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Mary Lee and New Year’s at Grandma’s

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This is my fourth Mary Lee Tale. The first was Over Near the Tree Sits a Memory and the second was Starting School and Apple Turnovers with Mary Lee, and the third was Mary Lee Remembers a Xanthous Haired Boy. If you like this story, I hope you will give the other three a read.
It had been a long semester of college. Mary Lee was so glad to be away from school for the Christmas break.
Mary Lee and her family usually spent Christmas at home and then spent the week after Christmas a Grandma Hetty’s. It was a time filled with Grandma’s Hetty’s wonderful cooking, exploring her attic for memories and treasures, and walks around her neighborhood visiting with old friends.
After a busy day, Mary Lee and Granma Hetty loved to sit in the kitchen by the fireplace in age-worn rockers and get caught up in the events of the fall. The rest of the family tended to spend time in the parlor playing games or reading books. Mary Lee loved this special one on one time with her grandmother.
Grandma Hetty was a little concerned about Mary Lee. She was always studying. Yes, that meant she did well in school, but Grandma felt is was time Mary Lee met a special guy. Maybe this special guy could get her to enjoy her time in college before it ended next year. Maybe he would become something more.
Grandma had been hoping and praying for the right time find out if there was even a guy on the horizon to pray for. She waited until the second evening of her visit to bring up the conversation.
“How was school?” Grandma asked her rocking slowly.
“Things were busy, but I think I did well on my exams!” Mary Lee had answered.
“Your mom said that you kept busy with classes, helping with the nursery at church, and tutoring this fall,” Grandma said.
“Helping them in the nursery was such a wonderful escape from my studies. I loved getting to spend time with the little ones at church. They truly are precious. There is a little boy named Joseph that just loves to sit in my lap and listen to book after book,” Mary Lee replied.
“Did you go to any dances or social while you were at school?” Grandma answered trying to make her question sound innocent and off the top of her head.
“Not this semester. I kept my nose to the grindstone. The high-level accounting class took a lot of work to be successful in,” Mary Lee answered glancing over at her Grandma to see if she were really innocently asking the question or had a serious probing looking in her eyes.
Grandma looked so peaceful rocking slowly back and forth in the firelight. Mary Lee guessed Grandma was just trying to keep the conversation flowing and wasn‘t digging for any news of dates and boys.
Grandma rocked quietly for a few moments trying to decide on just the right words to ask before forming her next question.
“Well, I am sure that there were some fellas that tried to draw you away from studying?” Grandma stated as if she were just thinking the question out loud to herself.
“There were actually a couple, but I really wasn’t interested in any of them. They wanted to go to football games and socials but weren’t really into studying. If I could find one that likes to spend time in the library and wanted to help out in the nursery at church, I would love to spend time with them,” Mary Lee had answered.
“Oh! Football games were such fun when I was in school!” Grandma had said as casually as she could. “Wasn’t there a football player you were tutoring?” Grandma asked.
“Yes, there was a guy named Frank. One of the math professors asked me to help he review his notes after each class and get ready for tests. He is a smart guy, but he needs a little help with his notes and processing what he is learning,” Mary commented back.
 

After pausing for a moment, she continued.
“Frank is so kind. He always walks me back to my dorm from the library and has even brought me an apple or two just like I am a school teacher.  I am crossing my finger and sending up prayers that he did well on his exams,” Mary Lee replied.

“I send up prayers for Frank too,” Grandma smiled.
“If you would pray that he would math easier, that would be wonderful,” Mary Lee said quietly rocking with her head back. 
If she had been looking at Grandma she would have seen a huge smile on Grandma’s face as she silently prayed that Frank would not only do well in school but would be the answer to her prayers for Mary Lee’s future. 
After a time Mary Lee looked over at her Grandma’s silent chair, Grandma had fallen asleep with the sweetest grin on her face. 
“She must be thinking about Grandpa,” Mary Lee thought. If only she had known the truth!
 
This post is linked to Mrs.Matlock’s Alphabe Thursday!
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Comments

  9. I think I’ve read all your installments before, but I enjoyed them the second time around as well. I’ll keep an eye out for more stories in 2012. Happy New Year!

  13. I adore your sweet story! Every day during lunch at my school, I tell stories to all the students. I eat with my pre-k students each day and they beg me to tell a story. I think stories are a wonderful way to share your imagination with others. Thank you for sharing with me!

  14. As I was reading, I felt like I did when I was in second grade and for music we were singing, “Merrily we roll along!” LOL – Wished I’d had a grandmother who prayed like that:) Lovely story – just lovely!

  15. That was lovely! You have such a gentle way of offering up your characters. I’ve read each of these stories and enjoyed them all.
    I wish you and yours all the best in 2012 – and I hope there will be more stories!

  19. Grandma’s are cool.

    I think I’d love to hang out with Grandma Hetty!

    Thanks for a cute read to start 2012 with!

    I love your creative mind!

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