written on her list. She would make sure she squeezed in a quick trip to the grocery store sometime today for those items. Yes, and she mustn’t forget to pick up a lemon for Dan’s favorite pie, her specialty: lemon sponge pie.
Besides redding up the house and tidying up the rose arbor, she must think ahead to preparing an early supper tonight as she had each evening this week, due to special meetings at church. Along with the two-hour meetings, there was to be a get-together this afternoon over at Darlene Frey’s house for the church women’s annual Fall Bake Sale, which Katie just so happened to be heading up.
She thought of her friend Mary managingherdays, tending to the duties of a bishop’s wife, as well as looking after five school-age children. No wonder the dear girl had appeared on the verge of exhaustion when last Katie visited. No wonder . .
The thought of being an instant stepmother to five youngsters was enough to
140
overwhelm her, and Katie was ever so grateful that, Lord willing,herbabies would arrive one at a time, giving her and Clan ample opportunity to adjust to a new phase of life: parenting. Whenever the Lord saw fit to bless them, she was ready. And when their childrendidcome, by then she would have Darlene’s art of list-making all figured out.
Returning to the garden, Katie tended to the task of clipping away the dead vines, finishing the job in a few minutes. She stepped back to have a look. The arbor was ready for winter, and next spring there would be many more roses, to be sure. The tall, multi-sided birdhouse rose high in the center of the yard, towering over what had been beds of pansies and phlox and petunias. She liked to plant the same color together, making for a bold profusion of color in a flower bed. Something Mamma had always done.
Her thoughts flying off in tangents, Katie hurried to the potting shed. The tiny shelter was still wrapped in morning-glory vines on one side. Those ramblin’ vines needed some tending to, as well.Another day,she thought. The garden shed bordered their backyard, offering a pleasant and sunny spot to start clippings and store
141
clay pots and things. Quickly, she hung up the clippers and put her gardening gloves away in the top drawer of an old weathered cupboard she and Clan had found at an estate sale a while back.
Latching the small wooden door, she headed through the yard and up to the back porch. Indoors, she noticed her list lying on the kitchen counter and was glad to retrieve it. As Darlene had cautioned her, list-making was essential “for such an important day.” She chuckled, thinking that both Mamma and Mary would prob’ly laugh out loud if they knew of the list. Why, she’d even taken time to include such things as:peel potatoes, polish silverware,andset table.Farther down on the list, of course. Still, they were things she normally remembered without a crutch. Duties that, as she’d told Darlene, “are second nature to me,” she, having tended to housekeeping, cooking, baking, ironing, and, jah, peeling potatoes since she was fourteen or younger in Mamma’s big kitchen.
Nevertheless, she slipped the list into her pocket, lest Clan return home early and discover too early all the lovely things she had planned. She couldn’t dream of letting her surprises be spoiled by absentminded-hess such as that.
142
First things first. She headed off to Darlene’s for the meeting concerning the bake sale tomorrow. There, each of the women had lists of their own, and though Katie was in charge of the planning, she found herself wishing the get-together could be shortened somewhat, not develop into a teatime of sorts. She had so much to do.
“Would you mind terribly if I slip away?” she whispered to Darlene in the kitchen as her friend sliced a variety of apples and pears, placing them alongside a wide tray of cheese and crackers.
Darlene’s face wrinkled up. “Aw, Katie, do you hafta go now … this soon?”
“I really
Besides redding up the house and tidying up the rose arbor, she must think ahead to preparing an early supper tonight as she had each evening this week, due to special meetings at church. Along with the two-hour meetings, there was to be a get-together this afternoon over at Darlene Frey’s house for the church women’s annual Fall Bake Sale, which Katie just so happened to be heading up.
She thought of her friend Mary managingherdays, tending to the duties of a bishop’s wife, as well as looking after five school-age children. No wonder the dear girl had appeared on the verge of exhaustion when last Katie visited. No wonder . .
The thought of being an instant stepmother to five youngsters was enough to
140
overwhelm her, and Katie was ever so grateful that, Lord willing,herbabies would arrive one at a time, giving her and Clan ample opportunity to adjust to a new phase of life: parenting. Whenever the Lord saw fit to bless them, she was ready. And when their childrendidcome, by then she would have Darlene’s art of list-making all figured out.
Returning to the garden, Katie tended to the task of clipping away the dead vines, finishing the job in a few minutes. She stepped back to have a look. The arbor was ready for winter, and next spring there would be many more roses, to be sure. The tall, multi-sided birdhouse rose high in the center of the yard, towering over what had been beds of pansies and phlox and petunias. She liked to plant the same color together, making for a bold profusion of color in a flower bed. Something Mamma had always done.
Her thoughts flying off in tangents, Katie hurried to the potting shed. The tiny shelter was still wrapped in morning-glory vines on one side. Those ramblin’ vines needed some tending to, as well.Another day,she thought. The garden shed bordered their backyard, offering a pleasant and sunny spot to start clippings and store
141
clay pots and things. Quickly, she hung up the clippers and put her gardening gloves away in the top drawer of an old weathered cupboard she and Clan had found at an estate sale a while back.
Latching the small wooden door, she headed through the yard and up to the back porch. Indoors, she noticed her list lying on the kitchen counter and was glad to retrieve it. As Darlene had cautioned her, list-making was essential “for such an important day.” She chuckled, thinking that both Mamma and Mary would prob’ly laugh out loud if they knew of the list. Why, she’d even taken time to include such things as:peel potatoes, polish silverware,andset table.Farther down on the list, of course. Still, they were things she normally remembered without a crutch. Duties that, as she’d told Darlene, “are second nature to me,” she, having tended to housekeeping, cooking, baking, ironing, and, jah, peeling potatoes since she was fourteen or younger in Mamma’s big kitchen.
Nevertheless, she slipped the list into her pocket, lest Clan return home early and discover too early all the lovely things she had planned. She couldn’t dream of letting her surprises be spoiled by absentminded-hess such as that.
142
First things first. She headed off to Darlene’s for the meeting concerning the bake sale tomorrow. There, each of the women had lists of their own, and though Katie was in charge of the planning, she found herself wishing the get-together could be shortened somewhat, not develop into a teatime of sorts. She had so much to do.
“Would you mind terribly if I slip away?” she whispered to Darlene in the kitchen as her friend sliced a variety of apples and pears, placing them alongside a wide tray of cheese and crackers.
Darlene’s face wrinkled up. “Aw, Katie, do you hafta go now … this soon?”
“I really
Similar Books
