Frances sat rocking in her rocking chair in front of the window, looking out on the road passing by the house and leading up the street to where her mother lived alone. It was February…Fred had a fire going and it was cozy. Frances gazed outside at the snow on the ground, but it was dull looking, and not beautiful like the snow usually looked like. Yet, that's how Frances' emotion was lately. Dull….She became depressed since her cancer symptoms had worsened a little, she thought…..She had a bloated abdomen now, back pain, and though she tried to eat, she couldn't keep things down, and lost weight. She was tired and felt like lying down again…..but she saw her son and daughter-in-law outside. Frances got up and started toward the kitchen doorway.

"What is it?" Fred asked. "Sit down and rest, honey. As much as you can….until Doc Clark can get us that list."

"Freddy and Irene are here." She said quietly.

"I'll go meet them…." He said, walking toward the back door. "Oh, they've got the baby with them." Fred smiled.

"Marlene…." Frances smiled.

"Yeah…And you know….I think I forgot the middle name already! Maybe, I'm getting old." Fred chuckled. It made Frances laugh a little, and she straightened the blanket that was placed over her legs.

"Frances…." She spoke up.

"What honey?"

"Frances….Marlene Frances." Frances said again. "They always decide to name them after me." She chuckled.

"This is our first grandchild…." Fred smiled.

Frances smirked at her husband but then it changed into a little grin. "I know that…..I was saying how YOU named our daughter's middle name…Frances."

"And what's so bad about that?" He asked, grinning and opened the back door to let them in. "Hey kids, c'mon in…"

"Thought you wanted to see Marlene, Mama and Papa!" Fred Jr. grinned.

"She's only about a week old and Fred can't get enough of her!" Irene smiled. "He won't stop smiling." She said, chuckling at her husband.

Frances chuckled a little, remembering how her husband was when their son was born, only 21 years ago. Now he had a child of his own! "You better not be taking this baby out so much. Wouldn't want her getting sick."

"We know, Mama." Fred Jr. smiled and kissed his mother on the cheek. "Besides, Marlene wanted to see her Grandma!" He grinned and placed his new little daughter into his mother's arms.

"Oh, so precious…" Frances smiled down at the baby in her arms. Her very first grandchild. "Is she a good baby? Doesn't give you too much trouble, now?"

"No, she's pretty good….We're still getting used to things!" Irene chuckled.

"I'd love to help you out sometime, Irene…." Frances smiled.

"Oh, thank you, Mama Lay….My mother's been helping me so far. It's going!" She chuckled. "I can always use the help."

Frances gazed down at the small newborn again. She studied her tiny face….Her eyes were closed, as she was sleeping. Marlene had the longest eyelashes! A cute little nose, and a tiny little mouth. She had very thin brown hair…..Frances held all five little fingers on one of hers. She smiled proudly, as this was her first grandchild, who also shared part of her name…Yes, Frances was quite young for a grandmother. Which she knew she couldn't help….life just pans out a little strangely sometimes.

"She's just beautiful…." Frances smiled. "You know….I think I see you in her, Irene…..but I see Freddy too."

"I was thinking the same thing….I think she looks more like Fred though." Irene smiled.

"Which one?" Fred chuckled.

"My Fred." Irene laughed and held her husband's hand.

"And considering I look more like Mama than I do you, Papa…" Fred Jr. laughed.

"Aw shut up, boy." Fred laughed, playfully whacking his son with a rolled up newspaper.

"Well, you're her Grandpa….there's gotta be some of you in her."

"Oh Lord…..do I want to think of that?" Frances laughed. "She'll probably have your silly personality!"

"I'd be honored." Fred said and they all laughed.

"Well, I think I'll give this precious girl back to her Mama…..and if you all will excuse me, I'm going to go lay down….I'm so tired."

"Sleep well, Mama." Fred Jr. smiled and kissed his mother on the cheek before she went to the bedroom.

"Papa…." Fred Jr. asked quietly after his mother had gone into the room and they were all quiet. "Is everything alright?...Is Mama alright, I mean….'bout near every time we come out here, she's exhausted….

"Everything's fine….don't you worry." Fred said. Knowing he was lying to his son…He and Frances decided to tell both Fred Jr. and Helen, when the time was more convenient….and when they knew more about the cancer and what they could do about it.

"Okay Papa…" He said solemnly, yet he looked a little confused.

(

"Now….to play a G major cord, you…"

"A G what?"

"G major cord." Helen repeated….."Or just call it a G cord."

"Well, why didn't you say so?" The young man she was teaching a guitar lesson to asked.

"Clay!...Let's get back to the lesson!"

"Okay, Helen…."

"To play a G cord, place your second finger on the third fret of the sixth string…."

"Place your what, where? What?"

"Here!" Helen said, placing his hand where it was supposed to go, with his finger in the right position. "You know this, Clay!…Just do it!"

"The first finger goes on the second fret of the fifth string…." He said placing it there.

"Correct!" Helen smiled…"Now the third finger…."

The young man put his third finger on the third fret on the first string.

"Now how are your hands supposed to be placed?"

"Well, ain't this okay?" He asked, holding the guitar.

"Sorry, I meant your fingers!"

"But we just placed my fingers where they need to go!"

"They need to be curled…."

"Like this?" He asked.

"No! Like this!" She grumbled, and took her hands and curled them as an illustration.

"You know…." Clay said, taking a hand off of the guitar and held hers…."You've got beautiful hands…."

"Clay…"

"No, I mean it…they are…." He said, rubbing his thumb on the back of her hand.

"Well, thanks…I guess." Helen said, and pulled her hand back, away from him.

"Think I could take you out on a date sometime?"

"Clay…"

"C'mon Helen….I really like you."

"Clay, I'm not…."

"Helen…." He said softly, gently grabbing her arm. "Please?..."

"I'll think about it….I'm not really focusing on dating yet…."

"But you'll think about it." He smiled…."Well….are we done with our guitar lesson?"

"You still haven't played a G cord…." Helen smirked, hands on her hips.

"Oh, I'll do it later…" He grinned, winked at her and slid out the door of her dorm room.

"Guys…" Helen smirked and shook her head and strummed her guitar a few times. "Puts off playing a simple G cord!" She huffed.

(

The months passed, the seasons changed. It was autumn now….the month of November actually. The family was coming over to celebrate Thanksgiving together…..Helen came home from college and was helping her mother get the meal together…..and Fred Jr., Irene and Marlene were to show up soon.

"I have gotten a job, Mama….so now you and Papa don't have to pay for my schooling."

"Nonsense…we want to." Frances said softly.

"I don't expect you too…..Papa works enough….and you work at the factory now…"

"Well, I haven't been working lately…." Frances said.

"Oh….and well, I don't expect Papa to do it alone…Plus, I'll be 20 in about five months. I think I should work….Anyway, I've been teaching some of the other students at college how to play guitar."

"Oh, that's good…."

"Yeah…one of them's a guy…." Helen said dicing vegetables for a vegetable tray. "Clay….Clay Ballard….and he wants to….date me."

"Oh…" Frances smiled a little. "And how do you feel about that?"

"I don't know Mama….He's nice….but he can be so….frustrating sometimes!"

"Well, as long as you feel comfortable about it….then date him. Of course, you will bring him home for us to take a look at him if you decide to date him, now won't you?" Frances smiled, wrapping an arm around her daughter.

"Of course, Mama." Helen smiled and hugged her.

"I think I better get this vegetable tray over to the table before I devour it all!" She laughed. "That's what I love about preparing a Thanksgiving dinner…..You get to swipe food every now and then! Well, it's what I love about cooking in general!" Helen laughed, grabbing a pickle from the tray and took a bite.

"Just like your father." Frances laughed. "I swear, when he carves the turkey, I need a crowbar to pry you both away from it!"

"Speaking of it, it is done yet?" Helen questioned and checked it along with her mother.

"Oh sure….go call your father and he can start carving it…" Frances said as she brought it to the table. Fred came into the kitchen readied himself with his carving utensils and went to work at carving the large bird. Sneaking a piece of meat for himself and his daughter every now and again!

"Oh Papa….I love it where there's a tiny bit of fat along with it…..I don't know why but I love it!" She laughed, eating a piece of the dark meat.

"Yeah, and its noticeable!" Fred Jr. teased his sister. "Those hips of yours…" He jutted his jaw to the side, like he always did when he joked with her.

"So what? I've got the Lay hips! Well, I've never really had a slim figure..." She said, but then thought a moment. "I don't look that bad, do I?"

"You look just fine, Helen. Your brother's only teasing you." Frances said.

"Well, I'd hope I look better! I've lost almost 16 pounds since I've been at college!"

"Don't they feed you there?" Fred asked her, chuckling.

"Oh, they feed us great!...I just don't eat a meal or two sometimes…."

"Just don't take it so far that you starve yourself, honey."

"I won't, Mama. Don't worry!...I just want to get down to a comfortable weight."

"I'd say you are…." Her father spoke up.

"If you say so, Papa!" Helen said and chuckled a little. "I beg to differ!"

(

Fred had carved the turkey and they all sat down around the table, and were to begin the family tradition where everyone went around the table and said a prayer for the meal.

"Good food, good meat, good God,…let's eat!" Fred grinned, knife and fork in hand. Everyone laughed a bit, and his wife sent him a look, but she started to laugh and then went on with her prayer.

"For food, for hope, for love and friends,…we thank the Lord for everything…."

Helen went on and prayed a small prayer, "We thank the Lord for our health and that we can all be here together today….For friends and family, those who are with us now and those who are no longer with us…."

"And for those who will be someday…" Fred Jr. grinned at his sister.

What's that supposed to mean?"

"You know….someday you'll be bringing some guy home!" He laughed.

"I hear someone already has their eye on her, back at college." Frances smiled a little.

"Mama!" Helen couldn't help but smile and started to blush. "That's just Clay….and I haven't said yes to him….."

"And why not?" Irene asked her.

"Because….I like…..somebody else."

"And who's that?"

"I don't really know…." She said quietly and chuckled a little. "I think he works for the college…..He and another man do carpentry work….."

"What does he look like?" Fred asked.

"Oh, he's tall and strong…..Black hair….he's so….sss." Helen started to say a certain word, but knew her parents would not approve of it, so she quickly changed it, "Cute….."

"You don't know his name?" Frances asked.

"No….No, I don't." Helen sighed.

"My little sister has a crush…How cute!" Fred Jr. grinned and jutted his jaw to the side. "Watching him from afar…"

"Oh, shut up Freddy." Helen said flatly. "Your Daddy's silly, Marlene. Isn't he?" Helen chuckled, looking down at her niece who was sitting on her lap. Marlene was about 8 months old or so now. She giggled and it made Helen laugh.

"Now, are we all done praying?" Fred asked, hopefully. He was hungry, and was sure everyone else was!

"Just let me say a quick one!" Irene smiled, and she did and when she had finished, there came a shout from Fred.

"CHARGE!"

Everyone started laughing again and took that as their signal to dig in to all that good food!

A/N: Marlene Frances Lay was born February 18th, 1933…..She grew up and was married at least two times that I know of, one to a man with the last name of Brosky, and the other's last name was Groh. She had two children by the first man, I believe….a son name Bruce and a daughter named Karen. Marlene died April 20th, 2010. I found her obituary on the internet, and in the memorial there was a collection of old photos! It was so neat to see! I saw one when she was just a little thing, curly blond hair, a chubby baby-like face. She was so cute! And she also grew into quite a beautiful young lady as well!...There were a few pictures of her mother, Irene, in the collection, and you can tell they look alike…..but yet, Marlene looks a bit different, so she must look more like her father….either that or a mixture or the two. :)…..I think Marlene must have been a goofball! Lol. In one of the pictures, there was Irene, Marlene and her sister Vivian. They were at a birthday party, and were dressed in these exotic, mumu-looking dresses! Lol…..There was also a picture of Marlene in a phone booth, with a silly look on her face that reminded me of the face my Mom makes when she goofs around and acting silly. Lol.

The prayers at Thanksgiving are our family tradition….The one I had Fred say, is the one my Grandpa always says….The one Frances said, was the one my Grandma recites, a Methodist prayer actually….and the one Helen said, is the one my Aunt Helen, who she's named after always says…..in some way or another. And also the "CHARGE!" is shouted by my Grandpa at the last prayer, giving us the signal to eat! Lol. :) So that's basically my family's Thanksgiving/Christmas tradition….again, like this chapter, we always have TONS of laughter, no matter the topic! :)

Grandpa always carves the turkey or ham, giving us pieces here and there. Like Fred and Helen did in the chapter….A few of my family members love the fat along with the meat, so I thought it would be a thing to put it in.

Well, I hope you all have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving! :)