Ten Years After - Volume 3 - Home Sweet Home - Chapter 16 - Martha3128 (2024)

Chapter Text

Ten Years After – Volume 3 – Home Sweet Home

Chapter 16 – And the Week Goes On

Bette woke up about 4 am and found herself to be in need of some affection from Tina. She began to stroke Tina’s arm and kiss her neck and chest. She kissed her ear and sucked lightly on her ear lobe.

Tina: Am I dreaming? Or is this real?

Bette: You smell so good and you taste good too… feels pretty real to me.

Tina: Oh, sweetie that feels good. Easy now… no marks please?

Bette: I know. No marks. I’ll behave. But you taste so good…

Tina: Kiss me and so that I know I’m not dreaming.

Bette kiss Tina lightly then went back in with more assertiveness and seduction. Tina was beginning to moan and caused Bette to become more aroused and proceed on as she began to palm Tina’s breast. She then kissed both of her eyes and backed off to look at her sleepy lover’s face.

Bette: You are so damn sexy woman. You look so good in the morning…

Tina: You look pretty good yourself. I love your shorter hair. Kiss me, Sweetie.

Their kisses began softly and then began to pick up intensity and passion. Bette moved to Tina’s neck and upper chest with her kisses and licks as her hands began to wonder from her breast to her abdomen and upper thighs. She shifted her body so that she was between Tina’s legs. Tina automatically spread her legs wider so that Bette have better access. Bette could feel Tina’s wetness on her abdomen as she moved down her body. The heat of her core spurred her on. As Bette went on to pay homage to Tina’s breast and as Tina ground her pubic bone into Bette’s abdomen arching her hips into Bette’s body and thrusting her chest into Bette’s mouth. Her moans were getting louder as Bette moved down her abdomen kissing her toned muscles and scars for her recent surgery and the C-section from so long ago. Tina appreciated Bette’s special attention she always paid to the what she considered her flaws on her abdomen. Bette knew the significance of each one as they meant that Tina had gone through a trauma and emerged on the other side to come back to her. For Bette, these were badges of honor and of sacrifice in which she kept her alive and gave her a child.

Bette then moved to Tina’s core and began to lick the folds and spread Tina’s legs for better access. Tina was now beginning to beg Bette to touch her as her need was intense. Bette breathed her hot breath on her core as she looked at what she considered one of the greatest creations of nature – Tina’s body. She then moved in and did a long and slow lick from the vagin* to the cl*tor*s and then circling the cl*tor*s and licking it with quick fluttering licks. Tina was moaning and push her hips toward Bette’s face. Bette then placed her mouth on the cl*tor*s and sucked and licked it with vigor when Tina suddenly went into an org*sm. Bette was caught by surprise as she was not ready for it. Bette then backed away form the cl*tor*s and began to lick the vagin*l area as Tina was trying to catch her breath. Bette then decided that she would go and kiss Tina and then bring her to a second org*sm with her fingers so she could watch her face and body respond. Tina was smiling slightly when Bette found her way to Tina’s pillow. She then kissed her slightly and sweetly and pulled her close. She then began to kiss her more passionately and began to finger her still very warm core. Bette slid a finger into Tina’s vagin* and which brought Tina into a little more alert state.

Tina: Oh Bette, that feels good. A little more please?

Bette: Oh yes, my dear girl… I’ll give you whatever you want.

Bette then slid the second finger in and began to slowly massage the smooth muscled walls of Tina’s honey pot. She began to increase the pressure and speed as she placed her own cl*tor*s against Tina’s thigh. Tina was moaning and so was Bette as she could feel the soft skin of her thigh.

Tina: Oh God Bette, more…. I’m so close.

Bette then shifted to a third finger and concentrated on as deep a penetration as she could achieve. She was hitting the cl*t with the palm of her hand. Bette had pulled her upper body back so she could watch Tina’s face during her coming climax. With every stroke, she had been rubbing her own cl*tor*s on Tina’s thigh. Tina exploded into an obvious org*sm. Tina’s face showed the expression of oblivion had over taken her. Bette could feel a sudden gush of liquid on her hand. And she too went into a strong org*sm in which she completely lost consciousness of her surroundings. The jolt of energy radiated through her body and the aftershocks followed in small waves.

Bette recovered after several minutes and found that her fingers were still inside of Tina. And Tina was asleep and breathing her regular deep sleep rhythm. Bette then slowly removed her hand and licked of the moisture on her fingers. Bette smiled and looked for the sheet and covered them both and cuddled against Tina’s arm and upper chest. She smiled and fell asleep.

Two hours later, Bette and Tina began to awaken. Tina was in need of the bathroom and Bette could feel her removing her body from under her head. Tina scampered off and Bette pulled Tina’s pillow to her face and fell back asleep.

As Tina returned, she saw that Bette was settled back in and was not ready to get up. Tina decided to go ahead and shower and go down stairs and spend time with her guest. She leaned over and kissed Bette on her cheek and then headed for the shower. Tina felt good and was singing softly to herself as she lavished the soap over her body. She was thinking about Bette’s love making which had occurred just hours before. She was completely revitalized – a good night’s sleep, a wonderful sexual release and the company of the love of her life.

She dressed in some cargo pants and one of her favorite blouses. She found her sneakers and put those on and then went over and kissed Bette one more time. Bette responded with a smile but never opened her eyes.

Tina: Bette, I’m going downstairs and start breakfast. You come on down whenever you get ready.

Tina headed for the kitchen and found Kit, Mary and Margaret in the kitchen waiting for the coffee to finish brewing.

Tina: Well, good morning, ladies. Everyone okay this morning?

Kit: We are all very well. We were talking about the mattresses. They are so very comfortable. I am going to have to get me and Sonny a new one. Where did you get those?

Tina: We went to some store here in Santa Monica and picked them out back in August. You were with us Mary. Do you remember the name of the store?

Mary: No. I was just along for the ride. But I do remember trying out a mattress or two.

Tina: I remember that we all agreed to the same mattress, so Bette ask that it be the same one for the entire order. I’ll look at the name brand the next time we change the sheets and get you the name of the place.

Kit: It just seems to be supportive of this big ole body and yet it cradles you like you’re a child.

Margaret: That’s a good description Kit. It has something that keeps me warm when I need it and cool when I need it. I have slept very well since I moved in. And I attribute some of that to that mattress.

Tina: I think that coffee is ready. Let’s have some and start another pot.

Kit: Well, I assume that Bette is sleeping in today? Sonny is too. He watched a late-night football game last night. I read Bette’s report while he watched the game.

Mary: I read that report as well. Bette was right. Did any of us really know who Melvin Porter really was? He had to have lived a very lonely life.

Kit: I got that impression too. Work was his life. And though I can see the glimmers of kindness and thoughtfulness in what she found; it’s going to take me a while to reconcile this man to the one I knew.

Tina: Bette worked hard toward that objective in this report. I know that too; it caused her some emotional stress in putting it together. Bette loved Melvin. And this trip presented a man she simply did not recognize and yet she did. Who was Melvin? He was the man he presented himself to be to each of you but he was also the man he was to his colleagues. He was a product of his environment and of the way he was raised, and what he chose to believe. He was the result of his own stubbornness and obstinance. And yet, deep in his heart, he desired a different life but was unwilling to pursue it. Or at least he didn’t pursue it until very late into his life.

Kit: Well, I’m not going to make that mistake. I’m going to be the person I want to be now and hopefully, now with some financial stability, maybe I can be more of a part of my two granddaughters’ lives. Sonny and I plan to visit David a lot more often than we did in the past. I hope to get to know David and his wife a lot better as well. For if there is anyone in our family who might take Daddy’s example as the one to follow, it’s David.

Mary: Kit, as a mother, my advice to you is to tread lightly when it comes to giving your adult child advice. My advice is to question him as to his thoughts and beliefs and his path. But do not be judgmental as to his responses.

Kit: Mary, it has taken me a while to learn that. Sometimes my “ready to give opinion” has caused me problems. It has caused some problems between me and my beloved sister Bette. And she had a little of that in her as well. But we have learned how to talk to each other and get our point across without making the other one feel unheard. Sometimes I think it just takes some time to mature for that to happen.

Tina: Yeah. We all have moments in which we look back on and say to ourselves “I wish I knew then what I know today”. I would have handled things a lot differently. But that is a part of the maturing process, isn’t it?

Margaret: I am afraid so. It’s one of the advantages of growing older. It’s too bad that all of this comes at the tail end of our lives instead of the being. We would be much better people.

Tina: Well, that’s not the way life works, is it?

Mary: Okay, do we want to start breakfast prep now? I want to have a swim this morning but I want to be present for breakfast with this lovely group as well.

Margaret: You’ve really got a thing for swimming in the morning, don’t you?

Mary: I love swimming in the morning. And that pool is so wonderful. I love the water. No chlorine smell and it’s so relaxing. And I feel better when I swim. It was one of the reasons I decided to leave Arizona.

Kit: Well, at my next home, I’m going to have a pool or access to a pool too. Sonny loves to swim.

Tina: It will improve your health Kit to get a little exercise during your routine. That, a balanced diet, and adequate restful sleep and reduced stress does wonders. That is one thing about these changes for Bette and I. Our stress levels are not near what they were when we lived in New York. Our lives are just as busy, but our professions brought a lot of stress. I think you are going to see a big improvement on that front now that you no longer have The Planet to worry about.

Kit: Well, just as soon as we get through our house reorganizing, we will start to reap the benefits of retirement.

Tina: Well, your house reorganizing is a part of your retirement. It’s call step one to reordering your life. And you are doing this for your own personal benefit not for anyone else. And that is a good for both you and for Sonny. I’m proud of you Kit for doing this. And when it’s done, I believe you and Sonny will be proud you did it as well.

Margaret: Come on girls, let’s go get breakfast ready and continue this conversation in the kitchen.

They all got up and proceeded to the kitchen to put together their lox and bagel breakfast. They decided they would set up a buffet style self-service with the dishes of food and allow everyone to make their own breakfast. By the time they were finished, Sonny, Bette, Paris and Jeanette had wandered down to the family room and were enjoying a cup of coffee.

Paris: Bette, I read your report last night and then again, this morning. You put a lot of work into this project and you found things that we would have never known had you not done this. I think this gives me a lot better picture of who Melvin Potter was. And for that I am really grateful. I am sorry that I never had an opportunity to know him. But from what you and Kit have said, I’m not sure I would know any more than I know now. But now that I think about it, he provided me with a good education and a solid financial foundation. And in the scheme of things, that’s a lot. And even though I did not know him, I feel fortunate that Melvin William Potter was my father. He gave me sisters and a family. I am so proud to be a member of this family. Thank you for doing this for us.

Bette: Yeah, in the end he did give us all a lot. So, let’s have some breakfast. I’m starving.

Tina: Come on you guys. Fix your plate and then let’s eat in the sun room. That way if anyone want seconds, you won’t be that far away. Besides we have rhubarb cobbler for dessert.

Sonny: Oh yeah. I know I need to swim after all this.

Mary: Well, that’s on my agenda.

Bette: Sonny are you losing weight?

Sonny: Not that I know of. But it’s possible. Kit has been doing a lot more cooking lately and we have been busy with some of our home chores. So, I have been a lot more active lately than usual.

Mary: Kit, you seem to have lost a little weight since the summer.

Kit: Well, that’s good. I have been cutting back on some of my carbs. And as Sonny says, we are busy with my house reorganization. And now that Sonny is doing less traveling, I am cooking a little more. I have been trying some new recipes that I get off the internet. Some of them are pretty good.

Mary: So, what kinds of foods are you eating?

Kit: We are eating more fish and chicken and less beef and pork. We are eating more vegetables and fruits and I am venturing out with some new seasonings. They seem to give the meal more zest and variety. I am eating more avocados. It seems that almost every recipe calls for avocado. Before I came to California, I never even heard of an avocado. Now, it’s a mainstay of my diet.

Bette: It has a lot of the good stuff you need including good fats.

Sonny: Okay, ladies. What’s the plan for the afternoon?

Tina: Well, I don’t expect Daniel home until about 2:00. Usually, Bette and I try do something with him on Sunday afternoons as this is almost his only available time to be with us. I think that this weekend Daniel and John David played golf so, Daniel should not be overly tired. We may walk to the beach and see what is going on there.

Jeanette: Well, I hate to leave good company, but Paris and I need to get home and get our household in order. We have some wedding things to take care of and we need to get our weekly to do list composed. And since we are coming back next weekend, we probably need to skip the swim session.

Paris: Yes, your right Jeanette. So, we need to start home shortly after breakfast.

Mary: Well, is there anything I can help you with? I have a rather flexible schedule for the next week. I’d be glad to help you with whatever you need.

Paris: No Mom. Jeanette and I have things under control for the moment. Oh and Mom, you need to start gathering your information on your assets. You know like bank statements, investments statements. And any a list of anything you own which is of value such as art work or collectables. The investment advisor may not get to that at this meeting, but if you select them, they are going to want to get that information as soon as possible.

Mary: Yes, you are right. I need to prepare for that little meeting and I do have other things to get done. But if you need any help, with anything, please ask.

Kit: Paris and Jeanette. You both know that we will gladly help you with whatever we can. But in order to do that, all you need to do is ask.

Jeanette: If we need any help at all, we will let you guys help us. But at the moment, I think we are okay.

Paris: Margaret, we are going to send you an invitation to our wedding as well, if you are available. We would love to have you and no gifts please. It’s going to be the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

Margaret: Oh, well thank you. I’d don’t have any plans at the moment and I would love to come. I guess that means I’m going to need a new dress for the occasion.

Mary: Oh, Margaret, maybe we can go shopping together. I need a dress for this occasion as well. Another thing that I am going to have to put on my to do list.

Margaret: Sounds like a plan. Okay, I’m going to start serving that rhubarb cobbler. Does everyone want a serving?

They all agreed to have a serving. Tina, Mary, and Margaret got up and removed the breakfast plates and serving the warm cobbler with ice cream.

Bette: Well, as late as we are, I suppose we should consider this brunch. This was good sweetie. Here let me refill everyone’s coffee.

The group completed their meal. Kit, Sonny, Margaret and Mary went and changed and took their morning swim. Bette and Tina cleaned the kitchen and then bid Paris and Jeanette goodbye. Bette and Tina decided to prepare a light lunch for themselves and Mary and Margaret. They then said goodbye to Kit and Sonny.

Bette: Mary and Margaret seem to be getting along really well. You cannot imagine what a burden that is off my mind.

Tina: There is no reason for them not to get along. They are both nice people. And they have their own space and place in the family. And I think they are both looking for company with someone who is in the same stage of life in which they can share time and experiences. And they have similar interest in certain respects. I believe they are going to be fine as housemates and maybe they will develop a good friendship as time goes on.

Bette: Yes, maybe they will.

Tina: So how did you sleep?

Bette: Like a baby. You?

Tina: Well, I slept very well and then I had the most fantastic sex sometime in the early morning hours. I must have just been rendered unconscious as a result because, I did not make love to you Sweetheart.

Bette: Oh, I had my own response to your body and your response. You are so beautiful and sexy. You may not have been aware of it, but you definitely caused me to have a glorious experience.

Tina: Well, thank you for the glorious morning. But I want to see you have a glorious morning as well. So… your turn is coming.

Bette: Oh, I believe you. Just remember, I have to be at school by 8:30 to get to my classes on time.

Tina: So, what would you like to do this afternoon?

Bette: Why don’t we go down to the beach. Isn’t there a fair down there with a Ferris wheel and some bumper cars we can go and enjoy with Daniel? Maybe we can find a nice restaurant or some hot dogs or something for dinner?

Tina: Well, let’s see what he has been eating over the weekend. I do not want to get into the habit of him having junk food on the weekends. I don’t mind if he eats junk food occasionally, but for the most part, I want him to have good balance meals, particularly when he’s in this growing stage.

Bette: Let’s see if Mary and Margaret want to go to the fair with us. Maybe we can all ride the Merry-go-Round together. And then go out to a good restaurant which serves some vegetables.

Tina: Let’s go look on the internet and find out a little more about this fair.

Mary and Margaret had gone to the cabana and showered and came to the family room and were having some tea and discussing having some lunch and then a nap. Tina mentioned the fair and Margaret began to tell her it was an annual event to go to the fair.

Margaret: The Annual Country Fair is usually held on the fairgrounds which is northeast of here. It is usually a fund raiser for the FFA students.

Tina: FFA? As in the Future Farmers of America? Does that organization still exist? I haven’t heard that since I was in high school.

Margaret: Yes, they still have it. But most of members come from the more rural areas. Anyway, there are still those students who raise animals to compete for prizes and there are farmers who sell some of their produce and products at the fair. Then they have the usual fair rides for the kids and they have the games of chance to win stuffed animals and things like that. It’s a traditional fair that you probably went to when you were a child. Oh, and there is this one tent that serves a country style meal. I think they charge about $15 per head and they serve a lazy Susan style meal. Usually, a choice of two meats and four or five different vegetables. And then they have a nice cobbler for dessert. But the vegetables are from the farms in the region. It’s an all you can eat country style meal. I remember they had fried chicken, mash potatoes, butter beans, corn, a squash casserole, green beans, cole slaw, potato salad, a broccoli salad, corn bread and rolls.

Tina: Do you need reservations?

Margaret: I think it’s a first come, first serve type arrangement. The deal is that you just share a table with whomever comes along. And the servers replace the dishes as they empty. Each table seats about 8 people. Oh, and they serve ice tea both sweeten and unsweetened, water and coffee. But the food is really good. I know that Mildred looked forward to this fair every year. She said it reminded her of us when we were growing up.

Bette: Sounds good to me. Mary is this something you might like to go to?

Mary: I’d love to. They had something similar in Phoenix. I loved to go check out the animals and the produce. I actually tried to buy some of their produce and take it home and prepare some of it and freeze it for future use.

Tina: That is a good idea. I would love to get some fresh corn, peas and beans. Mary, you might have to help me shell some peas.

Bette: Margaret, would you like to go with us? We may need a guide to show us what is what.

Margaret: I would love to go. But we better get a nap in before we go. Maybe we can go about 3:00 and stay until about 7:00 or 7:30. Maybe we can eat dinner at the fair.

Mary: If we are all going, we might be more comfortable in two vehicles.

Bette: If we are going to buy produce, we are going to need more trunk space to bring it all home.

Tina: If we bring that much produce home, you know our nights are going to be full for this week as we have to prepare it for freezing and so forth.

Bette: Well, I guess it will be a family project. Shelling peas and shucking corn.

Mary: Sounds like a fun to me.

Margaret: I’m in. Now suppose we have some ham sandwiches and some kind of salad for lunch, get a nap and then head out about 2:30 or so.

Tina: Sounds good to me. I’ll call Barbara and see if she will allow John David to spend the night and go with us to this country fair. That way, Daniel will have someone to ride all those rides with.

Bette: Tina, may I ask that you not ask John David to accompany us on this outing. I want to spend some time with Daniel without his friend. We are not going to have many opportunities like this.

Tina: Yeah, your right. Maybe, I’ll just ask that he come home a little earlier.

Bette: Thank you.

Mary and Margaret went to the kitchen and began to prepare the lunch. Tina informed them that Daniel would be joining them for lunch so make enough for him.

When Daniel came in, he seemed to be all smiles and seemed to be glad to be home. The family sat down to lunch and told Daniel the plans for the evening. Daniel decided that he would swim for about 30 minutes and then nap or read until time to get ready to go. Then Daniel would ride with his moms while Mary and Margaret drove her small SUV to the fair grounds.

Bette decided that the group would start through the fair grounds and do the rides and the games first. Bette and Tina did the bumper cars with Daniel. They all rode the merry-go-round. Tina and Bette rode with Daniel in the crazy cars which slung them into the outer person in a hurky-jerky motion. It was fun but they were thankful it had been a while since they had eaten. Margaret played with Daniel on the ring toss in which Daniel won a medium size teddy bear. Then Mary played with Daniel in shooting an air gun to knock over moving targets. Once again, Daniel was better than his competitor and won another medium size teddy bear. This one happened to be a tan color. Bette bought the group some soft drinks and some blue cotton candy. And they headed for the animal exhibits. Daniel was really rather fascinated with all the animals. The fact that he was actually able to pet a young cow and be up close with a large pig seemed to make his day. No one dared mentioned that these animals were destined to end up on someone’s dinner table at some point in the future. There were several varieties of chickens whose purpose varied between egg producers, meat producers and some which were competitive birds for the plumage and unusualness.

Tina said that there was a booth that was sell cuts of ham which had been smoked. She mentioned to Bette that she wanted to get one to put into the freezer for the Christmas season or maybe breakfast meats. They then proceeded to go to produce isles. It looked like a regular farmers market. When Tina saw what she wanted, she immediately made a purchase. After the second or third purchase, Bette wondered if the only measurement Tina knew was bushel. She had a bushel of corn, green beans, lima beans, purple hull peas, peaches and had then discovered strawberries and blue berries. Bette asked her limit the purchase of those since they would all need to be frozen. Tina settled for a couple of flats each of those. A flat was a box of 24 pints or 12-quart size containers. They could be stacked until they were processed. She then purchased a half bushel of avocados and a 50-pound bag of navel oranges and a 50-pound bag of golden delicious apples. She then purchased a 2 dozen lemons and two dozen limes. She then went back to the smoked ham place and purchased several large cuts of ham. Bette’s eyes were huge in that she knew that was a lot of food and it would take all of them to do what they could to get that food into the freezer. Tina got the vendors to agree to assist them with loading the food into their vehicles when they were ready to leave the fair. They then headed for the country dinner tent to have their dinner.

Bette purchased five tickets to enter the tent and they found that there was a table available where they could all sit. A server came over and got their drink order while other servers place plates and bowls of hot food on the lazy Susan. Their meat options were fried chicken (thighs and breast) and chicken and rice casserole. They then had corn, green beans, butter beans, fried okra, a squash casserole, cole slaw and some mashed potatoes and gravy. The cobbler was an apple cobbler. There were corn bread muffins and yeast rolls with butter. Daniel was thrilled as his moms had not told him what to expect as far as dinner. Mary was almost as thrilled with the meal as Daniel. Margaret was somewhat amazed that it was the simple things that the family enjoyed.

Bette was really enjoying her day with Daniel and the rest of her family. While she and Tina had been drafted in carrying Daniel’s prize bears, and she knew the week ahead would now be full of produce prep, she could not be happier that they had decided to come to this country fair.

Daniel began to ask if the family could get a lazy Susan for their table. Tina told Daniel that they would stay with stove top service for the time being. The result was that the food was distributed evenly and there were less dishes to wash. Daniel nodded his head as he understood.

After the dinner, the family found the restrooms and washed their hands and then headed to the produce stand to arrange for their purchases to be put into their vehicles. Mary and Margaret went to their vehicle and back it into the loading area. Four-bushel baskets were put in the cargo area and the fifth bushel basket was put in the back seat. Then a flats of blue berries and strawberries were put into the back seat. Then Bette back into the loading area where the oranges, lemons, limes, avocados, apples and the hams were loaded. With the two bears and Daniel in the backseat, they headed for home.

Once they were home, they got the produce into the laundry room with the help of the hand trucks. They decided to have some tea and then formulate a plan to handle the food. Tina wanted to start on the strawberries right away. Daniel asked to be excused so he could take a shower and go to bed as he was really tired. They then gave him his two bears and bid him goodnight. He thanked them for the great afternoon and he would see them in the morning.

The ladies agreed to start on the strawberries and freeze all but four cups which would be in plastic baggies. They would put the them in the fridge for use during the week. If they finished those then they would do the blue berries. They would go a lot quicker. The finished both the strawberries and the blueberries within 2 hours. They all called it a night and then adjourned for the evening. They would discuss the rest at breakfast. Margaret reminded them that she and Daniel would have their breakfast at school but to let her know what she could do. She would be ready to help in the evenings. Tina then said plan on shelling peas after dinner tomorrow night. Tina was in hopes of taking care of a bushel of produce per night. With four of them, it was doable.

Mary would start working on the peaches right after breakfast. They were to be pealed, sliced, put into freezing containers and then had sugar added and allow to sit for a couple of hours. After that they would be put into the freezer for future use.

Bette and Tina went to their room and took a shower together. Tina decided that she was going to give Bette a little attention. After their adventure in the shower, Tina had to help Bette to the bed. Bette’s legs were not very steady after her org*sm. It tickled Tina that Bette was so overwhelmed. When Tina got into the bed and had adjusted herself for a restful night, Bette was in deep sleep. She smiled…

Tina: Goodnight Bette. I love you.

The next morning seemed to come quickly. Tina rolled over and found that Bette had not moved all night long. She jostled Bette to wake her up.

Tina: Bette? Time to get up. Do you want to go for a swim? Or do you want to skip until tomorrow?

Bette: I’m up. Wow, what a night! I kind of flaked out on you, didn’t I? I’m sorry. I didn’t even say good night.

Tina: Well, I kind of ambushed you in the shower. I’ll try not to do that in the future. But I thought you would get your nap out if you had several hours of sleep.

Bette: Well, it was lovely and thank you for helping me to bed. Okay, let’s go take a leisurely swim. I have a few calories from this weekend to work off.

Tina: Well, we did do some walking yesterday. You know, I really enjoyed that fair. And that meal we had was really nice. Almost like a home-made meal. How much chicken did Daniel eat?

Bette: Two pieces, I think. But he cleaned them to the bone. There was nothing wasted on his plate. And he tried everything that was served except maybe the corn muffins. I believe he has a hollow leg where he stores all that food.

Tina: Yeah, and he’s sleeping a little more than he did when he was early in the summer. He actually took a nap yesterday. I wonder if he is sleeping when he goes over to see John David?

Bette: I cannot imagine that he’s not. But we will check with him.

Tina: Oh, we need to give him his lotion and lubricant tonight.

Bette: Oh God, really? You are going to have to do all the talking about this. I don’t think I can.

Tina: You can. And you will do a good job of it. But I have already agreed that I would do this. But you will be present and you will help me if I need it. Okay?

Bette: Okay. I will. Have you got any literature or anything I read up on this before this happens?

Tina: Just keep the conversation light and be sure that we get the point across that masturbation is normal and healthy. It’s the method for him to get know his own body as he develops. He has the right to explore and enjoy his body as he wishes. Of course, if this exploration starts to interfere with rest of his life, then it will become a problem. This needs to happen in private and when he has the time and space to do his exploration. It does not need to be done when he is in a public place or in an inappropriate place or time such as when he is at school or at a friend’s home. The purpose of the lotion and the lube is to moisturize his skin and to assist his hand glide over the skin. Some people have dry skin and rubbing it with your hand can cause a peeling of the upper layers of skin and cause irritation of the skin. And when the skin is irritated, it is vulnerable to forming a rash or getting infections and discomfort. And you want to avoid discomfort and you certainly want to avoid infections and rashes.

Bette: Yes, I can do that…. It’s pretty much what we told him at Bear Mountain.

Tina: We need to continue these conversations with Daniel. And some things we are going to have to repeat so that he understands that this is our beliefs and our core values on the subject. I have read that the earlier you address sexual health with children in an age-appropriate manner the more likely the child will make responsible decisions with respect to their sex life. They are more likely to use protection once they start to having sex and they are less likely to engage in sex before they are emotionally ready and can assume the responsibility of such. And their basic core values and understanding of sexual activity generally comes from their parents. But if their parents do not talk to them or only briefly talk to them in a one and done manner about this then their information generally comes from their peers and that information is not reliable as to being factually correct. And if often represents values which may not be the what we would like for Daniel to carry into his adult life.

Bette: I agree with you Tina that this is a necessary part for us being responsible parents. It just that knowing it’s a necessary part does not make my nervousness about this go away.

Tina: Tell him you are nervous. I am going to tell him that. He needs to see that this is such a private subject that we are not totally comfortable talking about it. But if we are all to have an understanding of the facts, the goals, and the boundaries, we have to talk about this. It’s the only way we are going to adjust to changes which are going to occur in his life… it’s a part of the journey. Our job is to help him grow into the man he is going to be. And talking about the physical changes, the emotional changes and the relationships he will develop along the way is just a part of it.

Bette: Thank you Tina. Thank you for helping me be a better parent. Let’s go take that swim.

Tina: I love you Bette… give me a kiss first.

Bette came over and put her arms around Tina and pulled her into a warm and comforting kiss. They then headed for the pool. Bette took a jogging suit with her and some underwear so she could shower in the cabana. Tina had decided to make some yogurt and granola with fruit for breakfast for her, Bette and Mary. Mary and Margaret were in the pool and Margaret was about to get out and go dress for school. Daniel had been in the pool and was already headed for his room. He had taken the outside stairs to his room so Bette and Tina missed him on the way up.

Bette and Tina swam for about 30 minutes while Mary was showering and dressing in the cabana. Mary volunteered to help with breakfast and went in to start it while Tina and Bette showered. Mary had taken the strawberries and blueberries that had been prepared last night and added some banana, granola, walnuts to the mixture of plain yogurt and honey. She had also started the coffee. And had three large bowls ready by the time Tina and Bette came out of the cabana.

Tina: Oh, thank you Mary. You didn’t have to do all of it.

Mary: Well, I was ready to eat and I dreamed about those strawberries and blueberries.

Bette: Coffee thank you. Shall we eat?

The three of them went to the sun room and sat down and began to enjoy their breakfast.

Mary: I want to tell you two that this weekend was wonderful. I have had more social activity in this past weekend than I have had since I flew home from New York. And I really enjoyed it.

Tina: Yeah, you did have a rather full weekend, didn’t you? Diner with Margaret of Friday night, the girls and Sonny in on Saturday and Sunday morning, the fair yesterday afternoon with Margaret and Daniel and us. And then processing those flats of strawberries and blueberries.

Mary: Yes, and I swam and I ate some delicious food and just enjoy everyone’s company.

Bette: Well, I’m glad you did. But every weekend may not be that full. Of course, this upcoming weekend, you and Margaret will be the backups for Paris and Jeanette as they supervise Daniel and John David. But you guys work out your schedule and responsibilities and take some time for yourselves. And you and Margaret will be responsible for Daniel on Thursday evening.

Just then Daniel came down dressed in his uniform and carrying his backpack. He stopped to get an apple and an orange for his snack. Bette asked if he had put money on his school cafeteria card. He immediately stopped and transferred money to that account.

Daniel: I had a little on the account but by lunch I would have been out of funds. Thanks, mom, for reminding me. I think I was just tired after our afternoon at the fair. That was great.

Tina: Do you want to drink some juice or milk before you go? Margaret will be out in a couple of minutes.

Daniel: No, I’ll just get a bottle of water. I’ll get one for John David too. He doesn’t drink enough water in my opinion.

Tina: Get one for Margaret too. She can drink it on the way to school.

Daniel: Good idea. Thanks Mom. Today is music day. So, we should be home at the usual time.

He went over and hugged Bette, then Mary and then Tina. Told them bye as Margaret had her pocketbook and was headed to the vehicle. She waved at the group and headed for her car.

Bette: So, what is the plan for tonight?

Tina: Well, I didn’t cook all weekend, so I am going to prepare dinner and probably start dinner for tomorrow night as well. After dinner we will all go to the Lanai and shell peas. I hope I can talk Margaret into helping us. Between the four of us, I hope we can do the full bushel.

Mary: Once they are shelled, what do you plan to do with them?

Tina: I thought I would go ahead and cook them up and put them into quart containers and freeze them.

Mary: I could do that for you tomorrow morning. Then in the evening we could start on something else. Just give me your recipe as to what you want done, and I can get that done.

Tina: But you have a bunch of things you want to get done this week as well.

Mary: Well, I’m going to need some help establishing this house as my place of residence.

Bette: I’ll add you to our insurance policy and add you as a driver of Angie’s car. Now, you need to drive that car and get use to how it handles.

Tina: Tell you what. I am going to give you a list of things we need from the grocery store and you go get them for us. That will give you a driving exercise and an exploratory trip for here in Santa Monica. Now, have you learned about the computer enough to start using it regularly?

Mary: Yes, Margaret gave me some lessons on Friday afternoon. Not near as bad as I thought it would be. Similar to my cell phone.

Tina: Well, you research what you need to get a California driver’s license and when you need to get one. If you like, on Wednesday afternoon, I’ll take you to our bank and we can open you some new bank accounts. Now, do you have a passport?

Mary: No, I don’t. Well, I do but it is long expired.

Bette: Lookup what you need to do get a passport. You have to have a passport to go to Scotland next summer, so now is the time to get one. Oh, and make sure you have had all your mail forwarded from Phoenix to this address. You can do that on line.

Tina: And you need to talk to Paris about the arrangements for Friday.

Mary: I am going to start that bushel of peaches too. I can see that I have a full day. I need to get my list out and get started.

Tina: Well, I am going to go to the studio and do some painting. I have several that I need to finish by Christmas anyway. Since this will be a short week, I need to get with the program.

Bette: Can you text me what you want to fix tonight for dinner in case I get here first. I’ll get it started.

Tina: Yes, I think we are going to have baked chicken, some garlic and leak mash potatoes, green beans and some glazed carrots and maybe some cole slaw as well. Tomorrow we can have a pork roast, with rice, gravy, purple hull peas, broccoli and some carrot salad. I’ll put the roast on tonight to cook while we are shelling peas. I need to think about Wednesday and I should go ahead and cook something for Thursday night as well.

Mary: You do not have to do that. I can handle dinner for Thursday night for Daniel, Margaret and me.

Tina: Well, just let me know what you need so we can have it ready for you to cook.

Mary: I think I’m going to do a Tex-Mex type dinner. I am anxious to try out some of those avocados you purchased at the fair.

Bette: That is fine. Just make sure you include some vegetables with your meal. Daniel is in some kind of growing stage and we need to be sure he’s getting what he needs.

Mary: Yes, I’ve noticed that you make sure that there are a variety for fruits and vegetables with all your meals. And I am enjoying my meals far more than I have in the past few years.

Bette: I have time for one more cup of coffee, then I need get ready and get going. I need to review my class notes before I go in.

Tina: What time does our flight leave on Thursday?

Bette: I have arranged that it will leave at 7:00 pm.

Tina: That means we have to fight rush hour traffic to be at the airport at 4:30 or 5:00.

Bette: We are flying a private charter flight. I have a car going to pick up Jim and have him at the plane at 6:30 and we will be there at that time as well. They will feed us some dinner and then we will sleep all the way to New Haven. I have arranged late check in at the hotel where we can have breakfast and clean up and then we will go tour the house with Jim. We will hopefully sign papers to commit to buying the house. We will then have the afternoon with Angie and dinner with Angie and possibly Suzanne. We will spend the night and leave the next morning at 10:00 am for LA.

Mary: Private charter?

Bette: Yes. We figure that it will cut off at least 4 hours of travel time for this trip. We fly directly into New Haven and that saves at least an hour if not two. And if everything goes well, then we will go back in two weeks for the closing and instead of spending a night in New Haven, we will pick Angie up and fly her home for her Thanksgiving break.

Mary: And your interior designer is going with you?

Tina: Yes, he is going to be doing some work on the house to get it ready for Angie to occupy next fall. He does a wonderful job and he too is saving both Bette and I time so we can do other things.

Mary: Having money opens up a whole new world, doesn’t it?

Bette: Yes, there are things which can be handled by professionals and give you not only expertise in those projects, but you can spend your time doing the things you want to do like going to a country fair with your family, and leaving a little later for a trip and getting home a little faster. And you have a little more comfort in your travel. That is another reason we are chartering a plane to take the group to Scotland.

Tina: And those are good reasonable uses of our money. Oh, I need to send Angie an email telling her that we would like to see her on Friday afternoon and Friday evening. Shall I invite her to spend the night at the hotel?

Bette: Sure, if you like. But I will need to book another room for her. I’ll book her a double room incase Suzanne wants to tag along. Make sure that she knows that’s okay with us too.

Tina: Go ahead and book the additional room. We can get up and have an early breakfast. If there is any problem with time, we can send her back to the dorm in a cab.

Bette: Yes, that will work. I plan to let Jim use the rental vehicle as he needs. He may want to check out some of the local building material suppliers. You and I can take cabs or I’ll arrange for a car to take us where we need to go. I’ll call him and talk to him. Maybe he wants to bring his wife with him.

Mary: You two are just full of surprises. So, Jim has a wife?

Bette: Yes. She works with him. We’ve met her once or twice. She seems rather nice.

Tina: Yes. She is about our age. She and Jim have been married for about 25 years too. She had children by a previous marriage. Dot and Jim have no children together.

Bette: Ladies, I need to get going. Can I help with the dishes?

Tina: No, dear, there are not many to wash. I can have the kitchen cleaned up in about 5 minutes. You go ahead and get ready.

Mary: Why don’t you go ahead and get ready to go to the studio Tina. I can do dishes just as well as you can. Then I will get on my to do list.

Tina: Mary, there is various things in the fridge for your lunch. I’m going to take some sandwich stuff and some salad things. Just make yourself at home. Give me a call if you need anything.

Mary: I appreciate that. But I will be fine. I need a little alone time to get my thoughts together.

Bette and Tina headed upstairs to prepare for their day. Tina finished first as she did not bother with a lot of make-up and her hair was short enough that a quick brush and it was set. She then went to Bette and hugged and kissed her bye and headed to the kitchen to bag up some lunch items.

Mary had already gone to her room and started her computer searches. Tina called her on the phone and said she was leaving and wished her a good day. That tickled Mary. She never thought about receiving a phone call for the purpose of saying your off to work.

Bette finished getting ready and left probably 10 minutes after Tina. It was close to 7:30. So Bette arrived by eight.

Bette and Tina both had a normal day. Tina progressed on her painting more efficiently than she expected. She attributed that to a good weekend and her relaxed mood. When she was painting, her mind was on her work and nothing else was demanding her attention. For that she was grateful. She took a break at noon time and fixed herself a light lunch and then resumed her painting. Tina was so involved in what she was doing she didn’t take a break until 4:00 pm. She decided to call it a day, and cleaned her brushes and sealed up her open paints and then showered and went home to prepare dinner.

When Tina got home, Bette was in the kitchen shredding cabbage and carrots for the salads Tina wanted for the tonight and tomorrow nights’ meals. The chicken was marinating and the potatoes were on the stove cooking. Tina quickly came in and kissed Bette and then added some more seasonings on the chicken and then put it into the oven to start to bake. Tina then started to peel some more carrots and slice to make glazed carrots for tonight. She then went and found some string beans which she purchased last week and began to work on those. Bette asked what she could do next. Tina asked her to chop up an onion and put it in a plastic bag and to crush about 8 cloves of garlic and put those in a plastic bag. She then put out some butter to be softening and asked Bette to go find the sliced almonds in the pantry. Tina then prepared the broccoli to be cooked tomorrow night. She got out the ground beef to defrost. It would be ready the following evening. She then cut up a couple of leaks to go into the mash potatoes.

Bette poured the water off the potatoes. She then hooked up the hand mixer and began to whip the potatoes. Tina poured in some milk and put in some butter and then she put in some crushed garlic and the leaks as Bette continued to blend. Tina thought they looked good and took a quick taste and was satisfied that the potatoes were ready. She then placed the pot back on the warm burner which was off and covered. They then steamed the beans. Bette set the table.

Tina: We are going to have dinner about 5:30. I hope Margaret and Daniel get here by then.

Bette: I haven’t seen Mary since I’ve been here. Do you think she’s okay?

Tina: Well, I hope so. You want to give her a call and tell her dinner will be ready at 5:30?

Bette: Sure…

Mary had been busy gathering information all day on what she needed to do. She had fixed her lunch, peeled and sliced about a half bushel of peaches and had a nap and time had just slipped away. She straightened her room and then hurried down to find Bette and Tina busy in the kitchen with the dinner almost finished. Mary was somewhat embarrassed that she was not available to assist with the dinner. Tina assured her that everything was under control and they had actually prepped some foods which would be on tomorrow night’s menu.

Margaret and Daniel came in and were all smiles when they saw that dinner was just about ready.

Bette: You guys go get changed and by the time you get back, we will have the food on the table. Mary, you want to fill the water glasses. I’m going to turn on the coffee.

Tina had pulled out the chicken from the oven and there was five nicely lightly browned chicken breast. Bette had put the beans in a bowl added butter and the almonds had been tossed and then placed some on each plate. The chicken, the mashed leak and garlic potatoes, the braised carrots and the cole slaw completed the plate. By the time Margaret and Daniel came back dressed in their casual clothes, the food was on the table.

Tina: Come on your guys, eat while its’ hot. Does anyone want something else to drink?

Bette: No, water is good for me. Tina this is a fabulous meal. The chicken is sooo tender and full of flavor.

Mary: Oh, and these potatoes and vegetables. So, Daniel, how was your day today?

Daniel: It was a usual Monday. I think that the teachers are pushing to get certain units complete by the time Thanksgiving holidays. The complexity in our science classes have jump up a notch. We are studying motion theories and applying those to space and the construction of the universe. It’s somewhat complex in that we are using mathematics which we really haven’t studied.

Tina: Wouldn’t that be hard to do? Learn about things using math which you haven’t studied?

Daniel: Well, we are not doing the actual calculations but we are using symbols to represent the calculations and defining what the calculations are intended to find. For example: The speed of light and the measurement of the movement of a light source in our universe and tell us how far away that light source is. And with some other formulas we can calculate the size of that light source.

Bette: Well Daniel, you are way over my head with all of that. So, are you understanding all of this?

Daniel: Oh yeah, I find it the most interesting stuff we have studied all year. It’s amazing what we do know about our universe. But what is more amazing is what we don’t know. We are somewhat limited by how far we can see. That’s why we send spaceships to explore the universe and they send us back pictures so we can see more and map what all is out there. We will find out more about how we got here and where we are going.

Margaret: You really like your classes don’t you Daniel?

Daniel: Yeah, I do. There is just so much to know and so much more we are trying to find out about. It makes you realize how amazing it is that we are all here on this earth and what a small minute particle we are of this great universe. It’s amazing that this planet has a favorable environment which supports life and if we were not exactly where we are in our solar system, well, we might look like Mars only a little smaller.

Mary: I think that there are parts of the earth that do look like Mars. Maybe not quite as hot, but the deserts in the southwest have to be really similar.

Daniel: We have an atmosphere of oxygen, water vapor, carbon dioxide and other gases which Mars does not have. It keeps the earth cool and reflects some of the bad light bands which come from the sun. But in order to work properly, it has to maintain it chemical composition in balance or within a range to support life on earth. Unfortunately, we humans don’t seem to be concerned about what happens if our atmosphere gets out of balance. Some do, but many don’t.

Tina: Well, maybe there is something we can do as a family to help people realize that the health of the earth is important. We will look into that after the first of the year. Is that okay with you?

Daniel: Yeah, that would be great.

Margaret: So, are we going to shell peas after dinner?

Bette: Yes, we are. I’ll get the hand trucks and get that bushel basket to where we want to do this little chore. But first we need to clean the kitchen.

Daniel: May I be excused from this chore. I have homework to do and I really need to work on it.

Tina: Sure Daniel. However, Bette and I want to take a few minutes to talk to you right after we get the kitchen cleaned up. Okay.

Daniel: Sure, I’ll be in my room.

Daniel then got up and took his plate to the kitchen while Bette took the rest of the plates to the kitchen and Tina poured the coffee.

Mary: He really does like school doesn’t he.

Tina: Yeah, he does. But I think he is reaching the time in his life that his social life is becoming a little more meaningful. He enjoys his time with John David and he loves his after-school activities. But he has been rather faithful to his school work as well.

Margaret: He is well liked at school. His teachers are particularly pleased to have him in their classes. He motivates others to be more engaged in their school work. But they also see him engaging in music lessons and after school golf. So, they want to emulate him. He is not all work and no play. And no one has a better attitude about how he relates to others. He truly is a very happy child. And that is a reflection on you two as his parents.

Bette: Well, I suspect that he is going to go through some times where he is not going to be very happy. Let’s see what happens when we have our conversation with Barbara and Joe about the possibility of taking John David to Scotland with us. If they do not want John David to go with us, I believe he is going to be very unhappy.

Margaret: I can see that. But it’s a lesson we all have to learn at some point. We cannot always have what we want. Somethings are just beyond our control.

Tina: Yes, and we have told Daniel that whether John David goes or not is not up to us but up to his parents. And we will abide by their decision, no matter what that decision is.

Mary: Well, maybe he will be able to go.

Margaret then talked about the fact that the construction folks had started on rebuilding her house. They were removing the remnants of the house and the foundation. And she was in hopes they would have the foundation in by Thanksgiving.

Bette and Tina began to clean the kitchen up and gather the bowls for the pea shelling. They set up a place on the Lanai and set up trash cans to put the hulls in. Mary and Margaret went out and started the chore.

Bette and Tina proceeded upstairs to talk to Daniel. Tina retrieved the package of lotions and lubricants for Daniel from the private study. Bette hoped that this would not take more than 15 or 20 minutes.

Bette knocked on Daniel’s door. Daniel said come in.

Tina: Hey Dan, is now a good time to talk to you?

Daniel: Sure. What’s going on?

Tina: Well, we have bought you something and we wanted to give it to you in private.

Tina then handed Daniel a small gift bag which contained two bottles. One was Boy Butter and the other was So-Low lotion. Daniel’s took the products out and his eye brows rose on his face in a sense of shock and horror.

Bette: Daniel, we told you that we would give you some male lubricants and lotions. Now, these are water soluble products in that they wash off with water. They should be fragrance free and they should allow you to have a self-massage without causing damage to your skin. Sometimes your skin gets dry and can get tender and scaly. So, you need to hydrate your skin when that happens with some lotions. If it is a persistent problem, we might need to look at the soaps you use and detergents we use to wash the clothes. You need to take care of your skin.

Tina: This will help you in that it allows your hand to glide across your skin without irritation. You try these out and tell us if they are satisfactory. We can order some other varieties of these products if you prefer. Or if you get low or run out, let us know and we can have some delivered to you within a couple of days.

Bette: Now you know that John David is coming for the weekend, right?

Daniel: Yeah. He still is, isn’t he?

Bette: Yes, as far as I know. What I was going to say was that you may want to put these products out of sight while he is here unless you want him to see that you have them.

Daniel: Oh NO WAY!

Bette: Have you talked to John David about our talk from Big Bear Mountain?

Daniel: A little, but not much. I told him about my body changing but not much more.

Tina: So, you did not talk to him about body exploration and getting hard?

Daniel: NO! I’m not ready to talk about those things yet.

Tina: Daniel, it’s okay. We know that sooner or later, you will have a conversation with your friends about such matters. It’s a part of growing up. Goodness knows when I was growing up, I know I had several conversations with my friends about my body and what was going on. Unfortunately, they didn’t know any more than I did.

Bette: Daniel, we don’t know everything about physical, mental and emotional changes that happens when a child grows into an adult. But what we do know, we want to make sure you know as well. And believe it or not, this is as uncomfortable for us as it is for you right now. And that’s okay. Just because we are nervous, does not mean that we should not talk about it. So, if you ever have a question, we want you to come to us no matter what. It may be somewhat embarrassing for us as well as you. But we can all get through it together. Sexual health and activities are a very private matter. And that is why I am so nervous about it. You see, I do not want to trespass on your privacy. But as your parent, I want you to understand what is going on and what you can expect. I also want to give you guild lines on what is appropriate behavior and what is not. And self-exploration is appropriate behavior as long as it is in private and it does not interfere with your other activities.

Daniel: Yes, I remember what you said at Bear Mountain. Not in public places.

Tina: I also want to remind you that you have the right to determine who is in your private space and who touches your body and when that is appropriate. Do not let anyone tell you that you should keep secrets from your parents. If anyone tells you that, we want to know about that immediately. If anyone makes you feel icky or uncomfortable, we want to know about that.

Daniel: Icky? Yes, I understand. That has never happened.

Bette: Are you going to be okay being here with Mary and Margaret on Thursday evening?

Daniel: Yeah, I’m going to be fine.

Tina: Paris and Jeanette will be here on Friday afternoon to be with you and John David. Your mom and I should be back late on Saturday. But if we should get delayed, Paris and Jeanette will take care of you guys. You know, make sure you have food?

Daniel (laughed): Yeah, Jeanette is a fantastic cook. We will be fine mom. Thanks for letting John Daniel come over even though you guys won’t be here.

Bette: You just behave yourself. Do your normal routine and if you want to go to the beach or something, let Paris and Jeanette know. You and John David cannot leave the house without an adult with you. And if you need us, we are available by cell.

Tina: Do you have any questions or comments?

Daniel: Actually, I am nervous about these changes. But I do feel better knowing that you guys are going to help me through this. Thanks.

Bette: Well, we are all going to go through this. We have no choice. Mother Nature is going to take over and we are going to help you with the understanding of what is going on. In some respects, it’s not going to be easy. But in other ways, it’s a time to be celebrated. For you will be on your journey to manhood. And that is a good thing.

Tina: Let me hug you and say goodnight. We have peas to shell. We love you, Daniel.

Daniel stood and went over and hugged his moms and they kissed him on the forehead. Smiled and left the room.

Bette: Have a good night. Sleep well and don’t stay up too late.

Daniel: I love you too. See you in the morning.

Bette and Tina left the room and walked down the stairs. They went to the downstairs powder room and then out to the Lanai. Their time with Daniel had taken almost 20 minutes. Bette and Tina got their bowls and a huge hand full of peas and began to work.

Mary: Margaret tells me that you have not invited her to go to Scotland with us next summer.

Bette (Looking a little startled): That’s true.

Mary: So why not?

Tina: As we discussed the other night, we do want to ask her however, there are several stumbling blocks. The first one is that there are a limited number of rooms and beds. All the rooms are design for double occupancy. The rooms have a single queen size bed. At the moment we have you Mary scheduled for a room by yourself. Because of the limitation, if we asked Margaret and she accepts then she would have to share a room with you. Not only a room but a bed. And since you two barely know each other, we thought we would wait and see how your friendship developed before we extended an invitation. Now, we could ask her to go and get her accommodations at another place than the Farm House Inn we are staying in. But before we extended the invitation, we were going allow you two to get acquainted.

Mary: Well, Margaret, how do you feel about sharing a bed with me sometime late next summer in Scotland?

Margaret: To go to Scotland with this family, I’m fine with sharing a bed with you. How do you feel about sharing a bed with me as well as a room and a bathroom?

Mary: Actually, it sounds like fun. Sounds like a month-long sleep over like we had when we were children.

Bette: So, you guys would be okay with those arrangements?

Mary: I’m fine with it. How about you Margaret?

Margaret: I’m fine as well. Sounds like fun to me.

Bette looked at Tina: Okay Margaret would you like to accompany us to Scotland for the month August next summer?

Margaret: I would love to go. Just let me know what this is going to cost me and what the arrangements are and I put that on my calendar as my first travel after I retire.

Bette: Okay, Tina, put her on the yes definitely going and book her into Mary’s room. So here’s the deal Margaret. The flight, travel to and from the airport, the accommodations, and the meals at the inn will all be provided free of charge. Meals outside the inn, entertainment and tours and local transportation will be your out-of-pocket expenses. I think that Helena recommended that each person have $1,000 of spending money for two weeks. So, if that is case, you will need about $2,000 for the entire month of spending money. We will be staying just outside of St Andrews. I’m sure we will go to Edinburgh a couple of times. And most important you need to have a fall or winter wardrobe with you. The average temperature in Scotland for August is 57 degrees and they have an average of 9 days of rain. So, you need a wardrobe which can handle that. Oh, and you must have an up-to-date passport, I am requesting you have a physical and make sure you are up to date on all your vaccinations. And you must tell the doctor you plan on traveling to Europe. We will discuss other preparations when we get a little closer.

Margaret: Are you kidding me – free flight, accommodations and most of my meals?

Tina: We are being used by Helena and Dylan as her soft opening guest. She is paying for this but she gets a deduction for the expense because it is a necessary business expense to launch the operations of this business. You only get one soft opening and she has chosen the LA Lesbians group to be it. Our friends will be coming for the first couple of weeks and then the family will stay on for the rest of the month. And you Margaret are now a part of the family.

This was the first time Mary was hearing the details of the trip as well. They were both giggling with happiness. Both were looking at each other as potential travel mates and here was a trip which they would both be with friends and family and plenty of off ramps should things not work out.

Bette: Once the gang heads back home, there may be an additional rooms available so that you two may not have to share a room.

Margaret: Well, lets’ deal with that when it happens. I think Mary and I will be fine as roomies.

Tina: Well, that is one more item off our to do list. Mary and Margaret, you two need to get together and start reviewing the internet to start acquiring your wardrobe. There are more fall and winter choices before Christmas than there will be after Christmas.

Bette: How many more of these things have we got to do?

Tina: We have about a quarter of the basket left. Besides the bottom is narrower than the top. So maybe another hour or so and we should be finished. What time is it?

Margaret: It’s almost 7:30. You may able to put these on to cook tonight and then we can get up in the morning and put them in the freezer.

Tina: It will take about an hour to cook these. Mary did the freezer containers get here today?

Mary: Yes, they did. I really think we can get these in the freezer tonight and be in bed by 10:00.

Bette: Well, if we do, I think we need to excuse Margaret so she can get her beauty sleep. She has to be up earlier than the rest of us.

Margaret: Thank you Bette, but the loss of one hour of sleep is not that much. I could skip my swim.

Mary: Oh, no. I think you should keep to your regular schedule and your regular activities. You are a working girl and we are not going to interfere with that. Once the shelling is done, the hard part is done. In fact, I could probably handle the rest myself.

Tina: Well, we are going to have some of these with our dinner tomorrow night. So maybe cooking them and freezing them tonight is not a bad idea. Lets’ see how this goes.

Margaret: Bette, I have ordered your robe today. There is good news and bad news. I called Columbia and I was able to order the doctoral robe from their supplier. That’s the good news. The bad news is that authorities at Columbia insist that your degree color is white just like a degree in journalism or American history.

Bette: Well, white is what I wanted. That’s perfect. How did you pay for it? I’ll write you a check.

Margaret: No, you won’t. You bought me my wardrobe when mine went up in flames. The least I can do is buy you a doctoral robe. I feel like I am not making a proper contribution for what you are doing for me as it is.

Tina: Margaret, you are now a part of our family. We do not make family members pay for room and board. So, thank you for doing this for Bette. When do you think it will arrive?

Margaret: It probably won’t be until next week. I think this is a busy time so it’s going to take a couple more days.

Bette: Well, that’s another thing off our list. Thank you, Margaret. I need to find out when that ceremony is so that I don’t schedule something else for that date.

Bette: Oh, I talked to Jim today and his wife is going to accompany us for the weekend. I think the chartered flight convinced her that she needed to go.

Tina: She’s not worried about Jim’s virtue, is she?

Bette: I hope not. But we will see on Thursday night.

Tina: Okay, there is no more in the basket, who’s got some to share with me. Here let me have half of yours Margaret.

Bette: I’ll take half of yours Mary. We will get through these rather quickly.

Mary: These bowls of peas are getting heavy.

Tina: Well, we are going to get them on to cook in short order. Bette why don’t you get these hulls out to the garbage.

Margaret: I’ll help with that. We have four bags of hulls.

Tina: Well, we still need to go through these and get out the bad peas. And put them on to cook. Then they will cook about 15 to 20 minutes total. Just need for them to be soft and not overcook them.

Mary and Tina headed for the kitchen while Margaret and Bette headed toward the garbage cans.

Mary: Wow, something smells good.

Tina: My pork roast. I forgot I put it in at dinner time. It’s done now. Let me get it out.

Mary: Okay, so what are we doing here?

Tina: Find the big pot with the lid. Then fill the sink with water and dump all the peas in to wash. I am going to find the chicken stock. And I am going to fry up some bacon. We need about a pound. I need the grease and the bacon. Then I will help you with the peas.

Mary: So, we are going to pick out all the bad ones and throw those away right?

Tina: Yes. Get a couple of clean towels out of the laundry room. I’ll get the strainer.

Tina swished the peas around in the water and then take the strainer and dipped it in the water and filled it with peas; then dumped the peas on the towel. Spread the peas and rolled them over and eliminated the bad ones and then picked up the towel and dump the peas into the pot. Mary saw what she was doing and proceeded to repeat her procedure. Tina finished up the bacon. Collected the grease in a jar and put the bacon on some paper towels to cool. She then put about two gallons of chicken stock in the pot. She went to find her seasonings while Mary finished the pea sorting and got them into the pot. She added some dried thyme and some salt and pepper into the peas. She then added several tablespoons of bacon grease. She then brought the peas to a boil and then cut the heat down and began to time the cooking. She chopped up the bacon and then added that to the pot of peas. Mary started to wash the dishes that had been used.

Bette and Margaret came in to see if they could help. Mary insisted that Margaret retire for the night, so she bid them all a goodnight and headed for her room.

Tina asked Bette to drain the pork roast of the drippings and put it in a jar and put it into the fridge. She would use that to make the gravy tomorrow night. Tina got out the quart containers. She knew that for the five of them, they would need a quart for a single serving of peas. Tina then rewrapped the pork roast and put it in the fridge and Mary washed those dishes. Tina then checked to see if they had tomatoes and green onions. She checked the peas at the 15-minute mark. They were not ready yet. Five more minutes max.

Tina then got out two-quart jars to keep the liquid which was on the peas. She would make her rice with that liquid. Once the peas were done, she turned the stove off and made sure the oven was off. Bette put away all the clean dishes and emptied the dish washer. Tina began to fill the quart containers and then poured most of the liquid off into other quart jars. Bette helped pour the balance of the liquid into the quart jars. She then put lids on them and labeled them pea stock. Tina would use this in making other dishes or in soups. They put the lids on the containers and put all but two in the freezer. The one would be a part of tomorrow night’s dinner. But Tina had plans to dress them up with green onions and tomatoes. That would add color and flavor to the meal. In her mind, she went over tomorrow night’s menu: Pork roast, rice and gravy, purple hull peas with green onions and tomatoes, broccoli tips and carrot salad.

Bette: So, what are we doing tomorrow night?

Tina: The corn. Shuck it, clean it, blanch it and freeze it. We will take some of it and cut it off the cob and freeze it that way. Probably will take just as long as this has taken. Then Wednesday, we will do the lima beans and maybe the green beans.

Bette: Good. Maybe my fingers will be healed by then.

Tina: I’m sorry. Shelling that many peas is a little rough on the fingers.

Mary: Well, is that it for tonight?

Tina: Yes, that’s it. We now have our peas in the freezer and the kitchen is cleaned up. And tomorrow’s dinner is about 20 minutes from being complete.

Mary: Is your roast, okay?

Tina: It’s fine. Another 30 minutes and it would not have been. I can’t believe I forgot about it.

Mary: Thank you for the wonderful evening and for inviting Margaret to go with us to Scotland. I believe this is going to be a lot of fun.

Bette: I am glad you are pleased. Now you get a good night’s sleep. Thank you for your help.

Tina: We love you, Mary. Thank you for your help.

She kissed Mary goodnight and all headed upstairs to bed.

Bette and Tina were tired. So, they went through their normal bedtime routines and then headed for bed.

Bette: How do you think things went with Daniel tonight?

Tina: I think they went pretty well. I think next week we need to have another talk with him. This time we are going to talk about sexting and p*rnography and suggestive pictures.

Bette: Oh god…. Now I know why parents generally just say don’t do it. It’s so much easier to say, than to say: well, in some cases it’s okay and in some cases it’s not. Again, you are going to have to help me with this one.

Tina: We will have several conversations about this before we talk to Daniel. Okay?

Bette: Yeah, I would appreciate that. But not tonight.

Tina: No, not tonight. I worked all day and I did not take an afternoon break. So, I’m really tired.

Bette: Well then let me kiss you and lets’ get a little shut eye. We can catch up tomorrow. Okay?

Tina: I do love you. Thank you for all your help today. You make my life so much easier.

Bette: I love this life we are living right now. And I really do love having Mary and Margaret in the house as well. It’s like we have built in backups for when we get overwhelmed.

Tina: I do too. And I think they like being here as well.

Bette: I love you too Sweetheart.

They then kissed and snuggled into one another and drifted off to sleep.

The next morning went very much like Monday except that Tina made it home before Bette and started the meal prep. Tina started the meal prep for Wednesday night by mixing her burger meat and patting out the patties. Bette sliced a few onions and prepared the onions. Tina thought they would have corn on the cob, and some cucumber salad, and some asparagus. She decided that they needed some dessert so she chose to make strawberry short cakes with the frozen strawberries and some whipped cream. Tina was liking doing the prep work a day ahead so there would be more time to get their produce under processed.

When Margaret and Daniel came in, Daniel begged for time to get a shower since he was unable to after his round of golf. Tina agreed to delay putting the meal on the table an extra 15 minutes so Daniel could shower. Tonight’s meal was the first time they would serve the peas they had shelled the night before. Tina garnished the peas with green onion and tomato chunks. Mary and Margaret were enthralled with the rice and gravy and the peas. Daniel was a big fan of the peas and broccoli as well as the roast pork.

Bette check to see if he were eating at school a proper balanced diet and found that he was making choices which was more like an adult than his class mates. The school had built in a rating system in their food selection and consumption at school. Daniel had rated very high in obtaining his minimum daily vitamin and mineral requirements and the inclusion of fruits and vegetables in his diet.

The evening went pretty much as the night before. It had taken less time to shuck the corn but more time in preparing the corn for freezing. Half of the corn was cut off the cob and placed in baggies. Mary, Tina and Bette did the cutting while Margaret took the removed corn and measure out two cups and placed in the baggies. The corn on the cob were placed with six half ears to a bag. Tina figured she had enough corn for about 18 meals for the five of them. She was pleased. On Tuesday night, they made their way to bed by 9:30.

Mary had was processing the peaches during the day for several hours and thought she would be finished with the bushel by Thursday. The freezer was filling up with the fresh produce Tina had purchased on Sunday evening.

Again, Bette and Tina were tired and knew that sleep was their number one priority. The next night would be the green beans. The process would go a little quicker in that Tina decided to remove the ends and the strings, blanch and then place in self-sealing plastic bags in the freezer. The group had finished with the clean-up and trash removal by 8:30. Mary and Margaret insisted that they would process the lima beans on Thursday night and Friday afternoon. So, they sat down and had a cup a tea before they retired to their rooms. Mary had opted not to prep for her dinner for the following evening that she would prepare on Thursday night.

Mary: Tina, that dinner was really good. It has been a while since I have had corn on the cob or ground beef patties as the main entrée. And you really do have a way with gravy.

Tina: Well, gravy adds some fats to a meal. And fats are necessary for vitamin absorption in the body. It also generally does not get absorbed by the body but generally flows through the system. Carbohydrates on the other hand is far more likely to convert to fat stores if it is not used for energy right away. Fats also assist with giving a full feeling after a meal and maintains that feeling longer than say carbohydrates do.

Margaret: Well, I am eating more quantities and varieties of foods since I have been living here yet I am losing weight. I drinking more water and I sleep better and I am swimming about 30 minutes a day.

Mary: Well, you have signaled to your body that you are not going to starve so it does not need as many reserves. And it is using those reserves to give you the energy you need to exercise.

Margaret: Well, physically, I feel better today than I did six months ago. I think that the company has something to do with that as well. I loved my sister, but she was not a bundle of energy. Our life on the weekends became rather mundane. She was just not interested in doing a whole lot of new and unique things on the weekends. And during the week, we mostly just watch television in the evenings.

Mary: Well, Margaret, I think you and I are going to start doing more of those unique things on the weekend. I need for you to show me Los Angeles and what all is here, if you are willing. Bette and Tina need time with Daniel and with each other.

Margaret: That sounds like a wonderful idea. There are museums, art galleries, and it is the entertainment capital of the world. Now you know that I like to do some gardening on Saturday morning. Tina and I have started several new beds and we need to tend to those on a regular basis.

Mary: Well, you need to show me what you are up to. I have always enjoyed fresh herbs. I grew some in flower pots at my house.

Margaret: Well, I’ll show you what we have going. Maybe you have some suggestions for some additional ones. Tina and I want to grow some tomatoes and strawberries when we can.

Bette: Next week, Tina’s sculpture should arrive.

Tina: I can’t wait to see what that is going to look like so that I can place it. I am really anxious to see this new piece. Ladies, we also need to get some more plants for the pool area. I would like for that area to look more like a tropical oasis. And I would like to have that in place by Thanksgiving. We also need to add some plants to the front yard. Maybe you two can help me with that.

Mary: Oh, I would be delighted to assist. It is so wonderful to have greenery all around us. It just makes me feel so alive.

Bette: Oh, and while you ladies are at the nurseries, think about what we are going to want in the way of a Christmas tree. I would love to have a live tree, but I do not want the mess of dried needles and I don’t relish the thought of killing a tree for the purpose of pleasing the family for a couple of weeks. So, if we could get your suggestions as to what would be a good fit, I would appreciate it.

Mary: I think we can do that. Oh my. And we have Christmas shopping to do. Margaret? Are you a shopper?

Margaret: I have been known to indulge in some shopping yes. This sounds like that our holidays are going to be full.

Bette: Don’t forget to get your business affairs in order Mom.

Mary: I have made some good progress on that this week. Tina, you said you were going to get me a doctor’s appointment?

Tina: Yes, I did. I’ll make some calls in the morning.

Bette: Perhaps we need to go up to our room. We have to prepare for our trip.

Tina: I wasn’t planning on packing until tomorrow afternoon. We are going to only need a couple of outfits for Friday and then something to wear home on Saturday.

Bette: Yeah, it is going to be a fast trip. Ladies, thank you for your help tonight. And for this week. We now have a few vegetables in the freezer for future meals. You are free to use anything we have in the fridge in the preparation of your meals. Now, you may want to check with Jeanette as to what her plans are for Friday night’s meal. And if I might ask that you two also work with Paris and Jeanette as to what to do about Saturday night’s meal. We may be late and we will not be in condition to cook. So, if you leave it up to us, we will probably have take-out.

Margaret: We will work out some kind of meal for all of us. That will be what eight of us?

Tina: Yes. You two, Daniel and John David, me and Bette, Paris and Jeanette. That’s eight. Oh, and let us know if you have any problems.

Bette: We going to say goodnight. We will see you in the morning.

Margaret: Well, if I don’t see you guys in the morning, you all be safe and take care of each other. And have a good trip. I’ll see you when you get back.

Margaret then got up and hug them both. Mary was a little surprised at the affection which was obvious between Margaret and Bette and Tina. They had formed a family bond in the last two months and it was obvious. Bette and Tina then hugged Mary good night and headed upstairs. Mary stayed behind to talk to Margaret.

Once upstairs, they check on Daniel, but his lights were out, so they by passed saying goodnight.

Once in the room, Bette and Tina proceeded with their night time grooming routine. Both felt rather tired.

Bette: I don’t know about you, but I am just whopped. But I still would like to get a kiss or two from you.

Tina: I’m beat too. Makes you wonder how on earth our ancestors managed when harvest season happened. All the food preparation to have it available for the rest of the year. And they work with a whole lot more than we are this week.

Bette: Well, they had a house full of kids and they put everyone to work. And the women didn’t have jobs, so they worked on this from can to can’t. There were areas of America in which when the harvest came in, there was no school. Everyone had to work on bringing in crops, getting it to market and preserving that which they needed. Hard times.

Tina: Gives me a better appreciation of what we have today.

Bette: Yeah, me too. … Tina? Are you okay?

Tina: Yes, sweety. Why do you ask?

Bette: We have not had much time for each other and I’m checking on you.

Tina: I’m fine Bette. We haven’t had much time for each other this week. Maybe next week won’t be as busy. But you have been working with me right by my side when you are not at school. You are working just as hard as I am and we are getting it done. I’m fine… So how are you?

Bette: I’m good…. So, we are good?

Tina: Yes, we are more than good. We are moving right in sync with each other. Now, would you join me in bed for a few kisses and then we can get some sleep.

Bette: I would love to join you in bed. And I would gladly like to exchange a few kisses.

The turned out the light and met in the middle of the bed and kissed lovingly and held each other closely. Tina then asked Bette to turn over so she could spoon into her. The fell asleep quickly.