Emilie Richards's Blog, page 135

Treasure Beach: Chapter Five, Part Three

Not sure why you're here or what to do?  Visit this page for enlightenment and instructions.  And don't forget to visit quilter Pat Sloan's website to sew along on the charming Happiness Key quilt that goes along with the series.

Chapter Five debuts this month.  Do you prefer to read  in one big gulp instead of having the story doled out in parts?   Look for a complete chapter pdf on the last Tuesday of each month through July.  In the meantime, i f you're new and you've missed the first four chapters?  Here are links to those pdfs:  Chapter One.  Chapter Two.  Chapter Three.  Chapter Four.   

Treasure Beach: Chapter Five, Part Three

By the end of the evening Olivia figured she had learned a few important things. One, she was going to have to learn to bake pies as yummy as Wanda's. Pie opened doors. Wanda had breezed into the Channel 6 newsroom after sweet talking her way past the guard who happened to be a regular customer at Wanda's Wonderful Pies. Then she had charmed the receptionist with a huge slab of Key lime with coconut crust, and finally the station's meterologist, himself, with the rest of it.

"And he really does know about things like tides and stuff," Olivia told the others. "He made me show him on his map where I found the bottle, then he calculated out the whole thing. Well, sort of."

"He made a calculated guess," Wanda said. They were sitting in Alice's living room, and everybody had just about finished their own slices of pie. "All anybody could do."

"He said the bottle was probably launched from the town beach right there in Palmetto Grove, although it's possible it came from a sea wall in one of the developments half a mile on either side," Olivia told them. "But he was betting the beach. He thought somebody probably threw it as the tide went out, maybe waded out a ways so it didn't get tossed back on a wave and smash up against a wall. I told him the bottle was undamaged."

They had all started the evening with a trip to Treasure Beach. Olivia had needed to show them where she found the bottle, but she hadn't told them the name she and Lizzie had given the stretch of golden sand, true to that promise, at least. She suspected the other women had all been there before, since nobody was surprised when she led them to the spot. After that the group had split up, everybody with a mission.

"I definitely covered ever discount store in Palmetto Grove," Tracy said, digging through her purse. "And I hit a couple of the specialty stationery shops, but a couple more were closed, so I'll check with them tomorrow. The good news is that I found a tablet with assorted colors of paper including turquoise that looks just like the paper the note's written on." She pulled out a sample tablet and held it up before she handed it to Olivia.

"The bad news is that I found it at Walmart," Tracy finished.

Everybody groaned.

"So we will not be able to single out whoever bought it, if they did buy it there?" Janya asked.

Tracy shook her head. "I talked to the store manager, and he says they sell lots of those tablets and there's no way we could track it. Just too complicated and time consuming for them, and private, besides."

"We can ask Kenny," Wanda said. "Might be different if the investigation is official."

Sunday Poetry: That He Could Hold Me Was A Given

Welcome to Sunday Poetry.  If this is your first visit you can read about the purpose and inspiration here.    

What's your part?  Just slow down a little and come along for the read–or sometimes, for the listen. No analysis needed or required. Let the poem sink in and move you wherever it may. If you'd like to tell us what the day's poem means in your life, or what word or phrase you've chosen to reflect on in the coming week, or where those reflections have taken you, we would be honored to have you comment. 

Today is Father's Day, and so we have a poem about fathers to enjoy.  Not Forgotten by Sheila Packa comes to us from The Writer's Almanac, and in addition to reading it yourself, you can hear it read by Garrison Keillor if you click on "Listen" just under the date it aired.

The last "father" poem I featured here brought a number of comments on my Facebook page.  It was hard for some of you to read and think about. I think this one will affect you differently.  To fathers everywhere.

Third Winner in the Great Pie Giveaway

Giving away prizes?  Almost as much fun as the entries I've gotten.  Today's winner (you have to read to the end) receives the third of four boxes. 

Inside?  A porcelain pie bird (for venting pie crusts) and a pewter pie charm.  A signed copy of Sunset Bridge, a pie top cutter, a Wanda's Wonderful Pies apron, Key lime pie soap, Key lime pie mix, Martha Stewart's Pies and Tarts,  and a silly Florida watch to wear whenever she needs a trip to Happiness Key. 

And don't forget when all the boxes are gone, there's still a grand prize, the winner's choice (depending on availability) of a Kindle or a Breville Pie Maker from Williams-Sonoma– with the results of the pie maker pictured here.

Did you miss the rules?  You'll find them here and here.  There's still time to enter, and it's both simple and fun.  Just think pie.  Winners are chosen randomly from all correct entries.

When I was writing Sunset Bridge (at your favorite bookstore on June 28th) I needed the name of a new specialty pie for Wanda, and decided on Million Dollar pie.  Of course I had to check to be sure there wasn't a Million Dollar pie in existence, and of course, there was.  My Million Dollar Pie then became Pie in the Sky.  This week Madonna entered the pie prize giveaway with exactly that pie, which she says has been passed around her church for ages.  Have you had this one?

Million Dollar Pie

8 oz. cream cheese

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup Eagle Brand milk

1/4 cup lemon juice

Blend ingredients together until smooth. Then blend in:

1/2 can drained, crushed pineapple

1/2 cup pecans

Pour into baked pie shell and let

set in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Top with whipped cream which has been

blended with 1/2 can drained pineapple

and 1/2 cup pecans

Kay from Minnesota's Raspberry Pie comes with a story attached.  I'm posting exactly as I got and enjoyed it.  What a summery treat this one is.

"To me, summer means fresh fruit pies, complete with whipped cream. My first attempt at baking a pie by myself was fairly dismal: my great aunt's recipe simply said, "make a crust." My aunt decided I needed more detailed instructions, so provided me with the following recipe. Her extra comments make me smile every time I pull out this recipe! And that is what family recipes are all about: cherishing old memories and making new ones."

Raspberry Pie

Crust: Mix together 3 cups of flour and 1 tsp. salt

Cut in 1 & 1/3 c. of shortening

Mix together 1 tsp. vinegar, 1 egg, and 6 TBSP cold water

Add to dry ingredients

You can work the crust all you want and its not suppose to get tough. I can patch tires with mine.

Roll out, fit into a pie plate, and bake@ 425 for about 8 minutes. If you smell it burning, tooooo late!

Makes 3 single crusts. Refrigerate what you don't use – it will keep several weeks.

Fresh raspberry filling (for one pie)

1 quart of fresh raspberries

Cook together until thick:

1 cup water

3/4 c. sugar

2 TBSP flour

1 TBSP cornstarch

When this mixture is thick, add one CUP of the fresh raspberries. Cook a little bit longer. Cool.

Place the remaining fresh raspberries in a baked and cooled pie crust. Pour cooked berry mixture over the top. Chill and serve with gobs of whipped cream and watch the hips grow!

And the winner of the third Great Pie Giveaway is StichnRN, who sent this story about her daughter's piemaking adventures.

"When my daughter was in 4-H, and the year came around for pies, she was given a blue ribbon in the initial judging. She got a phone call that afternoon asking where her pie was for final judging for champion etc.  Someone had "lost" her pie, so she wasn't eligible for any higher awards, and it was a delicious fresh blueberry pie. next she entered the open pie contest the fair does every year for 4-H scholarships. This is open to anyone who wants to bake and donate a pie. She won it. Our local congressman bought her pie for $600. She had made a total of 6 pies by then, and won over many skilled, experienced bakers."

I think it was no accident that blueberry pie disappeared.  I bet it ended up in somebody's grateful tummy.  So glad your daughter went on to other honors, and she sounds like a great daughter to have.  Congratulations and enjoy your prize box.

Treasure Beach: Chapter Five, Part Two

Not sure why you're here or what to do?  Visit this page for enlightenment and instructions.  And don't forget to visit quilter Pat Sloan's website to sew along on the charming Happiness Key quilt that goes along with the series.

Chapter Five debuts this month.  Do you prefer to read  in one big gulp instead of having the story doled out in parts?   Look for a complete chapter pdf on the last Tuesday of each month through July.  In the meantime, i f you're new and you've missed the first four chapters?  Here are links to those pdfs:  Chapter One.  Chapter Two.  Chapter Three.  Chapter Four.   

Treasure Beach: Chapter Five, Part Two

Olivia was bored. Her grandmother was feeling a lot better, and that was good, but she was still using Nana as an excuse not to be with her friends. There was a birthday party in town tonight and a barbecue on Sunday, but she had turned down the invitations. She liked all the girls just fine, just not enough to pretend she really wanted to be with them. Still the decision had come at a price. There was nothing on television she wanted to watch, and any moment now, Nana would probably suggest gin rummy or maybe Scrabble. Olivia wasn't in the mood for those, either.

She was scraping the dinner dishes when somebody knocked. "Will you get that?" her grandmother asked. She didn't seem surprised they had company, but then the neighbors often dropped by unannounced.

When Olivia opened the door all the neighborhood women were waiting on the doorstep. For a moment she wondered if Alice had been in charge of one of their weekly dinners and everyone had come for a meal. It was Thursday, their traditional day, but she'd been told they were postponing a few days until her grandmother felt better.

She saw immediately that Wanda had two pie carriers. She always brought pie when they gathered for dinner. But Wanda made it clear right away that they weren't there to eat.

"We're going to kidnap you awhile," Wanda said.

Olivia wondered if the three women had put their heads together and admitted that every one of them had told Olivia why Lizzie and Dana had left so suddenly and maybe now they were here to make sure she stayed quiet about it. But no, nobody looked mad at anybody else, or at her, either.

"I'm helping Nana with the dishes," she said.

"No. . ." Alice spoke from behind her. "You go on, Olivia. I'll . . . be fine."

"But where are we going?"

"We are going to solve the mystery of the message in the bottle," Wanda said, "and we only have a couple more hours of daylight to do it. You coming or not?"

"Sure. But I thought–"

"Well, you were wrong," Tracy said, cutting her off. "We're going to do what we can to get to the bottom of this. If it's important to you, it's important to us."

For a moment Olivia didn't know what to say. She thought she might even cry. Every one of the women had made it clear they thought the note was a joke, but even after working all day, they were still here to help her find the truth.

Olivia swallowed hard. "I already checked at Randall's." Her voice sounded squeaky. "They weren't much help."

"Well, Ms. Deloche here put together a list for us," Wanda said. "Each of us is going to take a different job, then meet back here for pie. Your grandmother's going to have everything ready." Wanda held out one of the carriers to Alice. "Blackberry chiffon. It'll melt in your mouth."

"I'll have coffee and tea," Alice said. "You go on now."

"Who's the other one for?" Olivia asked Wanda.

"You and me, we're going to bribe a weatherman."

Sunday Poetry: Of Coffee Cake and Ripe Peaches

Welcome to Sunday Poetry.  If this is your first visit you can read about the purpose and inspiration here.    

What's your part?  Just slow down a little and come along for the read–or sometimes, for the listen. No analysis needed or required. Let the poem sink in and move you wherever it may. If you'd like to tell us what the day's poem means in your life, or what word or phrase you've chosen to reflect on in the coming week, or where those reflections have taken you, we would be honored to have you comment. 

Today's poem, So Much Happiness, is by Naomi Shihab Nye and brought to us by the Writer's Almanac.  Remember, if you'd like to hear it read by Garrison Keillor, click on "Listen" just under the date this poem aired there.

Have you ever felt this way, so happy there was no way to contain it all?  Happiness you're not responsible for, happiness that just is?  I love the way that feeling is captured here.  Isn't this a timely reminder to just let happiness flow?  And if you can do that, the start to a particularly good day?

Second Winner in the Great Pie Giveaway and More

Another winner in the Great Pie Giveaway today.  But once again, you'll have to read to the end to find out who the lucky winner is.  There are two more gift boxes to give away this month.  The photos are just some of the prizes I'm giving away, along with pie cookbooks, pie servers, pie birds, pie mixes, T-shirts, watches, a Happiness Key keychain, and too many others to mention.  Each box is different, plus there's a grand prize.  On July 1 I'll choose a winner for an Amazon Kindle or a Breville pie maker–winner's choice as long as both are still available–what are the chances Amazon will discontinue it's popular ereader?

Did you miss the rules?  You'll find them here and here.  There's still time to enter, and it's both simple and fun.  Just think pie.  Winners are chosen randomly from all correct entries.

Today instead of pie recipes, I thought I'd let some of the contest entrants tell their pie stories here.  You'll see the wonderful range I've received.  Funny, sentimental, thoughtful.  What a great bunch of readers you are.

This smile-inducing family story comes from Thea and reminds us that pie does make memories:

"When my GGM was a teenager, she decided to make a raisin pie. She carefully filled the pastry crust with all the ingredients listed on the recipe, and baked the pie according to the instructions. After supper that night, her older brother was eager for a piece of that raisin pie, so he cut himself a big slice and stuffed a huge fork full into his mouth and chomped down on it…. and then let out a yelp! ….she had forgotten to soak the raisins in hot water, and the pie filling was like pea gravel!! Such a beautiful pie…full of rock hard raisins. Her brothers teased her about it for decades. At family reunions, someone would always ask if she had brought a raisin pie."

And from Jean, a giggler: 

"Early in my marriage, I would bake cakes for our desserts. I grew up with dessert with every meal, so I continued the tradition. My husband would eat a slice the first evening and then decline thereafter. Needless to say, I was gaining too much weight finishing off the cake. Occasionaly I would bake a pie and it would be gone in a flash. My husband would have seconds and even have some for breakfast the next day. He asked why I didn't bake pies more often. I told him that a cake would last for days and the pie was gone in one or two days. His reply was, "That's because I don't like cake!" I never did become a pie-baker and now he's my ex-husband."

Finally from Dee, a wonderful lump-in-the-throat story about the differences we make in the lives of those we love: 

"As a young child, I had no self esteem. Bad life, but a MARVELOUS Grandmother who did her very best to help me see myself as being a worthwhile human being. She taught me to sew, to cook, we both loved old movies and reading in bed late at night and sleeping in.

One of her successes was teaching me to make pie crust. I seemed to have a real feel for it. Whenever she was having company, or was going to a potluck, she'd pick me up, we'd make pie for her occasion. It was an accomplishment that I still practice to this day. We usually made apple, but practiced other kinds.

Thanks for reminding me about those great times. And I work hard to be that type of Grandma – Encouraging and loving."

I'm delighted so many great stories are coming to the surface.  Now for that winner?  Congratulations to Linda, who submitted two wonderful recipes and this story to go with the first.

"This is a recipe my family has enjoyed for many years. They HAVE to have it on holidays, even though its not the normal holiday pie. I received it from my Home Ec teacher while I was in the 7th grade, and still have the mimeograph paper it was run on. We had a restaurant in Fort Pierce, FL that was known and famous for this Peanut Butter Pie. People came for miles for this pie, really!! It sounds difficult to make, but really isn't. I have doubled the recipe and it comes out just fine."

Peanut Butter Pie

Peanut Butter Crumbs:

1/3 c. peanut butter

3/4 c. powdered sugar

Blend as for pastry until well mixed and mealy. Spread 2/3 of this over a baked crust (I usually use Pillsbury in the roll, or make my own)

*reserve the remainder for the top

Cream Filling:

2 cups milk, scalded

1/3 c. flour

1/2 c. sugar

1/8 tsp. salt

3 eggs yolks slightly beaten

2 Tbs. butter

1 tsp. vanilla

Combine flour, sugar & salt.  Blend in scalded milk. Cook over boiling water until thickened. (Or carefully in a saucepan, stirring constantly.)  Blend mixture into slightly beaten egg yolks & return to heat & cook 2 more minutes. Add butter & vanilla stir to melt butter. Turn into pie shell and top with meringue.

Meringue:

3 egg whites

9 Tbs. sugar

1/4 tsp. cream of tartar

1 tsp. cornstarch

Beat egg whites until stiff enough to hold shape; Add cream of tartar; Mix sugar & cornstarch together, then slowly add. Beat until stiff & shiny.

Spread over filled pie, making peaks. Sprinkle the remaining peanut butter crumbs on top.

Bake @ 350 for 15 to 20 min. (light brown)

Cool.

Emilie adds "enjoy!"  And thank you, Linda for a new recipe to try.  Have fun with the prize box coming your way.

Treasure Beach: Chapter Five, Part One

Not sure why you're here or what to do?  Visit this page for enlightenment and instructions.  And don't forget to visit quilter Pat Sloan's website to sew along on the charming Happiness Key quilt that goes along with the series.

Chapter Five debuts this month.  Do you prefer to read  in one big gulp instead of having the story doled out in parts?   Look for a complete chapter pdf on the last Tuesday of each month through July.  In the meantime, i f you're new and you've missed the first four chapters?  Here are links to those pdfs:  Chapter One.  Chapter Two.  Chapter Three.  Chapter Four.   

Treasure Beach: Chapter Five, Part One

Wednesday night Tracy didn't sleep as well as usual, and not because Marsh was in Russia, and there had been no bedtime phone call. Because, despite doing everything she could to cheer up Olivia, the girl had still seemed dejected when Tracy took her back to Alice's in the late afternoon.

Finally, just as they passed the entrance to Happiness Key, Tracy had broken down, pulled to the side of the road, sworn Olivia to secrecy, and told her what she could about Dana and Lizzie's situation. Dana had done something courageous but dangerous, and now the two Turners had to move frequently to prevent detection. The other neighbors would have been stunned to know Tracy had broken their promise of silence. But she hadn't been able to let Olivia keep on believing that Lizzie had just left without a real goodbye, for no good reason.

Olivia had listened gravely, promised not to tell anybody what Tracy had said, and insisted that yes, she was happy to know Lizzie was really okay, just somewhere safer with her mother. Only judging from her expression, the news hadn't done much to improve her mood.

As she was getting out of the car Olivia had finally shown some animation. "Will you let me know when Marsh comes back? He knows all about tides and stuff. I bet he can tell me how that bottle washed up here."

"The bottle with the message?"

Olivia stared at her, as if Tracy had dropped a notch in her estimation. "That bottle. Right."

"I'm sorry. I didn't know you were still trying to track down. . . you know."

"Somebody has to care," Olivia said.

Tracy knew better than to point out all the reasons why this time, nobody really had to. To Olivia, the message was a plea for help not a joke. If nothing else, that concern showed she was still connected to something and somebody. That had to be a good thing.

"I will certainly tell him," Tracy'd said. Olivia had smiled her thanks, the smile of someone pretty sure that no help was actually on the way, and went straight inside.

Now, just after dawn, Tracy had an idea. Everybody was worried about Olivia, but they had all missed the obvious. The girl was interested in one thing right now, and instead of showing interest themselves, they had tried to persuade her to forget it. Didn't Tracy know from her own life that a real friend supported you even when you were being illogical or overly emotional? Look how they had all turned out for Wanda on Tuesday. They hadn't questioned whether firing her assistant was a good idea, they had just showed up to help as needed.

She went for her usual early morning run, but on the way back, with a plan in mind, she knocked on Wanda's door, panting as Wanda came to open it.

"You just caught me," Wanda said. "I'm about to leave. What's up?"

Tracy told her. Wanda rolled her eyes. "Tonight?"

"Sooner's better than later."

"I'm in."

Tracy waved goodbye and headed to Janya's. Luckily Janya, too, was an early riser. As she waited, Tracy did a few stretches.

"Will you be joining us for breakfast?" Janya asked as she opened the door.

"No, but I need you tonight." Tracy explained her plan, and Janya nodded sagely.

"Yes, that is what's needed," she agreed, when Tracy finished. "I will be in town painting today, but I will be ready tonight. Is there a special way I should dress? Doesn't Sherlock Holmes wear a certain hat and carry a magnifying glass?"

Tracy turned to finish her run, waving goodbye as she did. "Skip that part. Just be comfy."

Sunday Poetry: Now there is time and Time is young

Welcome to Sunday Poetry.  If this is your first visit you can read about the purpose and inspiration here.    

What's your part?  Just slow down a little and come along for the read–or sometimes, for the listen. No analysis needed or required here. Let the poem sink in and move you wherever it may. If you'd like to tell us what the day's poem means in your life, or what word or phrase you've chosen to reflect on in the coming week, or where those reflections have taken you, we would be honored to have you comment. 

Just as I remembered it was time to choose this week's poem, Now I Become Myself by May Sarton appeared in my RSS feed from  The Writer's Almanac.  If you've read the past two poems, this one will seem to be the third of a set.  All three are, in some part, about stopping and listening, about paying attention.  First, for a moment, then at the beginning of a day, and now, as life winds down and catches up with the poet who finally stops running.

I particularly love: "I have been dissolved and shaken, Worn other people's faces."   Haven't we all?  Yet when we stop, when we pay attention, how different our lives become.  "O, in this single hour, I live All of myself and do not move."

May Sarton was a novelist, poet and particularly recognized for her journals.  She died in 1995 but left behind an amazing legacy.

First Winner in the Great Pie Prize Giveaway and Pie Recipes, too.

We have a winner in the first week of the Great Pie Prize Giveaway, but you must finish the blog to discover her name (and yes, it is a her) and entry. If you haven't yet entered, why not? You can find details on rules and prizes here and here, and it's both simple and fun.

We have three more gift boxes filled with pie goodies to give away, with winners chosen randomly each Friday in June. Plus on July 1st (2011) the grand prize giveaway of either a Kindle from Amazon or a Breville Pie Maker from Williams-Sonoma (subject to availability). Entries accepted through June 30th so why not enter now for more chances at prizes?

I've enjoyed reading the entries so much, both the recipes and the anecdotes. Today and every Friday I'll share a few for you to enjoy, too.

This recipe from Gale in Newfoundland sounds like a winner. It comes from a pie cookbook, Company's Coming, that she gave her mother. When her mother passed away, the cookbook came back to Gale, and this recipe became a favorite.

Japanese Fruit Pie

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter or margarine melted and cooled

1/2 cup coconut

12 cup raisins

1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

1 tsp vanilla

2 tsp vinegar

Unbaked 9 inch pie shell (Gale uses Pillsbury)

Beat eggs in mixing bowl until frothy. Beat in sugar and butter.

Add next 5 ingredients. Stir.

Pour into pie shell. Bake on bottom shelf in 350 degrees oven about 40 minutes until set.

Gale says it's super easy to make and the combination of coconut and raisins make this a winner any time. Emilie says it sounds scrumptious.

Susan from Pennsylvania sent this recipe for Strawberry Pie. I'll let her tell the story.

"I happened to be at Burkholder Fabrics in Denver, PA (Lancaster County region) shopping for quilt fabrics, of course, where a lovely Mennonite woman, named Lorraine works. She was serving one of her Strawberry pies to a group of women who come up from Virginia every year to shop & have Lorraine's homemade pies. Lorraine had an extra pie for sale that day & I bought it of course! It was sensational! Lorraine was generous enough to share her recipe with me & several other women. I make this pie with fresh strawberries every year. Today is Memorial Day & I made it again to share with my family at our Memorial Day Barbeque!"

Fresh Strawberry Pie

Filling:

3/4 cup of sugar

3 heaping tablespoons of Clear Gel–cooked type

1 cup water

4 tablespoons strawberry Jello

1-2 quarts of fresh strawberries

Whipped cream–save for topping the pie

Cook the sugar, Clear Gel and water together until very thick and; turning clear. Then add 4 tablespoons of strawberry Jello, mix well and cool. Then stir in 1-2 quarts of fresh strawberries.

Crust:

4 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 cup Crisco

1 egg

1 tablespoon vinegar

1/2 cup hot water

Mix first four ingredients together until crumbly. Mix vinegar, egg and hot water together, then add to crumbly mix. Roll out the dough and place it in a pie plate, cook until golden.

Let cool, then add the strawberry filling and top with whipped cream.

(Emilie makes this pie crust, and it's the easiest and most foolproof out there, although it DOES have a lot of Crisco in it. Be warned, this recipe makes four single crusts or two double, but the extra can be divided and frozen for your next pies.)

And finally, here's a link to our randomly selected winner's recipe. Nancy says this about this yummy Apple-Cranberry Pie recipe:

"I make a lot of pies at Christmas time, and my absolute favorite is the apple pie with cranberries that I first tasted while visiting my grandmother-in-law with my husband.

I had never had it before, and she was a REALLY great pie maker. She was so matter-of-fact about it. She just got the recipe off the package of fresh cranberries in the grocery store. It was soooo good.

I never found the recipe on a cranberry package, but Pillsbury had one on the inside of their prepackaged piecrust boxes. That very Christmas, I made it and served it to the family and it was a BIG hit in my house, so much so, that now EVERY family get together, that is my assigned item to bring. I don't even have to ask anymore what I am to bring."

Congratulations, Nancy, and thank you for this wonderful link.  Your prize box will be mailed next week.  What are the rest of you waiting for?

Treasure Beach: Chapter Four, Part Four

Not sure why you're here or what to do?  Visit this page for enlightenment and instructions.  And don't forget to visit quilter Pat Sloan's website to sew along on the Happiness Key quilt that goes along with the series.

Chapter Four debuts this week.  Do you prefer to read  in one big gulp instead of having the story doled out in parts?   Look for a complete chapter pdf on the last Tuesday of each month through July.  In the meantime, i f you're new and you've missed the first three chapters?  Here are links to those pdfs:  Chapter One.  Chapter Two.  Chapter Three.

Treaure Beach: Chapter Four, Part Four

Jessie Patterson had moved to Palmetto Grove at about the same time Lizzie had. She was thin but solid, like somebody who liked to play sports, although Olivia didn't know if she actually did or not. She had short spiky dark hair and pierced ears, more than one hole in each, which was something Lizzie had noticed and envied. Jessie was one of those girls who would probably get a tattoo the moment her mother said she could. In the meantime she wore ripped jeans and rock group T-shirts and hung out with a couple of boys who were older than their classmates because they had been held back. None of the girls that Olivia had hung out with liked Jessie. She was just too different.

"Hey, Livvy. Is Brandon going to pitch?"

Olivia wished she could just slide off the seat and go back inside to find Tracy, but it was too late now. She didn't look at the other girl. "I don't know."

"He's pretty good, but I like the other pitcher better. Fernando? He's Raoul's brother. You know Raoul, right?"

Raoul was one of the boys Jessie spent all her time with. Olivia guessed he had a good excuse for not keeping up in class. English was kind of new to him. Whenever the class studied Spanish, Raoul and a couple of others had gone to a different classroom for tutoring. Jessie, who had lived in Mexico before coming to Palmetto Grove, usually went off to the library since her Spanish was already perfect.

"I know Raoul," Olivia said.

"Fernando's teaching him to pitch, too. Fernando's not as flashy as Brandon is, but he's the one to watch. By the time he's a senior, the scouts will be here trying to sign him up."

Olivia wished Jessie would go away. "Uh huh."

"You're a pretty good softball player. We were on the same team at the end of the year, remember?"

"I guess."

"Where's Lizzie? I like her. She's always friendly to me."

"Gone." Olivia glanced at the other girl. Today Jessie had on normal clothes, shorts and a paisley smocked top that showed off a golden tan. "She moved away."

"Wow, the Lizzie half of the Lizzie-Livvy team, huh? That sucks."

"We were friends, not a team."

"Yeah, well, I bet you miss her."

Olivia turned back to watch what little action there was on the field and didn't reply.

"Here's the thing about Lizzie," Jessie said after a while. "When I talked to her, she actually answered me."

"I don't feel like talking."

"To me. You don't feel like talking to me. I get that. You've figured out who'll be good to know in middle school and who won't, and I don't make the cut. That's okay. You're right, I won't be good to know. I hang out with people who interest me, not the suck ups and the fakes. And not the ones who think they're better than anybody else."

Jessie got to her feet. "So nice having a chat with you, Livvy. Won't bother you again."

Olivia watched Jessie edge down the aisle, then take the steps down to the front. In a minute, she had disappeared behind the bleachers. Olivia reminded herself she was just avoiding disappointment. So why, if that was true, did she feel disappointed anyway?