Just Barely

Today, after 14 games of Scrabble with HARD1, I finally won a game, but just barely. Maybe HARD1 is the one who had the Benadryl  or maybe I just needed to take Benadryl to beat him. At least, my nose isn’t dripping on my iPhone4 anymore. The score was 332-318 with me winning by just 14 points. I have now won 7.14% of my games with HARD1.

I may just not play anymore now that I’ve beaten him. I know it was just a fluke.

Actually, since I first wrote this, I have now played a total of 18 games and have won two (the second by 82 points). It figures out to 11.11% now.  He still beats me by an average of 130 points, so I don’t think I’ll announce a parade in my honor just yet.

I had a great nap this morning after taking Benadryl and may take some more if my eyes start itching and my nose starts running again. Boy, that’s annoying.

Writing Prompt – a description of the prompt is at the end of the blogpost:

Veronica couldn’t figure out what her mother was up to. She thought her grandmother might be in on it. She’d come home early from school and, as soon as she slammed the door, she heard a lot of scurrying and rustling around in her mother’s sewing room. When she tried to open the sewing room door, it was locked.

“Hey, Mom. Why’d ya lock the door?” She jiggled the doorknob and pushed, but to no avail.

Her mother and grandmother looked so uncomfortable when they finally opened the door and sidled through it. They had that look of innocence people get when they’re trying not to look guilty.

“Whatcha doin’?” she asked.

“Nothing. Just trying to straighten things up in there.” Her mom didn’t sound too convincing as she made sure the door was locked. Grandma just smiled.

“Come see what I made.” Mom said as she herded her toward the kitchen and away from the sewing room. It was an obvious attempt to change the subject but… well, she did it pretty effectively.

“Oh, Mom.” Veronica inhaled the spicy aroma of her favorite ginger snaps. The cookies her mom makes contain a little cayenne pepper for an added bite-back. They were Veronica’s very favorite.

When she reached for a handful, her mother touched her wrist. “Just a couple or you’ll spoil your dinner.”

“Aw, Mom,” Veronica protested. “How about three? They’re kind of small.”

“Okay, but no more than three,” Her mom shook her head as if she couldn’t believe she was allowing it. “Now, how was your final final today? It was the last test, wasn’t it? You don’t have to go back to school until graduation.”

“It wasn’t too bad, but I had studied really hard. Funny how it’s always easier if you study.” She fetched a glass and filled it with milk.

After she savored the last drop of milk and her last ginger snap, Veronica said, “So, Mom, what’s the big secret in the sewing room? I know you thought I’d forget if you showed me the cookies, but I didn’t.” She gave her mom a big grin.

“It’s nothing. We’re just moving some things around and don’t want anyone going in there and messing it up. Do I need to put up a sign saying ‘Keep out. This means you.’?”

Veronica was not convinced, but she figured she’d better not push it. She thought she might be able to slip down after everyone was asleep. Of course, it wouldn’t do her much good unless she had the key. She figured she would try to get it from her mom later. Besides, she had to get ready for Chloe’s party that night.

Graduation Day finally arrived. Veronica had never found a way into the sewing room.

Her parents were giving a big party. There was all kinds of great food and a band they had hired for the night. Rubix Cubed played 80’s music and were a favorite of her and her friends. She felt very blessed to have such a wonderful party.

When it came time to open gifts, her mother and grandmother handed her a large box wrapped in colorful graduation-themed paper. She hefted the box. It was pretty heavy, but the box must have held something soft. It had a little give to it.

She carefully took off the paper and found a patchwork quilt. She couldn’t believe her mother would give her something that was so ugly. The backing of the quilt was a pretty silver blue, but the patches used contained a variety of different patterns put together in what seemed like a very haphazard fashion.

Her mom and grandma looked at her, eagerly waiting her reaction. She didn’t want them to know what she really thought of it, so she smiled broadly and thanked them profusely. She reached for the next present, not noticing the downcast faces of the gift-givers.

“Oh, Veronica,” her friend Chloe said later. “What do you thing of your Milestone Quilt?”

“My what?” asked Veronica.

“Your Milestone Quilt.” Chloe was puzzled that Veronica didn’t know what it was. “I wish my mom had had the foresight and taken the time to create such a beautiful reminder of my growing up.”

Veronica looked more closely at the quilt. As she did, she recognized a lot of the patches. The central patches were made of what could only have been her christening gown. She saw pieces of the dress she had worn her very first day of school and the gingham shirt she’d worn her first day of middle school. She could hardly contain herself as she discovered “milestone” after “milestone.” The dress she wore when she broke arm. She was sure the pieces in the corners were from her first tutu. On the outside between the corners were pieces of her Brownie costume, her Girl Scout outfit, and her track suit. She couldn’t believe how much history was wrapped up in a single quilt.

Her mother must have planned this from the time she was a baby, but never said a word about it. Veronica just figured those old clothes had been given away or discarded. She never knew her mother had been putting them away for almost eighteen years.

Tears filled her eyes as she thought of her ungratefulness. She hurried over to her mother and grandmother and hugged them both.

“Today it was proven that I have the best mom and grandma in the whole world. Thanks so much for the beautiful quilt. I’ll be able to use it to tell my kids about my growing up.”

The prompt was: Write about a quilt or a blanket but putting it on top would have given away the story.