Image by Juraj Varga from Pixabay
Eleven-year-old Velma Trent, as immune to the drama around her as her grandmother namesake Mrs. Velma Stepforth and also her other grandmother Gladys Jubilee Trent were, was just sharing with her best friends eleven-year-old Eleanor and ten-year-old Andrew Ludlow what she was getting ready to do over dinner.
“It sure is,” Eleanor said.
“The grandparent withdrawals are finally over,” Andrew said.
“I mean, if something had happened, and we had to stay with Cousin Harry and Cousin Maggie, we could have made it work because they love us and we love them,” Eleanor said, “but Papa and Grandma are really the only people who have been there for us from the beginning.”
“I'm so glad they are home,” Andrew said. “I'm not even mad at Edwina being loud – this is a new beginning for all of us that we needed.”
“I think your grandparents needed it too, and are doing real good, because your grandfather wasn't even a little bit mad,” Velma said. “You can always tell in that voice of his, but he was so peaceful … that eight weeks of work changed him.”
“Yeah,” Eleanor said. “Papa got his work done, and you can tell.”
“So, I'm thinking that there are no white-leaved winter trees," Velma said, "but almond trees bloom pure white, and then your grandmother's hair is just lovely autumn, and together they are staying young because of y'all, so that's where I'm starting, with them all grown into each other.”
“Wow – the autumn rebloom!” Eleanor said. “They will love that!”
“I just need to know what kinds of saplings y'all want to be, “ Velma said, “and let your siblings know I need to know from them. There's no hurry because it is going to take a while for me to paint this.”
“Can we be the same type of tree, Ellie?” Andrew said. “We've kinda grown into each other as sister and brother although we are cousins.”
“So, I'm the oldest grandchild, but my father was Robert Jr., just like with Edwina and Robert III,” Eleanor said. “Andrew is the second-oldest grandchild, but Anne Ludlow was his mother, just like with George, Amanda, and Grayson. So we spent the longest in different households, but the day we met we knew we were just what the other was looking for in a sibling.”
“I see y'all as the green little versions of your grandparents,” Velma said, “so I was going to paint y'all as a smaller fractal version – not quite a copy, but you can see the self-similarity – also kinda watching over your little siblings.”
“That's perfect,” Eleanor said.
“Yep,” Andrew said. “Now, I'm telling you, if you open this up, there's no telling what the tree life of our siblings is going to be like.”
“Well,” Velma said, “in an autumn picture, almost any color can be done in a tree, and since autumn is reblooming, we can get in the spring colors too – actually, really, all of y'all can be spring trees.”
“You know Lil' Robert is going to be a little red leaf plum or red maple,” Eleanor said with a gentle laugh.
“He could also be the reddest autumn tree we've ever seen,” Andrew said.
“Yeah, sweet gum trees can get to some crazy red,” Velma said. “It's all good. It's a brand new canvas. We can work it all out.”
Stopping by to wishing you a Happy New Year! I hope your 2025 will be filled with more abudance 😊
And a Happy New Year to you too -- and a more abundant New Year to you too!
I planted this tree from a sea bean I found on the beach, here in Fl we do not have many trees that change color, it is green all year and in the winter it turns red, google lens says it is an Indian almond tree.
It is a pretty tree -- Lil' Robert would absolutely LOVE that!
thanks