I'd like to use a lifeline: Call Perry Mason, please!

Here is a case of: Can you believe it?

One of my friends recommended a mystery book to read[published in 1952[!], and I went online to my library site and reserved it. My library did not have it, so they did an inter-library request, and the book was sent from a town 45 minutes away. I picked it up, and life got busy, and I didn't get to read it before it was due. I remember picking it off the shelf in my bedroom to promptly return it, and then it vanished into thin air. I looked everywhere for it. I asked my friends to look in my car in case I just wasn't seeing it. I searched on my porch, dining room, living room...garage ...everywhere! Damn! It made me crazy!

This really was a mystery!

And I figured the book wasn't even in print anymore[1952!], so I wasn't going to be able to replace it...regardless of paying its cost.

I thought that if I renewed it, I would have more time to find it, and so I pursued that route. The procedure is relatively easy to accomplish online, and as I pressed 'renew' , it said NO!

No?

Really!

Evidently someone else had requested it and that nullified the opportunity to renew it.

What were the odds that:

1- The book had to be an inter-library loan.

2- It was non-replaceable because of its publication date.

3- Someone else had reserved this 'dinosaur of a book'!!!!

And I couldn't flippin' find it!!!

It reached the point that I had to let it go. I would pay the fine, and it would be done. I could not spend the rest of my life with 'one eye always looking around for the lost book' .

I called the library to say that I could not find it, I could not renew it, and what did I owe.

The librarian said:"It isn't due until August 12th."

I answered, "The system wouldn't let me renew it because someone else has placed a hold on it."

She said:"I overrode it on the computer, thinking you could use a little more time to find it."

This woman is the parent of a former student of mine, and it was a very nice gesture.

But it also gave me another month of 'hell' trying to locate it.

Oh great...just when I had resigned myself to writing a check and being 'done with it.'

And then, a couple of days ago, in the process of decluttering my bedroom by removing an object or two. I lifted a rectangular porcelain box from the floor, and removed its lid, and there it was!

The inter-library loaned ...dinosaur of a book... that was published in 1952... and had someone waiting for it!
I have no idea how it got in there. I immediately brought it to the library along with some 'glads'[gladiolas], and began singing, "Glad all over! Yes! I'm... glad all over!
{That's a song from the 70's]

Well, all's well that ends well.

And, boy, am I ever relieved! And quite frankly, I've had enough mystery for a while!

Spread Some Glad!

I went to the Farmer's Market last Saturday, and bought fresh fruit and colorful flowers...sunflowers and glads. I had St Nic take a couple of sunflowers home with her on Sat when she left for the day. On Sunday when my friend Debbie stopped over, I encouraged her to take a couple of flowers with her when she left. On Monday, after my surgeon's appointment was done, my 'doctor appointment shopping partner' and I went to Marshall's and TJ Max. Not enough time for The Christmas Tree Shoppe on this trip.We always find unique treasures, and enjoy ourselves since we both like the same stores. When she left my house, I had her take a couple of flowers home. All of these friends had big smiles as they left the house with a couple of flowers. But the gift of a flower that was the most fun was...

I had 3 gladiolas in the car with me to bring to the doctor's office. I've done this before, and it never ceases to amaze me how surprised they always are..."These are for us?? Why??"

" No reason, just because.."

But it wasn't the dr's office that was the best...they got 2 glads. When Kate and I went through the McDonald's Drive-thru to get the standard 'breakfast on the road' Egg McMuffin, I arrived at the window where the money is collected. The woman said, " That's $8.59, please". I thought to myself that she probably stands on her feet for hours, it was a Monday morning, and 'what the heck'...I reached over and pulled out one of the gladiolas and handed it to her along with the money to pay for our order. Well, Holy Mackeral, Andy! She was so surprised, excited, amazed, and a great, big beautiful smile spread across her face.

"This is for me? No one has ever done this!! Thank you! Thank you!"
It was a flower. What a wonderful thing!

I had experienced this impromptu "Wow!"smile when I gave out a flower to the person standing in each toll booth on the ride from NJ to NY. The men were just as 'glad' as the women! So, the moral of the story is...

SPREAD SOME GLAD.

You never know the domino effect it might have on people's lives when they are in a good mood and it transfers from them to others.

And the world could certainly benefit from more people in good moods!!

Abbra caddabra!

Other than world peace and the cure for diseases [ and other serious things], what would you like to be able to do....If a magic wand swirled over you...what are 3 things you wish you could do?
For me?

Play the piano.

Sing with a compelling singing voice.

Travel around the USA a bit more with a companion [who is easy to travel with!!]

Lady Grace

When I adopted Gracie, or I should say...when Grace adopted me...her name was Lady. I was amazed by her ability to jump into my arms. And 'Amazing' became 'Amazing Grace', often called Gracie. She was more like a circus dog than a lady! And she had already given birth to a litter of daschunds!!

This energy packed poodle never ceases to amaze me when it comes to Flo. Flo [Mom] is a gentle spirit who never had a dog. They have developed such a strong bond which is good for both of them. Every morning begins for Mom with Gracie licking Flo's right hand [the one affected by the stroke]. Does Grace know that intuitively? After getting dressed and brushing her teeth, Flo calls Grace who then bounds into her lap...awaiting the ride into the living room. Here is that 'snapshot' in their daily routine.

After breakfast, they hang out together. Flo looks into those huge brown eyes and tells Gracie, "You're so good. And I love you."

Gracie gives hugs, too. It's fun to watch the two of them interact. And yet at the end of the day, Gracie leaves Mom's bed when she has fallen asleep, and sleeps next to me.

There's a lot of love in that little dog. She's pretty darned smart, and a great doorbell...or I should say 'watchdog'. She alerts us to anything that moves, or needs attention.

This 'little dawg' is certainly not perfect...she's been known to finish my coffee[ with creamer in it] when I've gotten up to go to the bathroom. So, she has me trained, to a degree. I have to spell certain things because she is very alert and ready for anything.

Flo and Grace.

Flo: A peaceful, gentle woman ...and Amazing Grace: a live wire faster than the speed of light!

It's a match. Opposites attract, right?

You know you're getting older when...

When I had my teeth cleaned and 4 xrays taken at my previous dentist appointment, I had to make another appointment because I had a cavity. Well, today was the day! As the dental assistant [whose 2 children I had in school and I've known for 20 years] brought me in to the room, she told me that my retiring dentist wasn't there today and my tooth would be fixed by the other dentist. I had already met the dentist who took over the practice, and it was no big deal for me. And then...in walked a young man who extended his hand and said, "Hello, Mrs. W, I'm Dr. Brandnew!" Did I mention that he was young?

"No kidding? Are you old enough to do this? I mean...I'm sure that's not the first time someone has kidded you about your age...nor will it be your last!!!"

I wanted to ask, "Am I on Candid Camera?"

He [who looked tall, confident, and about sixteen years old] was also going to be working there two days a week, and TODAY was his first day there...and I was his FIRST patient in this new setting. O happy day!!

Twenty-six...very soon to be twenty-seven...he told me where he went to college, dental school, and where he did his residency. [in Buffalo!]

"Sorry to break the news to you doc, but I am not the bravest patient in the county while sitting in this chair...but I will do my best!"

I had a 'not so pleasant' shot of novacaine, and prayed constantly...'Stay with me Jesus!'

Evidently the cavity was UNDER a filling [not the best location, for sure!] and so a lot of drilling was in my future while listening to the two professionals work together for the first time. There was discussion of what things were called [the explorer?], and how some things worked [ this particular brand of drill!] were clarified as I wondered again...in my life experiences...why was I the first one breaking in the young doc who was younger than my son!~!

Well, everyone has to start somewhere...or in the case of a dentist..on someone!

Dr R explained everything nicely, and along the way said things like, "Perfect."

"Well, we got all of the cavity out."

And my friend, the dentist's assistance, with the 20 years of experience certainly helped both of us [the doc and me] along the way with the knowledge and confidence she has always maintained. Whew!

As I prepared to call it a day and crawl into bed, I noticed my phone was blinking which meant someone had left a message. It was the dentist's office at 8 AM telling me that my dentist had hurt his shoulder and Dr R would be covering for him. If that was a problem, call them, otherwise, see you at 11:00! So they did give me a heads up ahead of time...but I didn't get the message. I wonder what my choice would have been.

Oh well, it's history.

And I was brave!

And there you have it!

Someone pinch me...am I dreaming?

Today, after much procrastination and dread, I decided to rid myself of ...

'the errand from Hell!' I had received a notice from the Motor Vehicles Dept. that it was time to renew my car registration. The letter also said that records showed my car's inspection had lapsed, and I would need proof of that. What? So surprised was I!!! The inspection was due in April [ as it turns out], and now I remember, oh yes, I was in the midst of the broken leg trauma/rehab...hadn't driven the car since Feb 17th...but...they were right.

Inspection flew to the top of my 'to do' list and it was done. Then I still had to complete the registration part, and the thoughts of standing in the 'long and winding' line at the DMV overwhelmed me. And I feared getting to the window and not having the correct inspection info, followed by the words, "You'll have to come back with..."

I had breakfast with a friend and then at about 11:00 I headed over to the DMV...that damned motor vehicle [office]!! There was a parking space right in front of the County Office Building...Wow! And there was a meter instead of a kiosk a block away. Wahoo!!

And then, the ultimate ...most unbelievable ...thing happened.

I opened the door, walked in, and there was NO ONE standing in line waiting for the next available window. The available window[s] were waiting for me! I immediately stopped and looked around the empty room, and joked,

"Am I in the Twilight Zone??"

"Yes, you are!" was their immediate comeback.

"I thought so because I have never been in an empty DMV office."

Can you believe that I got to "Pick a window!"?

I handed over my stuff, and started to say that I had the inspection number right off the sticker, and was told...not necessary...they had received the info electronically. The woman took my check, processed the registration, smiled, and said: "Have a nice day!!"

It was a done deal in less than 60 seconds!! And I was out of there!

Hallelujah! HALLELUJAH! Halle...lu...ya!!

" TV...or not TV..That is the question!!"

I got thinking about television...what a huge force it is, and how different it is now as compared to the 50's and 60's. The physical appearances have certainly been altered -everything from the size of the screen, the present day ultimate thinness that it has morphed to, and a picture broadcast in high definition!! I can recall our first TV: big console and small screen, black and white picture, and programming that was memorable. No swearing, no steamy scenes or content, fewer commercials.
As a kid, Saturday mornings we watched 'Sky King.'[ Remember Penny?] Then we went outside to play with the kids on the block all day long.
At 7 PM, the entire family watched 'Lassie'. Today, when Gracie [my dog] gets barking up a storm, I'll say to her, "What is it, Girl? Is Timmy in the well?" Lassie always got it right!

And..."Faster than a speeding bullet...able to leap tall buildings in a single bound...It's 'Superman" who was counted on to appear and save the day...and he always did!!

And solving crime anonomously with his kimosabe...each show ended with, "Who was that masked man?"


We learned about animals from all corners of the globe by watching 'Wild Kingdom' sponsored by Mutual of Omaha. It was riveting to see animals from every continent, and the danger in photographing them!




"Hey there...Hi there...Ho there...You're as welcome as can be!
M-I-C-K-E-Y- M-O-U-S-E!


Other family entertainment was 'The Ed Sullivan Show' [I never liked TopoGigo]on Sunday and 'The Mike Douglas Show' was great. Carol Burnett's show always made you laugh...

The Honeymooners : I remember 3 things..."One of these days, Alice, Pow! Zoom! Right to the moon! 2nd:"Baby, you're the greatest!" 3rd: Ed Norton was learning to play golf and Ralph was reading from a manual that said before you hit the ball...you have to address the ball...to which Ed said, "Hello Ball!"
My parents used to like 'The Lawrence Welk Show.' [Anna one anna two...] Bubbles galore! It is so-o fascinating to see that show today in reruns. The dancing was way ahead of its time. The choreography was impressive, and would certainly hold its own in competition with today's 'Dancing with the Stars'. The biggest difference being that... back then there was more material to their costumes!!

As a preteen kid, there were the two doctor shows. The cool kids had one of their doctor like shirts with the two buttons under the chin. I don't remember that I had one. We were monetarily challenged and it wasn't a priority.
Which doctor was your favorite? Dr. Kildare was compassionate and Ben Casey was tough love. Very different approaches!



And the mystery show that had us glued to the ending of the show to see who it was going to stand up in the courtroom and say, "I did it. Yes, I did it!!!" The Perry Mason Show. He solved every case.
Later on, who could forget...

"It's time to start the music...it's time to light the lights...

Different people stars were the guest hosts, but the two old men, Fozzy Bear, the chef, and of course...Kermit and Miss Piggy...were the real stars.

And some of my later favorites... All in the Family
"Edith...if you're going through the change,
you have 30 seconds....CHANGE!"
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
funny show, great cast, lots of laughter!

As kids, we did not sit and watch TV as much as we played outside. And we read books.

What the world needs now...

Yesterday, a most unusual surprise was mine, and I will try to relate the circumstances. Some parts are easy to understand, and yet the best part for me will be a mystery to many! You just won't understand it.

My good friend Diane, [aka GNSJ], arrived at 10:00 to take me out to celebrate my birthday. She had read in my blog that I like surprises, so she wouldn't tell me where we were going. As we walked down the ramp of the deck, Diane held out the car key and said: "Here! You drive. That's your surprise!!"

"Huh?"

She replied, "This is Ben's car [her son] and it is a stick shift. I know that you love to drive them!"

I cannot put into words the joy that immediately made my heart beat faster, and placed a huge smile upon my face. I love, love, love to drive a standard transmission car. I haven't owned one since college, and when I was ready to change cars for the last 3 times, the sensible part of me had to agree with the many people who voiced that I should get an automatic transmission. I have had many flares of arthritis over its 20 year span where my knees would not have been happy to work a clutch, brake, gas pedal, along the other joints responsible for the action required by both hands to change gears and steer. The left side of my brain [logic and order] won every time, as the right side of my brain [the free spirit] sighed and said, "Oh well. In the great big scheme of things, this is small stuff."

Wahoo! It's like riding a bike. I did not stall the car once!!

We went to Pumpkin Hill [farmhouse turned restaurant] and had lunch on the porch which faced beautiful countryside and Cayuga Lake. My shepard's pie was the best. Diane had Mediterranean soup and a tuna and cheddar pita. We both ordered decadent desserts and split them in half and shared with each other. It was delicious and fun and relaxing and special.

I thanked Diane, and when I asked her what she thought my best part was, without missing a beat answered, " You driving the stick shift car."

And that was the truth. I was so surprised. It was a gift that resulted from listening and caring.

So what the world needs now...is more kindness...

It's a rich and unique experience for everyone involved.

Thanks, Diane! I loved it!

One score and seven years ago...

I went to the dentist today for a tooth that has been bothering me as well as a regular cleaning, couple of xrays, and an exam. My problem molar was a mystery since the x ray didn't show anything. They put that colored tape in the back of my mouth and told me to bite down to see if maybe a tooth had a high spot. And yes, a blue spot appeared. So the good doc drilled [I mean polished] the surface a 'lil bit, I chewed on more paper, and we did it again...'lil drilling, etc. He said, "Now I want you to give this a week to see if the toothache is a result of the upper molar being pounded by the bottom one."
To which I replied:" I cannot believe that I am going to get away that easy! We both know my dental history!" And we laughed together.
But it is bittersweet because my pain-free dentist is in the process of retiring. The business has already been passed on to the next dentist, who works a majority of the five days. For a person whose patent answer to: "Do you want novacaine for this ?"...is...
"Will I be opening my mouth for this procedure?" ...or "Are you planning on using the drill today?"
I don't mind the novacaine, but I dread the sound, smell, and whirring of the drill as I await and expect it to hurt at any moment. White knuckled and holding my breath, I have graduated from laughing gas AND novacaine simultaneously. Today's short procedure was with nothing, and really didn't warrant anything.


Several root canals and a couple of crowns
Always left me tightly wound.
Unsuspecting popcorn and a lone tootsie roll
Emergency on a weekend that took a costly toll.
Intensive

Expensive

A necessary evil and a curse that must be borne

My favorite retiring dentist...an occasion I will mourn!!

Are you kidding me?

I was channel surfing on this Sunday morning around 1100AM, when Flo [Mom] uttered words that I were ... far out!

You see, I noticed that the movie, 'Three Men and a Baby' was about to begin and I knew that Tom Selleck was one of Flo's favorites. I figured it would be a familiar story and while we watched it, I could also play some hearts, solitaire, and Wordscraper [a generic Scrabble] on my laptop. So, I pressed the remote to set the TV to the correct channel expecting a couple hours of peace and calmness. The picture seemed dark, or not as distinct as my TV usually is, and then it happened!! I picked up the TV remote to lighten up the 'contrast' a bit...didn't fix it.

Oh, maybe it's the 'sharpness' that needed a little change...didn't help it.

Well, there's still brightness, color temperature, and color tint...nope, nope, and nope!

Flo looks at me and says, "The picture isn't as good as it was...can't you fix it?"

"That is what I am attempting to do, Mom. Give me a minute."

And Flo spoke the following words ...which have never come out of her mouth that I can remember...

"You need a man to fix it. Can you call a man to come over to fix it?"

"What???To change the quality of the picture on the TV??"

She was not kidding. There were frown lines in her forehead. And her voice went up an octive where she sounds like Edith Bunker. She complained that the words and directives on the bottom of the screen weren't supposed to be there. [While I was adjusting different levels, that was where the left and right ...up and down...'data' was displayed.]

Flossie, ordinarily not an outspoken force, was clearly standing her ground.

So, what did I do?

I called a friend who wouldn't think it was a big deal...yep...yep...

I called a man.

I forgot one!

My friend and I are Lucy and Ethel.

If you read yesterday's post which tells the [true] story of some of our best ideas to outsmart each other, go back and read the PS that I added at the end.

If you have not read the story...click back one post...and enjoy the ride. The PS will still be at the end!

What a Hoot!!

Grab a soda...or cup of tea...

This is a long story...a very funny, creative, true story. It recounts the adventures of Lucy[me] and Ethel [a great friend]. It all started quite innocently, and I would never have imagined the twists and turns that were to come....

One Spring day, circa 1990, I came home from work and found a plastic white owl lawn ornament stuck in the ground outside my front door. I didn't know who put it there, who owned it, or the story behind it. I did know that it wasn't going to stay there. I have no idea what possessed me to pick up the owl and place it in front of the arborvitae bush outside Ethel's door. We carpooled together, and were family, so to speak. [My son and I had been adopted into her family and spent most holidays with them]. Three days went by, and nothing was said. Standing in the school's office, I hinted at, "So, anything new or unusual happening in your little corner of the world?"
Wide-eyed, she shouts out, "It was you? You did it? And I've been bugging my daughter about it because she knows how I feel about lawn ornaments. And it was YOU!!"

We laughed about it, both of us known to orchestrate a practical joke or two.

School recessed for the summer. My son [age 9] and I went to New Jersey to visit my mom [Flo] and other relatives to relax, unwind from the school year, and celebrate our birthdays. I was sitting in the den with Flo when a package was delivered for me. The writing was clearly my NJ friend[from high school] and it was from a store with the word 'crystal' in it. A birthday present! I cut through the tape and unwrapped the bundled...OWL... sent from New York! I was surprised to say the least! I called Ethel on the phone, and wailed, "I cannot believe that you did that!! The laughter was loud, hearty, and bordered on cackling!! Alrighty then...

My mom kind of liked the owl and he graced her front bushes for a couple of weeks. I had a postcard of an owl with a couple of baby owls. Another good friend of mine was going on a cruise and mailed the postcard from a Caribbean port. It said, "Vacationing for a bit...having fun...met the female of my dreams...started a family...Hope all is well. Signed: Hoot"

The owl was forevermore named, "Hoot" and has traveled back and forth between the two of us for more than 20 years.

I brought Hoot back to New York, and when Ethel wasn't home, I put him in the wheelbarrow of dirt by the side of her house. And I waited for the phone call telling me, "My garden trowel hit something hard as I was planting flowers. I thought...what the heck is that? Imagine my surprise to find that owl buried in the dirt!! A level of surprise equal to Hoot arriving in NJ via UPS!" It was priceless! I wish I had seen her face!!

In December, I came home from Christmas shopping to find Hoot on the ledge above my garage doors. Ethel had to stand on her car to get Hoot up there! My response..."Oh my God...look where the owl is now!!" I got him down and held onto him for a span so that the surprise would be a bigger one given that Hoot had been forgotten about for a bit.

At a regular card party hosted at her house, I entered Ethel's foyer and could hear her in the kitchen talking with the other card players. Out from within a canvas bag, I stuffed Hoot into the right side of her buffet. It took quite a while to get the call...

"Well, guess what? I went to change pocketbooks and when I looked in the buffet...there was the stupid owl! How long has he been there?...' cause I rarely open that side of the buffet."

The key to surprise became to hold onto the owl for a while for the element of surprise. There would be times when one of us would ask the other..."Whose possession would Hoot be in right now?" Right now, I think that I may be in possession of the owl, but haven't found him...wherever he is hidden.

In 2001, nine members of my family went to Ireland together and we met at Newark Airport for the plane's departure. I traveled to NJ and spent the night before the flight at my high school friend's house. We were sitting in the living room talking for a bit, when out of the corner of my eye...sitting on the end table was Hoot with an Irish flag taped to his body!!

I think my next move was to put Hoot in the trunk of her car, and he was found much faster than other moves. In always trying to do something new or unusual, I had already decided what I was going to do next. Clothes! Never been done before! But before I got to do that, as I approached my porch door, there was Hoot with a straw hat and skirt looking out the front window! Damn! Damn! Damn!

At the end of the school year, my students and the other 3 rooms of 5th graders and their teachers went on a field trip. One year it was to a science museum with an IMAX Theater. Absolutely great. I was monitoring the kids in the gift shop when I noticed a white baby fuzzy owl and my next plan was hatched!! The baby owl went home with me as I contemplated how/where to have Hoot surface with child!! The basketball hoop in her backyard! Yes! My brother and niece visited in late August to go to the New York State Fair. While they were here, I purchased an empty hanging basket with an earthen woven type lining and put Hoot and the baby in the nest. Then when Ethel wasn't home, my niece shimmied up the basketball hoop stand and placed the nest and its occupants into the basketball net. This was so much fun...sneaking into her backyard, and planting that migrating [!] owl. The next day we came home from an outing and the answering machine was blinking, "Message". I pressed the button and heard:" Well I see that the owl has returned and that now she has had a baby, too. The slut!"

This owl thing has been a Hoot!

September came and a new school year began. I think it might have been Day #2 and I was explaining the rules and procedures to my new class. In the middle of a sentence, I glanced over at the classroom door which was closed and there was a poster sized print of Hoot taped to the back of my door! "O my gosh!" and the kids all looked at the poster. I buzzed the office [Ethel is the school secretary] and after her "Can I help you?" ,

I answered with..."You Bozo!!" There is a poster sized photo of the owl and I just found it taped to the back of my door!"

"The-e-re is what? I don't know what you're talking about!!"

Can you believe this??

I was now in the possession of the owl. That Christmas, all of her family, 5 adult kids and [some] spouses and their children, Ethel's mother, my son, and I were all together celebrating the season. Each person unwrapped a gift, and ...yes..you probably guessed it. She opened her gift of a bottle of Baileys Irish Creme, and there in the box was another gift still wrapped in tissue paper...the owl!! Wahoo!! Hoot had become a topic of discussion among both families and her mother was so happy to be a witness to a stealth appearance! What fun!!

2004 rolled around and I retired in June. There was a wonderful party with my colleagues and family at a restaurant in town. As I approached the room , I heard people talking and laughing. At the threshhold of the door, there was Hoot perched atop a traffic signal [plastic bank]and around his neck was a sign that said: Mare's Party! We had everyone laughing as I explained how this owl which I found on my front lawn had traveled back and forth for 20 years. And so many different ways/means of capturing the element of surprise.

Last : When Ethel went to Montana to visit her son and family, I had mailed Hoot ahead of her so that she would would be surprised in the middle of a sentence... and see that white plastic owl lawn ornament looking at her...from all the way across the country.

In theory, at the moment, Ethel is in possession of the owl. But it has been more than a year, so I may be in possession of that Hoot owl...I just haven't stumbled upon him yet!!

PS I forgot about the time I went on an Alaskan cruise and in a gift shop in Katchican, I was trying to spend $20 because you got a canvas bag with a cruiseship holigram on the front. I thought, "This will be easy to do!" WRONG! I could hardly find anything I wanted, and then I saw a 'message in a bottle' kit' and Bingo...it was like... this is great!

I need to tell you first that we had gone to see the movie 'Message in a Bottle' and HATED it!

We would joke about it, thinking it was the worst movie made...long, boring, etc.

That being said, when I got home, I made a Xerox picture of Hoot, rolled up the paper, and stuffed it in the blue bottle. I put it in the envelope that came with it. A double HA-HA!

A message in a bottle delivered and when she managed to get the rolled up paper out...it was a message from Hoot! Sometimes it is the silly things that bring the best laughter.