Charlyn’s Web

I was working in the garden one warm day with the Wild Children  running naked through the sprinkler when the Dog began to bark.  The kids excitedly yelled “it’s the mail-lady!”.  We aren’t very PC here and still call our mail carrier by the gender specific label.

I thought, well that’s not too bad- she’s seen me in all sorts of states.

I walked over to the parking area on the other end of the house thinking that I probably should wash the mud off my hands and realizing that the car wasn’t acting like the mail car.  As I advanced, I could tell that there were two, rather prim looking older ladies in the car.  The Dog, whose middle name is Golden Retriever, was excitedly jumping all over the place.  When the ladies saw me coming they got out of the car.  One asked if she could give the Dog a treat, I said yes and the Traitor was theirs for life.

There they stood, trying to save my eternal soul, in their nice skirts and neat hair.  There I stood with  mud on my hands, my low cut brown tank top, bright blue shorts and holey straw hat trying to sound semi-intelligent.  My naked daughters settled themselves on the step to watch with interest while my shy son went in the house to put clothes on.  The Dog continued to jump enthusiastically about.

One of the ladies handed me a brochure after finding out we went to church, just not the “right” one, I took it in my muddy fingers and they left.

I am sure we were the topic of conversation for many a mile.