to sleep, grateful to whoever had put sheets on his bed. He hadn’t noticed them until now, and wasn’t sure if it had been Joy or Bethany. He noted that Luke’s bed also had an oversized sheet, but Luke didn’t seem to mind. The babies were sleeping longer at night in between feedings now, and he was grateful for that. Joy didn’t wake up until the sun was down, and was confused, just as Roger had predicted. She had eaten some supper and felt much better after that. She was embarrassed at all the trouble she had caused, but Roger and Marie assured her that it was no trouble at all. She couldn’t remember much from the incident, and was too ashamed to ask. Instead, she busied herself helping in whatever she could around the house. She learned that Bethany had come back from Jack’s exhausted, and had laid down for a nap, after she complained about the whole ordeal. Joy felt bad that Bethany had to take over her duties, and so decided to do something about it. “When is Bethany’s turn to take care of the babies again, Mom?” Joy asked as she they folded laundry. “I don’t know, honey. I’d have to see the schedule we made. Why?” “Well, she did about half of my turn, so I was thinking about just doing her day, whenever it is. Ann said that she got really stressed out today, having all four kids to take care of.” Joy responded. “I think that’s a good idea, especially since I know it’s not tomorrow and that will give you some time to let that finger heal.” Liz said, handing her a basket of more clean clothes. “Why didn’t I get on the schedule until today?” Joy wondered. “Well, because we thought you needed some other tasks before going into something that would maybe be a stressful situation for you. How did today go, other than the obvious?” Liz asked, smiling in spite of herself. Joy smiled back. “Well, other than that, I think it went pretty good. Luke and Victoria played outside for quite a while-“ “You let them play outside?” Bethany interrupted, coming into the living room and sitting down with them, followed by Ann and Marie. Joy knew that Victoria was outside once again, this time playing with Ruth, and the men were over at Jack’s property across the lake, trying to get his cabin up. Joy nodded. “Sure. As long as they stayed close and I could see them, I didn’t have a problem with them being out there.” “So that’s why they wanted to go out so badly. I wish I had known, it would have given me a break!” Bethany said, explaining how the two kids had begged and begged to go out, but that she had been afraid that they would run off and get lost. They all chatted about their experiences taking care of the babies and Luke, comparing notes with each other. “Well, getting water is the worst. Juan does it for us at our cabin if we need, but mostly we come in here and get cleaned up. That water pump is hard!” Ann complained. All the others nodded, except for Joy. “How did you get so much water into the cabin?” Bethany asked Joy. Joy hesitated, not knowing how to answer as she knew that she had not had to work as hard as the others had. “Um, Jack brought it in.” She replied, blushing a little. “Jack brought it in? Why did you have him do that? I thought we were all supposed to take care of anything that we needed while there!” Bethany said, clearly upset. Joy shook her head. “I didn’t.” She defended herself. “He just brought it in. I never asked him to. He said that he felt bad that he hadn’t thought of it before, and that he would do it from now on.” That seemed to ease Bethany’s complaints, and she decided to tease Joy a little. “So, are you going to take my shift next time, since I took yours this time?” Joy nodded her head. “Sure. I was just talking about that with Mom.” Bethany looked surprised that Joy would take her up on it. “Well, I’m on for the day after tomorrow, and you are welcome to do it if you want. That’s Friday, and that will free me up to help with the preparations for the all day party on Saturday.” Joy shrugged. “Ok.” The rest of the evening they spent talking about Joy’s finger and other accidents that each of them had suffered in the past. Bethany poked a little fun at Joy for fainting at the site of blood, and the others joined in. They had a good time, and soon it was time to get Victoria cleaned up and ready for bed. The next day, Joy busied herself with several tasks, including getting stuff together to take to Jack’s cabin the next day. She thought that if the place looked more like a home, it might be better for Luke, and might make his transition from place to place a little easier. Jack spent his day helping with his new home. It was coming along nicely, and he found that this was work he really enjoyed. He had worked with a few animals in the last month, and that was ok with him. If he didn’t miss Carol, he would have thought of this as a vacation. Luke had gone with him this day, and had really taken seriously his roll of helper. Jack noticed that Luke was quieter than usual though, and wondered what was bothering him. The men there were nice enough to have around, though some of their language he would rather Luke not hear, let alone repeat. One thing that he had been glad for was that he had been able to convince Mr. Bodaway to add some rough bathrooms to the small cabins at the Larson’s old farm. He had agreed to do it, adding the cost to Jack’s log home. The bathrooms would consist of one waterless self-contained toilet system each, together with a simple washbasin that would go into a drum of water and collect the gray water. Jack knew that Mr. Bodaway had access to these toilets, and it allowed him to do something for the family that was helping him so much. Jack looked up and stretched his back. He took a few steps back, enjoying the scene unfolding before him. His home would also not have electricity, but it would have running water as it was hooked up to his well, and the sewage would be able to go directly into his septic tank. He was thankful for that, although he felt a little guilty for the comforts that he was going to have that those in the cabins didn’t. He knew that the old farmhouse was set up this way too, so they at least they had that. Most of his log home was done, and he figured it would be done in a couple of weeks or three, tops. There weren’t as many people working on it as there had been on the cabins, so the whole thing was taking longer. Mr. Bodaway had told everyone that they could have the coming weekend off, since he knew that Rebecca and her family were planning a gathering, and Ed was organizing the first church service for the Reservation on Sunday. Mr. Bodaway approached Jack as he wiped the sweat off his brow. “Well, Jack,” he said, his face reflecting the seriousness of his voice, “it’s happened.” Jack looked at Mr. Bodaway confused. “It’s happened? What’s happened?” “The end is now here, Jack. Life has changed dramatically in the past month, but now, we are really going to be set back at least a hundred years, if not more.” Jack shook his head, still confused. Was the old, wise man loosing his mind? What was he talking about? What had happened? “I don’t understand, Mr. Bodaway. What are you saying?” Mr. Bodaway smiled a slight smile. “You will, Jack. You will. I’m going to send everyone home for the weekend now, and I suggest you do the same. We need to enjoy the rest of this weekend so that come Monday, we really can come together and get this place done. By giving them an extra day off, I’m hoping it allows them enough time to recuperate and get back to work on Monday. We’ll see. It may take longer, even though I have been warning people for a while. I’ll let you know on Monday what’s going on with the house, ok?” Jack nodded, still confused. Mr. Bodaway wasn’t making much sense, but he figured he’d find out soon enough. He gathered some of his own personal tools, and watched as the old man went to talk to the men. His shoulders were slumped, and there was a heaviness in his step that Jack hadn’t seen in him before. He saw the men’s reaction, and soon everyone was taking off. Jack noticed that everyone walked away, instead of using the vehicles that they had come in. He called Luke and they went back across the lake to the cabin that they now called home. They were both tired, even though they had only worked about three quarters of the day. When they reached the cabin, Jack picked up a note on the table that Ann had left him, saying that she had taken the babies to the farmhouse, and that she would be back later with supper. “Do you want to go see Victoria?” Jack asked Luke, putting his hand on his shoulder. Luke nodded, a little more eagerly than Jack was expecting. “Ok, then. Let’s go!” Jack took Luke’s hand and they made their way outside. They walked together silently, until Luke surprised Jack once again by interrupting the silence. “Is Victoria’s Mama going to be there, Papa?” he asked Jack. “I don’t know Luke, why do you ask?” “Is she going to die?” he asked, his eyes filling with tears. “What? No, Luke. No.” Jack said, stopping in his tracks and turning to look at his son. He knelt down and lifted Luke’s chin. “Is that what has been bothering you all day?” Luke nodded and looked away. “Luke, Victoria’s Mama is going to be just fine. She hurt her finger a little, that’s all. I think it will probably hurt for a little while, but it won’t hurt bad. Do you want to see her?” Luke nodded again, this time his eyes becoming alive. “Papa, could I take some flowers? Would that make her feel better?” Jack smiled and stood up. “Sure, Luke. I’m sure it will. Here, let’s go pick some over here.” Joy looked up to the light as it went out, wondering what had happened. She walked over to the light switch and flipped it a couple of times. Nothing. Her heart began to sink as she went to the refrigerator and found that it too, was off. She closed it quickly, wanting to keep what was in there cold as long as possible. “Mom,” she called out, wondering if the whole house had lost its power. “It’s out here, too, Joy.” Liz responded before Joy even got a chance to ask. The ladies made there way outside to find others looking around to see if anything electric worked. When nothing did, Ed decided to drive over to Seth and Rebecca’s place to see if they had lost power. Ed got into Joy’s van and turned the key to start it. Nothing. He tried it again several times, to no avail. He looked at Joy confused and then just shrugged his shoulders and went to another vehicle. The same thing happened. He went to all the vehicles they had on the property, and with each one he tried, their hopes of anything happening dampened. Joy’s stomach was in knots as she remembered when Dave had read her some warnings about Electromagnetic Pulse, EMP for short. Was this what had happened? If it was, the impact would be great, as everyone’s lives would be changed forever. Joy looked around her family members, not knowing what to think. Ann came out of the farmhouse with the two babies, followed by Marie and Bethany. Joy walked over to take one from her, glad to have a little distraction. “What’s going on?” She asked as she looked at Joy gratefully for her help. Joy shook her head. “I’m afraid that what Mr. Bodaway had predicted has finally happened. The end of the world as we know it has now come to pass.” Ann laughed softly, trying not to disturb the babies. “Oh, Joy, don’t exaggerate!” “I sure wish I wasn’t,” Joy said, caressing Victor’s cheek. They all chatted for a while wondering what to do, not knowing where to start. They decided that they would try to eat all the food in the fridge and freezer first, hoping to not waste any food. Ed and some of the other guys went into the storage areas to get some more oil lamps and flashlights. While they did that, the ladies stood outside, wondering how all this was really going to affect them. Just then Joy spotted Jack coming over with Luke. “Hey Luke! Jack!” She called, waiving at them. “Hey yourself,” Jack replied, a strange sensation going through his body. What was that? He wondered. He shook the feeling away and approached the ladies, still holding Luke’s hand. Luke looked up at Joy shyly, staring at her finger. Joy noticed, and carefully kneeled down to talk to him. “Luke, see my finger? It’s going to be all better now.” Joy said, holding her bandaged finger up, a smile in her voice. “Does it hurt?” He asked quietly, looking intently at her eyes. “Oh, a little bit. Nothing a little medicine and some tea can’t help.” Joy said lightly, trying to reassure the little boy that seemed to be so worried about her. “Will these help?” Luke asked as he pulled his hand from behind his back, revealing the flowers he and Jack had picked for her. “Papa and I got them for you.” Joy smiled at took them in her free hand. “Oh, Luke! They are beautiful! Yes. These will most definitely help. Thank you!” Joy looked up at Jack who seemed to be more than a little embarrassed. “Well, Luke, it was really your idea!” He said, trying to not involve himself. Joy smiled at how uncomfortable he was, and struggled to get up. Jack came to her assistance quickly, only furthering his awkwardness. “Thank you,” she said quietly, wishing that she didn’t have to have his help so often. They all walked into the house again and talked about the situation they were in, and what could be done about it. Jack offered to ride his horse to Seth’s place and see what was happening there. He had been able to bring the horse to the stables on the farm, so that he was able to keep a closer eye on it. The cows and other critters were being taken care of by Seth and his kids, and they would keep the eggs and milk in exchange for their help. Jack got most of his food from Joy’s family, so he didn’t need the it. Once his place was livable again he would take them back, a little at a time. Jack made his way to Seth’s house, shocked to see Mr. Bodaway’s horse there. He recognized it, as this was one that Jack often took care of, making sure he was in top condition. “Well, no power anywhere, Jack, and our vehicles aren’t working either.” Seth said as Jack approached him. “Welcome to the eighteenth century.” -------------------- CHAPTER 20 Jack spent the rest of his afternoon at Seth’s place, discussing what had just taken place. It had, indeed, been an Electromagnetic Pulse attack. They didn’t know how far or how wide spread it was, but Mr. Bodaway informed them that this had all been planned by many different countries, and that the effects were probably all over the country. It would take months, if not years to get everything back to normal. “Think about it,” Mr. Bodaway had said, “hardly any cars, no electricity, no computers. Do you have money in the bank? How do you think they keep records? On a computer. What about your gas? Now I know you each have, what? A thousand gallons of propane? So you should be covered for cooking, but what about all those in the cities that depend on either electricity or natural gas to cook? Or how about hospitals? Schools? Jails? This has affected us in more ways than we can imagine. How will food get to stores, and how will they refrigerate it to keep it fresh? And if you think that most people will be civilized and wait patiently for their turn to get some food at the stores and share, think again. Once the initial food is gone, how long will it take to get the stores replenished, if they get replenished at all? Mass panic will soon begin, and it’s not going to be pretty. Things were already not going so well, and this is likely to push things over the edge.” After a couple of hours of discussing what had happened with his friends, Jack rode his horse back to the farmhouse, and told the others what had happened. He explained everything that Mr. Bodaway had explained to them, trying to include as many details as he possibly could. Jack decided to take them up on the offer to stay for supper this time. They all enjoyed a good, but simple meal, surrounded by somber talk. Jack stole several glances in Joy’s direction, wondering if she would ever look at him the way she had when Luke had given her the flowers. Her face had lit up, and he had loved the look in her eyes. Jack shook his head, trying to focus on what was being said. Luke and Victoria ate supper together outside, enjoying each other’s company. Joy was happy that the two kids got along so well, even though it did seem like Victoria was a little bossy with him sometimes. After the dishes had been cleared and the leftover food taken care of, everyone made their way outside to sit and enjoy the slightly cooler weather. Joy was glad that it was a little cooler, and wondered how hot it was going to be to sleep in the house that night without the central air to cool them off. They decided that they would all go to bed early that night, and Jack went home with his kids. Roger and Allen walked to the cabin with him, helping him carry the babies. Joy was exhausted that night. It had been hard to remember not to flip the switch every time she went into a room, and wondered if she would ever get used to it. Victoria had also been extra tired, to the point of being a little grumpy. Joy was glad when she had finally been able to fall asleep, after taking a luke warm bath. Joy had been able to heat some water on the propane stove, so that at least the water hadn’t been cold. Joy added a few drops of lavender oil to the bathtub, knowing it would help Victoria sleep better. After putting Victoria to bed, Joy took a bath of her own. She took her time in heating the water, wanting a nice, hot bath. She also added essential oils to hers, and pinned her hair back into a bun. She stepped lightly into the old bathtub, enjoying the warmth of the water on her body. She rubbed St. Johnswort mixed with Vaseline to help her sore muscles, and then just soaked for a while, closing her eyes and allowing herself to relax. She had several candles burning, and would open her eyes once in a while to make sure none of them were burning out of control. What had been that noise? Joy opened her eyes and sat up in the bathtub. It had come from outside, just below the bathroom window. The window was high enough that it didn’t require curtains, and still provided enough privacy for its users. Joy got out of the bathtub and covered herself with a towel, feeling vulnerable. She grabbed the stool nearby and stepped on it carefully, looking out the window. She gasped as she saw a small figure in the moonlight, running away from the farmhouse. Joy quickly dried herself and put her robe on, wanting to look outside to see what she could see. By the time she made it out there, the person was gone. She shuddered at the thought that someone had been watching her, and opted to think that it was just her imagination. She went back into the house and took care of the candles, making sure everything was safe. After she was done, Joy made her way to the kitchen where she found Bethany munching on some cookies that Joy had made for the next day, with some candles of her own. Joy had made several different kinds, enough for her family and to take to Jack’s place in the morning. “So, how do you like them?” Joy asked Bethany as she walked through the door. “Eh, there ok. Nothing spectacular.” Bethany responded flatly. “Did you hear anything? I thought I heard something outside, and maybe even saw someone, but I couldn’t tell for sure.” Bethany rolled her eyes at Joy, not even pretending to hide it. “No, it’s just you, Joy, making stuff up again in your mind. So why are you still up?” Joy reached over and grabbed the flowers that Luke had given her and held them up in the vase. “For these,” she said simply. Bethany rolled her eyes again. “Oh, the weeds they cut for you?” “One person’s weeds, another one’s flowers. I think it was sweet. He was concerned about me.” “Yeah, well, you probably didn’t need him to carry you, Joy. I wish you weren’t so dramatic sometimes.” “I was talking about Luke.” Joy replied, trying to not let Bethany’s attitude get to her. “I’m going to bed. Good night.” “Yeah. Whatever.” Joy went into her room and got ready for bed, pulling her long hair down and running a brush through it. She thought about the events of the day, and what it meant for all of them. Jack had said that Seth had an old radio that they had gotten to work, and that they were going to listen to see what was happening outside of the Reservation. Joy climbed into bed, careful not to wake Victoria up. She tried desperately to fall asleep, tossing and turning well into the night. Her mind kept going over what had happened in the last couple of days, especially the times that Jack had had to carry her because she had fainted. Marie had told her about the second time when Jack had carried her into the house. She vaguely remembered being carried, her head resting against Jack’s muscular shoulder. Joy shook her head in the dark, and pushed the feelings that were rising within her aside. She finally fell asleep, thoughts of beautiful flowers and a little boy’s blue eyes flooding her head. Jack and Luke had talked for a while about what was going on, and finally Luke had fallen asleep. Jack wanted to keep his son informed, so that things wouldn’t be so shocking to him. Jack stayed up a little later, trying to read a book. His mind wondered for a while, thinking about things that Mr. Bodaway had said. He had talked about how rough he thought things could be, and how they had already had some encounters at the Reservation. Jack had no idea that they had been so sheltered at the farm, as he hadn’t been to the Reservation since the meeting that had taken place about a month or so ago. Mr. Bodaway also talked about how some of the men at the Reservation were growing restless, some even going around picking fights. Several families had moved off of the Reservation, deciding to head south before the winter came. Jack shook his head and sighed, wondering what their fate was now. Mr. Bodaway’s son had bought the homes in name of the Reservation, so that they could be used for the common good. The people leaving had left with a large amount of money, but had to promise that they would never return. One of the bigger homes they would convert into a mini-hospital, where Roger and Marie would be able to work and treat their patients. The plan was to encourage Roger and Marie to move into town, to a house near the hospital. Jack knew that there was no point in even asking them until they were married, but he didn’t bother telling Mr. Bodaway that. Marriage. The word now seemed foreign to him, like something that happened to other people. He still missed Carol, but with everything that was happening, he felt like it had been a lifetime ago. He knew that there would always be a special place for her in his heart, but was also starting to feel the void that she had left. While Jack sat there, pretending to read a book by oil lamp, he came to grips with the fact that he was lonely. He knew that someday he would like to remarry, but under the circumstances he knew that if it happened at all, it would probably not be soon. There was a noise outside that jerked Jack from his thoughts, and he was almost relieved for the interruption. He got out of his chair quickly and went out the door. “Oh. Uh, hi Jack.” A man said, nervous as if he had been caught like a deer in headlights. “Hi. What are you doing out here?” Jack asked, still not sure who the man was. He hoped that he would lure him closer to the cabin where the light from inside would show who it was. “Well, believe it or not, I kind of got lost,” Simon Little said, stepping into the light where Jack could see him. Jack’s hair stood up on the back of his neck. Something about this man made him uneasy. Jack knew that there was no way that Simon was lost, that he knew this area like the back of his own hand. “Hmmm.” Jack responded. “Well, you better get, because I heard that around here they don’t take too kindly to strangers.” He said, his eyes narrowing. “Is that right? Well, the preacher has been real nice to me. He even invited me to Sunday’s church service over at his house. He said his daughter, what’s the pretty one’s name?” “Joy.” Jack answered automatically, and then mentally kicked himself as hard as he could. “Yeah, that’s what I thought. Well, he said she’d be there playing the piano, and I wouldn’t want to miss that, now would I?” Jack cringed at the thought of this man looking at Joy. Something in him boiled with the thought of them even being in the same room, but there was nothing he could do about that. “Alright then.” Jack said and turned around to go back into the cabin. He’d have to make sure that he put a gun near the door with Simon on the loose, he thought to himself. Jack went into his cabin and turned off his lamp. Once it was dark, he let his eyes adjust to it and peered cautiously out the window. It looked like Simon had left, this time for real. Jack wondered what he was doing in the area, and wished he could go check on Joy. And her family too, he mentally added as soon as the thought popped into his mind. Once he was sure that he and his kids were safe, he made his way to his bedroom and got ready for bed. This was the time of day that he hated the most, as even Luke was sleeping, and there was no one to share the events of the day with. Jack went to bed, wishing that the loneliness that he was feeling weren’t so real, and so deep. His last thought before he fell asleep was of Joy’s face when Luke gave her the flowers, and it made him smile. Joy woke up the next morning, anxious to get the day going. She took a quick shower in the dark, wary of the noise she had heard the night before. Had she imagined it? It sounded to real, to close. She shivered as she pulled on a pair of jeans and a lightweight blouse, glad to find an excuse to think of something else. Victoria woke up earlier than usual, and hurried to get dressed as well. Joy had told her the night before that they would be going back to Luke’s place, and she didn’t want to waste a minute. Joy helped her get ready, putting her hair into a French-braid, and then doing the same with her own hair. After they had each used the bathroom and brushed their teeth, they made their way to the kitchen to get their stuff for the day. “Well, you’re up early,” Ed said when he saw them. Joy nodded as he gave Victoria a big bear hug. “Yup, we are going to go to Jack’s place again today, see if I can keep from fainting this time.” She said with a smile, trying to find humor in the whole situation. They said their goodbyes for the day, and then headed out the door. Joy had to get creative to know what to make for meals, but was finally able to decide on eggs for breakfast, sandwiches with homemade bread for lunch and spaghetti with her own canned sauce for supper. She was excited, as most of the food that she was taking had been grown in their own garden. She couldn’t take much credit for it, but was learning a lot from Rebecca and her Aunt Linda on anything from harvesting to preserving seeds for next year. She hoped that next year she would be able to plant her own garden, or at least help with theirs. This time Joy had found an old wagon to carry the things in. She and Victoria made their way out to Jack’s place, enjoying the cool, crisp morning. Even though it was July, it had been a cool week, and Joy wished she had brought a sweater. She was sure it was about sixty degrees or less and was glad she had planned for Victoria. Once at the cabin, Joy knocked on the door softly, in case the babies or Luke were still sleeping. No one answered the door, so Joy knocked a little harder. When no one answered again, she tried the doorknob and it opened. She peeked her head in, looking around for any sign of Jack or Luke. When she didn’t see anyone, she walked in quietly, motioning to Victoria to do the same. She gave Victoria a new book to look at, one that she had gotten from the kids books in the basement at the farmhouse. Joy walked over to Jack’s room, and pushed the door open quietly. He had left it open a crack, and she was able to peek in. Jack was lying on his stomach, his arms spread above his head, wearing only his sleeping pants. His back went up and down rhythmically with every breath he took, allowing her to see just how muscular he really was. Joy turned around quickly, her face warming. She refused to admit that she had liked what she had seen, and busied herself with breakfast. A few minutes later, Jack came out of his room, rubbing his eyes. Joy glanced at him and was glad to see that he had gotten fully dressed. “Good morning,” Joy said quietly, knowing that Luke was probably still sleeping. “Hi, Joy,” Jack answered, walking over to see what Victoria was looking at. “Hi Victoria, what are you doing?” “Just looking at this book.” She replied, showing it to him. “Do you want me to read it to you?” Jack asked, sitting next to her. Victoria nodded and stood up, asking to sit on his lap. Joy turned to look at the scene, and caught Jack’s eye. She nodded her head, knowing that he was wondering if it was ok with her. Victoria sat with Jack, and Jack read her the book. Joy enjoyed hearing Jack make all the different voices for each character, and found herself laughing with Victoria. Soon breakfast was almost ready, and Jack went to get Luke. Victoria helped set the table again, and Victoria sat down to wait for Jack and Luke, while Joy got the rest of the meal ready. “Hi, Victoria,” Luke said quietly, sitting down next her. Jack went over to the small stove that Joy was finishing breakfast at and peered over her shoulder. “Now what are you making?” He said, very aware of what she was doing. Joy laughed. “What does it look like?” She teased back. Jack helped her get the food to the table, and was thanked with a smile. He took a seat and waited until Joy sat down. Victoria set her hands out to hold Joy and Luke’s hand, looking at Jack and Joy expectantly. Jack offered his hand to Joy, who took it shyly. Jack offered up thanks, and they ate their meal, enjoying what she had made. “This is really good, Joy. What do you call it?” Jack asked, taking another mouthful. “These? They are just poached eggs in stewed tomatoes. The only thing that isn’t from this farm are the spices, and that’s just salt, pepper, and chili pepper. And that includes all the other vegetables in there, and the eggs, of course.” Joy responded, obviously proud that they had been able to do that. Living off of her own land had always been a dream for Joy, and now, in one of the darkest times in history, her dream was coming true. Jack nodded his head appreciatively. “It’s a good feeling, isn’t it?” He asked, his eyes shinning. Joy smiled. “I love it. I love waking up in the morning knowing that the day is full of surprises, and that I never know what I am going to see or do. I’m looking forward to a schedule, though, but I know that that will come soon enough. I’m planning to start classes in September for Victoria, and that will definitely be a way to get scheduling back into my day!” They talked a bit about school, finishing up their breakfast. Joy stood up and started clearing the table, and each person joined her, taking their plates to the small sink. “So what are your plans for the day?” she asked Jack. “Well, I wish I knew you guys were coming. I have the day off as no one is going to be working on my house today. Because of the recent events, Mr. Bodaway gave everyone the day off. I told Luke that we could go out exploring today.” Jack said, searching her face. “Esploring? I wanna go esploring Mama!” Victoria said excitedly. “Oh, honey, another time, ok? I’m not sure that this is the best time for you to go.” Joy replied, wishing that she could go, too. “Well, she can come with us, right, Luke?” Jack asked Luke, who immediately nodded. “See, Mama? Can I? Please, please, please?” Jack and Luke joined in on the pleading, making Joy laugh. “Ok, you three, but I want you back for lunch, ok? Do you want to take some snacks with you, Jack?” Jack nodded. “Sure, if you have some. I’m afraid all we have in the cabin is whatever you guys bring us.” Joy busied herself getting some snacks together and three bottled waters that she had brought from the farmhouse, intending to send them to work with Jack. She put them together in a backpack that Jack had, while he tended to Victor, who had just woke up. Soon the threesome had taken off, and Joy was left alone with the two babies. She fed them and changed their diaper, and spent some one-on-one time with each of them. They looked healthy, and Joy was pleased to see the normal signs of growing in each of them. Joy put them down to sleep, and was relieved that the crying only lasted for a little while. Joy washed the dishes with the water that Jack had provided, thankful again that she wasn’t the one that had to haul it. She tidied the cabin up, and got to work, putting the right size sheets on Luke’s bed, and arranging things so that he’d have a little more space. She also rearranged the living and dining area so that it was more convenient for whoever was making meals, trying to not wake the babies up. Joy looked at the clock that Jack had on the wall, and decided to start lunch so that it’d be ready by the time they got home. She got the food ready that she had brought, and then put a tablecloth that she had made out of material from Mrs. Larson’s sewing room. She set out her homemade bread, and set the table so that everything could be ready and they could just sit down and eat. She put out some juice, and soon heard Jack and the kids approaching. She wiped her hands on her apron, and looked outside the window to watch them coming. Joy smiled as they thundered through the door, and asked them to take off their shoes so that they wouldn’t carry in the mess. Victoria talked about their trip excitedly, and although Luke didn’t say much, his eyes were shinning too. Joy made them all wash their hands, and they sat at the table to eat. After Jack had said grace, they all became quiet as they ate their sandwiches. “Joy, you’ve been working hard, I see,” Jack said, looking at her across the table. “Oh, not much, I enjoy decorating and rearranging things. I hope you don’t mind.” Joy answered, suddenly realizing that she had never asked. Jack shook his head. “No, it looks great!” he said appreciatively. “Thanks,” Joy said, looking around. There was a lot more that she would do if she knew that she could do it, but she didn’t want to impose. They finished their lunch just in time, as the babies woke up, crying like there was no tomorrow. Joy had everything ready this time, not wanting to repeat the mistakes of the other day. Two babies isn’t so bad, she thought to herself as she picked up Grace and changed her diaper. Especially if you plan ahead. But she hadn’t had to stay up with them at night yet, she reminded herself. And Jack had taken Luke and Victoria, allowing her to concentrate on them. Ok, so it’s a little bit hard, she concluded, holding Grace close. After feeding Grace and lying her down, she took care of Victor, who was fussier than usual. Jack offered to feed him while Joy cleaned up, and she gratefully accepted. Luke and Victoria had gone out onto the porch and were looking at books together. Jack stood up from his chair, still holding Victor, and went to stand next to Joy as she washed the dishes. “Thanks for all your help, Joy. I really appreciate it.” He said, looking intently into her eyes. Joy turned from his gaze, uncomfortable with the goose-bumps it had caused. “Oh, it’s no problem, Jack. That’s what we are all here for, to help each other, right?” Jack nodded, and leaned against the counter, studying little Victor intently. “I was wondering,” he said, looking back at her, “do you want to go see my new house? It’s across the lake, and you’d have to go by yourself, but I’d like you to see it. I can stay here with the kids, after the twins fall asleep.” “Really?” Joy asked, wanting to jump at the chance of getting to see the other side of the lake. “Sure. Have you ever paddled a canoe?” He asked, jokingly. “Sure I have. And I’ve only fallen in half of the times I’ve been on one!” Joy responded, her voice playful and her eyes shinning. Joy hurried with the dishes, and then put the babies to bed, after making sure that they had stayed up for a little while. Luke and Victoria came inside, and Jack read from a book to them again. Joy left, finding the canoe near the lake. She turned it over, but wished that it had been like that already. She pushed it into the lake and jumped in just before it was to late. She rocked back and forth for a little bit, but was able to steady herself. She sat down carefully, and made her way to the other side of the lake. It

CHAPTER 17 Joy looked at the man that had just come in the door as he awkwardly found a place to sit. He looked embarrassed to be late and to be the center of attention because of it. Joy watched him closely as he sat near Mr. Bodaway, noticing how good-looking he was. What was her problem? She turned from him immediately, feeling guilty for even looking at someone other than her husband in that way. Mr. Bodaway nodded his head at Andrew and asked him to continue. Andrew spoke about the problems and terrorism occurring everywhere. He told of Jack’s close encounter with the men in the town, as well as others that had experienced similar situations. He encouraged everyone to stay on the Reservation, and to watch each other’s back. When he was done, he sat down quickly, glad that the spotlight was no longer on him. Mr. Bodaway thanked Andrew as he patted him on the back. “Now,” he said, looking around at everyone in the room, “let’s talk business.” He went on to explain why Rebecca’s family was there, and what was expected of them. They would all have to learn how to work the farm they were in, and all that was required of them was to live by the law of the Reservation. They would be responsible for their own supplies, and could trade freely with their neighbors and the Reservation. They could fish as much as they wanted, but were not allowed to bring any outsiders. They could also hunt as much as they wanted on their own land, but would have to make arrangements with their neighbors if they wanted to hunt there. Ed raised his hand and cleared his throat, trying to get Mr. Bodaway’s attention. “Yes, Ed?” he asked once he saw him. “Well, none of us know how to hunt. Or fire any kind of gun, for that matter.” Ed replied, a little embarrassed. Mr. Bodaway nodded his head thoughtfully. “Good point, Ed. Well, there are several people at the Reservation, and even Jack and your family that are good with guns. I suggest you making arrangements for learning with them, soon. We all have to understand something here. We are going to come into a time in which we will all come to depend heavily on each other. It is in my opinion that we trade as much as we can with each other, and then look to the outside for help. In fact, we are working out a way in which we will be able to trade with outsiders, and not involve the people that live here at all. Something like the old General Stores, where the store traded with everyone, and that way everything was available to everyone. “Now. I would recommend all of you going out and getting supplies, but I think it’s too late for that. What you have is what you have, and you will have to learn to either make it yourself or do without. You think things are bad now? Just wait a day or two. They will get worse. And I’m not just talking to talk here. Trust me.” The quietness in the room could be heard for miles. Everyone looked very somber as Mr. Bodaway continued his speech. “Now everyone here knows that they are welcome to stay here as long as they follow the laws of the Reservation. We will not make exceptions. We are now including Seth and Rebecca’s place, Jack’s place and the Larson’s old farm as part of the Reservation, with their permission. At some point we may be in war, and we will have to call on people to participate to defend their loved ones and their home. If they refuse to do so, or to abide by any other law made by the Reservation, then they will be asked to leave and not come back. Is that clear?” Mr. Bodaway’s eyes narrowed as he looked around the room. Everyone nodded. “While you are here, your land and your possessions will not be taken from you, as long as you live your life in peace with others. Now, on to more logistical topics. Ed, you will be in charge of the spiritual welfare of the Reservation. We will look to you for guidance in that area, but you are not to force people into believing what you believe. Everyone is free to believe as they see fit, and to worship whomever they want as long as it is in peace with the rest of us. Ed will have authority to marry people, and whoever gets married under him will be considered married undisputedly. And Ed, you will not be able to charge for your work. You have already been paid with the cabins. But if people choose to pay you on their own, they are free to do so.” Ed nodded his head in understanding. He would have to depend on his family for food, as the work he would do would provide them with shelter. Mr. Bodaway continued talking, making sure everyone knew the gravity of the situation. He asked for people to be fair as they traded and assured everyone that even though the worst was yet to come, they would be able to not only face it together but thrive in their new environment. Joy took everything in, wondering what kind of laws the Reservation had. She didn’t know what else they could do but stay where they were, so she resigned herself and hoped for the best. It didn’t seem like anyone else had a problem with any of this, so she told herself to just go along with the flow. Joy glanced around at the people there and noticed Jack glancing at her. She turned away quickly, hating the fact that her face automatically turned bright red. She busied herself looking away from him, hoping that he hadn’t noticed and didn’t think she was looking at him. Who was he, anyway? She wondered how people had been chosen to attend the meeting. Well, she was glad to be here, and didn’t want to miss what was being said. Joy turned back to Mr. Bodaway and tried to catch what else he was saying. “So Jack will live in one of the cabins until his home is finished. That way, you can learn from him, and he can have a place of his own to stay at. I’m glad that this has worked out. I think it is the best for all concerned.” Mr. Bodaway ended. What had she missed? Joy looked around to see all of her family nodding, including Bethany, who was doing it even more emphatically than the others. Well, at least she agrees, Joy thought. “Now, Roger, that’s your name, right?” Mr. Bodaway looked at Roger and waited for him to nod. “Would you be willing to be our doctor? Each individual person or family would have to pay you for what you did, and I would expect both sides to be fair. You and uh, Marie? Could work together and spilt what you get. Jack,” he continued looking at him, “We may have to ask you to help in that area too. If Roger or Marie can’t be there for some reason, we may call on you, or on some of the other people on the Reservation that know about first aid. We would also like you to teach, if you can, but we’ll get to that later. Does all this seem reasonable?” Everyone involved nodded, and Roger was the only one that had a question. “Where would we help people? I mean is there a clinic or would we go to their homes, or them to ours?” Mr. Bodaway nodded. “Good question, Roger. To start, you’d have to go to people’s homes. Or they could come and see you. After that, we will have to see what we can do about a clinic. Anyone else have any other questions?” When he had paused long enough and no one had responded, he gave the ok for everyone to get something to eat outside. Everyone stood up and started to make their way outside, those that knew their way around leading the way. There was a lot of chatter, but it seemed to be a somber one. Once outside, Joy got in line with the rest of the people to get food. It looked like everyone had brought something to eat except her and her family. She wished she would have known, but knew that they had probably planned it this way so that they could just relax and get to know everyone. Joy wished she could relax. Who was to say that all these people were trustworthy? Maybe they wouldn’t blow up, but maybe they would. How could she know for sure? She made her way in the line, eyeing everyone cautiously. Would she ever be able to trust again? Suddenly she realized someone was talking to her. It was Roger. “Joy, we are going to sit over here. Would you like to join us?” He asked in his thick, African accent, his eyes full of compassion. Joy kicked herself mentally for allowing her emotions to show. “Sure,” she smiled, trying to look as normal as possible. She followed Roger and sat down next to Marie, moving a plate full of food aside. She could see that her dad was already engrossed in a conversation with Mr. Bodaway, and that the rest of her family was also trying to get to know others. She tried to eat the food that she had gotten, but really had no appetite. She looked around at the landscape, enjoying the beautiful view. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, enjoying the warmth of the sun, and the breeze on her face. Jack hated being late, but this time he had not been able to avoid it. Luke had not readily stayed with the kids at the park, until some of them welcomed him to play. He felt that at this time it was more important for him to make sure that Luke was ok than to be on time for a meeting. Later on he apologized and explained to Mr. Bodaway why he was late. After he had finally settled into his seat, he had a chance to look around and look at who had come. Everyone that had been there for the meeting on Friday was there except for the Larsons. Jack had wondered how they were doing and if they had made it to Florida ok. In addition to those there, Rebecca’s family had also been invited to the meeting. It had made the room that they met in a little crowded, but Jack was glad they were there. As he looked at the new members of the Reservation, Jack caught Joy’s eye and saw her turn away abruptly. He hoped she didn’t think that he was staring at her, but the truth was, he did wonder how she was doing. He had assumed that it was her, but wasn’t sure. The three sisters look remarkably alike, and then there was the other girl there too. What was her name? Jack couldn’t seem to remember. He figured he would probably find out soon enough. After the meeting they all went out side for the supper that had been prepared by some of the ladies at the Reservation. Jack loaded up his plate and looked around for a place to sit as he balanced the plate in his hands. He saw the couple from Africa and sat down next to them, hoping to get to know them a little better. “Hi,” he said after he put his plate down on the round picnic table and extended his hand. “I’m Jack.” “Hello, I am Roger, and this is my fiancée, Marie. Nice to meet you!” Roger returned, shaking his hand happily. They chatted a little about where they were from and what work they did in Africa. Jack was glad to know that he was no longer one of the only Christians around. The conversation soon turned to what was happening all around them and how it was going to be. At a break in the conversation Jack excused himself to get something to drink. After offering to get them one, he made his way back to where the beverages where. He noticed that they had been very careful to leave alcoholic drinks out. It didn’t bother him one way or the other, but he knew some of the men didn’t know when to stop, and there had been problems because of it in the past. “Hi, I’m Bethany.” Jack looked around him to see if the lady was talking to him. She was. “Oh, uh, hi.” Jack looked around for somewhere to put the drinks he was holding down, but couldn’t find a spot to put them. “I’m sorry,” he continued apologetically, “I’m Jack.” Bethany smiled. “Yes, I know. You came in late, remember?” Jack swallowed, and glanced away, embarrassed. “Yeah, I, uh, what did you say your name was again?” “Bethany. Bethany Wilson. Are you the neighbor that provides the fresh milk and eggs?” “Um, yes, I guess I am. Although recently I haven’t been the one doing it, I, uh, have been busy with my kids and-“ Jack hated feeling so out of control. What was his problem? Something about this woman just rubbed him the wrong way. “I know. And I’m sorry about your loss,” Bethany said, placing her hand on his forearm. Jack retreated from her touch shocked. He felt bad that he had reacted that way, but he was in no way ready for another woman to touch him. His wife hadn’t been gone for even a week, and he knew he wasn’t done grieving her yet. “Uh, yeah. Thank you. Excuse me, I, uh, I need to get these back to Roger and Marie. Nice to meet you.” Jack said as he started walking away. “Well, we’ll talk another time. Nice to meet you, too!” Bethany said, grabbing a drink of her own. Jack made his way back to where he had been sitting, only to find that Joy took his place. Joy looked up as Jack approached the area where she was sitting. Oh, no, she thought, realizing she had taken his seat. Jack put the drinks down and motioned for Joy to stay seated. She smiled at him gratefully, and helped him rearrange the plates so that he could sit with them comfortably. Jack got another chair and quietly thanked Joy for rearranging the plates. “I’m Jack, by the way,” he said, extending his hand to hers. “I’m Joy,” she said, taking his hand. Jack lingered holding her hand for a second, wanting to say something more, but not knowing what. “I’m very sorry for your loss,” he finally stammered, letting go of her hand. Joy looked away quickly, her blue-green eyes troubled. “Thank you,” she replied quietly. “Now, where is it that you live?” She asked, wanting to change the subject. “I live across the lake from where you are. I have a six-year-old son, Luke, and two newborn babies, Victor and Grace. My wife also just, uh, just recently past away.” Jack replied, hoping that he didn’t have to explain things any further. “Oh,” Joy said, a look of realization crossing her face. “I’m sorry for your loss, too,” she said quietly, and then tried to change the subject again. “I have a little girl, Victoria. She’s four.” Jack smiled. “So she belongs to you? I met her at the park when I dropped Luke off before the meeting. Friendly little gal. She wanted to make sure Luke would play with her at the swings. I’m not sure Luke has made friends with anyone quiet that fast.” “That’s our Victoria,” Marie interjected with a smile of her own. “We have to watch her constantly, or she will go and smother other kids with affection. She’s a great kid, though.” “Well, I’m glad Luke liked her. Maybe we could arrange for them to play together?” Jack asked cautiously, looking at Joy. He didn’t want to push, but knew that Luke didn’t get close to anyone that fast, and wanted to make the most of it. He needed more friends in his life, especially now. Joy nodded. “Yeah, sure, and it will be easy and natural, I think, now that you will be staying at the cabins near where we will be at. Did I understand that right?” Jack looked at her intensely as his blue eyes lit up. “Yes! And I am so grateful for that. I am forever thankful to Seth and Rebecca for putting up with me this long, but I’m glad that I can have a place to have my kids spread out a little. I may have to ask all of you ladies to help with my twins one in a while. In exchange for me helping you, of course.” Roger laughed and patted Jack on the back. “Do not worry about it brother! We will all be helping each other. The day will come when none of us will be able to compare who has helped the other more. We will just do it, and it will come naturally. I know Marie has told me that she is excited to see your babies, and young Luke, too. Aren’t you, Marie?” Marie nodded eagerly, her eyes shinning. “Oh, yes. I love babies.” “Ah, yes, my darling,” Roger said, putting his arm around Marie’s shoulders, “And hopefully soon we will have our own. As soon as we get married, or as you say here, ‘Hitched’!” The foursome laughed at his pronunciation of the term. They went on talking about the seasons in Minnesota, and how different it was going to be for Roger, especially during the winter. “I have never seen snow,” he commented with excitement, his eyes dancing with laughter. “Except in pictures, of course. Now I hope and pray all of these problems go away soon, but I have to say, I am secretly enjoying the thought of beating Marie in a snow fight. Imagine that!” he laughed. Joy enjoyed the conversation, especially getting to know her future brother in law better. Marie had done well in waiting. Roger seemed to be worth the wait. He treated her like royalty, and didn’t hide the fact that he felt honored to be with her. It was all bittersweet to Joy, as she knew that her romance with her husband had come to a sad, dramatic end. “Should we be checking on the kids?” She wondered out loud. “Where will they have supper?” Joy felt guilty that she was just now thinking about feeding her daughter. How could she have forgotten? What kind of mother was she? “No,” Jack responded. “They were going to feed the kids at the park. They wanted to make sure that for this time, the adults could really get to know each other, and that the kids could have some fun together, too.” “Well, that was a good idea,” Bethany said as she approached the table. She grabbed an extra chair at a different table and put it uncomfortably close to Jack’s. “Mind if I sit here?” She asked him and she sat down, not waiting for an answer. “I, uh, no. Go ahead. But I think I need to get going. I also have to get back to my twins.” He said, pushing back his chair and putting his hat back on. “It was really great to meet ya’ll” he said in his best western drawl. Joy grinned at his attempt to be funny as she cleared the disposable plates from the table, including his. “Nice to meet you too, Jack,” she said as the others chimed in. She has great smile, Jack thought to himself as he tilted his hat up. “Ladies, Sir.” he said before walking away. Jack made his way to Mr. Bodaway to thank him for the evening and say goodbye. “I see you are making new friends, Jack,” Mr. Bodaway said, raising his hand to put it on Jack’s broad shoulder. “That’s good, real good.” Jack nodded thoughtfully. “Yes, especially if we are going to have to come to depend on each other as much as you say we will.” “Well, the end of the world as we know it will be here soon, Jack. I suggest you go home and use your truck to haul as many things as you can to the cabin you are going to use. Soon you may not be able to use your vehicle anymore.” Jack looked at Mr. Bodaway, his eyes darkening. “What do you mean, Mr. Bodaway?” “Don’t ask, Jack, I can’t tell you. I’ve already told you more than I should. Just know this. Tonight will be one of last nights that we will have enjoyed it the way we are used to. From now on, it will be a different way of life. A different America, a different world.” “Well, I guess I don’t have much of a choice but to trust you. You haven’t been wrong so far, and I don’t expect you to start any time soon”. Jack shook the old man’s hand, grateful for the information, but troubled by it as well. Joy finished clearing off the plates and other garbage from the table with Marie’s help. Bethany had made herself scarce as soon as Jack had left, and was nowhere to be seen. “I’m going to take a short walk on the lake,” Joy told Marie, looking down towards the shore. Marie looked at Joy concerned. “Do you want me to go with you?” She asked quietly. “No, I’ll be fine. It’s just a short walk,” Joy reassured her sister. “Ok, but we will be keeping an eye on you,” Roger said playfully. Joy smiled at them, hoping that it would show her strength instead of her weakness. She made her way through the crowd to the steps off the patio, and down to the dock on the lake. At the end of the dock she sat down and pulled her sandals off, letting her feet dangle in the cool water. She looked back up to where the gathering was, surprised that it was very hard to see up the hill with all the trees in the way. She turned back around, glad to have some time to herself. Dave would have enjoyed this, she thought, memories of her late husband flooding her mind. She held back the tears as well as she could, not wanting to have any sign of having cried while she was here. “Well, hello there,” A voice said behind Joy, startling her. She quickly wiped away the tear that had escaped before turning to respond. She hadn’t heard anyone coming, and chided herself for it. “Hello,” she was all she managed to say. There behind her stood a short, thin man, Joy guessed in his mid thirties. He also was wearing cowboy clothes like Jack, and it made Joy wonder if it was common to do so in this area. “I’m Simon. Simon Smith. And you are Joy Wilson, right?” Joy felt a little uncomfortable that the man knew her name, but figured that the news about Dave’s death and her being a widow had already spread. “Yes, I am,” She replied quietly as she stood up, still uncomfortable with the situation. “Well, nice to meet you,” Simon said, gawking at her figure as he extended his hand to shake hers. “So you like it up here?” Joy squirmed under his gaze and wished he wouldn’t have looked at her like that. She wasn’t wearing anything that would put her in a bad place, but still wished she could crawl under some covers, out of this man’s leering sight. “Yes, it is beautiful,” she murmured, taking his hand. “Well, I for one am sure glad you came,” he said, still holding her hand and not taking his eyes off of her. “Um, yes. Thank you.” Joy looked up to the patio, hoping that someone would notice what was happening, knowing it was hard for them to see. She tried taking her hand back, but he held it firmly. “Excuse me, I think I need to get back.” She said courtly, taking her hand back a little forcefully. “So, when did your husband die?” Simon asked, ignoring her statement. Joy looked at him surprised. How dare he? What was he doing? Trying to make her cry? “Yesterday,” she said looking down, her voice filled with emotion. “Awww, man, I guess it’s too soon to ask you out then, ain’t it?” Joy took a step back in disbelief, almost falling into the lake. Simon reached out to grab her by her wrists and pulled her back, close to his chest. “I’ve got ya, don’t worry, I’ve got ya!” Simon grinned, revealing a row full of crooked teeth, stained by tobacco. Joy stepped back again, this time making sure she didn’t go into the lake. “Excuse me. I need to get back now.” She said tensely. “Stay and chat a little, I won’t hurt ya,” Simon said as he stepped in her way, blocking the way to the shore. “Hey Joy?” Joy heard a voice calling from the other end of the dock. It was Jack. “You about ready?” Joy looked confused for a second, and then relief swept over her face as she nodded. “Yes, thank you.” She walked past Simon quickly and made her way to the shore. “Hey, where are you guys going? We were just starting to get acquainted!” Simon yelled. “We are going to pick up the kids. I told Joy I would walk her over so no one here would bother her.” Jack said, his eyes on fire. Simon tilted his head back and laughed. “Bother her? Who would bother her in this town?” “Come on, let’s go,” Jack murmured, grabbing Joy gently by the arm. As they made there way back up the steps to where the rest of the gathering was, Joy shook her arm free from Jack. “Look, Jack, thank you for helping me back there, but I want you to know, I can take care of myself.” Joy paused on the stairs and turned to look at him, her face straight and her eyes flashing. “Well, I never doubted that, Joy. I’m sorry, I thought I was helping you!” Jack looked at her confused. He had just met this woman, and he was already having an argument with her? He thought he had done a good thing! Simon Smith was a slime ball, and everyone knew it. He had been in jail for rape and attempted rape before, and Jack knew it was only a matter of time before he struck again. “I don’t want you to think I’m the poor little Wilson Widow, because I’m not. I can and will take care of myself, and that is all I can depend on. Now thank you for trying to help me back there, but just keep that in mind next time. Now excuse me, I really do need to get home.” Joy turned and raced up the rest of the stairs, leaving Jack standing there, dumbfounded. Once in the patio, Joy found her father and asked if they could get back. Ed looked at her, wondering what had flustered her daughter so, but agreed, not wanting to press her. They worked out that Ed, Juan, Allen, Joy and Victoria would head back to the farm, and the rest would come later. Roger and Rachel had gone to pick Victoria up, and she was full of excitement and laughter. Joy was glad for the distraction on the way back, but worried about the confrontation she had just had, not only with Simon, but with Jack, too. Once back at the farm, Joy helped Juan and Allen get some things into the nearest cabin. The place was small, but it would do great under the circumstances. They worked hard and long, trying to get as much stuff put away and in its place for the night. Victoria did her best to help Joy make the beds, and soon it was dark, so they made their way back to the farmhouse. With a double bed and two single beds made and ready, they decided that Juan, Ann, Marie and Leslie would stay there. Joy would stay in the same room that she had the night before with Victoria. Roger, Marco and Allen would stay in the basement and Bethany would stay with Rebecca, since the room that Jack was occupying was now empty. Joy heard that Jack had moved as much stuff as he could into the third cabin, the one furthest away from the farmhouse. Joy went to bed that night exhausted, the events of the day finally taking their toll. She fell asleep crying again, longing again for her husband and the comfort she knew he no longer could provide. Jack also had a tough time falling asleep. He had been left speechless when Joy had been offended at his help, and had a tough time figuring her out. He and Luke had moved all of their stuff out of the room that they had been staying in, and moved into one of the cabins. Bethany had insisted that the sheets didn’t need to be changed, so he had left them on the bed he and Luke had shared, and that now Bethany was going to use, hoping that Rebecca wouldn’t mind. The cabins were rustic to say the least, but definitely livable. Jack put Luke in a room of his own, hoping that this way he’d at least get some more sleep. They slept on the mattresses without any sheets, as it had been a long time since Jack had made a bed. The twins finally fell asleep, and Jack fell into his own restless slumber. Every two hours he woke up and fed the babies, hoping that they would soon learn to sleep through the night, or at least a little longer. He woke up early the next day, tired and weary of what the day held in store for him, hoping that the picture that Mr. Bodaway had painted would never come to pass. -------------------- CHAPTER 18 Joy rubbed her eyes and sat up in bed, yawning and stretching as she stood up. She checked on Victoria, grateful that she was sleeping well through the night again. A few weeks had passed since the meeting at Mr. Bodaway’s house and the confrontation she had encountered with the man named Simon, and with her neighbor, Jack. Since then they had all worked hard at getting things in order and put away as best as they could. They had separated everything into piles by family, according to what each of them had bought. Although they did share, it was clear that it was to be maintained separated. Joy had put her stuff into a storage barn except for some of the foodstuffs, glad to have a place to put everything until she was ready to use it. She had no cabin of her own, as Jack was using the one that was going to be for her. She thought it was better this way, as she didn’t know if she was ready to be alone like that yet. They had also worked out a schedule to help Jack with his babies. Each of the women would take a turn helping him, and he would help them around the farm, teaching them to do things like shooting, harvesting and taking care of some of the animals. Joy had been busy cleaning and organizing, and had been able to avoid spending too much time with Jack. She felt bad for how she had treated him the day they met, and had meant to apologize for that, but just hadn’t gotten the chance. Once she had calmed down and had been honest with herself, she realized that she really couldn’t do everything for herself, and that she had to depend on everyone else as they were going to depend on her. She was still mad at God. The wound of her husband dying was far from being healed, although a scab had begun to form. She felt like no one else was to blame for her husband’s death but God. She knew that He would never shut her out, and she felt as though she was in a room, full of His presence, not being able to escape Him. In turn, she felt as though she kept herself in a box in this room, shutting Him out. She would have nothing to do with Him. She closed her eyes when her father prayed, and even encouraged Victoria to do so. But she was hurt, and had resigned herself to never being cared for by Him again. Today was the day that Joy was going to take her turn caring for Jack’s twins. This was her first time, even though everyone else had done it several times. She had gotten the scoop the night before on what was expected of her, and found that she was actually looking forward to seeing the newborn babies. She was a little apprehensive of seeing Jack, but Marie had commented that she had only seen him twice the days she had taken care of them, once when she got there, and then again later when she got ready to leave and he was there to take over. Marie said that Jack must have had lunch elsewhere that day, as he never showed up to eat until supper time. In addition to taking care of the babies, whoever was there was also in charge of meals for the day for Jack and Luke. Luke sometimes went with his father, and other times he stayed home. Bethany had reported that the days she had been there, Luke mainly stayed to himself, not saying much, and not wanting to participate in anything. She also sounded disappointed that Ann had been the one that had seen Jack the most. Jack had stuck around that day, and done things closer to the cabin, like cutting wood and taking Luke on walks. Nothing big had happened like Mr. Bodaway had predicted, and it made Joy wonder if it ever would. She knew that things had deteriorated in the cities around the country, but was hoping things to get back to normal soon. Even her family was starting to talk about venturing out and going back to Mexico. Roger and Marie, along with Ed, were the only ones that were not ready to leave. Joy had resigned herself to this being her life, and had no desire at all to move back to the Twin Cities. Even though she had her doubts, she trusted the old man and knew that this was probably just the calm before the storm that was yet to come. Well, if you could call it a calm. The terrorist attacks had stopped, with a lot of them being prevented by the local officials. Martial law was still in place though, from dusk to dawn, due to continued unrest in the cities and even small towns. Mr. Bodaway had encouraged everyone to stay at the Reservation, close to home. Once in a while Joy would hear glimpses on the radio of what was going on outside of her new little world. Gas prices had peaked at an all time high of $8.59 a gallon in the Northern area, higher in places like California or even Florida. Riots had become wide spread as people lost their jobs or couldn’t afford the food prices that had been raised to reflect the cost of gas. Joy had been so thankful that they were in a protected environment, far from the riots and small wars that had broken out. No one seemed to have a set schedule, and Joy looked forward to a day when things would take a more normal pace. She had been able to learn a few things about the farm in these few weeks, including how to work a wood cooking-stove. She didn’t know if she would ever need the knowledge or not, but found it fascinating to do. She had tried to bake bread and make a few other simple things in it, but it was taking a long time for her to get it right. Still, she practiced at least once a day by making different kinds of breads as well as other meals, and also helped in the garden and with taking care of the produce that they were getting either by canning or drying it. Joy got ready for the day, enjoying the hot shower against her body. For a moment it was like nothing had ever happened, and she was back in her apartment, humming her favorite song. Joy missed Dave, and the closeness she had had with him. As she finished up and toweled of, Joy wondered if anyone would ever love her the way Dave had, want her and long for her the way he had. She sighed and pulled on the light, long sundress that she had chosen for the day, not allowing the tears that were forming to fall down her cheeks. “Joy, you almost done in there?” Ed asked, knocking on the door. “I’ll be out in a minute, Dad,” Joy said as cheerfully as she could. “Already then,” came back his reply. Joy finished getting dressed quickly, and went back into her room to finish brushing her hair. Victoria had slept through it all, and was just now waking up. “Good morning, honey,” Joy said softly, smoothing Victoria’s hair away from her face. “Good morning, Mama,” Victoria said sleepily. Joy laid next to her daughter for a few minutes, enjoying her close presence. They talked some small talk, catching up on what colors of butterflies Victoria had discovered, and how many rocks she had collected. “Well, guess what we are going to do today?” Joy asked, trying to build up some excitement for something that she wasn’t at all together sure she was excited for herself. “What?” “We are going to go to Luke’s house!” Joy said as Victoria clapped. “My friend Luke? Really Mama? Yeah!” Joy loved seeing Victoria so excited. It didn’t take much to get her thrilled, and Joy wondered what happened to people that they lost their love for life. Life, she thought as she helped Victoria get dressed. Joy smiled as she watched Victoria gaze at herself in the mirror after taking her braids out that she had slept in the night before. Victoria called the curls that they left ‘triangles’, and liked admiring herself with them. After they were ready, they made their way to the kitchen where Ed was having his second cup of coffee and Liz was preparing breakfast. “Hi honey,” Liz greeted her. “How did you sleep last night?” “Better,” Joy replied, amazed at the truth in her statement. “And you?” “Like a baby!” Ed replied. “Yeah, speak for yourself, mister,” Liz countered jokingly. “Are you ready to go?” Ed asked as Joy gathered the basket and small cooler with the food she had gotten ready to take the night before. “Yeah, I think so.” Joy nodded her head. “I’m taking along some toys in case the kids want to play inside or it rains and they can’t play outside. And I think I have all the food I need for the rest of the day too. We do breakfast too, you said, right?” “Yup. That way Jack doesn’t have to worry about any of that, and he can focus on other things that he has to do. As it is he is getting a broken night of sleep, but he has insisted on keeping the babies with him at night.” Liz said, setting the table for everyone else that was going to be there eating. “But what’s really going to get you is how they have to wash dishes. It’s kind of a bear, having to haul in the water, but I guess everyone has tried to leave the place clean for Jack at the end of the day.” “Ok, then, I guess I’ll do that to!” Joy said, faking her enthusiasm. Liz laughed. “I know washing dishes isn’t your favorite thing to do, honey, but you’ll survive.” “Oh, I’ll try,” Joy laughed, heading for the door. “Well, we better go. Have a good day everyone!” Victoria got off her Grandpa’s lap that she had been sitting on, and went and gave her Grandma a kiss. “Love you, Grandma!” She called, running out to the front porch. “Bye sweetie, love you!” Liz called out as they left. Joy and Victoria made their way to the last cabin, carrying all the things they needed for the day. Joy wished she had some kind of cart or something to carry all the stuff, but the weather was beautiful and she enjoyed the walk immensely. Once there she put the stuff down on the porch and knocked lightly on the door, apprehensive of what was to come. Jack opened the door slowly, and was surprised to see Joy and Victoria standing there. “Good morning,” he said quietly stepping back to let them in. “Good morning. Are the babies sleeping?” Joy asked, picking up the basket as Jack carried the cooler in. Jack nodded. “Yes. They just both fell asleep. Thank you for coming, I’ll be leaving soon,” Jack said. He felt a little uncomfortable with Joy there, knowing that their last encounter had not ended so well. He had done a good job avoiding her, until now. Joy nodded as she busied herself getting breakfast ready. Victoria had sat down at the table and had made herself comfortable looking at a book. “Where’s Luke?” Victoria asked, looking at Jack. “He’s still sleeping, but he’ll be up soon.” “Ok,” Victoria responded simply and went back to her book. Joy looked at Jack over her shoulder. “How is he doing?” she whispered. Jack left what he had been doing and joined her over by the small propane stove she was making breakfast at, glad that Joy seemed to be over whatever he had done to tick her off. “He didn’t sleep well last night, he had a couple of nightmares. He said that he dreamt that his mom came today, and that they were able to spend lots of time together. I wasn’t able to spend as much time with him as I wanted because of the twins, but I thought you should know. What are you doing?” He asked, peering over her shoulder. “What am I doing? I’m making breakfast! What does it look like I’m doing?” Joy kicked herself for responding so strongly. She hoped that he saw that she was humored by his question, not bothered. She was hoping to make peace with this man, not make things worse. “Well, I know you are making breakfast, I just wondered what.” He answered in kind. “Pancakes. Pancakes and some fruit that I cut up last night, together with some homemade syrup that someone from town made. Is that ok?” Joy smiled, nodding at the cooler. “Yeah, sure,” Jack shrugged. “Beets having cereal,” he grinned sheepishly. “I can arrange that if you’d like,” Joy laughed quietly, trying not to wake up the kids. Soon she was done making breakfast and had Victoria helping her set the table. Jack had offered to help, but Joy had shaken her head, wanting to involve Victoria in whatever ways possible. As Victoria set the plates down for everyone, the door to Luke’s room creaked open. Joy turned to look at him and smiled. “Good morning Luke, how are you today? I’m Joy, Victoria’s Mommy.” Luke looked at Joy with wide eyes, but didn’t say anything. Victoria stopped what she was doing and went and stood next to him. “Luke! We are going to have pancakes and fruit! Do you want some?” Victoria asked pulling him towards the table. “Here. You put these plates over there, and I’ll put these over here. Then we need forks, too.” Luke looked a little dazed, but did as he was told. Soon they were all sitting at the table, ready to eat breakfast. “Let’s pray,” Jack said, bowing his head. “Wait!” Victoria interjected. “We aren’t holding hands!” “Oh, honey, we don’t always have to hold hands when we pray.” Joy tried to talk her out of it. “But I want to!” “It’s ok, Joy. We’ll hold hands, ok Victoria?” Jack said. “I have a feeling God likes it better like that anyway,” he smiled and winked at her. Victoria grinned as she reached out her small hands to hold Joy and Jack’s hands. Joy was relieved that at least she and Jack were sitting across from each other and didn’t have to worry about holding each other’s hand. They ate their meal quietly, once in a while whispering something to each other. Victoria would giggle, thinking that it was funny that they were being so quiet, only to be shushed by the others and then they all tried hard not to laugh out loud. Once they were done, Jack got up and helped Joy clear off the table, with Luke and Victoria helping as well. “Mommy, can we go outside to play?” Victoria asked after they were done clearing the table off. “What do you say?” Joy asked, her hands on her hips. “Please?” Victoria asked, batting her eyelashes. “Sure. Make sure that Luke wants to go too, and stay close to the cabin, ok?” Joy said putting her hand on Victoria’s head and stroking her hair. “Ok! Luke, do you want to go outside with me?” Victoria asked, turning to look at him. Luke nodded his little blond head, looking at Jack. “It’s ok, Luke, you can go.” Jack reassured him. “Stay close though, ok?” “Yes, Papa.” Luke responded quietly. As Victoria and Luke made their way out, Joy looked at Jack. “Nice kid, Jack.” “Thank you. He’s always been quiet, but more so since his Mother passed away.” Joy nodded. “I figured that much. I’m worried about Victoria. She’s hardly even mentioned Dave.” “Yeah, it’s hard to know what is going on in those little minds.” “Well, I’m not sure I’m going to figure it out today, but I do know that these dishes aren’t going to wash themselves. Now how have they been doing this?” Joy asked. “Well, actually, I’m not sure.” Jack said, a little embarrassed. “I’m usually gone by now.” “Oh. Well, do you need to go?” “I suppose I should,” Jack started to say, but was interrupted by one of the twins. “I’ll go,” Joy said, excited to finally get to see the babies. She left Jack standing there, and went quietly into his room. The place was filled with boxes and big black bags, and it looked like he had been sleeping on the mattress without any sheets. She bent over and picked Victor up carefully from the crib that he shared with his sister, caressing his cheek. Victor turned his head towards her, trying to find her breast. “Oh, I’m sorry, honey,” Joy laughed. “Right equipment, just not functional right now. Come here. Let’s get you something to eat.” Joy took little Victor out into the main room and found the bottles that Jack had prepared. Jack had left, but the door was open and she could see him outside, busy getting water from the well with a hand pump. “Man, your Papa makes that look easy,” She murmured to Victor. She was glad he had set the bottles out, and it was simple enough to prepare the formula, even one handedly. She knew that breast milk was the best, but obviously this would have to do in a situation like this. Victor ate contentedly and Joy barely had enough time to burp him and change his diaper before his sister woke up. Joy went and put Victor down and picked Grace up. She wasn’t used to two babies, especially not at once. Joy busied herself taking care of the babies as Jack continued to get water into some large containers out on the porch. By the time he was done, both babies were well taken care of and happy. Soon they were fussing, trying to fall asleep. Joy made sure that their diapers were dry and that they had been awake for a sufficient amount of time before laying them down again. As soon as she put each of them down, they started crying. Joy bent over and kissed each one, and left the room. Jack stood in the doorway, bringing in a couple buckets of water. “Aren’t you going to rock them to sleep?” he asked, a little confused. “Well, I can if you want me to, but I learned with Victoria that it’s best that they learn to fall asleep by themselves. It worked wonders for her. She was sleeping through the night at three months old.” Joy responded, taking a cup and filling up a pot with water to heat up. “Really? And you just laid her down?” Joy nodded. “Yes, but you need to be consistent. If you aren’t, you are just shooting yourself in the foot, making it harder on you and them.” They talked for a while about the method, and finally Joy put the hot water in to wash the dishes. The twins had stopped crying after a few minutes, and gone to sleep. “Well, it worked!” Jack said, surprised. “Yeah, it did. Sometimes it takes longer than other times. And I’ve never done it with twins, but they seem to have done ok. We’ll see how it goes for next time.” Jack nodded. “I’m very impressed. So, do you need some help here?” “No, I don’t think so. Thank you for getting the water, Jack.” Joy said, thankful that she hadn’t had to get the water herself. “No problem. I wish I had thought of doing it before. I’m afraid your sisters and Bethany all had to get their own. I’ll make sure these barrels stay full from now on.” “Well, I’m sure they will appreciate it as well,” Joy said, adding some of her home made soap to the water. “Man, that smells good!” he said, leaning into the steaming water. “What is that?” “That,” Joy smiled, “is lavender soap. I made it myself.” “Really? Well, I wouldn’t want to smell like that, but it sure smells good! You sure you don’t need any help?” Jack said, still breathing it in. “I’m fine, Jack. It’s not the first time I’ve done dishes you know.” “Alright then. I’m going to take off. What time do you want me to come back for lunch?” He asked, looking at his watch. “Lunch? You can’t possibly be thinking about lunch!” Joy teased him. “Is one o’clock ok with you?” “Man, give a guy a break! It’s hard work getting all that water!” Jack teased back. “Yes Ma’am. One o’clock sharp it will be.” Jack tipped the hat he had just put on, and left the cabin. Joy smiled and shook her head. Jack turned out to be nicer than she had thought after their encounter that first day. She would have to apologize for treating him so badly that first day. She finished the dishes quickly, glad that Jack had left the door open. It was getting warm, and this way she could get some breeze and keep an eye on the kids outside. Joy was surprised at how much Luke came out of his shell when he was with Victoria. He seemed like a whole different person, and Joy appreciated that he was careful to tell Victoria when to stop if she was getting to close to something dangerous, or going too far away. Joy finished the dishes and checked on the babies. Since they were still sleeping, she decided to tidy the place up a bit, and make it more livable. She found some paper, and after cleaning the cabinets from sawdust, she carefully lined the shelves with the paper and put the dishes that Jack had out away. She went into Luke’s room, and saw that he was also sleeping on just the mattress, with a sleeping bag for a blanket. She looked through some of the boxes, finding everything but sheets for a single bed. She did find some queen sized ones, so after checking on all the four kids, she busied herself quietly making Jack’s bed, careful not to wake the babies up. She’d send some single bed sheets home with who ever came the next day, so that Luke would have a nice bed to sleep on too. For tonight she tucked in an extra queen sheet so that he would at least have something. Then the babies woke up, and Luke and Victoria came in from playing outside, thirsty. This is where it’s going to get tricky, Joy thought, trying to manage all four kids at once. She picked up Grace first, asking Luke and Victoria to wash their hands before sitting down at the table. They used the left over water from the dishes, and sat down, eager to get their drinks. Joy poured them some water in juice glasses while still holding Grace, tipping one of them over and spilling water all over the floor. She still had to deal with Victor, and wasn’t sure where Jack had more towels to be able to clean up the mess. Just then Jack walked in, at one o’clock sharp, just as he promised. “Oh, no, Jack! I’m sorry!” Joy blushed, embarrassed that he had walked in at the worst possible moment. Both babies were crying by this time, the water was all over the table and floor, and Victoria was talking loudly trying to get Joy’s attention. And to make matters worse, he was on time, but she hadn’t made lunch! Jack laughed and came to Joy’s aid. “Here, let me take Grace,” he said, taking her from Joy. That freed up Joy to get the towel she had used to dry the dishes earlier and gave it to Victoria to help clean up the mess. “But I didn’t spill it, Mama!” She complained. “I know honey, but right now, we all have to help, ok?” Joy said as she went to get Victor. “

CHAPTER 15 Dave was gone forever. Dead. The man that had been in the ambulance was his coworker, George. It was a simple case of mistaken identity that had left deep wounds of sorrow and regret in Joy’s heart. Joy had heard from the policeman what they thought had happen, according to witnesses that had seen Dave go into the building, including Joy’s dad, Ed. Dave and George had gotten the equipment that they needed to get the power to the other building just before the lights had gone out. Dave was about to leave with Ed, but George had called him back asking for help again, as someone was stuck in the elevator. The person, Joy found out later, was Dave’s old boss. The one that treated him so badly while he worked there. Dave had hesitated, but decided that this was no time to hold grudges, especially when it was a life or death situation. Dave and George had been working on getting the elevator open when the bomb in the building went off. They had not yet been able to determine if it was a suicide bomber or if the bomb had been planted and set off with a timer. Either way, it really didn’t matter to Joy. Her husband was gone, and now she was left alone, faced to confront the reality of what was happening by herself. Joy had collapsed again, and fainted in the arms of her father. The pain and sorrow of loosing Dave, especially in such a horrific manner, was almost too much for her to bear. The policemen and firemen that had found his body had come and talked to her. They would not allow her to see him, but she was welcome to come and be at least near his body. Joy had agreed. They took her to where Dave’s body was, covered in a plastic bag, and Joy gently put her hand on where his heart should have been. She cried some more tears, wondering why God would have allowed such a horrible thing to happen to her dear husband. Why him? She asked God. Why now? We were supposed to grow old together. Joy shook her head. What was the point of talking to God, anyway? Had He listened to Dave when he had prayed that the Lord would keep them safe? Apparently not. Why should she think that He would listen now? No. Joy clenched her teeth, and shut her heart to God. She knew that deep in her heart she could never escape Him, but she told herself that she would never trust Him like that again. What kind of fool did He think she was? Joy bent over and gently kissed the bag somewhere around where Dave’s face was. She felt her body trembling with pain, and her head pounding out of control. “I love you, Dave. I love you,” she whispered towards the bag and then turned to leave. That’s when she had fainted. She had no idea how long she was out, but woke up wishing that she could still be out, and not have to face the reality of facing life without her best friend, her lover, her companion. The policeman that had taken her to the ambulance was there, talking to Ed, Liz and Bethany when Joy came to. Joy thought that Bethany had handled everything pretty well, considering the circumstances. A paramedic helped Joy up from a stretcher that she had been laid on. He tried to keep a blanket around her, trying to keep her from going into shock. Joy approached her family timidly, as though she wasn’t supposed to be there. “Joy,” Liz said, putting her arms around Joy. Joy allowed a few tears to escape, but was trying to do her best to keep calm. “Where’s Victoria?” Joy asked, looking around for her. “She’s with your sisters. Joy, listen,” Bethany said, “the officer was telling us that we are welcome to take Dave’s body to bury it, but that what he really recommends is for all of us to just leave. Especially if we have a place to go. And I agree. I’m scared sh**less, and as much as I loved my brother, we have to go if we are hoping to not have the same fate as him. It’s really up to you, though.” Joy looked at the officer, her eyes red and her head pounding from all the emotions she had just gone through. “What would happen to Dave?” she asked quietly. “Um, we would take the body to the morgue, and we could keep it there until you come back. If you never come back, then we would cremate his remains and keep them until someone comes to lay claim to them. We don’t have space to keep his body, but we do have a place to put his ashes. Would that be ok?” The officer responded nervously. Joy recognized him. She knew he was one that Dave had worked with before with the thefts in the building. Joy nodded, another tear falling down her cheek. “Yes, officer. That will be fine. I have said my good bye’s, so if you guys want to, go ahead.” “Oh, I’ll go first,” Bethany said, walking over to Dave’s body. She stood silently by the body, placing her hand on the bag. “Bye little brother. I’ll miss you!” She whispered quietly. Next, Joy’s parents went over and each said a few words. The rest of Joy’s family wasn’t around, and she really didn’t want to prolong the agony. She wasn’t sure what to do about Victoria. Should she come and say goodbye to her Daddy? Would she understand? The paramedics were about to load Dave’s body into the ambulance when Joy decided that yes, Victoria should get a chance to say goodbye to her father. “Wait! Please, wait,” Joy said, her voice breaking again. The paramedics turned to look at her, puzzled looks on their faces. “Is there something else?” One of them asked. Joy nodded. “Mom, can you go get Victoria? I think she should be able to say goodbye.” “Sure, honey. But are you sure?” Liz asked, concern in her voice. “Do you think she’ll be able to handle it?” “I don’t know, Mom. But I do know that I don’t want her to hate me for the rest of her life for not being able to say goodbye to him.” Joy responded, wondering herself if she was doing the right thing. “Ok, I’ll get her,” Ed said, heading up the hill to where the rest of the family was. In a few minutes they were back, the whole family. Victoria ran to Joy, putting her arms around her legs. “Mommy? Are you sad?” Victoria asked innocently. Joy nodded, picking Victoria up and holding her close. “Yes, honey. I’m very sad. Victoria, sweetie, look at me.” Victoria pulled back from the embrace, still in Joy’s arms, and looked at her straight in her eyes. Joy swallowed wondering if this was going to be the hardest thing she would ever do in her life. She hoped so! “Victoria, Daddy can’t be with us anymore, honey,” Joy said, her chin quivering and her eyes filling with tears once again. “Why? Where is he going? He can’t come on the trip?” Victoria asked, a confused look crossing her face. “No, sweetie. He can’t. And honey, we won’t be able to see him anymore, or play with him anymore.” Joy answered, holding Victoria close again. Victoria pushed Joy back away to look at her face again. “But Mommy, I want him to come with us! Why can’t he come with us?” She whined, beginning to cry. “Honey, Daddy went to live with God. He won’t be living with us anymore.” Ed intervened, knowing that Joy needed the help. “He went to live at God’s house? In heaven?” Victoria asked, looking at her Grandpa. “Yes, honey, he did.” Ed replied sadly. “Well, I want to live there too. Can I live there with Mommy and Daddy?” She asked, not fully grasping the concept of death. Joy always wondered what would happen if someone close to her died, but she never imagined it would be like this. She held Victoria close again, and shook her head. “No, honey. We can’t. I want to go live there now, too, but we can’t. Not now. Maybe later, but not soon. At least I hope not soon.” The process of explaining to Victoria what was happening was not only painful, but also slow. Finally, she nodded her head in resignation, and held on to Joy. “Are you going to live in Heaven too, Mommy?” She asked, her eyes filled with fear. “No, honey. Not yet. I will do what ever I can to stay with you as long as I can, ok? Mommy will do her best to take care of you, no matter what happens.” Joy responded, tears running down her face again. They had decided to not show Victoria where the body was, hoping that this way she would remember Dave alive and vibrant, not in a body bag. Joy had said one last, painful goodbye, and they had taken the officer’s suggestion. Something else they decided is that Joy wouldn’t drive. They left their old car, and Ed drove her van. Liz went in the passenger’s seat and Joy sat in back with Victoria, while Roger drove Ed’s van, Juan drove Bethany’s U-haul, Marco drove Joy’s U-haul, and Ann drove their van. Joy wasn’t sure who went with whom, all that mattered is that she was able to sit next to Victoria. Victoria fell asleep almost immediately, the toll of the night before and the emotions of the day catching up with her. Joy was grateful that her little girl could sleep. She leaned her seat back, and let everyone else take care of what was happening. Ed and Liz had done this trip before so they took the lead, with Roger and Marie being the last ones, since Marie had made the trip many times before as well. They had FRS/GMRS radios with them, and were able to communicate what turns to make and Joy was pleased to see how well they were working, and how much they helped. Not long before reaching the edge of the twin cities, they slowed down and had to stop for the police block. It was a large amount of police, Joy noticed, and she was hoping that they would just wave them through. No such luck, though. Why should this be any different? Joy wondered. God had already taken the one she loved the most, why should He concern Himself with the trip going smoothly? No, Joy thought, it’d be too much to ask. Man! And I honestly thought He cared about me! She covered her face with a sweater that she had nearby, hoping that by pretending that she was asleep they would leave her alone. It worked in Mexico, so why not give it a try here? She over heard her Dad’s conversation with the policeman about why they had to all show their papers and say where they were going. Joy had pre-arranged all of hers and her family’s, but hoped that she wouldn’t have to pull them out. She heard her parents getting out of the van, and closed her eyes tighter. Victoria was still fast asleep, and she was hoping that they would believe the same about her. Then, the door next to her opened, making her jump. So much for pretending to be asleep, she thought. She went through the motions of showing her papers and Victoria’s. Except that instead of showing Victoria’s, she accidentally showed Dave’s. “Who is David, Ma’am?” The older officer asked. Joy looked at him surprised, then blushed when she realized the mistake she had made. “He’s my husband,” she replied sadly. “Is he in one of the other vehicles?” The officer pressed, nodding at the rest of her family that was also being questioned. “No,” Joy shook her head. “He died in a terrorist attack at our apartment complex today.” The police officer looked shocked. “I’m, I’m sorry to hear that, Ma’am.” He walked away and yelled at the other officers to get the ball rolling, that there were bigger fish to fry. The officer walked back to where Joy was with Ed and Liz, and shook their hands. “Again, I’m very sorry for your loss. We will let you go now, and here, take this pass with you. If you are stopped again, just show them this pass and it should get you through. I can only give you one, but the rest of your family should be fine as long as they are with you. And Ma’am,” he paused, “be careful. If things don’t start getting better real quick, I’m afraid that this country will cease to be as we know it, if it isn’t already too late.” “Thank you, Officer” Joy said to the older man. “I appreciate all your help”. A little late for my husband, though, she thought. Everyone filed back into their vehicles, and started the trek to Grand Rapids again. Joy settled back into her seat, glad that Victoria had slept through the commotion. She wrapped the sweater around her shoulders and closed her eyes before the tears could form again. She didn’t open them again until a couple of hours later, relieved that she had been able to fall asleep. Ed had pulled over so that they could fill up on gas and they could all use the restrooms as needed. It was also past everyone’s lunch hour, and they wanted to get something to eat before they kept going. Joy noticed that Victoria was gone, and her heart dropped to her stomach. Soon she saw her coming out of the gas station with Marie. Marie came to Joy and handed her a cold pop, a sandwich, a bag of chips and a cookie. “Here, Joy. This is lunch,” Marie said, and helped Joy sit up. “I’m really not too hungry,” Joy replied, taking everything from Marie, glad to see that it looked like they had taken good care of Victoria. “Eat. You need to eat.” Marie pressed. Joy shook her head slightly, and gave it her best shot. She got half way through the sandwich, ate some chips and the cookie. She felt guilty for eating the cookie instead of the sandwich, but was glad to have made that choice. She had also been very glad when Marie offered her a bottle of cold water instead of the pop. Joy took the water, savoring the soothing effect it always seemed to have on her. Joy put the remainder of her lunch into a small garbage bag, and tossed it into the garbage can. She stretched, glad to know that her body wasn’t hurting, at least not just yet. She knew that the events of the day would finally catch up with her body at some point. Joy leaned back into the van and grabbed her purse. “Marie, will you stay here with Victoria? I’m going to go to the bathroom and freshen up a bit.” Marie nodded, her face somber. Joy knelt down in front of Victoria and gave her a hug. “Mommy will be right back, ok?” Joy whispered in Victoria’s ear. Victoria nodded, looking at Joy sadly with her bright blue eyes. Joy kissed Victoria on the cheek, and went inside of the gas station. Several of her family members where there, buying some more things, and just walking around, resting their legs. Liz saw Joy and made a beeline for her. “How are you doing, honey?” Liz asked, putting her arm around Joy’s shoulders. Joy shrugged. “I don’t know. Ok, I guess. How long does it take for a woman to get over her husbands death?” “I’m sorry, Mom,” Joy said when she saw Liz’s lower lip started trembling. “I’m doing better. It helped to get that nap in, and as much as I hate to admit it, it helped to eat, too. Now I just want to go to the bathroom and wash my face a little.” Liz nodded and leaned into Joy to give her a kiss on her cheek. “Victoria seems to be doing ok, for now.” She said, walking to the bathroom with Joy. “Good, good.” Joy replied, glad that she was, at least for now. Joy went into the bathroom by herself and looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes were puffy and her face was streaked. She must have gotten dirty through the whole ordeal and not noticed. She washed her face, and reached into her purse and freshened up the little makeup that she was wearing. I will not embarrass Dave by being the pitiful widow, Joy thought. She took her blouse off and scrubbed more dirt off of her body before putting it back on. She tried to clean her legs as best as she could, and wondered why she had decided to wear shorts. Oh, yeah, because it’s hot, she reminded herself. She pulled her hair down and ran her wet fingers through her hair before pulling it back up into a bun. She looked at herself in the mirror one more time, satisfied with how she looked. I have to be able to get through this, she said quietly to her reflection in the mirror. I need to be strong. Victoria needs me and my family needs me. From now on, I will try to keep my grieving to myself. Joy opened the door and stepped out of the bathroom, surprising Liz. “Well, you look much better!” Liz said, smiling. “Thanks,” Joy replied. “Where is everyone else?” She asked, looking around the store. “They’ve all gone out, everyone is anxious to get going. This was an expensive stop!” Liz said as they made their way back out to the vehicles. “You know what we paid for each lunch? $20! But the guy convinced your father that it was going to be much more at a fast food place. Gas was $3.50 a gallon! That’s the most we’ve paid the whole trip. You know how much that is to fill all of these vehicles?” Joy shook her head in amazement as they reached her van. It was going to take her a while to assume full possession for their stuff. It had always been their stuff, hers and Dave’s. And now with him gone, Joy would be making the decisions on what to do with everything by herself. She wondered if it would even matter anymore, if they would all just die. Joy shook her head again as she got into the back seat and put her seatbelt on. She wasn’t going to make it too far if she kept having this negative attitude, she told herself. She reached over and held Victoria’s hand. Victoria held hers a little tighter than usual, and Joy was glad that she was able to sit next to her daughter and not worry about driving. They made there way the last two hours to Grand Rapids, and just before entering the city they were stopped again by a police checkpoint. They waved them through when Ed showed them the pass and told the officer how many vehicles were with them. Joy was relived that they didn’t have to go through that again. Liz borrowed Joy’s cell phone and called Linda. When she didn’t get an answer at her home, she decided to call her cell phone. “Hi, Linda? This is Liz,” Joy heard her say and then paused for a response. “Oh, that’s why you aren’t home. So do you want us to meet you there? Ok, hang on a second, let me get something to write on.” Liz spent the next several minutes writing down directions. “Ok, Linda, we’ll see you in about an hour, then, ok?” Liz hung up the phone and related what she had just talked about with Linda. “She says that Grand Rapids was getting too scary to be there, even in the smaller towns around it. She is staying at Rebecca’s place, and said that we should go there, and we would figure out what to do once we got there. I’m not sure that Rebecca will have enough space in her house, but at least we will be safe. With all that land around her, we should be, anyway!” Liz said looking back at Joy and Victoria. Joy could tell that Liz was wondering if she had said the wrong thing. Joy didn’t want her family to worry about walking on eggshells around her, so she smiled a slight smile. Liz smiled back and turned around and started giving Ed directions as to where to go. Joy sighed. Another hour? She looked at her watch. At this point they wouldn’t be at Rebecca’s until 8:00pm or later. She looked over at Victoria who had fallen asleep again, and touched her hand softly. They made their way in silence after Liz notified the other drivers through the radios what the change in plans was. Joy looked out the window, enjoying the scenery as much as she could before the sun went down completely. Northern Minnesota was a beautiful part of the country. With all the lakes and forests, it was a natural place for people to want to vacation in. Joy wondered if this would also be a place where people would want to come to, as things were getting bad. She had read about people being survivalists, but she and Dave had never made it much past the bug out bags stage, until now. This was the most that they had pushed to do, other than having food and water stored in their apartment, enough to last them a couple of months or so. Now they had food to last for months, but Dave wasn’t there to enjoy it. Joy shook her head and made herself look at the beautiful scenery again before she started crying. This last leg seemed to last forever for Joy. Finally she started recognizing some of the landmarks that led to her cousin’s home. When they got to the edge of Seth and Rebecca’s property, they found one of the kids waiting there for them. Ed slowed down to a stop and rolled his window down. “Hi there, John! How are you doing?” Ed said, getting out of the van and shaking John’s hand. John was about Allen’s age, and Joy wondered how well they would get along. They both liked the outdoors a lot, but they had never met, and Joy knew that some kids just didn’t get along. “Good, Uncle Ed, thanks. And you?” He responded shyly. Joy smiled. John really liked Ed, and Joy knew he considered it a special treat for him to visit. “Good, thanks. Do you want to ride with us?” Ed asked, nodding towards the van. John nodded. “Mom said I should take you over to the Larson’s old place. Is there room in here for me?” He said, looking at the van and how full it was. Ed looked back and shook his head. “No, I don’t think so, John. But there is in one of the U-hauls for sure. Why don’t you go hop into one of those and then lead us over there?” John nodded. “Ok, Uncle Ed! I’ll see you over there!” John took off running to one of the U-hauls, and soon the caravan was on its way again, led by the U-haul. They pulled up at the farmhouse, surprised at what they saw. There were a lot of people, tens, maybe even hundreds working on some cabins, and the farmhouse seemed to have some people in it, too. Everyone got out, glad that they were able to stretch again. Joy walked around the van and got Victoria to let her run around, looking at all the pretty flowers. Joy looked around. She had heard about this place from her cousin when she had encouraged Joy to move to the country and live a more self-sufficient life. Joy smiled slightly. This was great! This Larson couple that Joy had never met but knew about, were the old fashioned kind of farmers, and they grew most of what they ate, plus canned more to sell and have for the winter. Joy’s thoughts were interrupted as Linda and Rebecca came out of the farmhouse. “Welcome! Welcome!” Linda said, walking towards Liz to give her a hug. “Man, you look tired! Was it a longer trip than usual?” Liz nodded as she returned Linda’s hug. “I’m so sorry about James, Linda,” Linda smiled at Liz “Me too, but I’m glad he isn’t here now to see this turn of events. He would not like it at all, and we would sure hear about it, too! Now where is that little red head?” she said, looking around for Victoria. “Victoria, let’s go see Aunt Linda,” Joy said, holding Victoria’s hand and walking towards the entrance to the farmhouse. “Hi Aunt Linda,” Joy said, giving her a hug and then allowing her to give Victoria a hug too. “Oh, you are so big! How did you get to be so big? I bet I can’t even carry you anymore! Oh, and look, there are your aunts!” Linda said, trying to lift Victoria and then giving up and just giving her a hug. Everyone else exchanged hugs and introductions. Linda had never met Ann’s family, and of course, no one had ever met Roger or Bethany, either. As they all walked into the farmhouse to talk, Linda approached Joy. “So where’s Dave? Will he be coming later?” She asked, not knowing what had happened. Joy bit her lower lip and tried to control the tears that were threatening to come again. She looked at her aunt and shook her head. Linda look surprised. “No? What do you mean? Is everything ok?” Just then Ed appeared in the doorway, and attempted to rescue Joy. “Why don’t we tell you about it inside?” He asked. “Ok,” Linda said, putting her arm around Joy’s shoulders. Joy wasn’t sure she was ready to tell what had happened just yet, especially in front of strangers. They made their way inside to the living room and Joy sat at one of the rocking chairs. Victoria came and sat on her lap. Everyone became quiet when she walked into the room, and Joy hoped that they would stop doing that soon. She was going to need their help if she was ever to hope to get back to normal, whatever normal was. “Well, I think we have a lot to talk about,” Rebecca started. “Do you want to tell us how your trip went first?” Ed nodded. He related the events of the day as best as he could without going into so much detail that it would wound Joy even further. He even related the stops they had to make along the way, including the last stop for gas, where they had paid $3.50 per gallon. Linda and Rebecca sat there stunned. They had heard of the attacks in the Cities, but never once thought that it would affect them this closely. They cried silently, joined by everyone else in the family, including Joy. “But, here we are. The Lord is still good, and He has brought us this far.” Ed ended. Joy looked at her father with anger in her fiery blue-green eyes. How could he say that? How could he say that God had protected them when Dave was dead? She shook her head. She knew better than to get into a theological argument with Ed. He was very knowledgeable, and could easily prove her wrong. She didn’t want to be proven wrong. God had allowed this to happen to her dear husband, and she wouldn’t forget it any time soon. “Well,” Linda said, clearing her throat and dabbing away her tears, “uh, do you want to know why we are here?” she asked. Everyone nodded, including Joy, glad to have a change in topic. “Well, we brought you all here for James’ funeral.” Linda continued. “I’m not sure what we will be doing about that, but for now I think it would be the best to stay here. From what you are telling me, and what our neighbor has seen even in the small towns around here, it’s not safe to be out there. Anyway, we brought you all here, more than just to be here for the funeral. Apparently, James had some money that I didn’t know about. But half of it was yours, Liz. He left in his will that it be given to you after his death. Why he did this, I’m not sure. But under the circumstances, I’m glad that you are all here for it now.” She paused to allow them to take it all in. When no one said anything, Linda continued. “We have taken some liberties with the money that was left to you. For one, we bought this farm with it. The Larson’s have had it up for sale for a while, and under the circumstances, we thought that you would want to have a place to live. We don’t know what will happen, and we are assuming that you won’t be able to go back home for a while, if ever.” “You bought the farm for us?” Liz asked, in disbelief. Linda nodded. “Rebecca and I figured that if you didn’t want it, we could always sell it to the Reservation just West of here, and give you the money.” “So, are you building those cabins too?” Ed asked. Rebecca shook her head, and explained the agreement that they had made with the Reservation. “I’m sorry that I wasn’t able to ask you first, Uncle Ed, I really didn’t have much time to decide myself. You are still ok to sell the whole property if you want, but with things the way they are going, I would suggest you taking their offer.” She ended, handing some papers to Ed. Ed looked over the papers and saw what she meant. They would own the cabins and everything that was put in them free and clear, as long as Ed agreed to be a Minister to the Reservation. “Don’t worry about signing anything tonight, Ed. There is going to be a meeting with the Reservation elders and our other neighbor, Jack, and you guys if you are up to it tomorrow. You can think about it until then.” Linda said. Ed nodded. “A meeting would be good. Then we can work out the details. Thanks for thinking of us, Linda, and Rebecca. We weren’t sure what we would do, or where we would go, but we have a bunch of stuff with us. Wow! The Lord has interesting ways of providing for us!” Just as he was finishing that last sentence, John ran in the door. “Mom! Dad just called me and said to tell you that he was listening to the radio and that there has been a major development. The President has declared Martial Law in the whole country!” he cried. -------------------- CHAPTER 16 What a rough night it had been. They had all talked, well into the night, discussing the situation and what to do about it. Seth had joined them with the rest of their kids, and the children had all fallen asleep on the floor. Allen and John had been allowed to stay up with the adults, with the understanding that if they were going to be treated as adults then they needed to act as such. Joy wasn’t sure, but she didn’t think that there had ever been a Martial Law declared in the whole country before. She wasn’t sure what it all meant either, but was glad that they were at least safe for now. Safe, Joy thought shaking her head. Well, at least relatively safe. They had listened to a prerecorded message from the President, urging people to stay in their homes as much as possible until they could get things in order. He claimed that things would settle down, and that they would get through this together. After all, this was America, and America always found a way to bounce back. He warned that if other countries continued to attack the States as they had, the United Stated would retaliate in kind. Joy wondered what that meant. He also warned that China should keep their ships further away off the coastline. He had lingered a little on that, asking people to make sure that they had enough supplies in their home to last them at least for three weeks or more, until the Red Cross could get to them if disaster hit. Joy and her family speculated about what it all meant. Rebecca and Seth shared about their experience with Mr. Bodaway, and what he had told them. Finally, Seth, Rebecca and Linda headed back to their home, leaving their kids camped out on the floor. Joy had been able to sleep in one of the rooms with Victoria. She felt bad that other than her parents, she was the only other adult sleeping in a bed. Joy knew it was planned that way, considering what she had been through. She snuggled in close to Victoria, not wanting to feel so alone. Joy finally fell asleep. She made up her mind that she would do what she could to be strong and help her family. This was not a normal world anymore, no matter what the President said. She woke up with the rooster, and spent some time just staring at Victoria. How glad and relieved she was to have her. Joy wasn’t sure she would have had the will to keep on living if she had lost both of them. By still having Victoria, Joy felt the need not only to survive, but also to thrive in her new environment. She knew it would be a while before the pain of losing her husband would go away, if it ever did. But in Dave’s honor, and for Victoria’s sake, she would continue her life. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Jack woke up with a start. What was that? Where was he? As soon as he looked around he realized where he was. He had heard Seth and Rebecca come in late the night before, glad that their family had arrived safely. He had heard them talking a little, but couldn’t understand what they were saying and soon he had fallen back asleep. Jack stood up quietly, not wanting to disturb Luke. He stretched and changed into his clothes. He pulled on his boots and buttoned his shirt in the dark. He made his way to the bathroom quietly and did his morning routine. He looked at himself in the mirror, wishing that he could shave. He rubbed his chin, feeling the stubbles against his hand. He left the bathroom and went back into the room he was sharing with his kids. It was hard getting any more than two hours of sleep at a time with the twins, but he was glad that Luke seemed to sleep through it. Luke was still not talking much, but was at least more interested in the babies. He sat down on the floor in the corner of the room and reached for his Bible. He read a few chapters in the Old Testament, and then flipped to the New Testament and read from there. He was always amazed that it seemed as what he was reading really applied to his life. He liked his routine. He would spend time in the Bible, studying and meditating in what he was reading, and then he would spend some time praying. He tried to be as open with God as he talked to Him, and fully expected God to be open with him. It was this relationship that had allowed him to make it this far, not just with the death of his wife, but in other areas as well. After his devotions, Jack got up and checked on the babies again. Grace was stirring, so he picked her up and held her, hoping that she wouldn’t wake up her brothers. He still couldn’t believe that the situation he was in. With Carol gone, and his house no longer livable, he needed to change his whole outlook on life. Especially with the way things were going. How was he going to raise three kids by himself? How was he going to provide for them to survive? He shook his head and leaned over to kiss little Grace’s head. He reached over for the bottle that he had prepared and fed her. She seemed content enough. Just after burping Grace and changing her diaper, Victor woke up. He wasn’t as happy as Grace had been, and his crying woke up Luke. Jack put Grace down and picked up Victor, changed his diaper and began feeding him. “Good morning, Luke. Did you sleep well?” Jack asked his oldest son. Luke nodded and rubbed his little eyes. He stood up and went to stand by his father. Jack looked at Luke and wondered if he was really warming up to his siblings. “Why don’t you go play with Grace? Just make sure you are really gentle with her. She should be pretty content right now.” Luke walked over to where Grace was laying. He gently reached and touched her hand, and leaned in so that he could see her better. After Jack finished feeding Victor, he changed his diaper and made sure that he was content. Luke made his trip to the bathroom, and pretty soon there was a knock on their door. “Come in,” Jack said as he tried his best to make the bed. “Hey, Buddy,” Seth said as he walked in the room. “Oh, now look at these little ones. They are both happy, at the same time! How did you sleep?” He asked Jack while he picked up Grace. “Well, not too bad considering that I only got two hours at a time!” Jack responded, amazed at the truth of his statement. “Well, that’s good, isn’t it Grace?” Seth said in a voice that Jack had never heard before. Jack smiled to himself. If you ever want to hear anyone act stupid, just hand ‘em a baby, he thought. “Well, Rebecca’s family arrived last night,” Seth said, caressing Grace’s cheek. “Yeah, I figured that much when you guys came home so late.” Jack responded. “Minus one,” Seth said quietly. “What?” Jack asked, stopped in his tracks. Seth looked down at his boots, trying to figure out how to say what he had to say next. He looked back up at Jack who had stopped what he was doing and was waiting for Seth to continue. “Well, apparently there was a bombing in the building that her cousin lived in. Well, in one of them, anyway. All I know is that Rebecca’s family was all ready to go when it went off. For some reason Dave, the husband of the cousin that lived in the city, was in there, and died immediately. Her cousin, Joy, is pretty distraught, but I think she’ll pull through. You could tell last night that she was really trying to be strong.” Seth informed him. Jack took a deep breath and shook his head. “Well, I know what it feels like.” Seth nodded. “Yeah. It makes one wonder how many of us are going to know before all this is over.” -------------------------------------------------------------- It had been an interesting morning, trying to figure out breakfast, what to eat, what to eat with, and where to eat. They all had cereal again, enjoying the fresh milk that one of Rebecca’s kids had brought over. One of the neighbors had cows, they learned, and they always had fresh milk. Joy wondered if she could put her cheese making skills to work with the milk. Well, not today, she thought. It was going to be a full day. The family had taken a vote, and had unanimously decided to stay until things settled down enough for all of them to be able to go home. Joy wasn’t sure what that meant for her, as her home was now gone. Joy allowed Victoria to play with her new found second cousins, making sure that they wouldn’t take her too far and that they would take good care of her. Joy desperately wanted to keep Victoria with her at all times, but knew that she needed to make things as normal as possible for her, so she let her play. Joy busied herself with going from room to room, taking inventory of what the farmhouse had. How many rooms? Three. A master bedroom and two small rooms. There was a queen size bed in the master bedroom, a double in the guestroom, and two single beds in the other room. Joy walked around the house, making notes and counting things. It was keeping her from thinking too much about Dave, anyway. All the men in the family, including Allen and John, who had come over to help, were working on the cabins. They were trying to get them done as soon as possible, so that they could all settle in. The rest of the ladies were working on sorting the stuff that they had brought into piles per family. Joy wished that they could all just share everything, but knew that she would be voted down on that. Joy couldn’t believe how much the previous owners had left. Not only their furniture, but also all their dishes and food, and all their appliances and anything that one would need in a home. She looked around for things that they had more than one of, so that it could be used somewhere else. She made her way to the basement to find a large assortment of books. Anything from cookbooks, canning books, anything to do with farm living, and even a few children’s books. Joy smiled as she realized that most of the children’s books had been very well used, and were probably ones that the couple had read to their kids. She found the cellar room, and was shocked at all the canning supplies that were there. Later on she would realize that with a garden the size that they had kept, the lady had to have this much stuff. Joy wished that they were still there. Books were good, but experience was better. Much better. Joy was amazed at how organized the previous owner had been. The big cellar room was organized like a store, and there was expiration dates clearly labeled on everything. Joy noted on her notebook that there was a lot of canning supplies, and moved on. As she left the room, her eye caught what she thought were just a bunch of large plants, next to a large window that stretched up and over the ceiling. She walked over and was amazed at all the trees there. She didn’t recognize all of them, but was shocked to see one with avocadoes on it! Now how could that be? She wondered. She touched to avocadoes on there and realized that a couple of them would have to be eaten soon if they didn’t want to waste them. She shook her head in amazement, and decided that she would have to come and spend more time there later. Joy finished making her rounds in the house, noting everything that needed to be noted. There was plenty of dishes, towels, sheets and other home items for all of them, the woman must have collected them! Joy wondered if she should have even bothered to bring her own, but there was no way for any of them to have known. Joy made her way back upstairs to find her mom and the other ladies in the kitchen. “How’s the inventory coming, Joy?” Bethany asked as she helped make sandwiches for the men outside. Joy smiled and held the notebook up. “Well, there is a ton of stuff here, and I think that together with what we brought, we should be ok. What are you making?” “What does it look like?” Bethany answered, a little short. “Sandwiches, hon. Do you want one?” Liz asked, ignoring Bethany’s sudden change of attitude. Joy nodded. “Hang on. I found something you may be interested in.” Joy went back down to the basement and pulled two of the avocadoes that were ready. She ran back up the stairs, excited to show her find. She shared the avocadoes with everyone but Bethany, who claimed she didn’t like them. They added them to the sandwiches, and Joy ate with Liz, as the rest took the food and drinks and ate with the men outside. “These avocadoes aren’t too bad, are they?” Liz asked. Joy shook her head and swallowed another bite full. “Not for a miniature tree! You said they have a garden?” she asked, taking another bite from her sandwich. “Huge! I’m not sure how they did it all, but hopefully we’ll all learn real quick. And Rebecca said that they also did a lot of trading with the people in the Reservation and with their other neighbor. He’s the one that supplied them with milk.” Liz answered, finishing her sandwich and started to clean everything up. “Well,” Joy said, finishing her sandwich, “I’ll help you clean up and then I just have upstairs to finish. Then I can go and start looking at their barns and the garden.” “Ok, hon, thanks. Oh, and later on, about three o’clock, we are supposed to all go to a meeting over at the Reservation. They want us all to go, but you don’t have to if you don’t want to.” Liz said, beginning to wash the dishes. Joy nodded. “Sure, I’ll go. It’ll be interesting to see what the whole thing is about,” she said, putting away the food. They chatted about what was going on with the cabins and the stuff they had brought while they cleaned up, then Joy made her way up the stairs, while Liz continued to separate the items that they had brought Once up-stairs, Joy was thrilled by what she saw. This must have been like a personal sanctuary, she thought as she looked around. The room was painted in a soft yellow, with a wall of bookshelves dedicated to craft books on one side. There was a large table in which Joy guessed the lady made her crafts, and a long closet on the other side of the room. Under the only window in the room stood a treadle sewing machine, and on the opposite side was the door she had just come in. Joy opened the door to the closet, amazed at all the supplies that were there. This would also be fun to go through another day. She closed the door and looked around the room again, taking it all in. This must have been the lady’s favorite room in the house, Joy thought to herself. She walked across the room and sat on the rocking chair in front of the bookcases. The chair creaked a little as she rocked back and forth, but not so loud that it was annoying. Joy ran her hands over the arms of the chair, enjoying the feel of the wood. The chair looked to have been hand made, and Joy wondered if the lady’s husband had made it for her. She could just imagine the older lady sitting in this chair, knitting or crocheting, humming to herself. It was a perfect place for the chair to be, too, as it gave full view through the window. Joy rested her head back on the chair and relaxed, soon falling asleep. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jack stretched his back and heard his bones crack. Would it be too much to ask for a chiropractor to show up? He wondered. Jack and Seth had spent the morning at his place, putting away the furniture into his storage, and salvaging anything else they could out of the house. Seth had helped for quite a while, and then headed back to the old farm to help his family with the cabins. Jack could see that a lot of activity was happening, and wondered if he should be over there helping them too, but if he was going to make it to that meeting, then he had to hurry. Luke was more help to Jack than he had expected. He was quite the little guy, trying to impress his Papa. He didn’t say much, but worked along side Jack in a quick, efficient manner. Jack was sure not to overload the boy, and allowed him time to just look at things, and even time to play. After Seth had left, Mr.Bodaway had come and spent some time with Jack. Jack took this opportunity to eat the sandwiches that Rebecca had sent along, and he was reminded again of how grateful he was for his neighbors. Linda had offered to take care of the babies, and as much as Jack didn’t want to leave them, he realized that if he was going to get anything done, he would have to take people’s help. Jack offered a sandwich to Mr. Bodaway, which he gracefully declined. “So, how are you doing, Jack?” Mr. Bodaway asked, looking intently into Jack’s eyes. “Well, I suppose not too bad, considering the circumstances,” Jack replied, putting his hand up to cover his mouth as he ate. Mr. Bodaway nodded and rubbed his chin. “Well, we should be done with those cabins today, then we can start on yours tomorrow, if that’s ok with you.” “Yes, of course,” Jack replied, his voice filled with gratefulness. “And how about you, Mr. Luke? How are you doing?” Luke looked up at the old man and nodded, his eyes full of wonder. Jack smiled as he witnessed the exchange between the two. Luke had a great admiration for Mr. Bodaway, and it seemed to Jack that the feeling was mutual. Mr. Bodaway and Jack chatted for a while about the new cabin that was going to be built up, and then Mr. Bodaway’s voice grew somber. “You know that Rebecca’s family has arrived, right?” Mr. Bodaway asked Jack, glancing at Luke. Luke had finished his lunch, and was finishing up his cookie. “Luke, why don’t you go put those small bags in the storage?” Jack asked Luke, knowing where Mr. Bodaway was headed. Luke nodded his head and took off running. Mr. Bodaway moved so that his back was to Luke, but he was still facing Jack. “Did you know about the death?” He asked solemnly. Jack nodded. “Yeah, Seth told me this morning.” Suddenly Jack’s appetite was gone. He stuffed the last bite of sandwich in his mouth and put all the garbage in the garbage bag. “Well, I was talking with Ed, the father of the clan, and he has agreed to allow you to stay at one of the cabins until we have yours done.” Mr. Bodaway said, looking at Jack to pick up any clues as to how he would respond. Jack looked at Mr. Bodaway surprised. “Really?” Mr. Bodaway nodded. “What do you think?” “Well, what does he want in return? Money may not be worth much in a little while.” Jack said, raising his eyebrow. He was tired of having to depend on the generosity of his neighbors, but there was really not much else he could do. If he could somehow pay them for his time at a cabin, then it would really be nice to be able to have a place of his own, and not depend on Seth and Rebecca so much. “I knew you’d ask that, so I told them that you could probably provide them with enough milk for everyone, plus eggs and help with teaching them things. Listen Jack, we are all going to have to help each other. You think this is bad? Just wait. It’ll get worse. And we can’t go around making sure that everything is fair. There will be a time that they may come to lean heavily on you, and I know you will be with them one hundred percent.” Jack nodded his head, embarrassed. “I know, Mr. Bodaway, I’m just not used to taking so much help.” “I know that Jack. But remember. Most of these people, if not all of them, don’t know too much about farm life. Ed said that they had a farm when they first got to Mexico, and even made cheese to sell, but he was more on the administrative end than the working hands end. So they will also need a lot of help.” Mr. Bodaway replied. “Well, I’ll be happy to help any way I can. So, what’s this meeting about?” Jack asked, wanting to change the subject. “Ah, I guess you will just have to find out, eh my friend?” Mr. Bodaway laughed. “Well, it’s mainly for all of us to get together and get to know each other a little. We will be having supper there, and then you can all possibly move in to the cabins tomorrow. You know that Preacher man, he’s actually excited about being here. Maybe not the circumstances, but as they say, once a missionary, always a missionary.” Jack looked at Mr. Bodaway surprised that he knew even that much lingo. Mr. Bodaway smiled, knowing what Jack was thinking. “Actually, he said that,” Mr. Bodaway said laughing. Jack laughed with him, realizing how good it felt to laugh. “Well, I better get going,” Mr. Bodaway said. “I’ll see you over at our place then?” Jack nodded. “You bet!” Mr. Bodaway left after waving goodbye to Luke and Jack continued working, trying to get as much accomplished in the little time he had left. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Joy smiled as Dave tickled her arm, giving her goosebumps up and down her legs. “Stop!” she said coyly. She laughed and tried to run away from him, but her legs wouldn’t budge. She tried moving them, but she couldn’t seem to even put one in front of the other. She turned around to face Dave, only to find that he was gone, replaced by a black body bag in front of her, with a piece of paper on it bearing his name. “No!” she cried as she opened her eyes with a start. Joy looked around the room that she was in, trying to remember where she was. Panic settled in her stomach until she recognized where she was, and the events of the last couple of days caught up with her. She leaned her head back in the rocking chair, wondering when her heart would stop beating so hard, tears streaming down her face. “Joy?” She heard her Mom calling from downstairs. Joy got up and tried to sooth her hair and face. She made her way down quickly, more than anything to get away from the dream. “Are you ok honey?” Liz asked concerned. Joy nodded. “Yeah. I fell asleep up there, and had a bad dream. I hope I don’t get those too often.” “I’m sorry Joy,” Liz said, giving her a hug. “Listen, we have to get going to that meeting. Are you coming? We are going to be there for supper too, as far as I understand.” Joy nodded. “Yeah, I’ll go. What about Victoria?” “She’s already in the van, waiting. We were just waiting for you.” Liz replied, looking out the front door. “Ok, let me just go to the bathroom real quick and I’ll be right out.” Joy said. Liz left and Joy made her way to the bathroom. Once there she looked at herself in the mirror, and decided that she was fine. She hurried to get to the van, and was happy to see that the place next to her daughter was still hers. It appeared that John and Allen were getting along just fine, and she was glad to see that everyone decided to go to the meeting. She settled in for the ride, enjoying the time with Victoria. Victoria talked non-stop all the way to the Reservation, relating the events of the day to her. Joy wondered if the fact that she

CHAPTER 11 Dave turned off the TV, knowing that probably no one was going to want to watch The Late Show. Nobody could believe what they had just seen. And live, too! What was happening to this world? They knew things were bad, but really had no idea what to do. They talked for a while, going back and forth on their options. Should they bug out? Where to? Was it safe to travel? If they were able to do any more shopping, what should they buy? And how much money should they spend? Would they even be able to go to Duluth for the funeral? So many questions, and it seemed like no one had any answers. Finally, they decided to plan as if though they were going to leave Dave and Joy’s place, and be able to take at least one U-haul, if not two. Then, tomorrow Liz would see if they could camp out at her sister-in-law’s place, and then go from there. “Well,” Ed said, “I suggest we make lists of things that we would need, what we have, and what would be nice to have.” Dave and Joy smiled at each other. “Dad,” Joy said, “We’ve already done that. Now the lists that we have made are probably not complete, but not knowing for how many or for how long or for where, leaves a big question mark.” “Well, let’s see them!” Liz said. Joy went into her room and got the lists. Liz read over them approvingly. “Just one thing. You are assuming that we won’t have power. Have you heard anything else?” Dave shook his head. “No, we just assumed that we wouldn’t, and thought it would be bonus if we did.” Juan asked to look at the list and then shook his head. “This is too long term,” he said in a definite voice. “I can see all the camping stuff and food as we will probably be having to stay somewhere outside of a house for a while. But you are assuming a lot of things, here. You are assuming that there is no electricity, and that it’s going to be way past winter. In fact, it looks like you think America is going to end!” he said laughing. Marco took the list from Juan. After he looked at it, he agreed with Juan. Joy was surprised, as she thought Marco was a smart man. I mean really, she thought, the guy is getting his doctorate in engineering! Liz shook her head. “Well, I think it’s a good assumption to make. Nothing good can come of so many countries boycotting the US. Even if we do have electricity, that may still leave us in a bad place. What if they boycott the oil that the US imports? Then gas would be super expensive, and food would also become very expensive then. If we can feed ourselves, then at least we can curve that.” “Well, maybe by then we may be able to go back home,” Juan argued. “Why don’t we take a vote?” Dave offered. Juan shrugged his shoulders. “Look, you can take a vote if you want, but I’m not spending my money on something that may not happen. I know that my family is going to need supplies now. So I don’t know about you, but I will be spending our money on that. I can see the news as well as you do, and the States always comes out ahead.” Dave shook his head and looked down. He argued about the wisdom of putting up for a longer time. They argued back and forth for a while, until finally Ed put his hand up. “Look, why don’t we all keep our own money, and prepare for each of our families the best that we know how?” He said. “But dad, we could get more things if we pulled our money together!” Joy argued. “Well, do you want to spend for now? Or do you want to invest in things for later?” Ed countered. “Well, both!” Joy answered indignantly. “Ok, then. Do you have any other ideas?” Ed asked. Everyone shook their head. So it was agreed that each family would buy for themselves, that Roger and Marie would be considered a family even though they weren’t married and Marco would be considered part of Juan and Ann’s family. They would all stick together, but each would do their own preparations. They talked for a while more about what to do, and then decided that Marie and Roger would stay with Victoria and sleep. Allen, who was half asleep already, was going to stay with them for “looks”. Every one else was going to go to a 24 hr. Wal-Mart, and buy stuff that they thought would be useful. Anything from more camping equipment to needles, clothes, and blankets. Joy knew that none of them would be buying too much as her parents didn’t believe on putting anything on the credit card that they knew they couldn’t pay for, and Dave and Joy were going to max out the credit cards soon. Then some of them would split off and go to the grocery store to buy more food. Also, they decided that Roger and Marie would stay up as late as they could and pack what they thought they would all need from Joy’s place, starting with the kitchen. Just before leaving, Joy pulled Marie aside. “Marie? I have a really odd request to make. Really odd, and you are probably going to think I’m dumb. But do you see that wooden chest over there? It’s empty. Can you put my china and goblets and gold silverware in there? If we can, I’d like to take it with us. I know it’s stupid,” Marie shook her head. “No, it’s not. I know what you are feeling. I go through this every time I have to go back to Africa or come back to the States. Do you take all the stuff that you need, and later miss the stuff that you wanted? Or do you take some of your wants and later on find out that you really should have taken what you needed?” She smiled and shook her head again. “I’ll pack them up for you, Baby sister. Once everything is in the vehicles, we’ll see what we have room for.” Joy gave Marie a quick hug, “Thank you for understanding! Also, make sure you take the molcahete and the tortilla press. And don’t forget the knives, and of course, plates and silverware.” Joy knew that the molcahete and the tortilla press would be very good to have. If they were going to be without electricity, then they would be able to use the molcahete to make sauces, and of course, they’d be able to make tortillas with the tortilla press. Marie pushed Joy out the door. “Don’t worry Joy. If you see something that we haven’t packed when you get back, then you can pack it then, ok?” “Ok, thanks! Oh, and thanks for staying with Victoria!” Joy waved goodbye, and they all took off. Dave agreed that she should drive to the store, as on the way home, she would probably be too tired. Dave, Joy, Leslie and Marco all rode in one minivan, while Ed, Liz, Juan and Ann rode in another. Once there they spilt up to go looking for what each wanted with the money they had. Joy wanted seeds, so Dave, Marco and Leslie went to get some ironware, and Joy found Ann and asked her if she would go with her to look for some seeds. When they found them, Joy started looking at what to buy. “Have you ever even gardened, Joy?” Ann asked skeptically. Joy shook her head. “No, not like this. I’ve planted flowers at my in-laws before, but never vegetables, or fruits. Have you?” Ann shook her head, exasperated. “Then why are we buying seeds? We could be buying food with the money instead! I don’t know the first thing about gardening, and I don’t think any of the rest does either. We’re going to feel awfully stupid when our food runs out but we have a bunch of seeds!” “Well, maybe,” Joy answered, “but what about when the food does run out? Then what are we going to do? Plead the ground to give something up that we haven’t put in it?” Ann shook her head and frowned. “I just think it’s a waste of money. We won’t be able to use them until next spring anyway, maybe not even until summer and by then, things will have probably gotten back to normal. I’ll be back in Mexico, you in your apartment, and we might have some days of hunger because we spent money on seeds instead of real food.” Joy rolled her eyes. “Ann, what if this lasts until next spring? Or next summer? Or the winter after that? Then what?” “What is there to last? So there have been a few riots. Big deal! There are riots all over the world every day and the world hasn’t come to an end yet! If they’ve been able to make it, then so can we. But we can’t become paranoid!” “Ann, maybe we have survived those riots on the other side of the world, but the people there sure didn’t! Look, what’s the deal here?” Joy asked Ann, frustrated. Even though Ann was eight years older than Joy, sometimes Joy thought that Ann was pretty immature. She was sure Ann thought the same about her. “I just think that we should spend the money on more immediate needs. Look, you buy whatever seeds you want with your money, and I’ll buy the food that I want with mine, ok?” Ann said, her voice rising. “If we are still in this mess in the winter when it’s cold, you can send Victoria over to my tent and I will feed her. Then I’ll come over to your tent and ask how your seeds taste, ok?” Joy took a deep breath. She was really trying to not get into an argument with her sister. They hadn’t even been together for a whole day! Joy nodded in resignation. “Fine, Ann. I’ll buy the seeds, you buy the food.” “Ok, then. I’m going to see if there is anything else to buy here. Otherwise I’m getting tired, and we still have one more place to go to, right?” Ann said, her voice strained. Ann took off with her cart, and Joy stayed and got as many seeds as she could. She bought the non-hybrid kind, knowing that they would want to be able to get seeds from what they did grow. She bought even for vegetables that she didn’t care for, too, knowing that they could either trade them, or she would just eat what she didn’t like and give thanks. Next to the seeds there were several books on gardening. Not knowing which ones were good and which ones weren’t, she picked up one of each. Next, Joy headed to the isle that had all the gardening supplies. She put several of what she thought she would need into her cart, and looked at the tillers that they had for sale. She had no idea how to use one, but had read a SHTF on-line novel once, where the characters seemed to think it was very important to have them. So, she figured she’d learn if it really got that bad. Secretly she was hoping that Ann was right. That she would be kicking her self for buying seeds, when she could have been buying food instead. That they’d all be kicking themselves for buying anything at all! She really hoped that nothing was going to happen, but knew that the way things were headed; it really didn’t show much promise. As it was, things were already happening! Dave found her and she related what had happen to him. He just shook his head. “I almost wish he hadn’t come,” Dave said, referring to Juan. “But I know that it would be worse if he hadn’t, then Ann would want to go back to Mexico, and who knows what would have happened then.” Joy nodded. “Have you ever used a tiller before?” she asked, changing the subject. “No, but my grandma did.” Dave answered, referring to his grandma that had been raised on a farm and then married a farmer. “Well, I thought we should buy one just in case, and then we’ll learn how to use them later.” She said, picking up a book to see if there was anything in it about tillers. Dave frowned as he looked at the tillers. “I don’t know, Joy. It is pretty pricey, not to mention the size of it, and there is other stuff that we do know how to use that we can buy. I agree about buying the seeds. I just don’t know that we need a tiller.” “But, Dave, what if we really do need it? Then what? Are we going to do everything by hand?” Joy said, whining a little. Dave shook his head. “No, you have shovels and rakes and stuff like that here. That should help a lot.” Joy frowned and shook her head. “Well, I think we should buy it.” “Ok. I respect your opinion, and I hope you know I really do value it, but we aren’t buying one,” he said firmly. “We are already close on maxing out our credit cards, and we have used up most of the money in the bank. Until the money from your Uncle comes through, if it makes it in time, stuff like tillers are just going to have to stay on the shelf.” Dave said, shaking his head. “Look, we shouldn’t be arguing about all this, ok? We need to focus on the important stuff.” He said, looking back at her. “I know. I just,” Joy wasn’t able to finish as Ann, Marco and Leslie showed up. Apparently Marco had had a change in heart as it looked to Joy that he had picked up some things that were long term, but not many. “Are you all ready?” Dave asked. Everyone nodded. “Yeah. Juan, and Mom and Dad are going to be heading back. I’ll go with you guys to the grocery store.” Ann said. “Ok, then, let’s go.” Joy said, leading the way to the cash registers. Once at the registers, they paid for what they had gotten, each family for their own, as they had agreed. Dave and Joy were the last ones. Joy noticed that Dave had bought some tools and more iron cookware. She looked at him quizzically, wondering why he had bought so much more, but he just shook his head. He also had metal plates and cups, enough for all of them. “Hi, how are you tonight?” The cashier asked. She was one of the only cashiers working, that night, and Joy thought it was strange as she was an older woman. “Good, thank you, and you?” Joy answered. “Well, I’d rather be home, to tell you the truth. With all that’s going on, I’d rather not be here. I see you folks are being smart and buying stuff now. I can guarantee you that tomorrow it isn’t going to be fun. People are going to panic with what they heard on the news, and it’s going to be H-E-double toothpicks if you know what I mean.” Dave and Joy nodded. They were careful not to ask anymore questions, wanting to get out of there as fast as they could themselves. Once they had loaded up the minivan, they took off for the grocery store, the one near Joy’s home. This would also be a place where Joy and Ann would argue. Ann argued that they should buy food that would be good for camping, like stews and other canned goods, and bread. Joy thought that they should buy stuff like rice and beans, oils, and stuff that they wouldn’t be able to grow themselves. Ann finally agreed that it would be cheaper to buy it and make the food from scratch, and Joy agreed that it would be good to buy some canned goods to make sure that they lasted through the winter. Ann smiled at Joy. “Well, I guess we are both right, then, huh?” Joy smiled in return. “Yeah, I guess. Come on, let’s go.” They went home and found that Ed, Liz and Juan were already there. Juan and Ed had gone to bed in the apartments that had been loaned to them, as had Marie and Roger, but Liz was still up. She had taken over the packing, and it looked like she was making a good headway. “Where did you get all the boxes?” Joy asked. Liz smiled. “At Wal-Mart. They had a bunch of them that they were getting rid of, so I asked if I could have them, and they said yes! I have all your kitchen stuff in these two big ones. I bought some stuff at Wal-Mart for us, and Juan actually bought some for them too. I guess he figured that they would have to eat off of something! I bought a bunch of material and thread, and patterns too.” “Patterns?” Joy asked “What kind?” “Oh, all kinds. For a bunch of different ages. All the winter patterns were on clearance, so I bought at least one of each of those. I figured that I could always take them back to Mexico and use them there as I teach the ladies in the villages how to sew. I never told you this, did I?” Liz asked. “Told me what?” Joy asked back. “About the stuff we brought you!” Liz seemed pretty happy with herself. Joy shook her head. “Well,” Liz continued, “I brought you my old sewing machine. Someone donated one to me, so I thought I’d give you mine. Ann has two already and didn’t have space for mine. The good part is, is that it was transformed to electric, but it wasn’t originally an electric one. And it’s easy to put it back. Also, I brought you some of that tuna in oil that you like so much. And the washboards, molcahetes and tortilla presses too. Why did you want all that stuff for anyway?” Joy smiled. “To sell, remember? There were some people at church that were asking for them, so I told them I’d see if you could bring me some. How many did you bring?” “Well, we put them into packages, one of each. I think we brought two, maybe three. Each package has a molcahete, a tortilla press, one of those Mexican grills and a washboard, with some of that Zote soap you like so much. I found some of that soap at the store, too, so I bought some of that.” Liz said. “Wow, that’s great, Mom! At this point, since I didn’t promise anything, I think we should be able to keep them. And Mom, thanks for the sewing machine. I know it was Grandma’s, and you know how much I like antiques!” Joy gave her Mom a hug. They talked for just a while more, and then Liz went to the corporate apartment where she and Ed were staying. Dave and everyone else had already gone to bed, so Joy made a quick round to see what had been packed, and what they still needed to take. How were they going to get all this to where they were going? The minivans were already packed full, and she was sure the U-haul was going to be soon, too. Maybe they could rent another U-haul, and then it wouldn’t matter. Joy went to bed that night, and the last hour she saw on the clock was 3:07 a.m. She fell into a deep sleep and didn’t wake up until Dave’s watch alarm went off at 8:00a.m. Dave picked it up and turned it off. Joy sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes as she yawned. “Man, I’m tired,” Dave said as he turned over to go back to sleep. “Are we going to go to church?” Joy asked sleepily. “Huh?” Dave turned to look at her, “Oh, yeah, I suppose we should. Your parents haven’t been there yet, have they?” He said as he got up. Joy shook her head and got up herself. They were going to have to hurry if they were going to make it there in time. She put a robe on, not knowing when her family would come back in. She went in to the bathroom and turned the light on, but the light didn’t come on. She tried again, but to no avail. “Dave?” Joy called out softly, hoping that Victoria wouldn’t wake up. Dave came to the bathroom and looked at Joy with concern in her eyes. “No lights?” Joy shook her head. “How did you know?” she asked. Dave led the way back to the bedroom, where he pointed at their alarm clock. It was blank. “The alarm never went off. I had set it for 7:30am, and obviously, it’s off. Let me get the radio.” He went to the living room and got their radio. They had bought some more the day before, but this was one that they were familiar with. He turned it on and a newscaster came on. “-from east of St. Paul to the west of Chaska, and from north of Maple Grove and South of Bloomington, all the power is off. We are not sure what has caused this yet, and officials are looking into what may have caused it. The police departments in St. Paul and Minneapolis, as well as neighboring suburbs is asking people to be very careful in their driving. All stoplights are out, and there have been several accidents reported already. Highway 100 is closed due to construction, so this is adding even more pressure to Highway 169 and Highway 35W. This message will now repeat itself again. There are several areas across the 48 contiguous states that have been affected by a major power outage. In Minnesota, only the Twin Cities and the metro area have been affected. Local, State and National authorities are doing the best they can to determine why the power is out. They are not ruling out terrorism as an option at this time. The areas in the Twin Cities that have been affected are from east of St. Paul to the west of Chaska, and from north of Maple Grove and South of Bloomington, all the power is off.” Dave turned the radio off. “Ok, this is not good. Not good at all. Let’s get dressed and then go get your parents. We can finish off the milk in the fridge by all of us having cereal. But let’s try to keep the fridge closed just in case.” Joy decided to take a quick shower in the dark. She wanted to be sure that she was going to be clean, regardless of what was going to happen. After her shower, she quickly dried off and pulled on a pair of jean shorts and a t-shirt. She went into the bathroom and tried to do her best to get ready in the dark. “Oh, I forgot to tell you,” Dave said when she joined him in the living room. “My sister will be coming over today. She is pretty shook up, and since Mom and Dad are gone on vacation until next Sunday, she wants to come and spend the day here with us. She pretty much invited herself over, and now with the lights out, I know she’ll be here for sure.” Dave’s sister, Bethany, and Dave had hardly ever gotten along. She was five years older than he was and seemed to always think she was not only right, but was entitled to be treated as if she was. Joy nodded as she looked around their messy apartment. “Does she know what we are doing?” “Yeah. And she’s probably done some shopping of her own.” He rolled his eyes. “I’m just not sure I want her here, you know? With everything that’s going on, the last thing I need is someone telling me what to do.” “I know, Babe,” Joy said as there was a knock on the front door, the phone rang and Victoria woke up, all at the same time. “I’ll get the phone, you get the door, and then one of us can get Victoria,” Dave shook his head smiling. Joy walked over to the door and opened it to reveal a pitch-dark hallway. “Hi Mom, I’m home!” Bethany said, holding up a tiny flashlight. Joy smiled and backed away from the door to let her in. “How did you get in?” Joy asked. Their building was a secure building, and residents weren’t supposed to let other people in. “Oh, the door is wide open!” Bethany responded, “There was a lady standing there, letting a bunch of people in. It’s no big deal, really. It was nice, because I wasn’t sure how else I was going to let you know I was here.” “Do you have your cell phone on you?” Joy asked as she went into Victoria’s room and Bethany followed. “Duh! I could have used that! Wait. I’m not sure it even works. Let me check.” Bethany responded. Joy went and gave Victoria a hug. “Good morning, honey! How did you sleep?” Joy asked Victoria. Joy helped Victoria get dressed for the day, and had her go to the bathroom in the dark. She noticed that Dave had closed the door to their room, but wasn’t talking on the phone. Someone at the door was knocking again, so Joy went to see who it was. This time it was her family. They all exchanged greetings and decided to eat breakfast right away. “I need to go open the garage doors,” Dave said as he came into the living room. “Ah! Paper cups for cereal, smart!” He said as he saw what everyone was eating from. Joy had opened her stash of paper cups and plastic wear, not wanting to have to worry about dishes. “Hey, Bethany,” Dave greeted her. “How’d you get in?” “Hey! There was a lady there letting people in.” She said, and then continued to eat. “A lady?” Dave frowned. “You don’t have a problem with that, do you?” Bethany asked between mouthfuls. Dave nodded. “Well, sure I do! Especially now, with all that is going on.” He turned to look at Joy. “Well, I’ll check on it while I’m down there opening the garage doors. Man! It’s like I can’t stop working here!” Dave went to the closet by the entry and grabbed his big flashlight. The rest of the closet had been picked clean, most of his tools were gone, as well as the toilet paper and paper towels. Joy guessed that they were in the boxes, somewhere. “I’ll have my cell phone on, in case the power comes back on.” Dave told Joy as he started to leave. “Good thing we charged them before going to bed!” Just then, the lights came back on. Joy could here the chorus of cheers from inside her apartment, and was very glad herself about having power again. She looked at Dave, wondering if he was still going to go out. He answered her question before she was able to ask. “I think I’ll still go check around,” he said “and I’ll take this with me just in case.” He said holding the flashlight up. “Ok,” Joy said, and gave him a quick kiss. “Bye Daddy!” Victoria yelled from the living room. Dave looked back into the apartment and waved. “Bye honey, love you!” Dave took off and Joy closed the door behind him. “Did you park outside, Bethany?” “Yeah, I brought the U-haul, too. Well, I drove the U-haul and towed the car.” Joy looked at her confused. “What U-haul? Where are you going?” “Where am I going? I don’t know! Wherever you are, I guess! By the way, there is still plenty of room in the U-haul for a lot of this stuff. I went to Mom and Dad’s last night and got some stuff out that I thought we’d want in case we can’t go back.” Bethany replied. Joy was confused. Why did Bethany have a U-haul? She would later find out that Bethany had talked to Dave earlier the day before and had liked his idea, so had done it herself. Then that same night, they had agreed that Bethany would join them. Bethany had talked to her parents in Pennsylvania, and they had decided to stay there until things settled down, instead of trying to get back, and getting caught in between. “Hey, Joy?” Liz called. They had turned the TV on and were watching CNN. “Yeah?” Joy answered as she joined them in the living room again. “I talked to Aunt Linda early this morning. And it ain’t pretty.” She said, trying to not talk too loud. “Can we go to your room?” She asked, not waiting for an answer and leading the way. Once in the room, Joy closed the door behind her. “You talked to her? How?” “Well, the furnished apartment that we stayed in has a good old fashioned phone.” She replied. “Oh. What did she say?” Joy asked. “She says that we need to get over to Grand Rapids as soon as we can. To forget Duluth for now, and just get over to where they are. Apparently they have a place that we can all stay at. I didn’t know that Bethany was going to come too, but it shouldn’t be a problem.” Liz said as she helped Joy make her bed. “Did they loose power too?” Joy asked. Liz shook her head. “No, but the hospital that your cousin Keith works at was blown up.” Joy stopped what she was doing and looked at her mom. “He wasn’t there, was he?” she asked, shocked. Liz shook her head. “Fortunately not. But Rebecca had been there with a neighbor, and had left just minutes before.” She said, relief in her voice. “Wow. So they made it out ok?” Joy asked. “Yes, but barely. The neighbor had just lost his wife, and is now left with a little boy and two babies to take care of,” Liz continued. “Linda asked if we would be willing to help him with the kids once we got there.” Joy looked at Liz. “And what did you say?” “Well, what was I going to say? Of course we’ll help him!” Liz exclaimed. Joy nodded. “So when are you and Dad thinking we should leave?” she asked her. “Well, we were thinking right away. There is a medical supply store that Marie and Roger want to stop by, but if the power is out, then of course we can’t do that. But it should be open, even on Sunday, if it stays on.” Liz said. “Ok. Well, Bethany said that we could put stuff in her U-haul, so maybe now that the power is back on, we can get the guys to take the boxes down. I’ll take a quick look around and see if there is anything left that we should take with.” Joy said as they headed back into the living room. “So what’s happening?” Joy asked once in there, only to be shushed. “There are several reports of power coming back on,” the lady on the TV screen said, “but hundreds of thousands of homes across the States are still without it. The White House has issued a statement saying that the threat level has now been raised to red for the whole country. They said that there is a real possibility that terrorists are attacking some of the power grids. There have been reports of the power returning at some places, only to be taken away again.” Just after the newscaster said that, Joy reached for the remote and paused it. She raised her voice above the groans “Now, wait. Look, if the power is going to be going off again, then we’d better get these boxes down the elevator and into Bethany’s truck. Or if you want, we can drag them down the pitch-dark hallways and all the way down stairs. It’s up to you!” Everyone got up still complaining. “I’ll leave it paused so we can watch it later if you want.” Joy said. Ed nodded his head. “Yeah, I think that would be good. Besides, won’t there be some travel restrictions now that the level has been raised to red? We better get going before it’s too late!” They all worked together, clearing out as much as they could out of the apartment, including Victoria’s bed. There was no space for Dave and Joy’s, but they figured that at least a single bed would come in handy somewhere. Soon they had the last heavy load on the elevator, ready to be taken downstairs. Joy rode the elevator down with Ed, Bethany and Allen. Joy heard two beeps, signaling that they had gone down to the main floor, and then the power went out again. Joy sighed and leaned back against the wall as she heard Bethany swear. -------------------- Give thanks to the Lord for He is good, and His love endures forever! Edited by Cat (08/31/05 10:06 AM) Post Extras: happygirl Sunshine Princess Reged: 10/02/02 Posts: 3384 Loc: MN, USA Re: Joy's Legacy, compiled #59975 - 08/01/05 06:52 PM (71.34.17.109) Edit Reply Quote CHAPTER 12 Jack woke up early Sunday morning, his body stiff and his head spinning. Where was he? He looked around and saw Luke sleeping next to him, and a bunch of bags filled with baby stuff sitting in the corner. It all hit him like a ton of bricks as he laid his head back down on the pillow. After Rebecca and Jack had left the hospital with the kids, they had heard a loud explosion. As the twins and Luke cried, they found out that the only hospital in Grand Rapids had been attacked and had exploded in several parts, including the ER. Jack wondered if his wife’s body had been moved, or if it had been buried in the blast. He shook his head and rubbed his eyes as he struggled to keep the tears from coming again. “Papa?” It was Luke. Jack turned to pick up Luke and laid him on his chest. Jack put his big arms around him, and held the boy close. “Papa? Where’s Mother? Is she ok?” Jack closed his eyes and bit his lower lip. He sat up in bed and looked at Luke straight in the eyes. “Luke, listen to me,” he said, holding his son’s chin in his hand. “Do you remember the fire at our house last night when we got home?” Jack asked him. Luke nodded, his eyes beginning to tear. “Well, Mother fell asleep in it, Luke,” Jack continued. “And, Luke, she didn’t wake up.” A single tear fell down Jack’s cheek. Luke just stared at him, trying to understand. “Well, can’t you wake her up?” he asked innocently. Jack shook his head. “No, son. I can’t. I wish I could though. See, your mother is dead now. She’s gone. She’ll never be able to be with us again, or us with her, until we get to Heaven that is.” Luke shook his little head and frowned. “But I want her here. I don’t want her to die!” Tears started flowing and his voice was getting louder in protest. Jack held his son and let him cry. He did some more crying of his own, too. Luke clung to Jack like he had never done before. Finally, there were no more tears. Luke laid in Jack’s arms, his little body shaking from the emotional turmoil that he had just gone through. Jack put his head against the wall and stroked Luke’s hair. What’s going to become of us? He wondered. How are we going to survive in this new world, especially with two new babies? “Luke?” He whispered softly. Luke sat up and looked at his father. “Luke, you do have a new brother and a new sister. Would you like to see them?” A look of anger crossed Luke’s face as he shook his head. He lunged towards Jack and hugged him tight. “Whoa! It’s ok, buddy! I’m not going anywhere!” Jack said as he held his son again. “Are you sure you don’t want to see them? They are really small!” Luke only held on to Jack tighter and buried his head into Jack’s chest. “Ok, Luke, it’s ok. We can just hang out here for a little while, ok?” Jack asked softly. Luke nodded his head. They sat there for what seemed like hours, just comforting each other. Neither of them spoke another word. Jack prayed for Luke, that this would not destroy his spirit. Luke just sat there, holding on to Jack for dear life. The only reason they parted was because of a soft knock on the door. “Come in,” Jack said softly. They were at Rebecca’s place, in one of the kid’s room, or so Jack guessed. The door opened slowly with a creek, and Seth pocked his head through the opening. “Good mornin’,” he said as cheerful as he could. “Are you boys hungry? Rebecca has some eggs and pancakes cooking in kitchen if you’d like to join us.” Jack looked at Luke, and was surprised when he nodded his little head. Jack shrugged. “I guess so! Thanks. We’ll be down in a minute.” “Okey-dokey.” Seth said as he closed the door behind him. Jack and Luke got up and put their pants back on. The night before was a blur to Jack, but he did remember falling fast asleep as soon as he hit the pillow, as had Luke. Must have been God’s grace, Jack thought. They made their way downstairs to the kitchen, and found that it was almost noon. Jack found out that Seth had gone out to be with the rest of the family, as they were out helping with the cabins for Rebecca’s family, and Rebecca had stayed behind with the twins. As Luke ate, Jack took the opportunity to go see his new babies. “You two are so lovely,” he whispered as he held Victor close. Little Grace was asleep, and Jack was glad that he didn’t have to decide which baby to hold. Victor stared at Jack with large blue eyes as Jack touched his little cheek. “Jack,” Rebecca said softly as she came in the room, “please know that you are more than welcome to stay here as long as you want, or need. My Mom is coming over, and she will be a great help with the twins.” Jack started shaking his head, but Rebecca stopped him. “Stop it, Jack. You need the help and you know it. Now stop being so proud and take it. There will be a time when we need you, and we know that we can count on you, too.” She said in her best motherly voice. Jack nodded and smiled. “Ok, Rebecca. I will. But don’t think I’ll ever forget it!” Rebecca laughed softly. “Oh, I know you won’t. Now listen, Jack. Luke is still not interested in seeing the babies. I don’t think he is ready yet. Why don’t you take him with you and go buy some supplies?” “Supplies? For what?” Jack asked putting Victor down and picking up Grace, who had just woken up. “Supplies for you, Jack. Things aren’t going well at all. I think they may hold together for a little while longer, but I’m not sure how much.” Rebecca replied. Jack looked at Grace as he spoke. “Well, Luke and I went shopping to Duluth yesterday. We did get quite a few things, if I know what you mean.” “I know. I saw your truck and trailer. But Jack, you’ve got to realize that you just lost your home, and most everything in it. You are going to have to start to rebuild, and you are going to need supplies for that.” Jack shook his head. “But I used up all of the money that we had yesterday. I have a lot of different stuff that I don’t need that maybe I can trade for. We won’t need much for a while. Assuming that everything else outside of the house is ok, we should fair just fine.” He kissed Grace gently on her head. “The cows,” Jack said, his voice filled with panic. “I didn’t milk the cows!” “Shh,” Rebecca said, not wanting to stir the babies. “The cows are fine. Seth milked them last night, and the kids milked them this morning. Look, Jack, we have something for you. It isn’t much, but,” “Oh, no you don’t,” Jack interrupted her. “No way, no how. You are doing more than enough, just by helping me with the twins. Do you think I don’t know how busy you are? And now with your family coming, you are going to be even more. No. Please. Just, just please keep what ever it is, ok?” “You don’t even know what it is!” Rebecca protested. “Yeah, well, you taking care of the twins and the animals was a gift enough. Just, just let me be proud this time, ok?” Jack asked, his eyes pleading for mercy. Rebecca nodded. “Ok. But I still think you need to do something with Luke. Go to the Reservation, something. He needs to have a little distraction. My Mom talked to my aunt today, and they should be arriving sometime today. Maybe then he can play with my cousin’s little girl. She is pretty much a city girl, so Luke will have to teach her the ropes around here.” Jack nodded. A little friend for Luke would be good. “Are the cabins done?” he asked Rebecca. Rebecca shook her head. “No. They will have to camp out for a while, until they can move in. I’m pleasantly surprised at my cousin from the cities. She and her husband went out yesterday and rented a U-haul.” Rebecca paused to pick up Victor and give him his bottle after handing one over to Jack for Grace. “A U-haul? What for?” Jack asked. “Well, they figured out that something was going to be happening soon, just by what was shown on the news. I’m not sure what all they bought, but I know that they went on a shopping spree. Maybe you can exchange some things with them. The U-haul is for all the stuff that they are going to bring. They have faith, I tell ya. They don’t even know that there is a place for them here yet. But they knew that they would be safer closer to here than in the Cities.” Rebecca told Jack. Jack nodded. “That is good. I’m sure that you are glad to have them coming.” “Yeah, sort of. I mean I wish nothing of this were happening. But it is. So I’m glad they are coming. They are going to have to learn a lot, but I’m sure there will be a lot to learn from them. And Jack, my Mom said that they would also be willing to help you with Luke and the twins,” she said, watching Jack closely. “Only while you rebuild, of course.” She ended quickly. Jack nodded thoughtfully. “I would really appreciate it if they did,” he said quietly. “It would make it easier on you, and I could always repay them by teaching them something, or maybe even giving them milk.” “Well, then it’s settled.” Rebecca said as she burped Victor. Jack watched Rebecca closely and then did the same with Grace. Boy, it’s sure been a while! He thought. He saw something moving out of the corner of his eye, and turned to see Luke standing there quietly. “Luke! Do you want to see the babies?” Jack asked him. Luke stood there, not saying anything or moving at all. “Come here, buddy,” Jack said. Luke walked to where Jack was seated slowly. He stood in front of Jack, staring at Grace. Jack turned Grace over so Luke could see her. “Luke, this is your little sister, Grace. That over there with Mrs. Rebecca is Victor, your little brother.” Jack said. Luke stood there, taking turns staring at each of the twins. “Would you like to hold one?” Rebecca asked him softly. Luke shook his head, but he didn’t move either. Jack knew that under normal circumstances it would take Luke a while to warm up to the babies. But now? Who knows how long it would take. Hours? Days? Just then there was a knock on the door as an older lady poked her head in the house. “Rebecca? Hello? Anyone home?” Jack figured it was Rebecca’s mom. He was right. “Mom!” Rebecca said carefully getting up, still holding Victor. They embraced, careful not to squish the little one. “Hi, Becca. How are you? Oh, these must be the twins. And Luke! And you must be Jack. Hi, I’m Linda. Nice to meet you!” Linda said as she went to shake Jack’s hand. “Nice to meet you too, Ma’am,” Jack said. “Hi, Luke,” Linda said softly. “You know what? My dog had puppies a few weeks ago, and I had to bring them over to Rebecca’s farm. Would you help me get them out of the car?” She asked, looking at Jack for approval. Jack smiled and nodded his head. “Puppies! Luke, would you like to help Mrs. Linda with the puppies?” Jack asked. “Oh, you can call me Aunt Linda if you’d like. Or Grandma L. But Mrs. Linda sounds like you don’t want to be friends with me. What do you say? Will you help me?” Linda said holding her hand out towards Luke. Luke looked at his father, who nodded, and then back at Linda. He shyly held his hand up to hold Linda’s. “Good,” Linda smiled, “because they are sure a handful. There are three of them!” Her voice trailed off as they headed outside. Jack laid Grace down gently as she was falling asleep. To his surprise, she didn’t cry. He looked at Rebecca still holding on to Victor. “Do you mind if I leave Luke here for a little while and go check on the house?” He asked Rebecca. Rebecca shook her head. “No, go right ahead. It looks like the twins will be sleeping for a little while, anyway, and Luke will be busy with the puppies. Let me get Seth to go with you, that way you can bring your truck back when your ready, and he can come back right away.” Jack nodded. “Thanks, Rebecca. You and Seth have been a Godsend.” Rebecca smiled and put little Victor down for a nap next to his sister. He was fast asleep. She went outside to get Seth, as Jack watched Luke play with the dogs out the window. Luke wasn’t exactly laughing, but he sure seemed to be enjoying himself. Seth and Rebecca reappeared, and soon Seth and Jack were on their way. Jack had stopped to talk to Luke, and Luke had been a little reluctant to let Jack go. Jack felt bad for having to leave Luke, but he wanted to see what the extent of the damage was to their house before allowing Luke to see it. They rode in silence for a while, Jack lost in deep thoughts, and Seth allowing him to have some space. As they approached the road that led to Jack’s house, Seth cleared his throat. “Uh, Jack? Just wanted to prepare ya, buddy. There ain’t much left. How they got to Carol before it got this bad I’ll never know. I just thank the Good Lord they did.” They turned the corner and Jack gasped as he saw what Seth meant. The structure of the house was still there, but everything else seemed to be gone, including the roof. Seth parked and they both got out of the truck. Jack went and stood in front of his home, his hands on his hips, wondering what he was going to do now. Where were he and his children going to live? Could he rebuild before the winter came? With what? Jack shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair. He glanced at Seth and shook his head again. “It really is a mess, isn’t it?” Jack asked to keep the tears from forming yet again. Seth nodded. “Yep. It sure is. Do you want to go in there? I talked to Ben earlier today and he said that we could go in, but we had to make it quick. He’s concerned about the house not being structurally safe. I can go in there with you if want.” Jack looked down and paused before answering. He finally decided that it would be better to have company than not, so he nodded his head. “I’d appreciate that, Seth. Thank you.” Jack replied. Seth nodded as he put his hand up to block the sun from his eyes. “No problem, Bud.” They approached the house cautiously as if it was going to bite them. They walked through the front entrance door that had been destroyed by the firemen, and looked around. The roof was mostly gone, allowing the sun to shine through and give them light. Jack looked around and let out a heavy sigh. All the walls were black, and the furniture was badly burned. He carefully walked around what used to be the living room-dinning room area. The kitchen cabinets were completely gone, as was everything in it. Even the pantry and the food in it was scorched. Jack shook his head. Maybe he would have to go shopping after all, even if he had to borrow some money. They had to eat! Jack made his way towards Luke’s room. To his surprise, the door was still closed. He opened it, and found that although it had been sprayed to prevent the fire from growing, a lot of Luke’s clothing could be saved, as were his toys. He opened the drawers in the chest of drawers and was relieved to see that those were also intact, just dirty. Seth came into the room and whistled softly. “Wow! This is good! Say, I have some garbage bags in my truck. Do you want me to get them? Maybe we can salvage some of Luke’s stuff.” Jack nodded his head. “That would be great, Seth.” Seth went back out to see about the bags, and Jack made his way into his bedroom. He was hesitant at first to go in there, but knew he had to. The door to this room was opened and Jack could tell the difference right away. Everything seemed to be charred to a crisp, including his bed. Nothing seemed to have escaped the fire. Jack stood there gazing at the place where the bed used to be. Tears threatened to come again, but this time he was spared once again, as he heard voices coming from the living room. Jack made his way over there, and found Seth and Mr. Bodaway looking for him. “Jack, my friend!” Mr. Bodaway said as he walked towards Jack. He gave Jack a hug and patted him on the back. “Jack, I’m so sorry for your loss. Words cannot express the deep sorrow I feel for you, dear friend.” “Thank you, Mr. Bodaway,” Jack said quietly, returning his embrace. “I, uh, I’m going to see about getting some of Luke’s clothes,” Seth said uncomfortably, as he disappeared into the hall. “Jack, may I have a word with you? Perhaps outside?” Mr. Bodaway asked. Jack nodded his head. “Sure Mr. Bodaway,” he answered, leading the way. Once outside, Mr. Bodaway turned to look at Jack. “Do you have any plans, Jack?” he asked. Jack looked down at his boots and shook his head. “No, not yet, Mr. Bodaway.” Mr. Bodaway nodded his head, lifting his cap up to run his hand through his hair before putting it back on. “Well, you are more than welcome to come and live at the Reservation. We have a place that you can stay at, near your office, and I’m sure you and your family would be quite comfortable.” Jack looked at Mr. Bodaway, and then down again. “Thank you, Mr. Bodaway. You are very generous,” he said, a small smile on his face. “But I couldn’t, well, I won’t leave this place. But I do appreciate the offer.” Mr. Bodaway nodded. “Yeah, I thought you’d say that. Well, then I have a business proposal for you, Jack. As you know, I am one of your biggest clients,” he paused as Jack nodded. “Well, what I’m proposing is this. Over the next few weeks, months or even years, I will not have money to pay for your services. Even if I did, money will not be worth much, if anything. Now, you need a house, I need a vet. I say I give you a cabin in exchange for future services, up to the amount of the cost of the cabin, of course.” Jack looked at Mr. Bodaway, trying to read his mind. Jack was a proud man, not one to take handouts, but he knew that Mr. Bodaway was one too, and would not be easily deterred. “You want to sell me one of your cabins? How would I put it up?” Jack asked. “Well, that would be included in the cost. I have a kit at the office now, one that the buyer fell through on. There is nothing wrong with the cabin, of course. It is taking up too much space, and I think it would look mighty fine right there.” Mr. Bodaway said, pointing to the house. “You’d put it where the house is?” Jack asked. Mr. Bodaway nodded. “Yes, Jack. We would tear down the existing house, and put it on the basement. We would have to work on the basement some, but I don’t think it got hurt as bad. Have you been down there?” Jack shook his head. “No, I haven’t. Our room was pretty bad, but Luke’s seemed to be ok. Of course all of the living room, dinning room and kitchen are pretty much gone.” “Yeah, well, I was down there earlier today. I hope you don’t mind,” Mr. Bodaway continued. “You went down there? I should see what it’s like,” Jack said, anxious to get going and get back to his kids. “Yes, Jack, but there is something else.” Mr. Bodaway said, pulling an envelope out of his shirt pocket and handing it to Jack. “What’s this?” Jack asked, taking the envelope. “Well, John McKeen was here this morning, too. He and I went around your house, looking at what caused the fire.” Mr. Bodaway said. “John McKeen? Why was he here? I didn’t have insurance on the house.” Jack asked, confused. John McKeen was an insurance representative that Jack had worked with before, as he came with great recommendations from Mr. Bodaway. They didn’t know each other very well, but Mr. Bodaway spoke highly of him. “Well, actually, you did. It’s all wrapped up in your mortgage payments, so you probably didn’t even know you had it. I thought that maybe you could use that money towards the log cabin, and then you wouldn’t have to work for me as long, or I’ll include some extra’s, like sinks and toilets and such,” Mr. Bodaway paused and looked at Jack carefully. “Did Carol have any kind of insurance?” he asked. Jack shook his head. “Not of any that I know of. I don’t know where she would have gotten the money to afford any. We were barely making our budget every month, and that was only because of the work she was doing from home.” Mr. Bodaway rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he looked at Jack. “Well, Jack,” he said, a small smile on his face, “looks like she pulled one over on you, my friend. Look at what’s in the envelope.” Jack frowned and opened the envelope. In it was a check, made out to Jack for $5,000. “What’s this for?” Jack asked surprised. “Well,” Mr. Bodaway said, “John said that when he found out about the fire, he had to come and look at the house as soon as it was safe. He was happy to know that you hadn’t been in there, as that meant you hadn’t tampered with the evidence. Ben Tiller, John and I looked around the house, and determined that the cause of the fire was an accident. Now,” he paused as he studied Jack’s face, “apparently, Carol had some form of life insurance. I’m not sure where she got the idea to get it, but she did. The check you have there should be for $5000 to help you with some immediate expenses. The rest of the $25,000 will come later. The idea was that you would have some money to help with burial costs. But now with the hospital gone, and everyone in it with it…” Jack shook his head. “And she never told me about it? Are you sure about this?” he asked angrily, not being able to believe what he had just heard. Why would Carol hold something like this back from him? Did she not think he was trustworthy? Mr. Bodaway nodded. “Yup, I sure am. John wanted to make sure that you had the money right away, as he also sees the things that are coming. Now, Jack, I suggest you go and replace whatever you need to replace for your new home. You will need some furniture, like cribs for your babies. Also, you may want to replace clothing and shoes for your yourself.”

CHAPTER 8 Jack got home just in time to milk the cows and eat supper. He and Carol had a good arrangement. She would milk the cows in the morning, feed the chickens and the horses and then work at her stay-at-home-job for a few hours while she let Luke play. Jack would come home after work each day, milk the cows, care for the horses and tend to their small garden. Carol hated gardening, but enjoyed the produce of it. Jack enjoyed doing it, but was finding that he was really asking Luke to help a lot, since there was so much work elsewhere to be done. Jack felt bad for Luke. He knew that Carol loved him with her whole heart, but also knew the difficulties that she had with children. She had been the youngest of four siblings, all of whom had moved away to better and higher paying jobs in different areas of the country. She had pretty much been left to herself to be raised, and didn’t have many friends. Jack knew that this is why she liked living in the country so much, she had few friends, but the ones that she had were like family to her. Real family. Jack had encouraged Carol several times to home-school Luke, but she was afraid that she’d mess him up too bad. She figured that maybe he could go to school at the Reservation when he turned seven. That’s when the Reservation took in new students. They wanted to make sure that the kids had plenty of time to play and learn while playing, so they didn’t start school until they were seven years old. Jack figured that things might change for Carol, now that they were going to have these new babies. She really was a loving mother, and enjoyed babies very much. Jack remembered fondly the time that with out knowing it, he came into the room while she was holding baby Luke. She was singing softly to him, a sweet song about how much she loved him and how happy she was to be his mother. Jack had fallen in love with her all over again. This was a very soft side of Carol that he didn’t often see, and he was so glad that he had been able to quietly get their camera and take a picture. Later on he had developed the picture in black and white, and had made a beautiful frame to put it in. He wrapped it in pretty paper as best as he could on her first Mother’s Day, and given it to her, signing it “Love to you always, Jack”. She had received the gift surprised, as Jack wasn’t much of a mushy kind of guy either. She didn’t say much when she opened it, but he could see the tears in her eyes as she quietly thanked him. Later, the picture had appeared next to her side of the bed. He always looked at it with pride, knowing that not only that he had taken a great picture, but he had also touched his wife’s heart. He finished his chores and went inside to clean up for supper. To his surprise, Carol was sitting on the rocking chair with Luke, reading him a book. He washed his hands at the sink and looked back at them. “So how was your day?” He asked, drying his hands. “It was great, Papa! Mother and I went for a picnic on the lake!” Luke answered excitedly. “Oh? Was that fun?” He looked quizzically at Carol. She smiled back at him. “It was a lot of fun. Just Luke and I. We played games, caught our own lunch and even took a nap on the grass, didn’t we, Luke?” Luke nodded his head excitedly. “Yup! And Papa, a rabbit came real close to us today. Mother says that he must of thought that we were part of the grass!” he giggled. Jack smiled. He wasn’t sure what had come over his wife, but he sure did like it. Luke was more excited than he had been in a long time, and Carol’s faced seemed to flush of happiness. Jack walked over to them and gave each of them a kiss. “So,” he asked, “Do you need help with supper?” Luke giggled. “Mother said that we are going to have sandwiches!” Jack looked at Carol surprised. Not that he minded, but they were used to having a bigger meal than just that. Carol nodded. “Yup, sorry hon. I’m just really tired out today, I think the twins are settling down to be born soon.” She put her hand on her bulging stomach. “I can’t wait to meet them,” she said softly. Jack looked at her with a softness in his eyes that he always got when it came to talking about their children “Neither can I,” he answered. They worked together to get supper ready. It didn’t take long since it was only sandwiches, and they were soon cleaning up the dishes. Jack told Luke that he could go out and play, more than anything to get a chance to talk to Carol. “Are you feeling ok?” Jack asked Carol, trying to be careful in how he sounded. He didn’t want to offend her. “Yes, I’m fine,” Carol responded. “Just a little tired. It gets tiresome carrying two babies all the time, Jack!” She smiled at him. “But I’m glad I took the day easy today, and was able to spend so much of it with Luke. He really is a neat kid. I feel like I have isolated him, expecting him to behave older than what he is. And now that the twins are almost here, I want to make up for that. Luke will no longer be my little boy, as I’m going to need him to grow up and be a big helper. So today I just wanted to take the time to enjoy him at six years old, and do whatever he wanted to do. That’s why there was no real supper today. I hope you don’t mind.” “Mind? Carol, I’m very happy that you were able to spend this time with him,” Jack said as he moved back a lock of hair that hair that had fallen in front of her eyes. “I will gladly eat sandwiches for weeks, or make supper myself if it means that the two of you enjoy each other so much!” He leaned towards her and kissed her on the lips. “I love you,” he whispered. “I love you, too, Jack. You are a wonderful father and husband, even if you do shoot better than I do!” She ended playfully. Carol was very competitive, even when it came to Jack. Jack smiled. He dearly loved this woman, even if she sometimes seemed to do everything as good or better than he did. Jack’s face got serious as he thought about the meeting he had had with the elders and his neighbors that afternoon. “Something wrong?” Carol asked. Jack recounted with as many details as he could remember the events of that afternoon. They discussed the issues for a little while, and what it could all mean for them and their future. Carol put her hand on her stomach. “Well, if they are right, and Mr. Bodaway usually is, then we better listen to them and do as they say. What’s the worst that can happen if they are wrong? We can take some stuff back, or what we can’t, we’ll just have to trade for something else. How much money do we have put away?” Jack shook his head. “Not as much as I’d like us to have. But I would say that about $5000 if we pull everything together.” Carol nodded her head thoughtfully. “Wait here,” she said as she went back to their bedroom. A few minutes later she came back to the kitchen with a wad of cash in her hand. “Here, I want you to take this, and add it to the $5000.” Jack looked at the money. “Your mad money? Are you sure? I thought you were saving it for something special. Carol, you’ve been saving for years! I can’t take that now!” Jack protested. “No, Jack, you have to. What good is a wad of cash gonna do me if I can’t feed my family or clothe my babies? Take it, and don’t argue. There should be about $3000 or so in there. Make sure that you buy enough ammo and guns, but I sure would appreciate you buying me some diapers as well. If things really get as bad as they are predicting, I’m not going to want to spend all my time washing diapers by hand. When you buy them, buy different sizes and some clothing too. Now we don’t need boy clothing since we’ve got Luke’s old clothes, but if there are girls in here we are going to need something for them. I’ll go garage-saleing tomorrow, and you can take Luke with you to Duluth and buy what ever you need there. I want to stop by the Larson’s and talk to them, too. I’m sad that they are leaving, though I must say that I’m glad it’s Rebecca’s family that is coming to live next to us. It could be a lot worse, you know, specially given the circumstances.” Jack nodded. It could be a lot worse. They could not know anything, or worse yet, be the “give-me, give-me” kind. Jack hopped that Rebecca was right and they were the hard working kind. It would be nice to have other Christians around them, and he was hoping that Carol could become friends with some of the women. She had no close friends, and Jack wished there was something he could do about that. Maybe she could teach the women some shooting and fishing, and they could teach her some of the finer points of home-making. Jack and Carol finished cleaning up and called Luke back in to the house. They wanted to spend a fun evening together as a family before things got too out of hand. They played games and ate ice cream, which was a special treat for them. Luke had a special glow in his eyes. Jack knew that they didn’t do this as often as they should, and was glad for the opportunity to show Luke how much he meant to them. They all went to bed early that night, and though Jack would have liked to ‘know’ his wife in the way that Adam ‘knew’ Eve, he held her close instead. He knew that she was very uncomfortable as it was, being over eight months pregnant, and didn’t want to be inconsiderate. He enjoyed holding her close until they fell asleep. The next day, after their morning chores and breakfast was done, they got ready to leave. The plan was for Jack to take the truck and the trailer, and go to Duluth to buy supplies that they would need. He would be taking Luke with him and this would allow Carol to go to Grand Rapids to and hit the garage sales and other stores to get some supplies from there. Jack and Luke would be stopping by the Larson’s to say good-bye. The Larsons where anxious to get to Florida and get settled there before every thing went south. Jack pulled the truck around to the front of the house and found Carol holding Luke tightly. “Now you be a good boy for your Papa, ya hear me son?” She asked looking into his eyes. Luke nodded his head, “Yes, Ma’am.” He replied. “And remember what I told you, ok? No matter what.” She said as she held him tight again and kissed his little head. She turned to Jack and gave him as close a hug as she could, with her stomach getting in between them. “Now you be careful, ok, Jack? I want you home before sundown. You bring back my boy safe. Don’t go around playing ‘Rambo’ out there. We don’t know how bad things are going to get or how quick, and I’d rather not face this with out you. Besides. These babies are going to need lots of lovin’, and I know that you can do that for them.” She reached out and caressed his face. She put her arms around his neck and kissed him. “We’ll be fine,” Jack assured her. “Be careful yourself, and be sure to take care of those babies of ours, ok?” He said and then leaned in for one more kiss. “I love you!” “I love you, too, Jack. Luke? I love you, son. Have a good day, ok? Oh! I almost forgot. Here,” she said as she put some cash in the boy’s hands. Treat your Papa to an ice cream cone somewhere, ok? There’s enough in there for one for you, too.” She winked at him. “Thank you, Mother! Thank you very much!” Luke said wrapping his little arms as tight as he could around her legs. Wow. Ice cream two days in a row, this was quite a treat for Luke. “If there is money leftover, you may buy some hard candy and bring it home for special treats, ok?” Carol said. Jack glanced at the money in the boy’s hand and smiled. Oh, there would be money left over for sure. He smiled at Carol. She must have known that candy would be something that they could give Luke in tough times to make them easier. They normally didn’t allow him to eat much, but he was allowed some on special occasions. Jack and Luke each gave Carol one more hug and a kiss, and then took off to say good-bye to the Larsons. This was also a tearful goodbye, as they had really grown fond of each other over the years. “I’m leaving you my butter making supplies, Jack,” Mrs. Larson said, “Make sure you give them to Carol with this book. It has taught me everything I know about making butter. If I can do it, then so can she. I’m also leaving you our supply of winter food. There is no way that we can take it with us, and this will also help you have extra canning supplies for next summer. We agreed to sell everything on the farm to Rebecca, but I told her that I was going to give you those things. She agreed, since you are the one that provides us with the milk to make the butter anyway!” Mr. Larson had his own parting gifts. “I pulled what I had two of in my garage and put it into some boxes for you to take home, there are over there by the stove. You can come and pick them up later,” he said. “Mostly tools and such. But there are also seeds, the kind that you can plant and then get seeds from what ya get. Ya know what I mean?” He asked Jack, hoping Jack would understand. Jack nodded. “We sure do appreciate all of this, Mr. and Mrs. Larson. I’m not even sure what to say. Thank you, thank you so much!” He said, his voice filled with emotion. “Well, that’s all ya gotta say, son,” Mrs. Larson said. “Now come on over here and give me a hug.” Jack gave her a big bear hug and then turned to Mr. Larson. No words would come to him, and it was a good thing, as he didn’t trust his voice. Mr. Larson struck is hand and shook Jack’s. “Ah, come over here, ya big goon,” Mr. Larson said as he embraced Jack. The two hugged and then pulled back, a little embarrassed. “Now if you go telling anyone that I cried when I left, I’ll come up all the way from Florida and give you a likin’, ya hear?” Jack chuckled, his eyes filled with tears. “Well, I won’t if you don’t!” Luke gave each of the Larsons a big hug. They were like grandparents to him, and he had enjoyed their friendship very much. Jack and Luke took off, and made the two-hour trek to Duluth. While there, they shopped at all the specialty shops that they didn’t have in Grand Rapids. They were able to buy extra canning equipment, jars, lids, and all that went with it. They found a Church garage sale that they just couldn’t pass up. While there, they found a great deal on linens, and Jack decided to buy them all, even though they weren’t all the size for what they needed. They were cheap, and he was sure that the material could be used for other stuff if needed. There was also a bunch of big garbage bags, filled with yarn of all kinds. The lady said that they even had wool in there. He took five bags. He saw a ton of used notebooks and school supplies. The notebooks only had a few pages that were used, so he bought a bunch of those as well. “Papa, look! Is this one of those old sewing machines that your Mama used to use?” Luke said as Jack approached him. Jack couldn’t believe it. “Sure enough, son, that’s one just like it.” He bought that too, grateful to know that someone was coming that would know what to do with it. He was glad to see that extra replacement parts came with it, as he knew that those would be hard to find. He was able to buy a few bags of material and just hoped that he was getting the right thing. They came to the shoes part, and found that a family of all boys had donated their shoes. Jack bought all the boots in all the sizes that he could, thinking of Luke. They’d have to figure out something for the twins later. He also bought Luke some ‘good’ shoes, since now they were actually be going to church, since there would be a church close to them. Jack was very grateful for the garage sale. He spent several hundred dollars there, and the church people were grateful to him. They took off from there, and went to Dairy Queen. They had their special treat there, and then went to Costco to buy some other things. Jack was able to buy a couple of buckets with a mop squeezer on them. He figured that these would help with the washing of clothes, since they wouldn’t be able to use the washing machine. He wondered how Carol was going to like washing clothes by hand. At the stores, especially Costco, Jack found that people were a little anxious. He found that a lot of them were buying water, batteries, and canned food. He overheard a man talking on his cell phone about what else to buy. He had all canned food, some medications and bottled water. Jack wondered how long the food would last. He thought of encouraging the man to buy more staples, like beans, rice and pasta, but thought better of it when he heard the man swearing at whoever was on the other side. Jack knew he didn’t have to worry about grains, as that was something he bartered with the Reservation for. “Grain mill,” he said out loud. “I need to get a grain mill.” He made a mental note to stop by a special store that he knew of that sold stuff like that later. They hit a few more spots, including the store that Jack had wanted to go to, and then headed back. It was soon going to get dark, and they wanted to be home before that. Luke fell asleep on the way home, allowing Jack time to think. He thought about all the things Mr. Bodaway had said before. Would things really get that bad? Well, Jack knew that Mr. Bodaway had very interesting connections with people in authority, so he thought that he probably knew what he was talking about. Jack wondered who the mysterious ‘friend’ from the White House was. Maybe he’d ask Mr. Bodaway some time. As they turned off the highway onto the road that led to their home, Jack saw smoke in the distance. Confused, he stepped on the gas to get to the source of the fire faster. His heart started beating harder and faster as he heard sirens coming from where ever the fire was. He shook his head. No, he thought. It couldn’t be. His eyes betrayed the truth as he turned onto the road that went to their home. There were several police cars, fire trucks and an ambulance blocking the rest of the way to his house. Jack sped up until he reached them and jumped out of his truck. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. His home was on fire!

Written by our own happygirl originally posted 07/12/05 ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Joy's Legacy, Chapters 1-19 CHAPTER 1 Joy slammed on the brakes as the guy in front of her swerved. What was this all about? Her little four year old in the back started crying. “Victoria, are you ok?” Joy called back, looking at her through the rearview mirror. “Yes, a little bit ok” Victoria answered. Her crying slowed to a whimper as Joy looked in the mirror again to make sure no one was behind her. There wasn’t. The guy in front of her had continued on his way as a family of ducks finished crossing the highway behind him. Joy thought of laying on the horn, but with the way things were going lately, she thought she better not. She turned down the music on the radio and pulled over. Her heart was pumping so hard she was sure Victoria could hear it loud and clear. “What are we doing Mommy?” Victoria asked with tears still in her eyes. “Mommy just needs to relax a little bit before we keep going, ok?” Joy said, trying to sound as normal as she could. This was the closest she had come to having an accident. And of course it would have been her fault, as she would have been the one hitting from behind. Or maybe not. She knew there were exceptions to the rule, but she wasn’t sure what those were. Joy turned in her seat to face Victoria as best as she could, and reached out her hand to place it on Victoria's knee. She put her little hand on Joy's. “Do you want to pray Victoria? And thank Jesus for helping us to not hit that car in front of us?” Joy asked, still a little shaken. She nodded her head and closed her eyes tightly. “Thank you Jesus for helping Mommy not to hit the car and the guy and the ducks. Amen.” She opened her eyes as Joy gave her hand a squeeze. “Amen” Joy said. “You saw the ducks?” She asked her as she turned back around. “Yeah! There was a mommy duck and four baby ducks!” Victoria said excitedly. Joy smiled at her through the mirror, as her heart seemed to regain it’s normal pace again. She carefully pulled back into the highway, looking for stray ducks along the way. She pulled into the underground garage of our apartment complex a few minutes later. As she was parking, she saw a man in a green shirt and khaki pants coming towards them. “Daddy!” Victoria squealed. Joy's husband opened the side door to the minivan and yelled a big “Boo!”. Victoria giggled “Hi Daddy! I like you, Daddy!” In a muffled voice, Dave tried to say something. Joy got out of the van and hugged his waist from behind. “What are you trying to say?” He pried himself from Victoria’s arms and said “Hi honey, welcome home” then leaned in towards her for a kiss. He pulled back and looked straight into her eyes. “You’ll want to go home right away. I’ll bring the food up. Your Mom called and left a message.” “Really? What did she say?” Joy asked wondering why he would want her to get the message right away since it wasn’t unusual for her Mom to call and leave them a silly message. He looked at Victoria. “You better go hear it for yourself. I’ll bring Victoria and the food up.” “Ok” Joy said as she leaned in for one more kiss before heading upstairs. “Bye Mommy!” “Bye, Sweetie! I’ll see you upstairs, ok?” “Ok!” Both her Sweeties answered together. As she walked to the entrance of the door she could hear Victoria giggling. He must have been tickling her again. She wondered what her Mom wanted? It wasn’t unusual at all for her to call. What was unusual was for Dave to be so worried about it. Joy was the youngest of three sisters. Her parents had devoted their life to their work, Missions. She had been born and raised in Mexico, six years after her middle sister, Marie, had been born in Brazil where they worked a few years, and eight years younger than her oldest sister, Ann. It was funny. Her oldest sister Ann had been born in the States, but married a Mexican guy and now lived in Mexico with her husband and two teenage kids, Leslie and Allen. Joy was born in Mexico and was married to an American and lived in the USA. All the way up north, no less. Minnesota. She sure did love it here, though, even if it did get bellow zero in the winter and they got mosquitoes that could carry people away as take-out food. Well, almost anyway. She reached their floor and went into their apartment. They had lived there for three years now. The longest they had lived anywhere in their entire married life, almost eight years. Dave was a caretaker at the apartment complex, which was a blessing and curse at the same time. He liked the work, but was treated very unfairly. Often he would come home only until after he put in a good 10 to 12 hour day, and of course, his salary didn’t reflect that. He got along well with the residents, who always spoke highly of him, but was starting to have problems with his boss, the manager, again. It seemed as if he never did enough in her eyes. Joy sure wished he could just quit. She hung her purse up and locked the door behind herself. With as many robberies as they had experienced in the last couple of weeks in the building, one could never be too careful. She looked around the apartment. Ah! There it was. Funny you can never find a cordless phone when you need one. Joy pressed the remote message button. “Beeeep. You have one new message. To hear incoming message press two.” She pressed two. “Beeeep. First message:” The male voice turned into her Mom’s voice. “Hi hon, it’s me. Can you call me as soon as you get home? REAL QUICK, ok? Pronto. Rápido. It’s urgent. Love you! Talk to you soon. Bye!” The male voice came back. “Thursday, June 2, 3:32 p.m. End of incoming message. To repeat incoming message, press 1. To…” Joy hung up. She quickly dialed her Mom and Dad’s phone number. Fortunately they had one of those phones that were hooked up through the Internet. This way, she could call within her area code, even though they were in the middle Mexico. She looked at her watch as their phone started ringing. 4:45 p.m. If she put the headset on, she could start supper while she talked. Their phone was still ringing. She quickly put one the headset, just before someone picked up the phone. “¿Bueno? Hello?” It was her Dad. “Hi, Pa!” Joy said, “How are ya?” “Good, Joy! How are you doing? Hang on a second, let me get Mom." Joy could see him in her mind's eye getting up and going into the hallway of their home. “Liz? Joy’s on the phone! Just a second, Joy” Her Mom came on the phone. “Hi honey! How are ya doing?” Joy pulled out stuff from the fridge for supper. “Umm, good. How are you? What’s so urgent?” “Are you sitting down?” Liz asked. “No, I’m cutting tomatoes. Should I be?” “YES!” Both her parents said together. “And leave the knife behind” Ed chuckled. “Ok…” Joy sat down at the dinning room table, “What’s up?” “Well,” Mom said, “Uncle James died today, honey.” “What???” Joy said as the door to our apartment opened and Victoria came running in. “Hi, Mommy!” she said. Dave took one look at Joy and motioned for her to go to their room to finish the call. “We’ll put away the food,” he whispered. Joy went and sat on their bed after closing the door. “What?” she said again. “Uncle James died last night,” Ed said “you know how sick he was…” “Yeah, but I thought he had at least a year left!” Uncle James was Liz’s only adopted brother. Her Mother had died when she was six weeks old, and the neighbors had taken her in when her Father couldn’t care for her plus three other children. They had adopted her four years later, but she still stayed in contact with her birth family even to this day. “Yeah, I know honey,” Liz said. Joy could tell she was about to cry. “How are you doing Mom?” she asked. “Oh, as well as can be expected, I guess. It’s just a shock to us, too, you know. I was hoping to see him this summer”. “When is the funeral going to be?” Joy asked, wondering if it was too soon for her to ask. “Well, it’ll be next Friday. A week from tomorrow. That way it will give us a chance to get up there to be there for it.” Ed replied. “You’re coming up? Really?” “Well, sure honey! He was my only brother!” Liz said. “Plus, I get to see my pretty little red head!” Joy could tell she was trying to smile through her tears. “Are you coming up too, Dad?” she asked. “Yeah,” Joy could hear him getting up again, “Aunt Linda is going to pay our way up there. But she wants us to drive up. She said that she can pay for the gas and hotels, and then we can have a vehicle while we are there. Apparently her kids are in on this, too.” “Wow. That’s great! I wonder if Dave can get some time off of work? Maybe he could go up to the funeral, too,” Joy wondered out loud. “Well, you better see if he can,” Ed said “‘cause Ann and Marie are going, too”. “What?!?” Joy said. She wasn’t terribly surprised about Ann. Her Uncle and Aunt had flown her up to visit before. But Marie? She was in Africa! She was going to pay for her to come for the funeral, too? “Yeah, apparently they want the whole family to be there. There’s not many of us, so they want to make sure everyone is there.” Liz said. “And get this. They are going to fly Roger and the kids and Juan over, too,” Ed said, with wonder in his voice. Joy couldn’t believe it. Juan and the ‘kids’ that her Dad was referring to were her sister Ann’s family. Roger was her sister Marie’s fiancé. That was a real shocker, as he was from Africa. Good thing he had his papers in order. They'd all get to meet him now! Marie had lived in Africa for almost 10 years. She was a missionary and had remained single despite many offers to be married. Most were not serious, since the men were Muslim, and had at least one or two wives already. Roger had stolen her heart. He was a Christian missionary to his own people, and no wife! Joy had spoken to him on the phone several times, and from what she knew, he was a really nice guy. “This is going to be one expensive trip!” Joy said. “Yeah, no kidding, mister!” Liz said. “They are even going to pay for all of us, and their kids too, I suppose, to stay at the Buena Vista in Duluth. For the whole week!” “In Duluth? Is that where he wanted to be buried? I would have thought in Grand Rapids.” Joy said. “No,” Ed said, “He’ll be buried next to your grandparents. Apparently he had everything figured out. I had no idea he was that organized. It’ll be as close to a family reunion as you can get.” “What do you mean, Ed? Just because there are so many people in your family it doesn’t make mine any less of one!” Liz said jokingly. The joke of the family. Only one sibling on Liz's side, seven on Ed's. Joy could hear her Dad laughing. Well, at least they aren’t so broken hearted that she'd have to worry about them, Joy thought. “Have you talked to Marie?” Joy asked. “Yep. They are going to be coming. So are Ann and her family. So I sure hope you can get Dave to take the week off,” Ed said. They talked a bit more about the logistics of the trip. They would be arriving in the Twin Cities on Wednesday, and then everyone would go up to Duluth on Thursday to be there for the funeral on Friday. Ann and Juan would drive up with them, but in their own minivan. Roger and Marie would fly in at their earliest convenience. Joy made a mental note to write things down that she wanted them to bring from Mexico. With two minivans they’d have a ton of space! They hung up the phone and she went into the dinning room. Dave was just hanging up on the cell phone. “I just ordered pizza” he said, “It doesn’t look like the kind of time for you to cook”. “Thanks, hon,” Joy said as she sat next to him at the table. “What’s up?” he asked. She told him everything. He was doubtful he could get the time off, but said that he’d try. They talked for a while about Uncle James, until the pizza arrived. After supper they played with Victoria for a while and then put her to bed. After reading the Bible, singing and praying, she was finally ready to go to sleep. Finally, Dave and Joy could talk openly. He expressed his growing fear of losing his job. He had been working at the apartments for almost two years, and recently it seemed as though they were just “out to get him”. They decided to watch the news. They weren’t sure what was more depressing, the news, or his job situation, or Uncle James dying. The news was getting worse every night. Oh, the newscasters were great. They had fun doing their job, and you could tell. But tonight, for a split second as the main anchor-man told of the dollar dropping yet again, the price of crude oil going up, and the tensions with China rising, you could tell. Things were probably worse than they were letting on. Dave and Joy had always thought that if they would tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth, people really would need all of God’s help. So after the news they held hands and asked for it. This country was needing as much help as it could get! CHAPTER 2 They got up early in the morning. Finally, Friday was here. The clock said 7:00 a.m. Well, early for them anyway! Dave was a night owl, and Joy, well, she didn’t mind being able to sleep in once in a while. After praying and getting ready for work, Victoria finally woke up. They had breakfast together and Dave got ready to leave. “I’ll talk to my boss today about getting some time off” he promised, “but I wouldn’t hold my breath.” He shook his head. “I’m telling ya, I feel like they have it in for me!” Joy put her arms around his neck and lifted her head up for a goodbye kiss. She knew that this whole job thing was getting to him. “Remember that no matter what, I love you!” She said. “I’ll be calling my Aunt Linda today and see if she wants me to go up there sooner. Would that be ok? I also need to call Marie and see when she and Roger will be arriving, so we can pick them up at the airport. Do you need anything from Mexico? I’ll be making up a list of things to ask Mom to bring. With the two minivans, that’s a lot of space!” Dave laughed. “Sure,” he grinned, “tell them to get me some Rompope!” He opened to the door to the apartment. They kissed again, and he took off for work. Joy smiled to herself. Rompope. Go figure he’d ask for that. Rompope was an alcoholic drink not too much unlike spiked Eggnog. They used it with vanilla ice cream for a special treat. She wrote it down on the list of things she had going. Let’s see… she now had tuna, jabon zote (a Mexican soap for washing clothes by hand), and some other things. The phone rang. It was Marie. “Aloha!” She said, her customary greeting. “Hey, Marie, how are ya?” Joy said, as she plopped down on the chair. “Hi, Aunt Marie!” Victoria called. Joy laughed. Marie was one of Victoria’s favorite aunts. Well, she only had three of them, so that didn’t leave many! They talked for a while about Uncle James and Marie’s trip back to the States. She would be bringing more stuff, since she would be making this her furlough. They talked about her wedding plans, but she still wanted to get married in Africa. They would be arriving in Minnesota on Tuesday, the 7th. Then everyone would go up to Duluth when the clan from Mexico arrived. They’d be tired, and maybe a little grumpy, but everyone was very excited for this opportunity to finally all be together. After hanging up the phone, Joy called her Aunt Linda. She wasn’t able to talk to her long, but could hear relief in her voice. They talked often on the phone, and had grown close over the last two years. Aunt Linda was a great inspiration to Joy. She was a great gardener, canner, and excellent at preserving foods in one form or another. Joy had learned a lot from her, to the point that you could say she could do it blindfolded. “No, honey, you don’t need to come up now,” she said. “All my kids are here with their families, so we are a little crowded, anyway. It’ll be good to see you in Duluth. Is Dave able to get the week off of work?” she asked. “I don’t know yet,” Joy answered. “I sure hope so, it would be really sad if he had to miss all of this.” “Any more thoughts about moving up here?” Aunt Lin asked. They had talked about it several times. Dave and Joy would love to move away from the cities, but for now, that’s where there was work. Now with Uncle James dying, it would maybe not happen. Who knows if Aunt Linda was going to stay in the area, or move to California to be closer to her siblings. It was they who first talked to Dave and Joy about preparing. At first, Joy blew it off, but after talking to Dave about it some, he agreed, and said that Uncle James was right. He really wanted him not to be, but he’d hate to get caught unprepared and unable to care for his family. So they prepared. To the best of their ability, anyway. Dave had taken some classes that would help them no matter what happened. The good thing was that he had been able to apply them at work, and practice. He was now a very skilled carpenter, a good plumber, and a so-so electrician. Joy had also taken courses. She learned how to sew, knit and crochet, make rugs, pottery, and other essential things that could prove helpful if things kept going the way they were going. Joy ended the conversation with her aunt and started to clean the apartment, getting it ready for next week. Victoria was going to have to be on vacation from school. This would give Joy a chance to go through all the homeschooling materials that they had just gotten on the day before. Dave and Joy had decided to buy the entire curriculum for Victoria’s schooling. All together it had cost them over $2000, but considering that it went from preschool through high school, they thought it was a pretty good deal. They realized some things were going to be outdated by the time she got to high school, but Joy figured they’d be able to update it then. Also, this curriculum was one that you could teach kids of different ages all at once. They only had Victoria, but were really hoping to have more kids. Soon. Victoria would be five this year, and that was more time between the kids than they had wanted. After lunch, Joy asked Victoria to go play in her room. She sat down at the computer to check email and to read some of her favorite online books. There was an email from her Aunt Sue in Oregon. It read: Hi Joy! Just a quick note as my granddaughter is begging to go out to play. Fred’s business is growing a lot, and he wondered if Dave was still interested in proofreading books. He could work on his own time, and we’d make sure that he would be fairly compensated. What we have been doing recently is just paying a yearly salary and then expecting our employees to read a certain number of books a year. We would not be able to provide an office, but would help pay for some of the expenses for one if he needed one. Obviously, he could just do it from home. The pay isn’t much, $45,000 a year, and you’d be responsible for taxes. You had mentioned that Dave was interested, so I thought I’d ask. Also, because this is you and we trust you, we would pay you a year in advance. The number of books we expect him to proofread is 24. That’s about two per month. If he finishes more and he wants more work, we’ll send him more, and we’ll pay him extra for it. It sure helps us a lot, and hopefully it’s a good deal for you, too. Unfortunately, I do need a response pretty soon. Let me know as soon as you can, ok? You can email me back, or call me at (555) 555-5555. Love you, honey. Say hi to Dave and little redhead Victoria for me. Love, Aunt Sue and Uncle Fred Joy grabbed her cell phone and called Dave. “Honey, can you come home real quick? I really need to talk to you.” Joy knew that the excitement in her voice could be heard. “Why, what’s up?” Dave asked, as Joy heard the front door open. She jumped up out of her chair and ran to the door. “Dave, come see this email! Where you right here, or what?” she asked, holding his hand and heading back towards the computer. “Yeah, I was coming home to get something to eat. I’m starving!” He sat at the computer. “This one? From your Aunt Sue?” Joy nodded. She went to the kitchen while Dave read the email and prepared him a sandwich and some fresh veggies. She poured him a glass of cold water and set it all at the table. Dave came to the table after printing out the email. “Fresh bread?” he asked, after bowing his head and saying thanks. “Yup, made it yesterday before I went shopping. What do you think about the job?” Dave nodded his head slowly. He was not one that made decisions irrationally, and Joy was afraid he’d say no, just because he didn’t have enough time to process the offer. “If I take this offer, can I quit my job today? I’m so sick and tired of working here.” Dave looked serious. Joy wasn’t sure what to say. “By the way, I didn’t get the time off to go to the funeral. If I quit today and ask for my two weeks of vacation, then maybe I can actually go. What do you think?” Joy couldn’t believe he was serious. She knew that he was getting desperate, but not quite this much! “Are you sure?” Joy asked, searching his eyes for any clue of his joking. “Yup,” he responded, “I sure am. Why don’t we pray? If by this evening we don’t feel sure one way or another, we’ll have to think longer about it and maybe it isn’t for us. Man, it pays more than I make now! And we’d be able to live wherever we want! You’d be able to have that garden you keep talking about…” his voice trailed off. He leaned over and took Joy’s hands in his. They bowed their heads together and prayed that the Lord would make it clear to them if this is what He wanted them to do. When they were done, Dave took his plate to the kitchen and rinsed it off. He went to Victoria’s room and gave her a big hug and kiss. “Daddy has to go back to work now, ok?” he said softly into her ear. “Again?” she asked. “Yeah…” Joy could tell by Dave’s voice that Dave was thinking how nice it’d be to not have to. Dave left for work again, asking Joy to make a few phone calls. He wanted to make sure that he didn’t make such a big job change without others’ input. People who were important in their lives, like their parents, their Pastor, and their best friends with whom they prayed, and played, with regularly. So Joy did. And the answers were unanimous. Go for it. So Joy called Dave back on the cell phone and told him what everyone thought. She told him she agreed. Dave sounded relieved. He said he would talk to his boss right away. Joy hung up the phone and let out a little yelp. She sat down to the computer and responded to the email her Aunt sent. Then she called her and said that Dave would accept the job. Her Aunt was very pleased, and said that tonight when Dave got home they could work out the details. Joy got supper ready and in the oven, and then sat down for a little bit on the couch to catch her breath. She turned on the news to see what was going on. Wow. Things were really going bad. Just since yesterday, things with China had gone bad to worse. At the border the Minutemen Project that had been going on since April had caught two vans full of illegals crossing into the States. But they weren’t Mexican. They were Chinese. Their vans were full of weapons, ones that Joy had never even heard of. She checked her watch. 4:59 p.m. Her Mom and Dad, sister and family should be across the border by now. She hoped, anyway. She called the family that her parents usually stayed with at the border. “Hello, Smith’s” Joy’s mom answered the phone. “Mom! You made it across the border!” Joy said, relief flooding her voice. “Hi, hon. Yes, we all decided to leave last night, since we were able to hurry and get everything ready. We were even able to get the stuff you asked for.” “How did you know what to bring me? I didn’t get to tell you.” Joy wondered. “Well, honey, you always ask for the same thing.” She laughed. “Tell Dave we have some Rompope for him, too”. Joy smiled. He’d be very happy. They talked for a while about the new job and even though Liz was excited, Joy could tell there was something wrong. “Are you ok, Mom?” Joy asked. “Oh, yeah. It’s just that…” Liz paused. “What?” Joy pressed. “Well, the closer we got to the border, the more army vehicles we saw. They were Mexican army vehicles. That’s normal, but usually they have just teenagers manning the drug stops. This time it was older men, with a bunch of Asian-looking guys. They hardly even looked at our stuff. And believe me, we are bringing lots of stuff! It’s like they didn’t care, like they were putting up a front. And they weren’t speaking Spanish, either. Well, maybe some broken Spanish. Your Dad thought it sounded like they were speaking Chinese”. CHAPTER 3 Joy told her Mom about what she had just heard in the news. Her Mom related about other odd things, inconsistent with the way things where done in Mexico. There was a particular hate look towards them, but not at Joy’s brother-in-law, who was a Mexican. “Juan thought that they were speaking Korean. So who knows, Dad could be wrong. I’m just glad that we were able to get through ok. There was a lot of commotion at the border. Some Mexicans weren’t being allowed in, even though they had their papers in order. They let Juan in because of Ann. They said that if he had come alone they wouldn’t have let him in. And it wasn’t the Americans not letting him in. The problems were occurring on the Mexican side! They didn’t want to let him out!” They talked for a while more and then hung up the phone. They were going to try and get up to Minnesota as fast as they possibly could, even having the kids drive. Leslie had her license, and Allen a permit. It was two more drivers, anyway! They would even try driving late into the night. They would try to be here by Sunday, or early Monday. That would give them a few days here with us, before going to Duluth. Joy got busy. She called Victoria to come and help set the table just in time for Dave to come home for supper. They ate quietly and quickly not wanting to talk too many serious things in front of their little one. Dave’s spirits seemed high. He had a twinkle in his eyes. Joy’s, on the other hand were a little down. She was worried about what all the Chinese or Koreans, or from wherever they were, meant. Dave played with Victoria as Joy cleaned up after supper. She loved hearing them play together. Finally, at 7:30 p.m. Joy gave Victoria a bath and after their family devotions and hugs and kisses all around, they put the little one to bed. Dave and Joy settled into their favorite spots in the living room. Joy was eager to hear about Dave’s talk with his boss, but also eager to watch more of the news. Then the phone rang. It made them almost jump out of their skins. It was Marie again. She had to talk loud, as there was a lot of noise in the background. “Joy? Hi, this is Marie. Listen, I don’t have much time; our plane is about to leave. We were told that there are only a few planes leaving for the States this week, so if we were to get there in time for the funeral we had to leave soon. We might have to get married in the States after all. They almost didn’t let Roger leave. They said that the only reason that he could leave is if we were going to get married there. We told them we would and thought that we can figure out what we are going to do later.” Her voice continued to get louder as the sounds behind grew. “Marie? Are you guys ok? You sound flustered.” Joy stated, concerned. “Yeah, we are ok, for now. I just want to get on the plane and leave. I wasn’t able to get as much done as I wanted, I’m tired, and now it seems like there is a lot of people complaining. They aren’t letting some of the Senegalese people leave the country and people are starting get angry. And loud. Oh! I gotta go, Roger says that they are boarding. I’ll call you when I get to the States, ok?” “Ok. When do you arrive?” Joy asked. She hated not having any information. “Early Sunday morning. About 7 a.m. or so. But I’ll call you and let you know for sure. Love you! Bye!” She really sounded scared. The yelling sounded like it was intensifying behind her. “Bye, Marie! Love you! We’ll be praying for you.” Joy said, as quickly as she could. “Thanks, we’ll need it. Bye!” Marie hung up. Joy looked at Dave as she hung up and shook her head. “I’m not sure what to think!” She said, with worry in her voice. “Mom said that at the border they weren’t letting Mexicans across, and now Marie is saying that they aren’t letting Senegalese leave the country! Now I don’t know if she meant at all, or just to go to the States. She didn’t say.” Dave let out a deep breath. “Well, we’ll just have to pray for them. It’s the best we can do. Do you want some good news for a change?” he said, his face lighting up. “I’m sorry, of course I do. How did your day go?” Joy said, glad for the change of subject. “I don’t work here anymore!” Dave said, holding his hand up for a high five. He recounted the events of the evening. Apparently his boss had been really mad and just read him the riot act. She had even sworn at him and told him where he could go. Joy wasn’t surprised. She seemed to be the kind of person that if things didn’t go her way, she’d blow a head gasket. What did surprise her is what Dave told her next. “But guess what? All this happened in the back office. You know how it’s connected to the front office and you can hear everything?” he said, his voice rising with excitement. “Yeah?” Joy responded cautiously, knowing that he sometimes liked to lead her into a story and then say “Well, that’s it,” just to make her react. “Well, it turns out the owner, Senior, was in the front office. He must have arrived after I did, because I didn’t know he was there. I would have warned her to keep it down. He heard almost everything. He was not happy. Let me tell ya, I may have quit my job, well, she lost hers.” “What do you mean, she lost hers?” Joy asked, almost not being able to believe it. “Yeah, he fired her on the spot. He wondered if I was interested in suing the company over it. I told him ‘Of course not!’ and he shook my hand. ‘Good man,’ he said, ‘good man’. My boss left immediately, it looked as if she was humiliated, but Senior told everyone to let her go. He offered me to stay, under new management, and I told him ‘thanks, but no thanks’. He agreed to give me my two weeks vacation now instead of me giving a two-week notice. So I’ll still get paid for the next two weeks, but I don’t have to work. And, the best part….” he paused, wanting Joy to get the full impact of his words. “Yes…” she asked, a little impatiently. “He said we could use #210, that three bedroom apartment on second floor, and the corporate apartment to house your family while they are here. I think he was just glad that I wasn’t going to sue him that this was cheap compared to what he could have ended up paying.” Joy was shocked. “Really? Wow!” “Yeah,” Dave replied, “but I told him it was only for a couple of weeks, right? I mean, I can’t imagine that they’d be able to stay here any longer than that, with their work and stuff.” Joy nodded. They talked a while more about what to do, and then turned on the news. Surprisingly enough, both Juan and Joy’s dad were right. The Border Patrol had also caught a truck full of illegals. These were from North Korea. So the Minutemen had caught some Chinese, and apparently there were also people from North Korea trying to get across. The government alphabet agencies were proud at what they had accomplished, and thought that they had things under control. They would be questioning the men and women that were trying to come across, and get to the bottom of this; they were sure of it. In other news, small disturbances were breaking out around the world, as it seemed that flights from many different countries were being cancelled. The screen filled in with something taped earlier in the day. “This was going to be my first time in America,” the young woman said in a thick accent. “Now they are telling us we cannot go! I worked hard for this! My family is waiting there for me. There is no future here for me! Why will they not let us on the airplane?” Dave and Joy looked at each other. This woman was not from Senegal, or Mexico. She seemed Asian. There were other interviews of other places in the world, all of them with ‘minor’ disruptions to the flight schedule to the States. The news went on to say that the White House was looking into what could possibly be the reason for such a thing, but was naming it “a coincidence”. “And now for our next story, do you know why men bald more than women do? Stay tuned to find out…” Dave tuned them out. “This doesn’t sound good at all,” Dave said with the most interest Joy had seen in the story. She had been trying to keep up with it all day, and it seemed as though something was definitely up, and it was not ‘coincidence’. “Do you think we should do something about it?” Joy asked, wondering what they could possibly do at this time of the night. Dave nodded his head slowly. This usually meant yes, but let me think about it for a second and let me figure something out. They had enough water and food stored for two, three months tops. But that was for two adults, possibly three and a child. They had some camping equipment that they could use for cooking if the lights did go out, since they had an electric stove. But no protection of firearms, no knowledge of how to use them, and no permit to even get one. “What time is it? Hand me the phone would ya?” Dave said as he looked up a phone number. “I’m going to call Senior and ask him if it’s ok if we put stuff in the apartments now. With your family coming we are going to need a ton of food anyway, and…” He wasn’t able to finish as the phone rang again. “Hello?” Dave answered, almost dropping the phone. Dave looked at Joy. “Hey, Fred, how is it going?” Joy smiled. Dave has a new job, Dave has a new job… she thought to herself. Dave and Joy’s uncle talked for quite a bit. Dave got their checking account and read it off to Fred over the phone. “Are you sure about this?” Dave asked over the phone. “I’d be willing to be paid monthly as I do the work…” His voice trailed off as Joy could hear her uncle talking. A few minutes later, Dave hung up the phone. “Well, this is exciting!” He took Joy into his arms. “By tomorrow morning, at the latest by tomorrow afternoon, we should be $45,000 richer!” “What? They will pay it now, before you do the work?” Joy asked, not being able to believe it. Dave explained their motives behind it, and it was mainly to help Dave and Joy out. They saw how things were starting to go south. Fred had told Dave that he could use the money as he saw fit to prepare, and that if nothing happened, then he’d still be able to work. The salary was considered part-time since they also had to pay people in California the same amount, and the dollar didn’t stretch as far there. Good thing it would in Minnesota! They decided that the two of them would go shopping tomorrow. Take both vehicles, an old Chevy and the minivan, and possibly split and conquer. Dave would take some time tonight to print some information off the internet, and Joy would make sure that their BOB’s were ready to go. They sure hoped they wouldn’t need them. Not with Joy’s family coming. The phone rang again. Joy looked at her watch. 11:00p.m. Who could be calling this late at night? “Hello?” Dave answered. Dave looked at Joy and mouthed, “It’s your Mom”. “No, no, we were just now going to get to bed. Where are you?” There was a long pause as Liz answered. “Wow. You gotta be kidding. Things are getting that bad?” Dave looked at Joy, a confused look in his eyes. “Ok, sounds good. We’ll keep a lookout for you then. Drive safely and stay awake! Love you, too,” he blushed. “Bye.” Joy smiled. “You actually told my Mom you loved her? I mean, I know you do, but you told her?” She grinned as she saw his face turn a deeper pink. “Yeah, well, after what I just heard, you would have, too. She said that they left the border tonight wanting to get up here as soon as possible. Things aren’t going the greatest there. She said that they heard shots and a lot of yelling. She said that they thought that riots were starting to break out from people not being able to get into the States.” CHAPTER 4 Dave and Joy went to bed and fell asleep in each other’s arms. Joy had a tough time sleeping. Things were changing way too fast. At about four thirty the phone started to ring. Dave shot up straight out of bed and started pounding on the alarm clock. Joy reached out to her lamp and turned it on. “It’s the phone, Dave,” she said, half awake. She reached around him and got the cordless. “Hello?” she said, trying to sound as awake as she could. “Joy? I’m sorry to wake you, I know it’s really early there, but I had to call you.” Marie said. It sounded like she was talking through a wind tunnel. “Marie? Where are you? Were you able to leave Senegal? Are you ok?” Joy asked, sitting up in bed. “We’re fine. A little shook up, but fine. We’re in Portugal”. “Oh, are you in a hotel?” Joy asked. She knew that Portugal was the country that her sister usually had a twelve-hour layover in. The airline usually provided some money towards a hotel where she could rest and take a shower before her last leg of the trip either to, or from the States. She wondered how they had managed that. Joy knew her sister was a virgin even at 34 years of age, and intended on being so until she got married. She trusted them to sleep in the same room together, and for Roger to keep his hands to himself, but Joy’s dad had always taught them to remember the appearance of evil. She doubted very much that Marie and Roger had slept in the same room. “No, we are at the airport. We are just getting ready to leave again.” Well, that answered that, Joy thought. She sat up further in bed. “What do you mean? Don’t you usually have a layover there?” she asked, still a little confused. “Yeah, well, things are really different this time. I have no idea what is going on, but rules have changed since the last time I was through here, and that was only a year ago! As soon as we got off the plane, they started asking me where I was going. When I told them that I was heading back to the States, they sent me directly to the ticket counter. I tried to get a hotel room, but they insisted that we had to leave right away. We even told them that one room would be fine, that we would pay for the second one, but they wouldn’t budge. So now we will be leaving at about 5:00 am, and arriving in Newark at noon or so. Then we should be getting into Minneapolis at about 6:55 pm. Can you pick us up?” Marie sounded exhausted. Joy knew she counted on having that twelve-hour layover there to recoup and get rested up. But now it seemed as though we were going to get a grumpy and tired Marie. Well, at least Roger would get to see her at her worst, and know what he was in for. They finalized the details and hung up the phone. Joy wondered if people were being allowed to leave Portugal, and Marie said she wasn’t sure. There weren’t too many people there at this time in the morning, and those that were there seemed to be fine. The ones that were there seemed happy enough. One thing that was odd, though, was that they offered to send Roger back to Africa. He insisted that no, he wanted to be with Marie, so they let him go. Joy looked at Dave, who was still awake. “Man, I’m not sure what to think about this,” she whispered, trying to keep things down in order not to wake Victoria. Joy recounted her conversation with Marie, and Dave was quiet for a while. Joy knew he was thinking, and then he sat up in bed. “Well, I’m not sure there is any time to lose,” he said rubbing his eyes. “What do you mean?” Joy asked, afraid she already knew the answer. Dave got up and started getting dressed. Joy looked at the time. It was barely 5:00 am. “What are you doing?” she asked, a little confused. “I think we need to get up. I’m going to go to the store, maybe Wal-Mart and Target and buy some stuff. I’m not entirely sure what, but I’m sure once I’m there I can figure out some stuff. You stay here with Victoria and let her sleep. Then later we can all go to Costco and buy some stuff there. While I’m gone, maybe you can make a list of important things to take if we had to just leave here. Maybe even get them together and put them in a pile. Also, since I don’t work here anymore, Senior said we could turn in our master keys when your family leaves, that way we can just use those for the apartments. He also said that we were still free to get things from the ‘Freebie’ room. When Victoria wakes up, go check it and see if there are any winter jackets left. I’d better get going. This is going to be a long day.” Dave looked like he had grown older over night. His face had worry lines that Joy had not seen in a long time. She wasn’t sure what to think. She pulled out a notebook and started to write a list of what she thought they’d need if they had to leave, while Dave got ready to go. Things they had, and things they’d need. Where to potentially be able to buy them. Worst-case scenario. What was the worst-case scenario? She went to the bathroom were Dave was brushing his teeth. “What kind of things should we put on the list?” Joy wondered. “Ar or krowr” he replied. Joy smiled. She should have known better. She laughed softly. When Dave was done, they went back into their bedroom to talk and finalize some things. “Well, I’m guessing lots of camping equipment and stuff like that. Of course, food. Write down the names of all the people that are going to be here, and see if you can find out how much of what we would need to survive for three to four months. Six, if possible. Things should settle down by then, and we can figure out what to do. If your parents and sisters go back home, then I guess we will be set for a long time! Make sure you write down stuff like sleeping bags and camping stuff like that. Remember that stove we saw at Costco? We can see if they have any left and get one or two of those. If we never use them, we can always take them back. I plan on leaving things in packages and keeping receipts in case we never use them. Then we can at least take the stuff back and get our money back. But I don’t know. I have a bad feeling about this.” Dave shook his head and his eyes darkened. “I’m not sure what’s going on, but I don’t like it.” Dave took off, with a partial list that Joy had been able to put together. Joy busied her self gathering things that they would want to take with them, and not knowing what space they would be able to have or what vehicle to move it to or where, she put things into groups of emergency, nice to have, and luxury items. She made sure that the homeschooling stuff they had just received was in the emergency pile. No getting out of school for the little one! She got on the Internet and ordered some things from Lehman’s and had them shipped priority mail. She wasn’t sure if they’d arrive in time or not, but figured that she could at least try. At about 7:30 am the phone rang. This time it was Liz. “Hi honey! Did I wake you?” She sounded tired. “Hi Mom! No, we’ve been up since 4:30 this morning. Marie called.” Joy related the conversation with Marie to Liz. “Well, I guess we may be arriving at the same time! We traveled all night. We are in Kansas City now, and should be in Minneapolis some time late this afternoon. We are going to rest here a bit and then take off. Have you seen the news lately?” Liz asked. “No, not since last night. Any changes?” Joy wondered if she should watch some news. “Well, they are just saying that a lot of flights are being cancelled, and that people are not being allowed into the States for some reason. Some form of boycott, or something like that. That’s why Juan was having so many problems getting across, and Roger, too. Good thing they are coming. At least they can be together until things calm down enough. I sure hope Juan can still have his job when he gets back!” They talked a bit more, and then agreed that if Joy and Dave were gone when they arrived, they would just wait at the door. If they arrived at the same time Marie and Roger did, then Dave and Joy would probably be at the airport. Joy looked at the time just as Victoria started to call. She got breakfast for each of them and then called Dave. “How’s it going?” she asked. “Actually, not bad. I thought that there was going to be a ton of people out here, but there really isn’t. Makes me a little nervous, but things really seem to be fine. I had breakfast at McDonald’s, and then went to Wal-Mart. They were stocked up with a ton of camping gear, so I bought a bunch of stuff. The check out guy wondered if I was a Scouts leader or something, and I just told him that I was going to go camping with the family. He really didn’t seem to care, so I didn’t offer any more information. But get this. There were a couple of guys sitting at the table behind me at McDonald’s, and they were talking about all that was going on. The one didn’t seem to think that it was that big a deal, but the other one was talking about heading to warmer climate in case the stuff hits the fan.” Joy shook her head. She related the stuff that she had talked to her mom about, and then they set a time for him to pick them up. Joy got as many things put away to make the place at least look decent for when her family came, and continued on her list of things to take. When Dave came, the three of them piled into the minivan. They headed to Costco, where they found a lot of people. Not unusual for a Saturday, though. They bought two big camping stoves, some tents, more iron cookware, and a bunch of food, water, and toilet paper. Anything they could think of, they got. They each had their own cart, and they were both piled high. “Dave, how are we going to pay for all this?” Joy asked him quietly. “With the credit card,” he responded. “After we get the money from your uncle, we’ll pay it off”. Joy nodded her head. They picked up extra underwear, socks, tin foil, anything they could think of that they could possibly need. Dave looked at his watch. “It’s noon already. Can you keep shopping here? I’m going to go to the U-haul place a couple blocks down and rent a truck, ok? That way we can get as much as we want and then go to other places.” He leaned over to kiss her, nd then gave Victoria a hug. They took their carts to the front and asked if they could stay there until Dave came back with the truck. The clerks agreed. Joy took another cart and kept shopping while Dave went to get the U-haul. This time she concentrated a little more on women needs. Not just for herself, but for her sisters and niece as well. Liz was past that stage, and Victoria was too young. Joy certainly hoped that by the time Victoria was at that stage things would be back to normal. Dave called Joy and they met over in the canned goods section. They finished filling up the cart and then went and paid for everything. The clerk raised his eyebrows and whistled under his breath. One by one, they went through the items in the three carts. Joy looked at her watch. It was getting late. She leaned close to Dave to talk. “Hon, it’s almost 2:00 pm and there are still places I want to go to. Should I go and take Victoria with me, and you can finish this up?” Dave nodded his head slowly. She could tell he was thinking again. “Yeah. Go ahead. Call me and let me know where you are going to be. I’m thinking about getting some extra glasses, so maybe we can meet at the mall. I’ll give you a call when I’m done here.” “Ok, come on Victoria, let’s go.” Victoria hugged her Daddy tight, and then Dave kissed Joy. “Bye, hon. I’ll see you later.” “Bye,” he answered. Joy got to the minivan and turned on the radio as she headed to the mall. “It’s 2:00 o’clock. In today’s news the White House is continuing to deny that there is an alleged boycott to the United States. They are looking into the possibilities of why thousands of Americans are being sent back to the States. Countries as near as Mexico and Canada, and as far as Iraq and Philippines are sending back Americans by the thousands. International Airports are a mess in a lot of these countries, and the logistics of so many Americans having to come back to the States at once is daunting. Several countries are reporting riots in and near their airports, but say that the reasons for these riots have nothing to do with the fact that they are not letting their people come to the United States.” (to be continued...)

A list of cities and countries for craigslist: http://sfbay.craigslist.org/about/cities.html

Search out wild roses for rose hips during the blooming time... they're full of vitamin C. You can make tea or jelly or other stuff from them to extract the benefits. Ferretma, you bring up another good point... Those who live in cities or suburbs can try to search out people who have (for example) bearing apple trees, or grape arbors, etc., and no longer harvest. I'm sure many people, especially the old neighborhoods with elderly people, would LOVE to "share" in exchange for jellies or applesauce. Put an ad in the newspaper, or a BIG note on a grocery store bulletin board, or at the library...just NEVER go there *alone*!!!

The things I learn while looking stuff up for people!!! ~~~~~~~ Here's some for starters... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Traditionally, the first step in making cheese was to kill a newly-born, milk-fed calf and remove its stomach to make rennet. The rennet was derived from the inner lining of the abomasum, the fourth stomach of the calf or any other animal classified as a ruminant. After scraping the stomach, the cheesemaker would dry it in the sun by stretching it on a rack. After the stomach was dry, it was cut it into squares or strips. Before the strips or squares were used, they were soaked in cold water and washed thoroughly before being placed in milk. In an alternative process the strips or squares were dried, then ground, and finally mixed with a salt solution to extract rennin. Rennin is defined in Webster's Unabridged Dictionary as "a coagulating enzyme occurring in the gastric juice of the calf, forming the active principal of rennet and able to curdle milk." The cheese industry prefers a broader definition of rennin, calling it "any enzyme used for the controlled coagulation of milk." What does rennin or rennet do? Placed in milk, rennin or rennet breaks down a protein called kappa casein that keeps milk in liquid form. The breaking down of kappa casein leads to coagulation of the milk that will become cheese. Another term used for rennin is chymosin. Not all cheese is made with animal-derived rennet. There are a number of rennetless cheeses whose coagulating enzymes are vegetable, microbial, or genetically engineered. One group of rennetless cheeses has acidic levels high enough not to require enzymes for coagulation. This group includes cottage cheese, ricotta, and some varieties of mozzarella. Rennetless has also become a generic term for any cheese made without any animal derived enzymes. Vegetable rennet usually means the enzyme was plant based. The phrase is an oxymoron because rennet implies it is animal derived. To add to the confusion, enzymes produced using microbes are often included in this category. What types of plants have been used to produce these enzymes? In the past, eager cheese makers have utilized plants like lady's bedstraw (Galium verum or curdwort), stinging nettle, fig leaves, melon, safflower, and wild thistle. Microbial rennet can be produced by fermentation of the fungus Mucor miehe, Mucor Pusillus, and Endothia cryphonectria or from bacteria like Bacillus subililis or Bacillus prodigiosum. This type of rennet cannot be used to make cheddar or hard cheeses. Genetically engineered rennet arose out of economic necessities. Supplies of animal rennet have always fluctuated and shortages have occurred. Supply problems have led to all types of research including one attempt in 1997 to create rennet from fish stomach mucosa, a waste product of the fishing industry. With bioengineered rennet the supply is always available and less expensive. The bioengineering process involves taking a calf's prochymosin gene and inserting it into genomes of bacteria and yeast. In 1989 a microbial chymosin first appeared on the FDA's GRAS (Generally Regarded As Safe) list. In March 1990, after a 28-month review, the FDA approved a bioengineered form of rennin as the first genetically engineered product for human consumption. According to information obtained from Whole Foods Market, "it is estimated that 70% of domestic cheese (in the United States) is produced with bioengineered chymosin. The producers of bioengineered rennet claim that their process will end the cheese industry's reliance on slaughtered calves. (Continues with other stuff.) http://www.vegparadise.com/news32.html ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ (Basically more of a discussion of what it is and how it works.) Types Of Coagulating Enzymes Used To Make Cheese Animal rennin is the coagulating enzyme (rennin or chymosin) that is harvested from the stomachs of calves. Vegetable rennet is a misnomer given that the definition of rennet recognizes it strictly as an animal derived substance. Although cheese has been made using enzymes from the Lady Bedstraw, Stinging Nettle, and Thistle flower, the term vegetable rennet is most commonly used when describing enzymes produced using microbes. "Vegetable rennet" is sometimes used more generally to describe any non-animal rennet. Microbial rennets are enzymes derived from a controlled fermentation of a fungus (e.g., Mucor Pusillus, Mucor Miehi, and Endothia Cryphonectria) or microbial rennets. However, microbial rennets cannot be used to produce cheddar or hard cheeses, limiting their application as an alternative to animal or bioengineered rennets. Genetically engineered rennets. Shortages and fluctuations in the available supplies of calf rennet prompted the development of genetically engineered rennet. Food scientists can however produce a continuous and pure source of microbial chymosin by incorporating a calf's prochymosin gene into a microorganism. The first microbial chymosin was affirmed GRAS (generally recognized as safe) by the FDA in 1989, with many others following shortly thereafter. Currently, it is estimated that 50% of the chymosin used is produced by transgenic means. Rennetless. The term "rennetless" is used to mean two things in the cheese world. First, rennetless cheeses are also called "acid precipitated cheeses" and include cottage cheese, ricotta, and some mozzarella. These types of cheese are created using their natural acid levels and do not require the addition of a coagulating enzyme. The second interpretation of "rennetless" cheese is any cheese made without the use of animal derived coagulants. (original link no longer works, and I can no longer find this same info on their site - http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/products/cheese.php ) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ And I really like this one, but you'll need to read it all. It's from 1831, in "OLD STURBRIDGE VILLAGE - Online Resource Library". This is a resource I'm gonna REALLY look at!!! 3. Which is the best method to preserve rennet skins*? Let the calf suck about 11 hours before it is killed. Take out the maw-skin*, and let it lie three hours in a cool place, then empty the maw, (let no water touch it,) and rub it well with salt on each side, and afterwards cover it with salt, and put it in a bowl; turn and rub it every day for about three days, then open it to dry, being stretched out on a stick, that it may dry regularly. It is of great importance that the maw skin be well prepared; good cheese cannot be made with bad rennet. It is reckoned best to be one year old before used; it will fetch more cheese, and it is said the cheese will be milder. To prepare the rennet, make 2 quarts of brine that will swim an egg; when the heat is gone off to about blood warm, put in one maw-skin cut in pieces, let it steep two days (48 hours) then strain and bottle it. 4. What quantity of new cheese will one rennet skin produce? The average about 250 lbs. (some produce 600 lbs.) http://www.osv.org/school/lesson_plans/Sho...038&UnitID= ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Wow...

"Junk yards" that are unknown could have contaminants in the soil. Just be choosey where you'd try it.

(ORIGINALLY POSTED BY RECI) And reci has moved on.

Ahhh, of course... leaving the stuffing *inside* the turkey could be a problem for reheating, although with today's microwave heating it's not so much. Actually, it's the *cooling-down* that is the bigger threat... all that hot turkey with stuffing inside keeps the temperature, even *inside* the refrigerator, at too high a temperature for too long. You want everything to cool down quickly so it's safe. That's why I never leave the dressing inside the turkey. I always scoop it out to serve in a bowl. Then any leftovers can be easily accessed and reheated. Little bits inside won't matter, and can be eaten. They'll cool as quickly as the turkey does, with all that empty space inside it now. Don't be afraid to try it. Together it's a wonderfully rich flavor.

You're quite welcome. And yes, you can eliminate the oysters and add more broth. If you really like stove-top stuffing, go ahead and use it. If the family likes it best... That said, with the recipe you have: I would saute the onions as my recipe does. It makes them softer and less *out there*. Saute them in the butter (dot with a bit more in the pan if needed). Some people like the taste of celery in their dressing. If you do, either add some chopped celery to the butter & onions and saute, or add some celery powder/salt to the seasonings (add less salt if using celery salt) If you like only sage, use the recipe as written, but I think including the poultry seasoning will give you a taste closer to Stove Top. You might want to cut back a bit on the total (like, 1 Tbsp poultry seasoning and 1 tsp sage). Turkey drippings or chicken broth work equally well. If you baste with wine or Pepsi, you'll want the broth instead of drippings. If you use a soft bread, like cheap white bread, lay slices out to dry for a day before you use it. I lay mine out on the gas oven's racks, and the pilot light is enough to dry it overnight. If you use the Italian bread, use an older loaf, or slice it and let it dry out some, too. The dryer bread has more "body" than the softer breads, which end up more "molded all together". Dressing *in* the turkey cooks up moist and helps to flavor the turkey a bit. But if you're uncomfortable doing it, do your turkey as *you* feel best. We have enough stress on those cooking holidays. Does this help?

Here it is in it's ENTIRE form... well, without the smileys... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 10/24/04 quiltys41 Ok everyone...how about some favorite Thanksgiving recipes to brighten everyones kitchens and get those tummies growling...and NO we cant all have just desserts all day How about some turkey recipes that use a deep fryer or some good old home tried and true cornbread dressing? Anyone ever have a recipe by Justin Wilson for sweet potato pecan pie from his first cookbook? (OK, just a little dessert) Im hoping for something different but not exotic for my thanksgiving table this year. ************ westbrook I just raise and dress out the turkey I don't have to cook it! I cook turkey all year long..it is off to Grandma house for Thanksgiving. but when I do cook a turkey, I bake it breast side down. ********** unikemom I'll get out my recipe file and post a couple of ideas here, tomorrow when I have a little more time.... *********** unikemom For Thanksgiving we always have the traditional Turkey, and a ham, dressing, mashed potatoes, a sweet potato dish, and several veggies, and of course more than enough desserts. Here are a couple of my favorite recipes..... ORANGE GLAZED SWEET POTATOES 6 SWEET POTATOES 3/4 CUP BOILING WATER 1 TSP.SALT 3 TBSP. BUTTER 1/2TBSP. ORANGE ZEST 1 TBSP. ORANGE JUICE 3/4 CUP LIGHT CORN SYRUP 1/4 CUP PACKED BROWN SUGAR RAISINS (OPTIONAL) 1 CUP PECAN HALVES SLICE SWEET POTATOES/ COMBINE PEEL, JUICE, CORN SYRUP, AND BROWN SUGAR. ADD SWEET POTATOES, BOILING WATER, AND SALT TO A LARGE SAUCEPAN. SIMMER, COVERED, UNTIL TENDER; THIS SHOULD TAKE ABOUT 15 MINUTES. DRAIN OFF LIQUID.LEAVING 1/4 CUP IN SKILLET. DOT POTATOES WITH BUTTER OR MARGARINE. POUR ORANGE JUICE MIXTURE OVER POTATOES. COOK, UNCOVERED,OVER LOW HEAT UNTIL GLAZED, AN ADDITIONAL 15 MINUTES. BASTE OFTEN AND TURN ONCE WHILE COOKING. MAKES 6 SERVINGS... ****ROAST PECANS AND SPRINKLE ONTO POTATOES BEFORE SERVING*** SQUASH CASSEROLE 6CUPS YELLOW SQUASH ( CAN BE 1/2 AND 1/2 YELLOW AND ZUCCHINI) 2TBSP. VEGETABLE OIL 1 BUNCH OF GREEN ONIONS, (CHOPPED) 4 TBSP. BUTTER 1/2 CUP SOUR CREAM 1 TSP. HOUSE SEASONING (RECIPE FOLLOWS) 1 CUP GRATED CHEDDAR CHEESE 1 CUP. CRUSHED RITZ CRACKERS PLACE VEGETABLE OIL IN SKILLET, ADD SQUASH,(I ADD A LITTLE WATER TO MINE, ABOUT 1/4 CUP) COOK UNTIL SQUASH IS TENDER. IN SECOND SKILLET ADD BUTTER AND SAUTEE GREEN ONIONS UNTIL TENDER. WHEN ONIONS ARE TENDER, POUR THEM OVER INTO SKILLET WITH SQUASH, THEN ADD SOUR CREAM AND HOUSE SEASONING, MIX UNTIL WELL BLENDED. IN A GREASED CASSEROLE, POUR SQUASH INTO DISH, TOP WITH RITZ CRACKERS, AND CHEDDAR CHEESE, PLACE IN A 350* OVEN UNTIL CHEESE IS MELTED. ______ HOUSE SEASONING GARLIC POWDER SALT PEPPER SEASON SALT ____ ASPARAGUS AND PROSCIUTTO 2 POUNDS ASPARAGUS( HALF GREEN/ HALF WHITE) 1 TSP. SALT 2 TBSP. BUTTER 2 TBSP. OLIVE OIL 1/4 POUND PROSCIUTTO, CHOPPED GRATED RICOTTA SALADA BRING LARGE POT OF WATER TO A BOIL AND ADD SALT. ADD ASPARAGUS AND COOK UNCOVERED UNTIL KNIFE IS EASILY INSERTED. THEN DRAIN ASPARAGUS. IN A LARGE SKILLET HEAT BUTTER AND OIL. ADD PROSCIUTTO AND FRY UNTIL IT BEGINS TO CRISP. ADD ASPARAGUS AND HEAT THROUGH. TRANSFER ASPARAGUS AND PROSCIUTTO TO SERVING PLATTER AND SPRINKLE WITH CHEESE. ______ SAVANNAH BOW TIES 1 SHEET OF PUFF PASTRY 1/2 CUP ALMOND PASTE 1 EGG YOLK, WHITE RESERVED 1/4 CUP BROWN SUGAR 2 TEASPOONS MILK 1 EGG WHITE SUGAR , FOR SPRINKLING CHOCOLATE DIPPING SAUCE, RECIPE FOLLOWS LET PASTRY STAND AT ROOM TEMPERATURE FOR 20 MINUTES OR UNTIL EASY TO ROLL. UNFOLD PASTRY ON A LIGHTLY FLOURED SURFACE. ROLL INTO A 14-INCH SQUARE. CUT SQUARE IN HALF WITH A FLUTED PASTRY WHEEL (PIZZA CUTTER). PREHEAT OVEN TO 400* DEGREES. FOR FILLING: CRUMBLE ALMOND PASTE IN A SMALL MIXING BOWL. ADD EGG YOLK, BROWN SUGAR, AND MILK. BEAT WITH AN ELECTRIC MIXER ON MEDIUM SPEED UNTIL WELL MIXED. SPREAD FILLING OVER 1 PASTRY HALF. PLACE REMAINING PASTRY HALF ON TOP OF FILLING. USING FLUTED PASTRY WHEEL, CUT DOUGH CROSSWISE INTO FOURTEEN 1- INCH WIDE STRIPS. THEN CUT EACH STRIP IN HALF CROSSWISE TO MAKE 28 PIECES. TWIST EACH PIECE TWICE. PLACE TWISTS ABOUT 2 INCHES APART ON COOKIE SHEETS LINED WITH FOIL OR PARCHMENT PAPER. BRUSH TWISTS WITH SLIGHTLY BEATEN EGG WHITE. SPRINKLE WITH SUGAR. BAKE FOR 12 TO 15 MINUTES OR UNTIL GOLDEN BROWN. TRANSFER TO WIRE RACKS TO COOL. SERVE WITH CHOCOLATE DIPPING SAUCE. *** ALMOND FILLING WILL BE VERY STIFF. TO MAKE SPREADING EASIER, DROP A DOLLOP OF FILLING UNIFORMLY OVER PASTRY, SPRAY A PIECE OF WAX PAPER WITH NON STICK SPRAY, PRESS ALMOND PASTE EVENLY OVER ENTIRE DOUGH WITH ROLLING PIN. ****** CHOCOLATE DIPPING SAUCE 3/4 CUP SUGAR 2 TBSP. CORNSTARCH 1/4TSP. SALT 6 (1.5 OZ.) MILK CHOCOLATE BARS 2 CUPS WHIPPING CREAM 1 EGG YOLK, BEATEN 1/2 TSP. VANILLA STIR TOGETHER IN SAUCEPAN SUGAR, CORNSTARCH, AND SALT. CRUMBLE CANDY BARS IN 1 AT A TIME. GRADUALLY STIR IN CREAM. COOK AND STIR IN MEDIUM HEAT UNTIL CHOCOLATE IS MELTED. TEMPER EGG YOLK WITH 1/2 CUP OF HOT SAUCE. ADD BACK TO POT AND COOK AND STIR UNTIL MIXTURE COMES TO A BOIL. REMOVE FROM HEAT. STIR IN VANILLA AND POUR INTO A SERVING BOWL. ANY REMAINING SAUCE CAN BE POURED INTO CUSTARD CUPS, REFRIGERATED AND SERVED AS PUDDING..... OK, THAT IS JUST A FEW OF MY FAVORITES NOW SOMEONE ELSES TURN WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE RECIPES????/ ********** Mare Those yams sound so yummy! The squash casserole sounds something like a superb casserole I had at a restaurant called the Black-Eyed Pea in Wichita, KS. I will definately be trying those. Thanks! This is one of our favorites......as well as Cavey's addition of bacon to the bird. Cranberry Walnut Relish ½ C. granulated sugar (I cut it to 1/4) 1/4 C loosely packed dark brown sugar 1/4 C maple sugar 3/4 C water 1 T ground cinnamon 1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg 1 lb fresh or frozen cranberries 4 naval oranges, peeled and divided into segments ½ C. coarsely chopped walnut pieces Bring the sugars, syrup, water, cinnamon, and nutmeg to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook gently, 5 minutes. Add the cranberries and continue to simmer, uncovered, until half the berries ?pop?. Remove from heat and stir in the orange segments. Cool, stir in the walnut and serve. Makes 5 cups. Prep time 5 min, cook time 10 min. This recipe is so easy, and it tastes like Christmas smells. *********** georgene Is Puff Pastry the same as Phillo dough? Your recipes sound wonderful! Thanks for sharing! ********* Homesteader The turkeys in Asia are pretty puney. They look more like bodybuilding chickens. We're going to the local Japanese hotel and eat their buffet. I've never had gibblet gravey over rice before. ******** unikemom Puff pastry and phyllo are similar, but puff pastry is a lot thicker dough and way easier to work with, where as phyllo is paper thin and tricky to work with. ********* quiltys41 Homesteader I laughed so hard reading that about the turkeys. Thanks so much for the laugh ********** quiltys41 I am going to try the orange glazed sweet potatoes this year cuz they sure do sound good and the cranberry relish is the recipe i have been looking for! this is going to be fun cooking! Ok, here is my contributions to the recipe fund: =================== Scalloped Corn 2 cups canned corn 1 cup milk 2/3 cup cracker or bread crumbs 3 TBS melted butter 1/2 tsp salt 1/8 tsp pepper 1 TBS sugar 2 eggs 1 tsp minced onion Beat the eggs and add milk and crumbs. Add the corn, onion, seasoning, and melted butter. Mix together well and pour into a greased casserole dish. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes. Serves 6. ========================= Cornbread dressing 1 cup diced celery 1 medium onion, chopped 1/4 cup butter 3 cups dried and crumbled cornbread 2 cups dried and crubled biscuits 1 TBS salt 1/4 tsp thyme 1/4 tsp sage (optional) Mix all ingrediants well and stuff into turkey or cook along side turkey or ham in the pan. Add water or broth as needed to keep moist. (this came from an old farm cook book in the 1890's) ==================================== Willie Maes Peacan Pie oven to 350 9" pie crust (recipe to follow) mix together the following: 3/4 cup brown sugar 2 TBS flour 1 tsp salt 1 cup light kayro syrup Beat in 2 eggs, one at a time. Add 1/2 cup evaporated milk, 1 cup peacans and 1 tsp vanilla. Bake 50 minutes till firm. Makes one delicious pie ==================================== Jeri's never fail pie crust 3 cups flour 1/2 tsp salt 1 cup shortening 1 egg, beaten 1 tsp vinegar 1/3 cup cold water Mix flour and salt. Mix in shortening. Mix liquids together in seperate bowl and then add to flour mixture. This will make enough dough for 3 double crust pies. It will keep in the fridge for 3 months and in the freezer up to a year. It never fails to come out flaky and you can roll it as much as you can and it still stays flaky. Even I cant mess this one up Enjoy yall and keep them recipes coming ********** My4Girls Deck the hall with boughs of rolly...fa ra ra ra...ra ra ra ra..No! No! It's fa la la la..la la la...lol I love that part. Our favorite is always green beans with bacon, even though I cook it all the time. Fresh baked bread with lots of seeds and a little salt on top. Then for the turkey, I like to rub it all over with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic and a touch of poultry seasoning. Then cook it at a higher temp. until the skin is brown and crisp, then turn down the heat and let it roast until done. I think I'll try some squash casserole. I LOVE squash. Savanahh bowties and scalloped corn, another fav., sound good too. Love MOM ************ AlieKeith Cranberry Walnut Relish ... 1/4 C maple sugar ... So, Mare, what is maple sugar? It sounds marvelous! Is it maple syrup crystallized or similar? And maybe something I could also use in baking recipes? I am looking into gifts-in-a-jar, and maple sugar might be a good thing to give someone, if I had a recipe in which they could use it, like yours. I've used the recipe below mainly for Christmas, but you could use these in T-Day stuffing or sweet potato casserole etc -- for those who like raisins in their dishes. It's a simple recipe for Rum Raisins, and I sent jars to my family last year: Rum Raisins Loosely fill a large jar or bowl with lid, with raisins, making sure to stir them up and break the clumps into individual pieces. Pour enough rum over them to come about halfway up the level of the raisins. [use a rum with a really nice flavor, like Cap'n Morgans spiced rum.] Cover and let sit on counter for a couple of weeks, stirring to bring the bottom raisins up to the top, and "basting" them with the rum once a day if you think of it. [i suppose a "fast soak" could be done by heating the raisins in the microwave first, getting them to soften before you pour the rum over them.] Put them into jars or other containers and you're set. I use a spoonful or two in hot cereal, or about a half-cup to a cup could be used in baking cakes / muffins etc, or in puddings. Alie Jo, hunting in the recipe box and cook books... ************ AlieKeith Scalloped Corn Quilty, do you think the corn dish would be hurt if I left the butter out? I'm trying to go low-fat as much as I can, get my high LDL number to come down... Well, if not, I guess it can't hurt to try it for a holiday. It sounds wonderful! ******** quiltys41 Alie, I'm sure you could use a low fat option to the butter. This is an old Mennonite recipe and mostly what we had on hand was butter. Let me know how it turns out and good luck getting that cholesterol down ********** AlieKeith you could use a low fat option to the butter... Let me know how it turns out and good luck getting that cholesterol down Thanks, I'll need all the luck I can get! I will look for some kind of substitute, and let you know how it works out, yes. Thanks again, Alie Jo ********** Mare Alie Jo, the maple sugar is similar to brown sugar. It is like a granulated sugar, and is made from maple syrup. I don't know how you would make it. It is not readily available here, though you can purchase it through Amazon. I just add a tablespoon of pure maple syrup to the relish. The rum raisins sound so good, and I'm going to buy a bottle of Captain Morgan this weekend so I can make some. I think they would be super in muffins and oatmeal, or mixed with Rum Topf over pound cake or ice cream. Thanks for the recipe. Sort of a funny story along the same lines. Years ago my parents lived in a desert retirement town when news came out that raisins soaked in gin would help relieve pain from arthritis, and people swore that it really worked. The town only had one liquor store, and for weeks, would sell out of gin as fast as it came in. Now I wonder......did the gin soaked raisins really work, or was it just the gin??? ********** Ferretma Although those recipes sound great, I'm minimizing sugar and saturated fat so I'll try something different. About the turkey, I also roast for half the time breast side down, then flip it and finish breast side up. That allows the juices of the turkey to flow into the breast during the first half of cooking and then seal and brown it during the last half. It is a lot of work to flip a turkey but it is worth it! Do this over the (clean) kitchen sink so that any mishap isn't a disaster! *********** Cat Our Traditional Thanksgiving meal This is what we have each Thanksgiving. The *must-haves* are the turkey, dressing (stuffing), cranberry salad, mashed potatoes & gravy, sweet corn (home frozen), and pumpkin pie. The salads and any other side dishes vary, according to what we have had recently and what the children want. I don’t worry about what brand of turkey we have, because it is usually moist and flavorful stuffed with dressing and basted with Pepsi-Cola. I suspect the sugar in the Pepsi seals the juices inside. It mixes with the turkey juices and makes a delicious, slightly sweet gravy that the kids like. TURKEY Thaw the turkey according to safe instructions, thinking ahead so it’s thawed completely. If it’s not completely thawed, you can bake it, but I wouldn’t stuff it because the turkey will keep the stuffing at a dangerous temperature for too long. Just bake the stuffing separately, and roast the turkey longer. On Thanksgiving, go to bed early so you can get up in plenty of time to prepare the dressing and get the turkey into the oven in time for plenty of time for it to roast. (You can take a nap after getting it into the oven!) Save the roasting instructions when you unwrap it, plus the weight tag if you won’t remember. You can place it into a plastic baggie if you don’t want to wash your hands a lot, because when you’re checking the instructions you don’t want to get raw turkey juices into the other foods you’re preparing. Be very careful with raw meat juices and wash your hands and work surfaces well. The turkey has two cavities… one in front (the neck area with extra skin) and one in back (goes deep inside). Check both areas; you will find a neck and a packet holding the “giblets” - liver, heart & gizzard. Remove these, then rinse the turkey well. I pull out some kind of tube (esophagus?) that is sometimes left inside the body cavity. I also like to pick out any little pinfeathers and any obvious black spots left over from the feathers (they look like blackheads) because it “grosses out” the kids. I put the giblets in a small pan and put it into the refrigerator until I’m ready to use them. Or if you KNOW you won’t use them, just go ahead and throw them away instead of letting them spoil slowly in a Tupperware bowl. I rinse and clean them, then boil the neck, heart & gizzard in water until cooked, cool, remove any meat or chop them, and use them for noodles the next day. I fry the liver separately, slicing any thick spots, for a treat for myself after the turkey’s in. I spray my roasting pan with a vegetable oil spray, just to help it not stick. Place the turkey inside, and prepare the stuffing. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. If you don’t have a large bowl, just leave your cleaned turkey in your sink and use the roaster to prepare the dressing. (I wipe down the sides of the roaster before the turkey goes in, so the leftover bits don’t burn & mess up the flavor.) You’ll need to pull the legs out from the tail area so you can stuff the turkey easier. Notice how the processors jammed the tail in after placing the legs, and re-do it the same way. (Or grab a clean string and tie it, if you get too frustrated!!) Stuff both cavities loosely with dressing, because the dressing will expand slightly as it cooks. Replace the legs & tail, and place the neck’s skin down over that cavity’s dressing. I have a 6-inch needle-like thing that I string through the skin of the neck and back to hold it in place. It you’re roasting the turkey breast-side-up, it should be ok if you just fold it under and let the body “hold” it, if you have nothing else. Place the stuffed turkey into the roasting pan, and pour about a cup of prepared chicken broth over it. Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the breast if the turkey doesn’t have a “timer” from the processor. Cover with the lid or make a “tent” with aluminum foil and place over it. This keeps the turkey from browning too soon. Place into the preheated oven, breathe a sigh of relief, and set the timer for at least an hour. Baste with Pepsi after 1 hour, then every half hour, uncovering turkey for the last half hour to brown. For my large, 20-pound turkeys, I’ll use about a half-liter of Pepsi. For a smaller one, one can will be enough. After the Pepsi is poured completely, baste with pan juices. Plan to roast your turkey as long as the directions say, and maybe allow extra time “just in case”. All ovens do not bake exactly the same (it helps to get an oven thermometer so you know what the temp. is. I once had an oven that baked 25 degrees below what it was set for.) And it helps in carving the turkey if it sits for 15 minutes before carving. OYSTER DRESSING This is something I brought to our marriage from *my* home. My husband didn’t like it at first, because he said he never liked “wet bread”, but he’s grown to like it. I catch him eating it as a snack after the dinner! 1 c finely chopped celery (optional) 1/2 c chopped onion 1/2 c butter or margarine 8 c dry bread cubes 1 tsp. poultry seasoning 1/2 tsp. salt 1/8 tsp pepper 2 eggs oysters (save liquid) - 1 pint fresh, drained and chopped, or a can of Campbell’s oyster stew, unmixed with milk, rubbing cooked oysters into pieces as you pour it in 1/2 -1 c chicken broth (depending on oyster liquid amount) In a saucepan, cook celery & onion in butter until tender but not browned. Remove from heat. Place bread into large bowl, pour onion mixture over bread, then spices, eggs, and prepared oysters. Mix together well, then drizzle broth over as you mix, until well mixed and moist, not soggy. You may add more bread, dry or fresh, if desired. (Fresh bread needs less liquid, but kind of dissolves into mush.) Stuff turkey, roast as above. Or place in greased casserole dish, cover, and bake 45 minutes to an hour before turkey is due to be finished. Uncover last 10 minutes. OPTIONS: You could cook the giblets (except liver) early enough to add that meat into the dressing. You can cook shredded carrot with the onion & celery to add for color & more veggies. I usually double this recipe because I buy big turkeys. You can make your own dry bread cubes easily. I have a gas stove with a pilot light, so I place the “heels” of bread, leftover buns, or any other leftover unsweetened bread products on the oven rack to dry. If I have a lot, I slice them into cubes and dry them on a cookie sheet the same way, stirring occasionally. Store them in a plastic baggie, pushing out the air before sealing. BEST CRANBERRY SALAD This is from my husband’s family, and my side of the family now likes it better, though for them, tradition includes sliced cranberry jell from a can, too. If you don’t have a microwave, heat juice & gelatin in a small saucepan until gelatin is dissolved, stirring constantly. 1 bag fresh cranberries 2 c sugar 1 c chopped English walnuts or pecans 1 c seedless white grapes 1 envelope unflavored gelatin (Knox brand) 1 15 -20 oz can crushed pineapple 1 sm container Cool Whip Freeze cranberries in the sack, then rinse quickly and run through food grinder. (Alternative: rinse unfrozen berries then grind in food processor or blender, making sure you use the lid!) Mix ground cranberries with sugar, stir together & let stand. Rinse & halve grapes (quarter if very large or if you have small children), chop nuts, pour into cranberry mixture. Drain juice from pineapple into glass measuring cup; mix pineapple into cranberries. If needed, add enough water to juice to make 1 cup liquid. Sprinkle dry gelatin into juice and stir, then heat in microwave and stir until gelatin is dissolved completely. Mix into cranberries, stir thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate. When it is almost “set” (1-2 hours), stir in Cool Whip, then refrigerate. This is easy cranberry salad for kids to love, but watch the size of the grapes if children are small. Don’t want anyone choking! MASHED POTATOES 10 potatoes, more or less as desired water salt milk butter Fill your saucepan with cool water, then peel potatoes and place them into the water while you continue peeling. (They quickly turn dark in the air.) Cube into uniform pieces so they cook evenly. Add 1 tsp salt to the water before cooking, making sure all potatoes are covered with water. Add 1/2 tsp butter or margarine to the potatoes to prevent them from boiling over easily. Cook over high heat until boiling, then reduce heat until they’re simmering; cook until tender. Drain. Add about 1/4 c milk, 1/2 tsp salt, and 3 tsp butter or margarine. With electric mixer, mix until smooth, fluffy and white, adding more milk, salt or butter as desired. Mashed potatoes are best when freshly made, so most cooks make them at the last minute, along with the gravy. I’ve found that you can make them up to 2 hours ahead and place them in a preheated crock pot on low, and they will stay perfectly until time to eat. The crock pot keeps them moist and hot. You can not make potatoes taste right if they’re not cooked *with* salt. They absorb it and no amount of salt added afterward makes it the same. (OPTIONAL FIX-IT - If your mashed potatoes get too “runny”, mix in some dried instant potato flakes until they are the desired consistency. No one will even know!!) If you occasionally have lumps in your potatoes, tell the children that they are “lucky lumps”, and whenever they get one to make a wish. This keeps THEM happy, you calmer, and your husband can enjoy his meal in peace. MAKE-AHEAD MASHED POTATOES These can be made the day before and heated as the turkey finishes. Make mashed potatoes as above, and mix in 8 oz cream cheese (room temperature and cubed). Place in greased casserole dish, cover with aluminum foil or lid, and refrigerate. When ready to bake, place in oven at 325 - 350 degrees F for 45-60 minutes, covered until last 5 minutes. May be topped with grated cheese before serving. TURKEY GRAVY 2 c turkey juices from roasted turkey 1 Tbsp grease from the juices salt to taste pepper if desired 1 Tbsp corn starch 2 Tbsp cold water Pour pan juices into small saucepan, season with salt and pepper to taste. Heat to boiling. In a cup, mix corn starch and cold water together until smooth. While juices are boiling, stir cornstarch mixture into it, stirring constantly, and cook and stir until smooth and thickened. ALTERNATIVE: 1 Tbsp turkey grease/fat 2 Tbsp flour 2 c turkey juices salt & pepper to taste In a saucepan, heat fat. Using a wooden spoon, mix in flour, which will gather into a soft ball with the fat. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until mixture is fluffy and looks moist, about 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the broth until mixture is smooth, and cook until the mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper. SWEET CORN This is how I freeze my sweet corn for winter: Husk and clean fresh sweet corn. Wash; cut from cob raw. 6 quarts cut corn with any liquid 3 Tbsp salt 3/4 c sugar In a large pan, put corn, salt and sugar. Barely cover with water (corn cooks down somewhat and you’ll have plenty of liquid). Bring to a boil; let boil 3 to 4 minutes. Let cool, put into freezer containers and freeze. PUMPKIN PIE (makes 2) 4 eggs, beaten 1 1/2 c sugar (I use 2 c) 1 tsp salt 2 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp ground ginger 1/2 tsp ground cloves 3 1/2 c cooked, pureed pumpkin (1 29-oz can) 2 12-oz cans evaporated milk Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Mix in order given, stir well. Pour into 2 prepared deep-dish pie pans. (If you have extra, put into slightly greased custard cup or small casserole and bake until “set”.) Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes, reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for 45 to 50 minutes. Pies are done when filling is “set”, or the tip of a butter knife inserted into the center comes out clean instead of with filling on it. Cool, serve with Cool Whip. COTTAGE POTATOES This is from my husband’s family. I will write the original recipe, but this is one if those recipes that you make as you like it. If you don’t want cheese, or prefer chopped ham instead of the sausages, or hate green peppers, or have no red peppers, just DO it! 10-15 cooked potatoes, diced 1 c chopped onion 1/2 c chopped green pepper 4-5 Tbsp butter or margarine 1 lb. mild cheese, cubed 1 small jar pimentos, chopped, or 1/4 c fresh red sweet pepper fresh snipped, or dried parsley to taste 2 small cans “Vienna Sausages”, cut up and also save liquid 2 cans cream of celery soup 1 c torn-up fresh bread or stuffing cubes little milk or water crushed corn flakes for topping Cook onion and green pepper in butter until onion is clear. If fresh sweet red pepper is used, cook slowly in 1 Tbsp butter, separately. In bowl, mix juices from sausages with soup, add a little milk until smooth and creamy. Stir everything together, then pour into a 9x13” baking pan and top with crushed corn flakes. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes to 1 hour. OPTIONS: Use cream of chicken soup, or other cream soup. Add ham, chicken or turkey instead of the sausages. Add corn, broccoli, or other vegetables. PUMPKIN BREAD 6 eggs 3 c sugar 2 1/4 c oil 3 1/2 c cooked & pureed pumpkin (1 29-oz can) 3 tsp vanilla 4 1/2 c flour 2 1/2 tsp baking soda 3 tsp baking powder 2 tsp salt 3 tsp cinnamon 3 c chopped walnuts or pecans Grease and flour 5 loaf pans (or 5 1-pound coffee cans). Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Beat eggs, add sugar and beat well. Add oil and pumpkin, mix well. Mix dry ingredients together, stir into pumpkin mixture. Stir in nuts. Fill pans or cans equally. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. These freeze well. SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE This is a favorite from my family, again. Mom just mixes it up, so I’ll guess at the amounts. 1 large can yams or sweet potatoes 1/2 c brown sugar, packed 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp nutmeg 2 eggs, beaten 1 Tbsp milk marshmallows, large or small, to cover top Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Drain potatoes, mash. Mix everything together, saving marshmallows for top. Pour into greased casserole, top with marshmallows and bake 30-45 minutes, until hot and marshmallows are slightly browned. BROCCOLI SALAD 1 c Miracle Whip salad dressing 1/4 c sugar 1 Tbsp cider vinegar 2 bunches broccoli, chopped small 1 small red onion, diced 1/4 c sunflower seeds (the inside “meats”) 1 c raisins 8 slices bacon, fried and crumbled, or 1/2 c prepared bacon pieces Mix Miracle Whip, sugar and vinegar together, let sit. Mix vegetables together, stir dressing once more and then mix into vegetables. Cover and refrigerate. GERMAN CHOCOLATE PIE MY favorite chocoholic indulgence!! A deep, rich chocolate baked pie… YUM!!! 1 ½ c. sugar 4 Tbsp. butter, melted ½ can evaporated milk (about 6 oz.) 4 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder 2 eggs ½ c. chopped pecans ½ c. coconut 2 tsp. vanilla Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Beat sugar & butter until well blended. Add rest of ingredients; mix well. Pour into unbaked pie shell. Bake until top is brown & crusty, about 30 minutes. Serve at room temp. (OPTIONAL – double pecans and eliminate coconut.) (I usually just make 2 pies, using the entire can of evap. milk.) ************ AlieKeith COTTAGE POTATOES ...this is one if those recipes that you make as you like it. If you don’t want cheese, or prefer chopped ham instead of the sausages, or hate green peppers, or have no red peppers, just DO it! This recipe sounds goood! I may not wait till T-Day to try it. Besides, it's good to find a recipe that takes well to fiddlin'. I like to experiment. In fact, on occasion, my [extended] family has asked me "please don't put food in the food." But they might actually like this, ya never know... ********** AlieKeith I just add a tablespoon of pure maple syrup to the relish. This sounds viable. I will try it. Thanks! I'm going to buy a bottle of Captain Morgan this weekend... [rum raisins would be good] mixed with Rum Topf over pound cake or ice cream. So how is your raisin-basting coming along? What is Rum Topf? Actually, just about anything sounds good over pound cake or ice cream. news came out that raisins soaked in gin would help relieve pain from arthritis... I wonder......did the gin soaked raisins really work, or was it just the gin??? You mean, any excuse for a tipple? Hmmmmm..... ************ Kernah You can make your own puff pastry, there is a bit of rolling and folding involved. Filo is more for Greek dishes. ************ amyd I've made this one a couple of times and plan to do it for Thanksgiving this year. Got it from allrecipes.com. Turkey Dressing Bread 1 cup milk, room temperature 1 egg 1 tablespoon butter, softened 2 tablespoons brown sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1/3 cup yellow cornmeal 3 cups bread flour 4 1/2 teaspoons dried minced onion flakes 1 1/2 teaspoons celery seed 3/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning 1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DIRECTIONS: Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select basic bread setting; press Start. Check dough after 5 minutes of mixing. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water or flour if needed. I made a whole turkey using this recipe last year, I just added extra water to cover the whole turkey. I marinated it in one baking bag then roasted it breast side down in my roasting pan. Makes a very flavorful, moist turkey. Cider Marinated Turkey Breast 8 cups unsweetened apple juice 1/2 cup kosher salt 2 bay leaves 4 sprigs fresh thyme or 2 teaspoons dried thyme 2 sprigs fresh sage or 1 tablespoon dried sage 8 whole cloves 6 cloves garlic 1/2 teaspoon allspice 1 1/2 quarts cold water 1 medium orange, quartered 5 lbs turkey breast cooking spray In a large stockpot, or 2 gallon freezer bag, combine the apple juice through the water. Squeeze the juice from the orange quarters and add to the brine. Stir to combine. Add the turkey, making sure it is completely submerged in the brine. Refrigerate for 8-10 hours. Drain and discard marinade. Rinse turkey under cold water and pat dry. Place turkey breast on a rack in a roasting pan. Spray the breast with cooking spray to promote browning. Bake, uncovered, at 325 degrees for about 1 1/2 hours or until a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees. Let rest 15 minutes before carving. **If doing this for a whole turkey instead of a breast you need to adjust your baking time!!! I'm sure most of you realize that but just adding my disclaimer. . . *********** 11/20/05 Cat Bringing this favorite back to the top! ********* DomesticGoddess Here are some of my "favorite" Thanksgiving recipes, as well as recipes using the leftover's from your holiday meal. Turkey Gravy 2 cups turkey drippings 1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper 1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon flour 1/2 cup milk Combine the turkey drippings, pepper, poultry seasoning and bouillon granules in a 1-quart saucepan; simmer over low heat for 5 minutes. While the gravy is heating, combine the flour and milk in a jar ( with a tight fitting lid ) shake until smooth. Slowly add the milk mixture to the simmering broth; stirring constantly with a spoon. Continue to cook and stir, until the gravy is thick and bubbly. Yield: 2 1/2 cups of gravy. For a Fat-Free Gravy: Use skim milk, and follow the method for removing fat from gravy, ( using the ice cube method ) as directed with the Savory Gravy recipe below. Calories: 7 Fat: 0 grams Sodium: 25 grams Protein: 0.4 grams ............................................................ Savory Gravy ( Gravy made from a roasted turkey breast ) 1/4 cup plus 1 1/2 teaspoons unbleached flour 1/2 cup milk roast turkey drippings 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules 1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning 1/4 teaspoon dried savory 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper Combine the flour and milk in a jar, ( with a tight-fitting lid ) and shake until smooth. Set aside. Pour the turkey drippings from the roast turkey breast into a bowl, add a few ice cubes, and skim off the fat ( once it rises and hardens ). Pour the fat-free drippings into a 2-cup measuring cup, and add enough water to bring the volume up to 1 3/4 cups. Pour the drippings mixture into a 1 1/2-quart saucepan, and add the bouillon granules and seasonings. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 5 minutes. Slowly stir the flour mixture into the gravy, and continue to cook and stir until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Transfer the gravy to a warmed gravy boat or pitcher, and serve hot with the stuffed turkey breast. Note: Use skim milk, and there's only 7 calories, 0 grams of fat, 30 mg. sodium and 0.4 grams of protein. ............................................................ Baked Brandied Cranberries Almost 25 years ago, my neighbor gave me this recipe. The brandy helps to cut down on the tartness of the cranberries, while the sugar gives it just enough sweetness. It's great to serve during the holidays. 2-( 12 ounce ) bags cranberries 2 cups granulated sugar 1/4 cup brandy 1/3 cup granulated sugar Place the cranberries in a glass 13x9x2-inch baking dish. Cover the cranberries with the 2 cups of sugar; do not stir. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake 50-55 minutes in a 350 degree oven; until the cranberries burst. Remove from oven. Remove foil and stir. Let stand 10 minutes. Drizzle with the brandy. Stir in the 1/3 cup of sugar. Cool to room temperature; then refrigerate. Makes 6 to 8 servings. ............................................................ Better Than Traditional Green Bean Bake 2-( 16 ounce ) bags frozen green beans 1-( 10.75 ounce ) can cream of mushroom soup 1-(10.75 ounce ) can cheddar cheese soup 1/4 cup milk 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 2 cups French's French Fried Onions Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a 2 1/2 to 3 quart casserole baking dish, add and stir together, both cans of soup, milk and black pepper. Bake ( uncovered ) for 45-60 minutes. Top with french fried onions, and bake ( uncovered ) 5 minutes more, until golden brown. ............................................................ Pineapple Glazed Carrots 1-(16 ounce) can sliced carrots, drained but reserving liquid (2 cups) 1-(8 1/2 ounce) can pineapple tidbits, drained but reserving syrup 2 teaspoons cornstarch 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon butter In a 1 1/2 quart saucepan, gradually add the cornstarch and salt, with the reserved liquid and reserved syrup. Bring to boiling; stirring constantly. Cook about 3 minutes, or until the liquid is thick and clear. Stir in the tablespoon of butter. Add the carrots and pineapple; stirring gently. Heat through. Serves 4. ............................................................ I haven't prepared this squash casserole yet, but it sounds good!! Butternut Squash Casserole 3 cups mashed, cooked, butternut squash 1/2 cup white sugar 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 1/4 cup margarine, melted 1-(8 ounce) can crushed pineapple ( with juice ) 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/3 cup chopped walnuts Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease one ( 2-quart ) casserole baking dish, and set aside. Combine the butternut squash, white sugar, brown sugar, margarine, pineapple, cinnamon, vanilla and nutmeg. Mix well, and pour into casserole baking dish. Sprinkle with chopped nuts, and bake for 40 to 45 minutes. ............................................................ Baked Acorn Squash Haven't made this yet, but it does remind me of the baked squash my mother use to make; except she added a breakfast sausage link to each, before baking in the oven. 1 Acorn Squash, halved 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, divided 2 pats of butter, divided Salt & Pepper 2 teaspoons maple syrup or honey, divided Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Scoop the seeds out of each half with a spoon. Add 1 pat of butter, 1 tsp. maple syrup or honey, 1 Tbsp. of brown sugar, salt and pepper to the hollow scoop of each half. Place upright on a greased cookie sheet, and roast for 20 to 30 minutes, or until tender when flesh is poked with a fork. ............................................................ The following salads are salads which can be served for Thanksgiving & Christmas. Ambrosia Waldorf Salad 2 c. fresh or frozen cranberries, halved 1/2 c. sugar 3 c. miniature marshmallows 2 c. diced unpeeled apples 1 c. seedless green grapes 1 - ( 20 oz. ) can pineapple tidbits, drained 1 c. heavy cream, whipped or 2 cups ( or more ) Cool Whip In a bowl, combine the cranberries and sugar. In a 3-quart ( 12 cup ) bowl, add the marshmallows, apples, grapes and pineapple. Add the cranberries; mix well. Fold in the Cool Whip. Cover and chill. Serves 12-14. ............................................................ Cranberry Mousse 1 - ( 20 oz. ) can crushed pineapple in juice 1 - ( 6 oz. ) pkg. strawberry flavored gelatin 1 cup water 1 - ( 16 oz. ) can whole berry cranberry sauce 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon peel 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 2 cups dairy sour cream Drain pineapple well; reserving all juice. Add juice to gelatin in a 2-quart saucepan. Stir in water, heat to boiling; stirring to dissolve gelatin. Remove from heat. Blend in cranberry sauce. Add lemon juice, lemon peel and nutmeg. Chill until mixture thickens slightly. Blend sour cream into the gelatin mixture. Fold in pineapple. Pour into a 2 quart gelatin mold. Chill in refrigerator until firm. Unmold onto serving plate. Serves 8. ............................................................ Creamy Apricot Mousse 1 - ( 17 oz. ) can apricot halves 2 - ( 3 oz. ) pkgs. apricot flavored gelatin 1 cup plain yogurt 2 cups Reddi-Whip or Cool Whip, plus extra for garnishing Drain apricots, reserving syrup. Add water to syrup, ( if necessary ) to measure 1 cup; set aside. Reserve 6 apricot halves for garnish, puree remainder in blender or food processor; set aside. Dissolve gelatin in 1 1/2 cups of boiling water. Add apricot syrup. Chill until consistency of thick egg white, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Stir in pureed apricots and yogurt until well blended. Gently fold in Reddi-Whip or Cool Whip. Pour into a lightly oiled 6 cup gelatin mold. Chill in the refrigerator until firm. Unmold onto a plate or platter. Garnish with extra Reddi-Whip or Cool Whip, and reserved apricot halves. Yield: 10 servings. ............................................................ Four Fruit Compote 1 - ( 20 oz. ) can pineapple chunks 1/2 cup sugar 2 tablespoons cornstarch 1/3 cup orange juice 1 tablespoon lemon juice 2 - ( 11 oz. ) cans mandarin oranges, drained 1 Granny Smith Apple, unpeeled and chopped 1 Golden Delicious Apple, unpeeled and chopped 1 Red Deliscious Apple, unpeeled and chopped 2 to 3 bananas, sliced Drain pineapple, reserving 3/4 cup juice. In a saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch. Add pineapple juice, orange juice and lemon juice. Cook and stir over medium heat, until thickened and bubbly; cook and stir one minute longer. Remove from heat; set aside. In a bowl, combine pineapple chunks, oranges, apples and bananas. Pour warm sauce over the fruit; stir gently to coat. Cover and refrigerate. Yield: 10 servings ............................................................ Jell-O In A Can 1 - ( 20 oz. ) can sliced pineapple 1 - ( 3 oz. ) pkg. Jell-O Gelatin, a gelatin of your choice 1 cup boiling water Pour off pineapple juice from can, but leave pineapple in the can. Dissolve Jell-O in boiling water. Cool slightly. Pour into can over the pineapple. Chill until set. To serve, run knife around inside of can and tip out. Slice between the pineapple rings. Serves 4-5. ............................................................ Quick Fruit Salad 1 - ( 21 oz. ) can peach pie filling 3 firm bananas, sliced 2 cups strawberries, halved 1 cup seedless green grapes Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl. Refrigerate until serving. Serves 6-8. ............................................................ Jurrassic Coleslaw 1 cup ( 8 oz. ) apple cider vinegar 1/8 cup or 2 tablespoons salad oil 1 tablespoon Dijon-Style Mustard 4 teaspoons paprika 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup sugar 2 tablespoons chopped onion Whisk ingredients together. Pour into a large bowl, and add the remaining ingredients. 1 head cabbage, shredded About 2 cups dried fruit ( apples, peaches & apricots ) About 1 cup dried cranberries Cover, and chill in the refrigerator before serving. Note: This is a bit "spicy", but "good"!!! ............................................................ Sweet-Sour Coleslaw 6 cups shredded cabbage 2 large carrots, peeled and shredded 2 to 4 tablespoons finely chopped onion 8 to 10 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar 1/3 cup vegetable oil 1/3 cup sugar 1 teaspoon salt In a large bowl, combine the shredded cabbage, carrots, onion and bacon. In a jar, ( with a tight fitting lid ) mix vinegar, oil, sugar and salt; shake well. Pour ( liquid ) dressing over cabbage mixture, and toss. Cover, and chill in the refrigerator before serving. Serves 6. ............................................................ Delicious One Crust Apple Pie 1 - 9-inch prepared pie crust, unbaked 1 c. apple juice 1 c. orange juice 3/4 c. sugar 7 to 8 medium Golden Delicious Apples, cut into 1/2-inch wedges 1/4 c. cornstarch 1 Tbsp. butter 1/8 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract Cool Whip, for garnishing Heat oven to 425 degrees. Bake pie crust 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool completely. In a large saucepan, combine 3/4 c. each apple juice, orange juice and sugar. Bring to a boil. Add apples wedges. Cover; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer covered until tender, but not soft ( 3 to 5 minutes ). Using a slotted spoon, remove apples from juice mixture; set aside. In a small bowl, combine remaining juices and cornstarch; blend well. Stir into hot juice mixture. Cook over medium heat, until mixture thickens and boils; stirring constantly. Cook 1 minute; remove from heat. Add butter, salt and vanilla;mix well. Cool 10 minutes; add reserved apples. Pour into cooled, baked crust. Refrigerate 3 hrs. Garnish with Cool Whip. Serves 8. ............................................................ Creamed Turkey & Rice Soup This is my "favorite" home-cooked soup!! I prepare this soup every year after Thanksgiving is over. 1 turkey carcass ( from a 14-lb. cooked turkey ) 14 cups water 1 large onion, chopped fine 3 stalks celery, sliced thin 4 large carrots, chopped or sliced thin 1/3 cup uncooked long grain white rice ( If you like rice, add 1/2 cup ) 1 cup butter or margarine 1 1/2 cups flour 1 pint half-and-half cream 3 cups diced cooked turkey ( I always add 5 cups ) 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning 6 teaspoons instant chicken bouillon granules salt & pepper to taste In a large soup kettle or stockpot, add turkey carcass and the 14 cups of water. Bring water to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 1 hr. and 30 minutes. Remove bones; reserve meat for soup. Strain stock; set aside. In a large saucepan, combine onions, celery, carrots, rice and 1 quart (4 cups) of the stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes; set aside. In a large soup kettle, melt butter. Blend in flour; heat until bubbly. Add the half-and-half, and remaining 2 quarts (8 cups) of stock, to the butter/flour mixture; cook and stir until bubbly. Stir in the reserved vegetable mixture, turkey meat and seasonings. Heat slowly to serving temperature. Serves 12-14. ( This soup freezes well ). ............................................................ Turkey Taco Soup with Avocado Cream 1-(11 ounce) can Mexican-style corn 1-(16 ounce) can chili beans, undrained 2-(14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth 1-(16 ounce) jar chunky salsa 2 1/2 cups cooked, chopped turkey meat salt and pepper to taste 1/4 cup chopped, fresh cilantro 1/2 cup sour cream 2 tablespoons guacamole In a large pot over medium heat, combine corn, chili beans, broth and salsa. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and stir in cooked turkey. Season with salt and pepper. Cover, and cook 5 to 10 minutes more, until heated through. Stir in cilantro. In a bowl, stir together sour cream and guacamole, until smooth. Ladle soup into bowls and top with guacamole mixture. ............................................................ "Leftover Turkey" Noodle Soup Bones and trimmings from 1 turkey ( or 2 chickens ) 6 cups water 3 chicken bouillon cubes or 3 teaspoons bouillon granules 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning or sage 1 bay leaf ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1/2 cup barley or rice, or 1 cup uncooked egg noodles 3 medium carrots, sliced 2 stalks celery, sliced 2 medium onions, sliced or chopped 2 tablespoons chopped parsley In a large saucepan, combine first 6 ingredients. Simmer ( covered ) 1 1/2 hours. Remove bones; cut off meat and return meat to broth. Add remaining ingredients, except parsley. Simmer ( covered ) 30 minutes or until vegetables and barley are tender. Garnish with the parsley. Serves 6 to 8. Tip: Other vegetables may be added or substituted, such as: corn, zucchini, tomatoes, potatoes, peas or mushrooms. ............................................................ Apple Butter Pumpkin Pie 1 cup apple butter 1 cup fresh or canned pumpkin 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger 3 eggs, slightly beaten 3/4 cup evaporated milk 1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell Sweetened whipped cream, for garnish Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Combine apple butter, pumpkin, sugar, salt and spices in a bowl. Stir in eggs. Gradually add evaporated milk and mix well. Pour into unbaked pie shell. Bake for about 40 minutes or until set. Serves 6. Cook's Notes: -If the crust begins to burn, place tin foil around the crust, and lower the temperature of the oven. -A tasty topping for this pie is praline pecans. ............................................................ Pumpkin Pie Parfaits 2 cups pumpkin pie filling (scooped from inside 1 cooked pumpkin pie) 2 cups vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt, softened 8 tablespoons whipped cream or Cool Whip whipped topping 4 tablespoons chopped candied walnuts or pecans Spoon 1/4 cup of pumpkin pie filling, into 4 tall glasses. Top with 1/4 cup of ice cream or frozen yogurt. Repeat layers of pumpkin and ice cream. Top with whipped cream and candied nuts. Makes 4 servings. ............................................................ Pumpkin Pie Cake 1-( 15 ounce ) solid-pack pure pumpkin 3 eggs, lightly beaten 3/4 cup granulated sugar 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice 1-( 12 ounce ) can evaporated milk 1-( 18.5 ounce ) pkg. yellow cake mix 1/2 cup ( 1 stick ) butter, melted 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, combine the pumpkin, eggs, sugars, pumpkin pie spice, and evaporated milk; mix well. Pour into an ungreased 9" x 13" baking pan. Sprinkle dry cake mix evenly over the batter in the pan; drizzle melted butter evenly over the top, then sprinkle with chopped pecans. Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Cool completely before cutting into squares. "This is so good"! "I just loved this dessert"! Here are somemore of my "favorite" Thanksgiving recipes, as well as recipes to prepare with your leftover turkey. Candied Yams 1 - ( 1 lb. 1 oz. ) can sweet potatoes, drained 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed 3 tablesppons butter 3 tablespoons whipping cream 1/2 teaspoon salt In a medium saucepan, combine the brown sugar, butter and salt; cook over medium heat; stirring constantly, until smooth and bubbly. Add the drained sweet potatoes, stir gently until glazed and heated through. About 4 servings. ............................................................ Sweet Potato Casserole 3 cups mashed sweet potatoes 2 eggs, beaten 1 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Put into a greased 1 1/2 - quart size casserole baking dish. Topping: 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed 6 tablespoons butter, softened 6 tablespoons flour 1 cup chopped pecans Add this ontop of the sweet potato mixture. Cover and bake 35-40 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Note: The last time I prepared this, I used only 1 extra large size egg ( instead of 2 ). I decreased the granulated sugar to a 3/4 cup, and decreased the milk to 1/4 cup, plus 2 tablespoons. I also decreased the vanilla extract to 3/4 teaspoon. As for the topping, I decreased the brown sugar to a 3/4 cup. I only use 6 tablespoons each of butter and flour, and decreased the amount of pecans to a 3/4 cup. ............................................................ Jimmy Dean's Stuffing 1 lb. Jimmy Dean's Pork Sausage 1 cup chopped scallions 1/2 cup thinly sliced celery 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese 1 1/2 teaspoons poultry seasoning 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 2 - ( 14 1/2 oz. ) cans chicken broth 3 eggs, beaten 1 - ( 16 oz. ) bag, plus 2 more slices of bread, or 1/2 of a loaf ( 8 oz. ) white bread, and 1/2 of a loaf ( 8 oz. ) wheat bread 1 tablespoon fresh parsley or 1 1/2 teaspoon dried, parsley 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pork sausage and drain thoroughly. Combine sausage with the next 8 ingredients. Put in a buttered roasting pan. Bake uncovered 30 minutes; then bake covered 30 minutes. Remove and top with the parsley and cheese; bake uncovered 10-15 minutes more. Note: My sister once made this stuffing for Thanksgiving, and I just "loved" it, so I had to get this recipe from her. ............................................................ Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie 1 - ( 8 oz. ) pkg. cream cheese, softened 1 cup canned pumpkin 1/2 cup sugar 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice 1 - ( 8 oz. ) cont. Cool Whip, thawed 1 - 9-inch ( 6 oz. ) already-made graham cracker pie crust In a large mixing bowl, mix cream cheese, canned pumpkin, sugar, and pumpkin pie spice. With an electric mixer, ( on medium speed ) mix until smooth. Gently fold in the thawed Cool Whip. Spoon into graham cracker pie crust. Refrigerate 3 hours, or until set. Store leftover cheesecake in the refrigerator. Makes 8 servings. ............................................................ Pumpkin Torte ( Read all the directions first ) Crust: 1 3/4 c. graham cracker crumbs ( 1 pkg. ) 1/2 c. sugar Mix & add 1/2 cup melted butter. Pack lightly in a 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Cheese Mixture: Beat together 2 eggs, 3/4 c. sugar, and an ( 8 oz. ) pkg. cream cheese. Pour over crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Cool. Pumpkin Mixture: 1 - ( 16 oz. ) can pumpkin, 3 egg yolks, 1/2 c. sugar, 1/2 c. milk, 1 tsp. salt, and 1 tsp. cinnamon. Cook until thick ( 5-10 minutes ). Take off heat. Dissolve - 1 envelope unflavored gelatin into 1/4 c. cold water. Add to hot, cooked pumpkin mixture. Beat 3 egg whites, add 1/4 c. sugar. Fold into pumpkin mixture, and pour ontop of already prepared crust. Chill until firm. Top with whipped cream. This dessert may be frozen. ............................................................ Chicken, Ham or Turkey A La King 1/4 cup chopped onion 2 tablespoons chopped, green bell peppers 2 tablespoons butter or margarine 1 - ( 10.75 oz. ) can cream of chicken or mushroom soup 1/3 to 1/2 cup milk 1 1/2 cups cubed, cooked chicken, ham or turkey 2 tablespoons diced, pimiento Dash black pepper Toast Cook onion and green peppers in butter, until tender. Blend in soup and milk. Add chicken, pimiento, and pepper. Heat slowly; stir often. Serve over toast. Yield: About 2 1/2 cups. ............................................................ Chicken or Turkey Hot Dish 4 c. diced, cooked chicken or turkey 4 c. cooked, wide noodles ( I only used about 2 cups ) 1 - ( 16 oz. ) pkg. frozen broccoli, cauliflower and carrot mix, cooked & drained. 1 - ( 10.75 oz. ) can cheddar cheese soup 1 - ( 10.75 oz. ) can cream of chicken, celery or mushroom soup 1 soup can of milk 6 to 8 slices of Kraft cheese slices, cut in half diagonally In a saucepan, heat the soups and milk together. In a ( greased ) 13x9x2-inch baking pan, add the chicken or turkey, the cooked noodles, and cooked vegeatables; stir to coat evenly. Top with the cheese slices. Cover and bake 45 minutes, in a 350 degree oven. Serves 6-8. ............................................................ Turkey Curry Cook 1/4 cup chopped onion, in 1 tablespoon butter or margarine. Add 1 - ( 10.75 oz. ) can cream of mushroom soup, and 1/4 cup milk; heat and stir till smooth. Stir in 1 cup sour cream, and 1/2 teaspoon curry powder. Add 1 1/2 cups cubed, cooked turkey; heat through, but do not boil. Garnish with snipped parsley. Serve over hot, cooked rice. Serves 4. ............................................................ Turkey Stroganoff 1/4 cup diced, green bell peppers 1/4 cup chopped, onion 2 tablespoons butter ot margarine 1 - ( 10.75 oz. ) can cream of mushroom soup 1/2 cup sour cream 1 1/2 cups cubed, turkey 1/2 teaspoon paprika 2 cups cooked, wide noodles Add some canned mushrooms, optional In a saucepan, cook the green peppers and onions in butter, until tender. In a 1 1/2 -quart casserole baking dish, blend soup and sour cream. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cover and bake for 35 minutes minutes, in a 350 degree oven, or until hot. Remove from oven and stir. Sprinkle on additional paprika before serving. *********** Buttercup OH Man, Domestic! I will definately be trying some of these out!!! You are awesome! ************ DomesticGoddess Buttercup, I've been called many things, but never been called awesome. It's kinda nice to know someone else thinks I am, and that I was missed. Enjoy the recipes!! Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving! ********** Safetylady Middle son prepared a gourmet Thanksgiving dinner Deviled eggs and cheese plate with fruit Boned stuffed turkey breast with spinach, cream cheese and whole cranberries Mashed potatoes with carmalized onions roasted Sweet potaotes green beans with lemon zest and thyme Romain salad with feta cheese and walnuts with cranberry vinegarette Rolls Pumpkin pie and pecan pumbkin pie. It was all great ********** westbrook ----------------------------- Quote: a spoonful or two in hot cereal, or about a half-cup to a cup could be used in baking cakes / muffins etc, or in puddings. ----------------------------- rum raisins a spoonfull or two on cereal in the morning? oh baby! starts your day off right! a little spoonfull on a ham and cheese sandwich another spoonfull all by itself in the afternoon.. hiccup! oh excuse me. another spoonfull at dinner.. over mashed potatos and one in the salad... you are too cute! ********* CeeGee I really don't like raisins, but RUM RAISINS? Hmmmmmm.... I just might have to change my mind! ********* westbrook now that I will be buying rum..for my raisins and medicinal purposes.... like oh I need my rum... I have a teenager! I wonder if I could pour it

Well, this is it: The original, online cookbook, slim as it still was, died with the old.

I tend to think it smells more like a sour yeasty smell, not unpleasant when compared to the contents of the container stuck in the back of the 'fridge for 2 months... ***************** theyd I hate to bother and sound but is something gone wrong with my starter?? It still smells, it's a dirty whitest color, but instead of being spongy it is all liguidy. And today is the day I am suppose to be able to use it. can I?? ***************** Cat Yes, exactly right, theyd!! That's how it gets. (I think that's a rather primitive alcohol... ) Just stir it in and try something. Remember, after you take out what you need for a recipe, add equal amounts of flour and water to the starter & let it ferment again. Sounds like you did it right!! ***************** theyd now I am going to go check out those recipes and give one a try. it is a little chilly here this evening and this will help take the chill off. thank you for getting back so fast ***************** theyd well the bread didn't turn out I can never get bread to turn out. unless I wear gloves, so need to get some so i can try again. ***************** debbielee AT LEAST you gave it a try Theyd!! ***************** westbrook http://www.nyx.net/~dgreenw/sourdoughfaqs.html ***************** Lois This one uses a small amount of yeast to get it started. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sourdough Starter 1-1/2 cups lukewarm milk 1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast 1 teaspoon honey 2 cups unbleached white flour 1/4 cup spring water 1. To prepare the starter, place the milk in a mixing bowl. 2. Sprinkle the yeast over the milk. 3. Whisk in the honey and 1-1/2 cups of the flour. 4. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature (72 to 76 degrees F.) for 72 hours (3 days). 5. After 72 hours, stir in the 1/4 cup water and whisk in the remaining 1/2 cup flour. 6. Cover again with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 2 hours; the mixture should be bubbly and have a sour, tangy aroma and taste. 7. Remove the amount of starter the recipe calls for and set aside. 8. Transfer the remaining starter to a sterile' glass jar and replenish it by mixing in 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup flour. Cover tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. ***************** Teaberry This is a good link with tons of information on sourdough: http://www.nyx.net/~dgreenw/sourdoughfaqs.html Cat, thanks for this thread! I'm planning to start a sourdough soon. So tell me gals, what type of container do you keep your sourdough in all the time? A crock? If so, what size? ***************** Cat I use a jar that's about a half gallon size, and I tie an old dish towel over the top so that it can "breathe" without anything getting in. I suppose if I had company I'd use something "prettier" or put it away. ***************** Amber I just started mine up a week ago, and it is in a gallon glass cookie jar with lid; The kind you can get from Walmart that looks like the candy jars on old drug store counters, the upright ones, not the tilted ones. It is a regular recipe, bread flour and water, although I did cheat and add a little sugar to the yeast/flour/water start to give it a boost. I have fed it maybe three times and it is about 1/3 full. The hooch liquid is maybe an inch floating on top till I feed it again and mix it up. I tried one recipe for pancakes this past Sunday from the downunder site, but they were too thick and not the ones I wanted. I will find my recipe for flapjacks sooner or later, depending on how hard I want to clean up piles of books and magazines to find it. ***************** westbrook Quote: ________________________________________ So tell me gals, what type of container do you keep your sourdough in all the time? A crock? If so, what size? ________________________________________ I have a crock with a loose fitting lid. It is dark green to match my kitchen but sits in a dark corner so you don't actually notice it. My crock is small, not including the lid it measures 7 inches tall and 6 inches in diameter. I did not use a starter to create my sourdough, I used flour, water and honey and attracted the wild yeast from the air. Had I used a San Fran. Sourdough starter and left it out on the counter, in time the wild yeast from the air will take over the yeast in the container. To maintain that original flavor the yeast needs to be kept in the refrigerator. If you bake bread, you need to wait about 3 days or longer before you make cheese as the bread yeast will alter the flavor of the yeast used to inoculate your milk. This means that you can't leave yeast on the counter and make cheese too. I have a pretty cookie jar it could just as easily be put into. ***************** Teaberry So it doesn't take anything large at all. That's good to know then. How often do you make bread with your starter? A few years ago I found a couple of those large pickle and kraut crocks from an estate sale. There was a thread here a while back about using sauerkraut to do battle with flu. If anyone has done that before and feels a hankering to do a thread, I'd be interested in hearing how you made it. Unless it's already here and I just missed it. ***************** Cat QUICK SOURDOUGH BREAD (good for beginners) 1 tsp dry yeast 3 Tbsp warm water 2 c sourdough starter 3 Tbsp sugar 1 1/2 tsp salt 3 Tbsp dry milk powder 2 Tbsp vegetable oil 3 to 4 c flour Generously grease a 9”x5” loaf pan. In a cup, sprinkle yeast over warm water, let soften 5 minutes. In a large bowl, combine next 5 ingredients and yeast mixture; beat until blended. Gradually beat in enough flour to make a medium-stiff dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead dough 8-10 minutes until dough is smooth and elastic. Add more flour if necessary. Shape dough into a loaf and place in prepared pan. Cover with a cloth and set in a warm place free from drafts. Let rise 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until doubled in size. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake bread for 50 minutes or until loaf sounds hollow when tapped with your fingers. (After 30 minutes, if loaf is golden brown, cover with a tent of aluminum foil to slow further browning.) Remove from pan, cool on rack. ~~~~~~~ SOURDOUGH BREAD STARTER MIX: (do the night before) 1 c sourdough starter 2 c warm water 2 1/2 c flour Mix together in a large bowl; cover with a cloth and let stand in a warm place overnight. BREAD: 1 c milk 3 Tbsp butter or margarine 3 Tbsp sugar 2 tsp salt 1 envelope dry yeast (1 Tbsp) 1/4 c warm water starter mix (see above) 6 to 7 c flour vegetable oil for tops of loaves Pour milk into a small pan; heat until *almost a boil* over medium heat, remove from heat. Stir in butter, sugar, and salt. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes. Sprinkle yeast over warm water; set aside to soften for 5 minutes. Stir milk and yeast mixtures into starter mix, beat until blended. Beat in 3 c flour until batter is smooth, cover with a cloth and set in a warm place free from drafts. Let rise 30-40 minutes, until nearly doubled in size. Stir down dough, gradually stir in enough remaining flour to make a medium-stiff dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead dough 8-10 minutes until dough is smooth and elastic. Add more flour if necessary. Divide dough in half, cover and let rest 10 minutes. Grease two 9”x5” loaf pans. Shape dough into loaves and place in loaf pans, brush tops lightly with oil. Cover with a cloth and set in a warm place free from drafts. Let rise one hour, or until dough reaches tops of pans. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake bread for 45-50 minutes or until loaves sound hollow when tapped with your fingers. (After 30 minutes, if loaves are golden brown, cover with a tent of aluminum foil to slow further browning.) Remove from pans, cool on rack. Makes 2 loaves. ~~~~~~~ COTTAGE CHEESE BREAD 2 c warm water 2 envelopes dry yeast (2 Tbsp) 1 c sourdough starter 2 c creamy cottage cheese 2 c shredded Cheddar or Colby cheese 1/2 tsp baking powder 2 Tbsp dill seeds 2 Tbsp vegetable oil 2 Tbsp sugar 2-3 tsp salt 6 1/2 to 7 1/2 c flour Warm a large bowl, pour warm water into bowl and sprinkle yeast over water. Set aside to soften 5 minutes. Stir in next eight ingredients. Add the flour about 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition, to make a stiff dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Clean and then grease bowl, set aside. Knead dough 8-10 minutes until dough is smooth and elastic. Add more flour if necessary. Place dough in greased bowl, turning to grease all sides. Cover with a cloth and set in a warm place free from drafts. Let rise about 2 hours, until doubled in size. Generously grease two 9”x5” loaf pans. Punch down dough, shape into 2 loaves and place in loaf pans. Cover with a cloth and set in a warm place free from drafts. Let rise about 2 hours, until doubled in size. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake bread for 40 minutes or until loaves sound hollow when tapped with your fingers. (After 30 minutes, if loaves are golden brown, cover with a tent of aluminum foil to slow further browning.) Remove from pans, cool on rack. Makes 2 loaves. ***************** Grubby Here is the sourdough bread recipe that I use. I don't use his method for making the starter, but I do for the bread. I like this recipe because it doesn't require any additional yeast.--Shannon Here is the link. http://www.io.com/~sjohn/sour.htm Sourdough Baking Step One: Proofing the Sponge Several hours before you plan to make your dough (recipe below), you need to make a sponge. A "sponge" is just another word for a bowl of warm, fermented batter. This is how you make your sponge. Take your starter out of the fridge. Pour it into a large glass or plastic bowl. Meanwhile, wash the jar and dry it. You may also wish to pour boiling water over it, since you don't want other things growing in there with your pet! Add a cup of warm water and a cup of flour to the bowl. Stir well, and set it in a warm place for several hours. This is called "proofing," another word for fermenting. Sourdough bakers have their own language; use it to impress your friends Watch for Froth and and Sniff. When your sponge is bubbly and has a white froth, and it smells a little sour, it is ready. The longer you let the sponge sit, the more sour flavor you will get. The proofing-time varies. Some starters can proof up to frothiness in an hour or two. Some take 6-8 hours! Just experiment and see how long yours takes. If you're going to bake in the morning, set your sponge out to proof overnight. Sourdough Bread 2 Cups of sponge (proofed starter) 3 Cups of unbleached flour 2 tablespoons of olive oil or softened margarine 4 teaspoons of sugar 2 teaspoons of salt First, let's talk about leftover sponge. You should have some. The leftover sponge is your starter for next time: Put it into the jar, and give it a fresh feed of a half-cup each of flour and warm water. Keep it in the fridge as above; you'll have starter again next time. Now, for the recipe: To the sponge, add the sugar, salt, and oil (the oil is optional - you can use softened butter instead, or no oil at all). Mix well, then knead in the flour a half-cup at a time. Knead in enough flour to make a good, flexible bread dough. You can do this with an electric mixer, a bread machine on "dough cycle," or a food processor. You can also do it with a big bowl and your bare hands. Keep in mind that flour amounts are approximate; flour varies in absorbency, and your sponge can vary in wetness. Use your judgement; treat it like ordinary white or french bread dough. Let the dough rise in a warm place, in a bowl covered loosely with a towel (if you're using a bread machine's dough cycle, let it rise in the machine). Note that sourdough rises more slowly than yeast bread; my starter takes about an hour or so, but some starters take much longer. Let the dough double in bulk, just like yeast-bread dough. When a finger poked into the top of the dough creates a pit that doesn't "heal" (spring back), you've got a risen dough. Punch the dough down and knead it a little more. Make a loaf and place it on a baking sheet (lightly greased or sprinkled with cornmeal). Slit the top if you like, and cover the loaf with a paper towel and place it in a warm place to rise again, until doubled in bulk. Place the pan with the loaf in your oven, and then turn your oven to 350o Farenheit and bake the bread for 30-45 minutes. Do not preheat the oven. The loaf is done when the crust is brown and the bottom sounds hollow when thumped with a wooden spoon. Turn the loaf out onto a cooling rack or a towel and let it cool for an hour before slicing. And that's that. If you double the recipe for two big two-pound loaves of bread, the total price tag will be less than a dollar ***************** JoanN Thanks for this. I have done this before and it works wonderful Welcome to Mrs Survival too! ***************** Cat Great, Shannon! Thanks for the link and the recipe!! Here's more: Potato-Bacon Bread 2 envelopes dry yeast (2 Tbsp) 1/2 c warm water 1 c sourdough starter 2 c water 2 Tbsp vegetable oil 2 Tbsp sugar 2 Tbsp salt 3 bacon strips, fried crisp & crumbled (1/2 c) 2 c shredded Cheddar or Colby cheese 2 c mashed cooked potatoes 7 1/2 to 9 c flour **Plan ahead to save mashed potatoes for this bread. Amount of flour depends on the moisture of your mashed potatoes. Sprinkle yeast over warm water; let soften 5 minutes. In large bowl, mix next eight ingredients, then add yeast mixture. Stir in flour about 1 cup at a time, mixing after each addition, until it makes a medium-stiff dough. Turn out onto a lightly-floured surface. Clean and grease bowl; set aside. Knead dough 8-10 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Add flour as needed. Place dough in bowl, turning to grease all sides. Cover with a cloth and set in a warm place free of drafts. Let rise 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until doubled in size. Grease 3 9x5” loaf pans; set aside. Punch down dough, shape into 3 loaves and place in prepared pans. Cover with a cloth and set in a warm place free of drafts. Let rise about 2 hours or until doubled in size. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake 40 minutes until loaves sound hollow when tapped. (After 30 minutes, if loaves are golden brown, cover with a tent of aluminum foil to prevent further browning.) Turn bread out of pans, let cool. Makes 3 loaves. ~~~~~~~ Quick Sourdough Pancakes 1 1/4 c flour 2 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 1 Tbsp sugar 1 egg 1 c sourdough starter 1 c milk 3 Tbsp vegetable oil In a large bowl, stir together dry ingredients; set aside. In a medium bowl, beat egg, then stir in starter, milk and oil. Pour into dry ingredients and stir just until moistened. Grease griddle, use about 1/4 to 1/2 c batter and cook until golden brown. Variations: Add pecans, blueberries, bacon, or stir in about a cup of mashed banana, crushed pineapple, applesauce with cinnamon, or creamy cottage cheese. ~~~~~~~ Basic Sourdough Waffles 1 1/4 c flour 2 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 1 Tbsp sugar 1 egg 1 c sourdough starter 3/4 c milk 1/4 c vegetable oil In a large bowl, stir together dry ingredients; set aside. In a medium bowl, beat egg, then stir in starter, milk and oil. Pour into dry ingredients and stir just until moistened. Preheat waffle iron. Use about 1/4 to 1/2 c batter and cook until golden brown. Oatmeal Muffins 1 c rolled oats 1 c milk 1/2 c sourdough starter 1/3 c vegetable oil 1 egg, beaten 1/2 c raisins, if desired 1 c flour 1 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 c brown sugar, packed In a medium bowl, combine oats and milk; set aside to soak for 1 hour. Grease muffin pans or line with paper liners. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Stir starter, oil, egg and raisins into soaked oats; set aside. In a large bowl, stir together dry ingredients. Add oats mixture. Stir with a fork until dry ingredients are just moistened. Fill muffin cups 2/3 to 3/4 full. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown. Serve warm. Makes 12 to 14 muffins. ~~~~~~~ The Doctor’s Sourdough Bread 1 c sourdough starter 2 c warm water 2 c warm milk 1 Tbsp butter 1 pkg dry yeast (1 Tbsp) 1/4 c honey 7 c flour 1/4 c wheat germ 2 Tbsp sugar 2 tsp salt 2 tsp baking soda The night before, mix starter, 2 1/2 c flour, and water. Cover loosely and let sit. Next morning, mix butter with warm milk, then stir in dry yeast until dissolved. Mix into starter mixture with honey, mix well. Add 2 more cups flour and wheat germ. Sprinkle sugar, salt and baking soda over the mixture; gently press into dough and mix lightly. Allow to stand from 30 to 50 minutes until mixture is bubbly. Add flour until dough cannot be stirred, then place on floured board and knead 100 times or until silky mixture is developed. Form into 4 one-pound loaves, place in well-greased loaf pans, and let rise until double (2 or 3 hours in a warm room). Bake at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 325 degrees and bake 20 minutes longer until done. Remove from pans; brush tops with butter for less “crustiness”. ~~~~~~~ BUTTERMILK BISCUITS 2 c flour 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 1 tsp salt 1/2 c butter or margarine 1 c sourdough starter 1/2 buttermilk 2 Tbsp butter or margarine, melted Lightly grease a large cookie sheet; set aside. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. In a large bowl, stir together dry ingredients. Use a pastry blender or two knives to cut in the 1/2 c butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs; set aside. Combine starter and buttermilk, then stir into flour mixture until thoroughly combined. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface; gently knead dough for about 30 seconds. Roll out dough to 1/2 inch thick, cut with 2 1/2-3 inch biscuit cutter (or a similarly-sized glass). Arrange biscuits with sides touching, brush tops with melted butter. Bake 12 to 15 minutes until tops are golden brown. Serve warm. ~~~~~~~ REFRIGERATOR BISCUITS 1 pkg dry yeast (1 Tbsp) 1/2 c warm water 6 c flour 1 Tbsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda 1 1/2 tsp salt 3 Tbsp sugar 1 c shortening 1 c sourdough starter 2 c buttermilk melted butter or margarine Grease a 10-cup plastic container with a tight-fitting lid; set aside. Sprinkle yeast over water and let soften 5 minutes. In a large bowl, stir dry ingredients together. Use a pastry blender or two knives to cut in the 1/2 c butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs; set aside. Combine starter, buttermilk, and yeast mixture; stir into dry ingredients until just moistened. Turn into prepared bowl, cover tightly. Store in refrigerator 4 or 5 days, making biscuits as desired. TO MAKE BISCUITS: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly grease a baking pan, set aside. Take out about 1/4 c dough for each biscuit. On a generously floured surface, roll or pat out dough 1/2 inch thick. Cut with 2 1/2-3 inch biscuit cutter (or a similarly-sized glass). Arrange biscuits with sides touching; let stand 5 minutes. Brush tops with melted butter. Bake 15 to 18 minutes until tops are golden brown. Serve warm. ***************** Darlene Here's an article I found at Countryside Magazine on sourdough that I'm gonna try: Doc Salsbury makes Sourdough D. L. Salsbury, DVm 3492 Stafford Wellsville KS 66092 An article on sourdough by Stan and Judy Payne of Licking, missouri, appeared adjacent to one I had written on making hams and bacons, back in the Nov./Dec. 1991 COUNTRYSIDE. The subject really caught my fancy, but it remained an itch I didn't scratch until some months ago. Now I'm hooked. It is so delightfully easy and fun, I can't imagine why I didn't get into sourdough years ago. Just what is "sourdough"? Basic sourdough had its beginnings before recorded history. The "leavened" vs. "unleavened" bread mentioned biblically was sourdough. Flour and water were mixed together and set aside to do "something." That "something" was a fortuitous catch of a naturally-occurring "friendly" yeast present on the grain and in the flour. Sometimes they would catch a wild mold that wasn't so friendly and the mixture would spoil, rendering it unusable. It was a tricky procedure. Starting over each time was fraught with disaster. People learned centuries ago that if they "caught" a good starter, they should take care of it. That was the beginning of our concept of sourdough, and that friendly yeast is now known as Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which has the ability to ferment sugars and starches common in cereal grains. It is more commonly known as "bakers' yeast," which was not commonly available in stores until sometime after the turn of the century. Many immigrants to the U.S., especially European bakers, brought their bread starter cultures with them. Unfortunately, modern bakers' yeast is not an efficient fermenter of starch. Although it will do so weakly, it gets its kicks from sugar. So, what is the difference between sourdough, with its unique flavor and aroma, and common fresh bread, if both utilize the same yeast? It's the strain of yeast that's different. Bakers' yeast, and the endless varieties of lager beer, ale, and wine yeasts, are all strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, but that's where the similarity ends. It's these unique strains, containing their peculiar physiological traits, that makes them unique for their particular purpose. All modern homemade sourdough starter recipes begin with common bakers' yeast - and they are flat! But over time, they will slowly begin to develop that characteristic sourdough flavor. How does this happen? By beginning with a culture of bakers' yeast, the rapidly developing acid pH and partially anaerobic conditions that develop in the flour and water media are rendered favorable to the culture of the friendly wild yeast in the grain to the detriment of undesirable organisms, especially molds. Over time, with the constant re-inoculation of fresh flour, the strain of yeast in the culture begins to attenuate and/by natural selection, bring out those individual yeast cells with unique genetic traits that are most efficient in fermenting starch. You will notice that, over a period of weeks or months, your sourdough starter will begin to ferment more quickly and more aggressively after each feeding. My starter is now 3-4 times more aggressive than it was at the outset. Whereas it required 3-4 days to complete its fermentation in the beginning, the ferment after feeding is now almost complete in 24 hours! The "sourdough" flavor it imparts to the breads has also increased several-fold. Preparing the sourdough starter Variety may be the spice of life, but it is also apparently the key to success. There are literally dozens of recipes for sourdough starters, presumably handed down because "Grandmother did it that way." Well, all the grandmothers but one couldn't be wrong. They probably used what they had on hand, guided by experience and superstition, so one must assume that there isn't any single "best" recipe. The singular factor that caught my eye in perusing dozens of these old recipes was the combined variety of flours used, particularly rye and unbleached wheat flour, plus numerous references to the initial use of potato water (which is highly fermentable) and of all things, many references in German recipes to the use of fresh hops in the pollen stage. If it make das bier gut, maybe geputten der hops in das pot maken das brot gut also, ja? Begin with a large-mouthed container, sufficient to easily accept a one-cup measure and to hold a total volume of 5-6 cups. It can be plastic or glass, but if it has a screw-on lid, be sure to poke a small hole in the lid with an ice pick or small nail. If the lid is tight the container could explode. An old cookie jar with a smooth interior or an old ice bucket are ideal. I began using non-bleached wheat flour, assuming it might contain more "natural" yeast than the bleached variety (but I don't know this for a fact). Once things began working, I substituted small amounts of rye, black rye, and semolina (durum) flour during my regular feedings. Recipe for starter 2 cups flour 1 cup water 1 cup cooled potato water (this really gets things going) 1 package bread yeast Mix well and allow to stand in a warm area until there are no more signs of fermentation. (The solution will separate and no more bubbles are present.) Stir well, remove 1 cup of the contents and stir in another cup of flour or flour mix and a cup of water. Do not use "self-rising" flour! Initially, the new starter is ready to use after 2-3 days, but it will not have that typical sourdough flavor until it has acquired some weeks or months of age. After the first fermentation is established, you can use it anytime, even if it has gone "flat." Do not refrigerate! Leave it on the counter. Many have told me that they mixed up a sourdough starter and used it once, but it didn't have a good sourdough flavor and then it "spoiled," i.e., it looked and smelled "yuckie." "Well dummy," I thought. "It's supposed to look and smell yuckie!" Sourdough will not spoil due to its highly acid pH, and because of its acid pH, it doesn't require refrigeration. Think about it. Covered wagons were the 19th century version of the RV, but they weren't equipped with refrigerators to hold the pioneers' sourdough starter! It bumped along experiencing all the elements of heat and cold in a small crock or wrapped in a leather pouch! Just remember to feed the little critter about once a week if you are not using it. To speed things up on baking day, you can feed the culture the day before and it will have little "yeasties" growing like mad at the time of use. My culture is now about six months old, the container has never been washed, and there are no signs of mold. Most likely because its pH measures 2.0! English muffins Patience is not only a virtue: it's an essential ingredient in sourdough breads. The thing that really caught my eye in the Payne's article was the recipe for English muffins. My first attempts were extremely disappointing! They were hockey pucks! Over time they began to improve slightly and by the 4th or 5th try they were somewhat edible, but they were still hockey pucks! Recipes simply cannot convey the art of cooking or baking gained by experience. Analyzing my problem, it occurred to me that I might not be giving them enough time to rise. Since the yeast must do its thing primarily on starch, as opposed to sugar, and starch is less fermentable than sugar, it stands to reason that it will require more time. However, as my starter became more aggressive, the time required for the dough to rise has been drastically reduced. Then it occurred to me. I have a perfectly good jerky dryer that maintains an internal temperature of about 105 degrees. That cut the rising time down to three hours for the initial sponge and two hours for the rising of the cut muffins. This is also how I learned not to allow them to over-rise. (See below.) Basic recipe for English muffins 1 cup unbleached white flour 1 cup semolina (durum) flour (This is used for pasta and can usually be found in larger supermarkets. It really improves the muffins, but if you can't find it, use 2 cups white flour.) 1 cup sourdough starter 1 cup buttermilk (or plain milk, but buttermilk is a lot better.) Mix the above thoroughly. It will form a wet, sticky dough. Cover tightly or enclose entire bowl in a 2-gallon Zip-loc bag which retains the moisture. Allow to rise overnight or until its volume has at least doubled. It takes only three hours in a 105 degree environment. When ready, the dough (sponge) will be almost frothy and easily stirred. Add: 2 level tablespoons sugar, honey, molasses or syrup 2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon (rounded) baking soda Add variations, if wanted (see below, and I'll guarantee you'll want them once you've tried them!) Mix the above ingredients thoroughly into the sponge, then add an additional 3/4 to 1 cup white flour and mix. Knead with additional flour until a dough has formed that will hold a fairly good ball that only slightly sags. It may also have minor kneading "overlaps" that do not immediately reseal. Thoroughly sprinkle your work surface with white corn meal, and spread dough. Flip dough so it is covered with corn meal on both sides. Roll to approximately 1/2 inch thick. (I cheat by using two strips of wood cut 7/16 inch thick as rolling guides for uniformity. I also have a commercial 24 inch baker's rolling pin.) Cut into biscuits with a large biscuit cutter or small tuna can (preferred). If the thickness of the dough is right, the small tuna can will produce 12-13 large muffins. Allow to rise on a non-stick surface or cookie sheet sprinkled with white corn meal until they have about doubled in thickness. This will again require 3-4 hours at warm room temperature or 1-3/4 to two hours at 105 degrees. Don't allow them to over-rise or they will very rapidly crash into wet, sticky blobs. If they start to sag a bit, i.e., mushroom at the base and begin to lose their firm domed appearance on top, cook immediately, as they are getting ready to crash! Bake in a tightly covered electric skillet at 325 degrees (if you're cooking on a wood or gas stove use your best guess) for exactly 10 minutes on each side, and then an additional 5 minutes on each side. A timer is very helpful, if not essential, at this step. They should be a nice medium-brown on both sides. Cool exactly 30 minutes at room temperature, place in a two-gallon Zip-loc bag, and allow to "sweat" overnight to evenly moisturize. Variations: Onion dill: Add 2 heaping teaspoons dried chopped onions and 1 heaping teaspoon of dill weed. Great buttered and/or with a slice of good cheese. (I was eating one of these the other night with a slice of stink bier kase. Not paying attention to what I was doing, my wife sniffed the air and then asked me if I had left some old trash moldering.) Black rye: Use 1 cup white flour and 1 cup black rye flour. This is pumpernickel flour, not the regular rye flour found in stores. It is almost impossible to find in supermarkets. Check with your local bakery. Black onion rye: Add 2 heaping teaspoons dried chopped onions to the above. Raisin: Add 1/2 cup raisins and 2 teaspoons cinnamon to basic recipe. Orange raisin nut: Wonderful! Add 1/2 cup raisins, grated peel from 1 orange, 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, and 1-2 teaspoons cinnamon. This is a real winner! Blueberry: Add 1/2 cup blueberries to basic recipe. Cranberry nut: This is everyone's favorite, including mine! Take 1/2 heaping cup fresh cranberries and cut them in half (or 1-1/2 oz. dried cranberries), grated peel from 1 orange and 1/2 cup chopped black walnuts. Cinnamon apple: Add 1/2 cup apple pie filling and 2 teaspoons cinnamon. Cheese ranch: Another excellent recipe. Add 1 tablespoon ranch salad dressing mix plus 1/2 cup grated sharp cheese, the sharper the better. No, these don't taste like salad dressing, nor are they that cheesy. The two ingredients synergize with one another to produce a truly unique taste. Jalapeño: Add 1/2 cup grated Swiss cheese, or mozzarella, or 1/4 cup each, and 1-2 finely chopped fresh jalapeño peppers. Or for a third variation, add 1-2 chopped jalapeño peppers to the cheese ranch recipe. Sourdough doughnuts 1 cup starter 1 cup milk 2 cups bleached or unbleached flour Mix well and allow to rise overnight. Then add: 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup melted or liquid shortening 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 eggs (beaten) 2-3 cups flour 1-2 teaspoons cinnamon (optional) Knead well on floured surface and allow to rise until doubled. Knead again and allow to rise until doubled. Roll dough about 1/2 inch thick and cut with doughnut cutter. Allow them to rise in a warm place for 30-60 minutes. Cook in hot oil (375 degrees) on each side until golden brown. Use a spatula to introduce them to the oil. A small wooden dowel works best to remove them from the hot oil. Drain for a few minutes on absorbent toweling, then shake in a paper bag with sugar until well coated. The following recipes for pancakes, waffles and bread are reproduced verbatim from the Payne article: Sourdough bread 2 cups starter 1 cup milk, scalded and cooled to lukewarm 1/4 cup butter 1/4 cup sugar or honey 2 teaspoons salt 2 teaspoons baking soda 5-7 cups flour 1 tablespoon yeast (optional) 1/2 cup wheat germ (optional - add with flour) Stir butter, sugar and salt into milk and cool to lukewarm. Add sourdough starter. Dissolve soda (and yeast if used) in a little warm water and stir in. Add flour until dough is kneadable. Knead well. Let rise three hours - or about one hour if yeast is used. When doubled, punch down and shape into two loaves. Place in greased loaf pans and let rise until the hump is above edges of pans. Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Sourdough pancakes (Note: Remember to feed your starter the day before, or let the batter set several hours.) 1 cup sourdough starter 1 cup flour 1 tablespoon honey or sugar 1 egg, beaten 2 tablespoons oil or melted butter 1/2 cup milk, scalded and cooled to lukewarm 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon baking soda dissolved in 1 tablespoon water Mix all ingredients except soda with starter. Heat a griddle or skillet to 375 degrees. Just before cooking, fold dissolved soda into batter. If batter seems too thick, dilute with lukewarm water. Bake as for ordinary pancakes. Sourdough waffles Use the above recipe with 4 tablespoons oil or melted butter. Using sourdough in other recipes Sourdough can be used in almost any recipe for quick breads, cakes, cookies, etc., by this simple substitution formula: For recipes using 2 cups of liquid, substitute 1 cup sourdough starter for 3/4 cup of the liquid and add 1 teaspoon baking soda for each cup of starter. Example: For each 2 cups liquid required in recipe, use: 1 cup sourdough starter 1-1/4 cup liquid (water, milk, etc.) 1 teaspoon baking soda For each 1 cup liquid required in recipe, use: 1/2 cup sourdough starter 5/8 cup liquid 1/2 teaspoon baking soda Preserving a starter culture Did you ever wonder how immigrants sailing in the cramped quarters of steerage managed to protect their starter culture during the weeks at sea? It is highly doubtful that they did it with a liquid culture in a loose-topped container! Neither did they have the convenience of modern dried yeast. . . or did they? Although I can't say for sure, they might have used one of the many methods I uncovered while researching old cookbooks. The following seems to combine all the essential elements of preserving starter cultures by drying. Dried yeast patties 2 cups starter 5 cups warm water 5 tablespoons shortening 5 tablespoons sugar, honey, molasses or syrup 1 tablespoon salt 4 cups rye flour, light or dark (There's that reference to rye again) 1/4 teaspoon ginger (Old wives' tale?) In a warm crock, mix everything but ginger into a thin batter. Let rise overnight in a warm place. Reserve 1 cup for future starter or current baking. Add ginger (?) and enough white corn meal to make a stiff dough. Stir well. Knead on corn meal-covered surface if necessary until dough can be worked. Roll and cut with cookie cutter or pat into small round patties (cookie style). Place on corn meal covered cookie sheet and turn daily until thoroughly dried. Keep in a cool dry place, but not the refrigerator! ***************** Cat Sourdough Fruit Cake I found this and I think it looks interesting. (sourdough?? ) When I make fruitcake at Christmas, I only use candied cherries and pineapple, no citron, which is the bitter stuff. I also like pecans in mine for the nuts. I'll try to find the recipe I use and post it later. ***************** ALASKAN SOURDOUGH FRUITCAKE 1 1/2 c golden and dark raisins, combined 4 c flour 1 tsp baking soda 1 1/2 c dried currants 1 tsp salt 1 c + 2 Tbsp blackberry cordial (or other wine) 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp cloves 1 tsp allspice 1 c Alaskan sourdough starter 1/2 tsp mace 6 Tbsp butter 3 c candied fruit: green and red cherries, pineapple, orange, citron and ginger (to taste) 1 c sugar 1 c brown sugar 3 eggs, well beaten 1 c chopped nuts 2 Tbsp grated lemon rind Soak raisins and currants in 1 cup wine overnight. Remove starter from refrigerator and set, tightly covered, in warm place overnight. (It should be in at least a two cup container as it will just about double its volume overnight.) In the morning, cream butter with sugar and beat in eggs and lemon rind. Drain wine from raisins into creamed mixture. Sift 3 cups of the flour with the soda, salt and spices. Stir in starter and flour mixture. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of flour over the fruit and nuts in a large bowl. Toss and shake until well-coated. Add to batter and mix thoroughly. Turn into loaf pans which have been generously buttered. Let stand in warm place for 30 minutes. Bake in oven preheated to 300 degrees F, with a pan of water on floor of oven and rack as near as possible in middle of oven. Bake about 2 1/2 hours for medium-sized loaves, watching carefully to see that they do not brown to quickly. Test with toothpick. Remove from oven, turn pans on sides and allow to sit for a few minutes before taking from pans. When cold, drip 2 Tbsp of wine over each cake. As soon as it is absorbed, wrap tightly in cellophane freezer paper and store in refrigerator or freezer. They improve with age. ***************** Peaceful I like the sound of your fruitcake, Cat. Fruitcake can be really expensive with all the dried fruits. What in the heck is citron anyway? ***************** Cat Are you sure you want to know??? Sounds like it's a bitter/sweet chunk of plastic... ************* Citron From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The Citron Citrus medica is a species of citrus fruit. It is characterized by its thick rind and small sections. Generally, it is eaten preserved or in bakery goods, such as fruitcakes. (The candied peel rather than the fruit is often used in cooking.) The citron was the first of the citrus known to the Romans. Pliny's Natural History gives an account of the tree (HN xii.7) that some called the Assyrian, others the Median "apple" (the generic Greco-Roman name for globose fruits). In Pliny's time the fruit was never eaten (it began to be used in cooking by the early 2nd century), but its intense perfume was used, penetrating clothes to repel noxious insects (compare Citronella). According to Pliny, attempts to grow the Citron in pots for its medicinal properties were unsuccessful. The citron is known as the etrog by religious Jews, who use it in a ceremony on their Sukkot holiday each fall. In many non-English languages, a normal lemon is called a "citron" and a lime is called a "limon", so there is a high chance for getting things mixed up during translations. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citron ************* Citron is a fruit grown for its peel which is candied. Citron: A citrus fruit from the Orient. A large fruit with a rough, uneven, thin yellowish-green rind. The edible part of the fruit is small and surrounded with a thick white inner rind. The juice is used in beverages, but citron is best known in its candied or preserved rind form, generally available in jars or packages and used extensively in fruit cakes. citron- a true citrus derivative which doesn't taste like one, at least in the processed form we find it packaged at market. From Woman's Day Encyclopedia of Cookery: Citron--yellow-green and oval-shape, it is 6 to 9 inches long with rough skin and a small amount of acid pulp. It is grown for its peel, which is candied. Here in the U.S. it is hard to find except around the Christmas holiday. It is most often sold in a small dice in a small plastic container. It is often part of a premixed candied fruit mix intended for use in fruit cake. It lasts quite a long time in storage. http://food4.epicurious.com/HyperNews/get/...00/13113/2.html ************* Soooo... I learned something new, too. I always thought it was a generic term for any citrus peel that was candied. I *STILL* don't like it!!! In my opinion, it's the reason most people don't like fruitcake. Keep to the cherries & pineapple & try your Grandma's recipe. ***************** Lois Dried sourdough starter? Saving sourdough starter may be possible by soaking a square of muslin in your starter and then allowing it to dry. Store the starter in a covered jar or tin in your pantry. Restore the starter by soaking the muslin in a little water for 2 or 3 hours and then feed with flour and water just as if it was an established starter. I have read that this has been allowed to sit for up 6 months and it is still viable. How much longer it will store has not been tested as they used it and dried a new one at least this often. This apparently was adapted from the reports that immigrant women saved yogurt cultures this way and sewed it into the hems of their dresses, so it would not be taken from them on Ellis Island. You may also be able to keep yogurt culture viable the same way. This could be a good way to store sourdough starter that is not used regularly, or for your BOB. (Bug Out Bag) ***************** Darlene This is SO kewl Lois! ***************** Amber A Great Idea! Are there other ways to store and recover starter? I remember reading about pioneers crossing in covered wagons keeping a starter in the flour barrels, but never read how they kept the starter, i.e., in a crock, in a leather pouch, dried, or ?? Does anyone know or have a family story or recipe?? ***************** ma & pa steel I have been wanting to do sourdough bread. Now all I need to do is find someone to get a starter. I read some place that sourdough from different places have a slightly different flavor, maybe we could do a sourdough starter exchange. Have it go along with a seed swap, kinda like a little bonus. Ma Steel ***************** Granny Instructions for making yeast patties. Dry on cookie sheet and store at room temp. Sorry couldn't get it to copy and post info so have to link. LAST ARTICLE ON PAGE http://www.msnusers.com/asinglestandingtee...ughhowmake.msnw ***************** Lois It copies but, it copies white, so copied and selected black in my word document and here is part of it..... Recipe for starter 2 cups flour 1 cup water 1 cup cooled potato water (this really gets things going) 1 package bread yeast Mix well and allow to stand in a warm area until there are no more signs of fermentation. (The solution will separate and no more bubbles are present.) Stir well, remove 1 cup of the contents and stir in another cup of flour or flour mix and a cup of water. Do not use "self-rising" flour! Initially, the new starter is ready to use after 2-3 days, but it will not have that typical sourdough flavor until it has acquired some weeks or months of age. After the first fermentation is established, you can use it anytime, even if it has gone "flat." Do not refrigerate! Leave it on the counter. Many have told me that they mixed up a sourdough starter and used it once, but it didn't have a good sourdough flavor and then it "spoiled," i.e., it looked and smelled "yuckie." "Well dummy," I thought. "It's supposed to look and smell yuckie!" Sourdough will not spoil due to its highly acid pH, and because of its acid pH, it doesn't require refrigeration. Think about it. Covered wagons were the 19th century version of the RV, but they weren't equipped with refrigerators to hold the pioneers' sourdough starter! It bumped along experiencing all the elements of heat and cold in a small crock or wrapped in a leather pouch! Just remember to feed the little critter about once a week if you are not using it. To speed things up on baking day, you can feed the culture the day before and it will have little "yeasties" growing like mad at the time of use. My culture is now about six months old, the container has never been washed, and there are no signs of mold. Most likely because its pH measures 2.0! English muffins Patience is not only a virtue: it's an essential ingredient in sourdough breads. Basic recipe for English muffins 1 cup unbleached white flour 1 cup semolina (durum) flour (This is used for pasta and can usually be found in larger supermarkets. It really improves the muffins, but if you can't find it, use 2 cups white flour.) 1 cup sourdough starter 1 cup buttermilk (or plain milk, but buttermilk is a lot better.) Mix the above thoroughly. It will form a wet, sticky dough. Cover tightly or enclose entire bowl in a 2-gallon Zip-loc bag which retains the moisture. Allow to rise overnight or until its volume has at least doubled. It takes only three hours in a 105 degree environment. When ready, the dough (sponge) will be almost frothy and easily stirred. Add: 2 level tablespoons sugar, honey, molasses or syrup 2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon (rounded) baking soda Add variations, if wanted Mix the above ingredients thoroughly into the sponge, then add an additional 3/4 to 1 cup white flour and mix. Knead with additional flour until a dough has formed that will hold a fairly good ball that only slightly sags. It may also have minor kneading "overlaps" that do not immediately reseal. Thoroughly sprinkle your work surface with white corn meal, and spread dough. Flip dough so it is covered with corn meal on both sides. Roll to approximately 1/2 inch thick. use two strips of wood cut 7/16 inch thick as rolling guides for uniformity. Cut into biscuits with a large biscuit cutter or small tuna can [preferred]. If the thickness of the dough is right, the small tuna can will produce 12-13 large muffins. Allow to rise on a non-stick surface or cookie sheet sprinkled with white corn meal until they have about doubled in thickness. This will again require 3-4 hours at warm room temperature or 1-3/4 to two hours at 105 degrees. Don't allow them to over-rise or they will very rapidly crash into wet, sticky blobs. If they start to sag a bit, i.e., mushroom at the base and begin to lose their firm domed appearance on top, cook immediately, as they are getting ready to crash! Ba

The only thing "hidden" in my house is the extra set of car keys... or anything *else* I happen to need *right now*...

Don't dress it in a pink frilly dress and a tiara as the Miami Babes do!!!

A biiiiig dog works well...

We'll see if Mare remembers... maybe it was some of her mix recipes?? (reposted in the kitchen) I know baked goods are always nice. Hardly anyone bakes any more.