Trouble in the Back Pasture.

Chapter 7

Jennifer's Mom Mom and Pop Pop lived on two hundred acre farm, across the railroad tracks, at the other end of town. Pop Pop had many animals to care for. There were cows, sheep, chickens three pigs and especially,  Betsy and Chubby, the two work horses.  They helped Pop Pop to plow the fields in the Spring, gather the hay in the summer and pull the wagon of turnips in the Fall.  Pop Pop did not have a tractor for a long time. He didn't need one as long as Betsy and Chubby worked as a team. They could pull as much weight as a small tractor could.

One day when George and Jennifer were down at the farm, George got an idea. "Hey, Jennifer, let's take Betsy and Chubby out for a ride to the back pasture?  I don't think your Pop Pop will mind do you?"

"I don't think so George, but we better ask first.  What if Pop Pop needs them for some work today?" suggested Jennifer.

"I don't think he will need them today, Jennifer.  He is picking apples in the orchard and the horses are loose in the barn yard."

 George convinced Jennifer that it would be all right. So the children made saddles out of grain bags, stuffing them with hay, threw them on the back of the two horses, and rode off  to the back pasture.

"Isn't this the greatest fun Jennifer? The saddle isn't that comfortable, but it is better than nothing. How is Betsy doing?  Chubby is so slow," said George.

"Betsy is great! No problem.  I can handle her.  She is very gentle, George."

  What the two children did not know was that just that morning, Pop Pop had let out Goliath to gaze in the back pasture.  Goliath was a mean, ugly bull, that Pop Pop had agreed to keep on the farm for a short time. At first the children did not see Goliath gazing, but the two horses did.  Betsy and Chubby did not like Goliath.  They were afraid.of him.  The horses were determined to go back to the barn, but the children were just as determined to stay!   The horses started to go around and around in circles.  Just than Jennifer saw Goliath up on the hill.

"Oh no, George.  It is Goliath.  He sees us. We better get out of here".

So the two children let Chubby and Betsy have their reins and headed back for the barn. As the horses started to run back home, Jennifer lost control of Betsy and fell off landing on her right arm on the ground. Betsy kept racing for the barn and left Jennifer crying.

 George was almost back to the barn when he noticed Jennifer wasn't on Betsy back! Where was Jennifer? George knew he could not get Chubby to go out there again, so he grabbed his bicycle and heading out to the pasture.  Jennifer was able to to crawl her way back to the gate, open it and lock it behind her before Goliath saw her. When George found her she was exhausted , with tears running down her face.  She was in a great deal of pain.

"Oh George, I am so glad to see you, I think I broke my arm." cried Jennifer through her tears.

"Jennifer, do you think you can ride on my cross bar?  I will give you a ride home"I know that it isn't the safest place of ride, but I think it will be o.k. just this time. George had a boy's bike, which made it very convenient for Jennifer to ride on.

When Pop Pop saw the two children and especially Jennifer riding on the cross bar, he called out, "What are you two kids doing?  Jennifer, you know that you are not to ride on the cross bar."

George stopped his bike and explained to Pop Pop what had happened and without saying another word, Pop Pop went into the house, called Jennifer's mother, told her about the broken arm and to meet him at the emergency room.

Yes, her arm was broken all right.  Jennifer had to wear a cast for six months. She wasn't very happy about that.  Bedtime that night wasn't very pleasant for either George or Jennifer. Both their parents were quite  upset with their disobedient children.

If you were their parents, what punishment do you think they deserved?  I hope all Mom Mom's story time friends will always remember  how important it is TO ASK TO PERMISSION FIRST BEFORE DECIDING TO DO SOMETHING THAT YOU DON'T THINK YOU SHOULD.

It Pays to Listen

Chapter  6

Lady Jane

 Jennifer's grandmother had given her a beautiful china doll for her birthday. She called her "Lady Jane".  She was a very beautiful, special and very fragile doll.   Her grandmother had made a whole suitcase full of doll clothes just for "Lady Jane" Often she would change her outfits two or three times a day.

Lady Alice

Her best friend Maria had a china doll too. Her doll's name was "Lady Alice". Together the two little girls loved to play dolls and sharing their outfits. One afternoon, while they were playing with their special dolls, Anna, the little girl with crippled feet called and asked if they could come over to her house for some homemade ice cream. Before they left, Jennifer's mother warned them, "You better put your dolls in your bedroom Jennifer and close the door before Tucker gets up from his nap."  But, the girls were so excited about eating ice cream that they didn't listen to Jennifer's mother's warning, and left the dolls on the couch in the family room.

No sooner had they left when little Tucker was up from his nap, heading down stairs to find his mother.  On the way to the kitchen, he noticed the two dolls sitting on the couch. Without thinking Tucker picked up Maria's doll by the neck and starting walking to the kitchen.  On the way, in his socking feet, he slipped and fell to the floor.  The doll went flying out of his hands and landed on the hard tile floor The head of the china doll was severely cracked.  His mother heard the accident and came running out of the kitchen.

"Oh NO! Tucker, what have you done?".  She picked up the doll off the floor and rescued Jennifer's doll on the couch. She was not so much upset with Tucker as she was with Jennifer.  She didn't listen to her warning to put the dolls in a safe place and now look what happened.

Later in the afternoon, the girls arrived back at Jennifer's to finish their play. When they saw their dolls were missing Jennifer called out to her mother, "Where are our dolls, Mommy" 

 "Jennifer", responded Mommy, "You don't have to yell, I am right in the kitchen. You can come in here and talk with me. What is the problem?."  Of course, Mommy knew what the problem was, but she wanted to hear it from the girls.

"We can't find....our....."  Before she could get the words out, Jennifer noticed Maria's "Lady Alice" laying on the counter with her head cracked.

When Maria saw her "Lady Alice's head cracked", she was so upset.  She started to cry and ran home to tell her mother.  Jennifer was MAD at Tucker. "Now, look what you did!  You ruined our play.  Can't you leave anything alone?"

"Jennifer" exclaimed her mother, "Didn't I warn you to put her dolls in your room and close the door?  Why should you be mad at Tucker."

"But Mommy, does Tucker always have to ruin our fun?  I think Maria is going to mad at me and she will never play with me again.  Can't you keep Tucker tied up?"

"Young lady,it is NOT  Tucker's fault.  How many times have I told you to keep your most valuable and breakable toys up high and away from Tucker.  I think you should think about how you can earn some money to help Maria buy a new doll."

"But, Mom, it isn't my doll."

"I know, but when your friends are over to your house, you are responsible to do what is right.  If you know that your doll should be out of Tucker's reach, don't you think your best friend's doll should be also? It could have been your doll's head that was cracked."

"Gee, Mom there goes all my birthday money," complained Jennifer.

From that day on, Jennifer always remembered to keep her most important things up high and away from 'little fingers'.

I

Lost in the Cave

chapter 4


It was a beautiful Fall weekend when both George's and Jennifer's families planned to go camping.  This was always the most anticipated annual camping trip to the mountains.  The children were never bored with trails to explore, mountains to hike and rivers to swim and to fish.  The parents also enjoyed the break from their busy lives. 
Everyone liked the campfires at night. The children cooked smores, while telling ghost stories.  

This adventure starts on the second day of their vacation. They were very familiar with the trail, but this time they discovered a cave that they hadn't seen before.  The entrance was covered with dry leaves and weeds.  You could hardly see the front.  

"Let's go inside Jennifer. Look, here is the entrance," said George excitedly .

" I don't think we should George.  There might be a bear in there getting ready to hibernate for the winter."

"Don't be silly Jennifer.  There are no bears around here. " George emphatically exclaimed

Jennifer reluctantly consented to go inside.  It very dark and scary. Their presence stirred up the bats and caused them to fly about the cave.  They finally flew out of the cave.  Neither George or Jennifer had a flash light with them.  They weren't expecting to investigate a cave.  The children keep walking and walking down, down into the dark cave.  Jennifer began to cry.

"George, I told you we shouldn't go in here.  I am so scared.  I want to go home." cried Jennifer anxiously.

"Oh, don't worry Jennifer.  We will be fine.  I will protect you ". encouraged George.

George then took Jennifer's hand and started to pray, "Lord Jesus we are lost in this cave.  We need your help."

No sooner had they prayed when two eyes appeared in the far corner of the cave.  "Look George, I know those are eyes of a bear.  Jesus come and help us?" said Jennifer at the top of her lungs

The eyes grew brighter and brighter, as if they could see in the dark.  It had to be an animal.  Perhaps it was , a raccoon, a possum, or a skunk! What was it?  The children huddled together waiting to see what the two eyes were. Then George remembered what he had read in school that animals always seem to know how to find their way out of places.  They have special instincts for their protection.

"Jennifer,"  said George 'we got our answer."  All we have to do is to follow this animal where it is going, because it will lead us out of this cave."

Jennifer was more relaxed knowing that George seemed more confident.  The animal started to move.  The children waited and then started to follow it.  Within a very short time they could see some daylight

" The Lord answered our prayers George..I never want an adventure like that ever again,George".  Jennifer emphatically stated..

The children were out of the cave.  What kind of animal do you think it was? If you thought it was a lost kitten, you were right.  George picked up the little kitten in his arms and carried it back to the campsite. His parents were waiting for him.

 "Where have you children been? We were getting worried. Where did you find the find that little kitten?."  asked George's Dad inquisitively.

George put the kitten down beside him while he tried to explain their adventure, but when he went to pick up the kitten it had disappeared.  The children could not find the kitten anywhere?  Where do you think it went? Could it have been an angel sent to rescue them from the cave.  What do you think?

THE ADVENTURES OF GEORGE AND JENNIFER

Hello boys and girls. Are you ready for a new adventure?  I would like to introduce you to the                      

               THE ADVENTURES OF GEORGE AND JENNIFER
  
Introduction

Welcome to Sunnyvale, USA, where the happy hearts of parents and children live together sharing the love of Jesus through their many trials and tribulations.  It is a small town that perhaps you would like to visit or to live there some day.   Whether it rains or shines , you will find the children happy because their problems are always able to be worked out with a forgiving heart.  They are not perfect children, but they are the perfect children for Sunnyvale. Some children go to public school and some are home schooled.  Would you like to meet a few of them?

First, let me introduce you to George and Jennifer.  You might think that they are brother and sister, but they are not.  They are just very good friends.  As soon as they were old enough to play together, you could always count on them to get into some kind of mischief. I will have to tell you sometime about when they played fireman in the neighbor's back yard. But, for now, let me continue to introduce their friends.

You will meet Charlie.  He is George's older brother. He protects George from bully Billy, who thinks that he is a big shot, but he really is shy and insecure. He doesn't know how to be a friend.   Tucker is Jennifer's younger brother, who likes to play with the older kids, but he is really a nuisance.
  You will meet Marie. The little girl with dancing feet.  You will love to hear what happens to her dance shoes the day of her recital.  And than there is Anna, the little girl with cripple feet, who has been in a wheel chair since she was old enough to sit in it. Johnnie is also a little boy with troubled feet.  He has 'club ' feet but,  George understands and is very kind to him. Amanda is a new girl from the city and you will hear about her experiences trying to adjust to the ways of Sunnyvale.

I don't want to forget Harry the Hermit and his dog Champ.  They live together in a cabin in the woods not far from George's house. You will love his story about "baby Doe"

There will be many other friends of George and Jennifer along the way, who you will grow to know and love as much as I do.  I will be writing these adventures in chapters, so you will be able to make a book of the ADVENTURES OF GEORGE AND JENNIFER.

 I have provided an email opportunity on the side of the blog.  If you will put your email there you will be able to know when another chapter is written.  See you in Sunnyvale soon!

Spoons

I would like to tell you about a birthday party that you will never forget. It is a short story but a fun one. Once there was a little boy Sammy, who didn't think anyone would remember his birthday. So he went to the store and bought for himself ice cream and a delicious chocolate cake, all with his own allowance.  Then he thought "How are we going to eat the ice cream. We will need spoons."  But what he didn't realize, was that the spoons he bought, all had VERY LONG handles.

On the day of the party when Sammy's mother brought out the cake, all the children sang happy birthday as Sammy blew out his candles.  Everything was going along very well UNTIL the ice cream come out. What a mess occurred! The children tried to eat the ice cream, but they couldn't get the ice cream into their mouths!! The children were getting very frustrated and cried out to Sammy, "Hey, Sammy, how do you expect us to eat the ice creams with these ridiculous spoons? 

Sammy was a little embarrassed.  He never thought that the spoons would be that much trouble. Sammy had to think quick and said, "If we pair up, we can feed each other."    

It was a brilliant idea and the children loved it. The long handles were no longer a problem because now they could reach each other's mouths.What fun it became. They laughed and laughed.  The boys got a little out of control intentionally missing the mouth. You can imagine the mess they caused, but it was a party and why not?

It was the most unforgettable birthday party the neighborhood children ever experienced. Sammy's long handle spoons became a new birthday tradition and Sammy knew exactly where to buy them.


P.S. Boys and girls,  I have to tell you that the only reason Sammy thought no one remembered his birthday was because, his mommy and daddy had planned a SURPRISE party and the neighborhood children were keeping it a secret.  That night when his parents tucked him in bed, they told him about the surprise party and his ONLY reply was, "Gee, and I spent all my allowance on myself!  But, I will never forget THIS birthday.!!"

Belinda, a Special Friend

When Mom Mom was a little girl, I lived on a farm.  My daddy milked 60 cows in the morning and at night. When I was only eight years old , it was my job to be in the milk room at 4:00 pm every afternoon to set up the milking machines and help my brothers to clean the scuttles behind the cows. Later, we had to pitch the hay down from the hay mow for our father to feed the cows.  There were also chickens to feed and eggs to collect. There was always work to be done on the farm.

When I was nine years old, my daddy give me a little calf all to myself.  I named her Belinda.  Every morning before I went to school, I would get up, dress in my barn cloths and go out to the barn to feed Belinda.  I would give her a big hug around her neck, come back in the house and dress for school.

 I loved Belinda.  She was my best friend.  I thought a lot about her during school and could hardly wait to get home and play.  My daddy asked me if I would like to take Belinda to a 4-H fair in the Spring.  I thought that it would be a great idea.  He said that I would have to work hard to get her ready.  Every day I had to wash her all over with tide detergent, using Clorox  to wash out the stains on her sides and tail..  She would get real messy after sleeping in her pen at night.  She was the cleanest calf in the barn.  My daddy said that I was doing a good job, but I had to start training her if I wanted to take her to the fair.  By the time I took her to the fair, she had grown into a  beautiful young heifer.


The first time I put a halter on Belinda, she did not like it at all!  She yanked me all over the barn yard until I got her under control.  Finally, Belinda surrendered and I was able to lead her slowly around. She followed me very well. I really felt that she would be a blue ribbon winner at the fair.

Belinda and I never got to the fair that year because Belinda got very sick.  One morning my daddy called me into the kitchen.  We sat down together and he told me that Belinda was going blind and would not be able to go to the 4-H fair. I started to cry,"Daddy, you've got to help her.  She can't go blind."


My daddy took me out to see Belinda.  She was laying down, so helpless.  He showed me the red in her eyes and that it was contagious to other heifers.  Daddy had to separate her from the rest of the cows. But, he did have some good news.  He told me, "Belinda is going to have a baby this Fall" 


I didn't now what to say. Was I going to be a grandma an aunt or what?  I grabbed Belinda around the neck and said,"You can't go blind, not now!"  Belinda looked up at me and licked my hand to let me know how  much she loved me.  "Belinda, you are going to have a baby and I will help you to get around."


That Saturday Belinda left the barn and was put into a special pen outside.  She was quarantined, and left alone in her world of darkness.  I was her only light.  My daddy made me keep her away from the other cows until she would have her baby calf.


Late in September Belinda had her baby calf.  I was in school at the time.  When I got home and went to see to Belinda, there laying beside her was the most beautiful black and white baby calf.  "Oh Belinda," I exclaimed, "I wish you could see your sweet baby.  She looks just like you.  I am going to name her Chloe."


After Chloe was born, daddy had to take Belinda away before she infected her baby.  I never knew where she went, but my daddy told me that it was the best place for her.  I never saw Belinda again. 

Chloe,s mother wasn't there to nurse her, so I fed her special milk with a big bottle. I  felt that I had to be Chloe's mother.  I spoiled Chloe so much. I even trained her to come up to the kitchen window to eat Ritz crackers out of my hand. 


Chloe wasn't like her mother, and she wasn't afraid of  anything. She grew into a beautiful heifer that I was able to take to the 4-h fairs where She won many blue ribbons. After a day at the fair, Chloe and I would go out into the meadow and I would tell her stories about her mother. I know Belinda would of been so proud of her.

The pictures are not the original, but the closest that I could find to tell the story.

Emma's problem

Remember me?  I  am Emma Marie and I have a BIG problem.  I hope you will be able to help me.  You see, a new girl named Shelby moved into my neighborhood and I am having the worst time being her friend.  She wants to be the boss of everything and I don't know what to do.  When we play games, she always has to be first and won't play if she loses.  I really don't  like to play with Shelby, but I have been thinking. Maybe she will change if I pray for her and ask the Lord to change her heart. But maybe, I need to pray for the Lord to change my heart.  All I know is that I don't like her very much. 


I think I am going to talk with my mother to see what she says.  She is busy right now putting my baby brother to bed, but she will be in later for me.  She always likes to talk with me about my problems and is very wise.  Daddy isn't home right now, but he is very wise too. But tonight, I have a girl problem.  Here she is now.


"Emma, have you bushed your teeth and and washed your face and hands?"  


"Yes, Momma, I am all ready, but I need to talk with you about Shelby."

"What is you're problem Emma?"

"It's Shelby momma. She isn't very nice and I don't like her.  Do I have to play with her?"


"No Emma. You don't have to play with her, but I don't think that your attitude is very nice either. We need to pray."

We sat together on my bed, and prayed for the Lord to change my  attitude towards Shelby.    My mother told me that "to have a friend,  you first need to be a friend". I sure have a lot to learn.
I guess I am going to have to be a friend.  Tomorrow is a new day and I have to start sometime.   Please pray for me.

How would you handle this problem?  What would your mother tell you to do?  Perhaps, you can help me.

Good night
Emma Marie