ANOTHER MEMORY

AS I AWOKE THIS MORNING, I REMEMBERED A STORY ABOUT BOBBIE JO THAT HAS TICKLED ME SINCE IT HAPPENED- WHEN BOBBIE JO WAS 7 SHE WAS IN A BROWNIE TROOP AND IT WAS GIRL SCOUT COOKIE DELIVERY TIME. THE TROOP HAS SOLD LITERALLY HUNDREDS OF COOKIES THAT YEAR. THE DAY OF THE DELIVERY, THE SCOUT LEADER TOLD ME THAT HER SON HAD BEEN TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL, AND SHE COULD NOT PICK THE COOKIES UP. SINCE I HAD A PICKUP TRUCK, WOULD I BE WILLING TO GET THEM? OH, AND COULD I DISTRIBUTE THEM AS WELL? WELL, SINCE I WANTED TO BE THE VERY BEST BROWNIE MOMMIE POSSIBLE, I SAID "OF COURSE I WILL! " SO, DADDY AND BOBBIE JO WENT TO GET THE COOKIES. OH, MY GOODNESS, THOSE COOKIES WERE NEATLY STAKED OVER 8 FEET IN THE AIR, COMPLETLY FILLING THE BACK OF THE PICK UP TRUCK. MARTIN HAD NEATLY BOUND THIS COOKIE TOWER WITH SARAN WRAP SO THAT HE COULD TRANSPORT THEM. I MUST SAY, WHEN HE AND BOBBIE JO PULLED UP TO THE HOUSE, I ALMOST HAD TO RUN FOR THE TOILET PAPER-= YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN! SO, FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS, WE STACKED COOKIES BY TYPE IN MY ENTRYWAY. NOW, THE ENTRYWAY WENT INTO THE KITCHEN, OR TO THE LIVING ROOM. LEAVING A TUNNEL FROM THE FRONT DOOR TO THE LIVING ROOM, THE MAMAS CAME IN TO GET THEIR COOKIES. IT WAS A MONUMENTAL TASK, BUT OF COURSE, I AM SOOOO ORGANIZED AND FOR A WHILE IT WAS GOING QUITE WELL. ARRIVE, GIVE ME THE LIST, GIVE THEM THE COOKIES AND CHECK OFF THE LIST. NO PROBLEM, RIGHT? A WHILE AFTER WE STARTED, BECKY WHO WAS 2 AND OTTO WHO WAS 3 SHOWED UP WITH CHOCOLATE FACES. HMMMM- NO DOUBT ABOUT WHAT THEY HAVE BEEN UP TO. SO I SAID, ARE YOU IN THE COOKIES? YES MAMA, WE HELP YOU. OKAY YOU TWO, YOU CAN HAVE THAT BOX, BUT NO MORE. "OKAY MAMA, WE HELP YOU". THE DAY WORE ON, AND SUDDENLY AS I REACHED FOR A BOX OF CHOCOLATE THIN MINTS, I POKED A HOLE IN THE TOWER WHERE THE COOKIES SHOULD HAVE BEEN. NO COOKIES, JUST AIR. CONFUSED, I WALKED THROUGH THE LIVING ROOM INTO THE KITCHEN WHERE THE BACK OF THE IMMENSE COOKIE TOWER SHOULD HAVE STILL BEEN QUITE FULL. LET ME TELL YOU READERS, THIS WAS ONE OF THE MOST ASTOUNDING MOMENTS OF MY LIFE. THERE, BEFORE ME IN MY HUGE COUNTRY KITCHEN, LAY EVERY PIECE OF TUPPERWARE I OWNED, NOT TO MENTION THE HUGE ORDER DUE FOR DELIVERY THAT WEEK,( I WAS A TUPPERWARE DEALER AT THE TIME) FILLED AND SEALED WITH GIRL SCOUT COOKIES! WE ARE TALKING ABOUT SO MANY CONTAINERS, AS I HAD TO HAVE ONE FOR EVERYTHING- I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY, PROBABLY----NEVER MIND, TOO MANY! AND THERE, WITH BEAMING FACES, STOOD OTTO AND BECKY- SO PROUD OF THIER ACCOMPLISHMENT- SAYING, "SEE MAMA, WE HELPED YOU!" AND TO PROVE IT, THEY HAD BUILT A FORT WITH THE EMPTY BOXES. POOR BOBBIE JO CAME IN ABOUT THAT TIME, AND A PRIMEVAL SCREAM SUCH AS NEVER HAD BEEN HEARD BEFORE, ERUPTED FROM HER! (WAIT A MINUTE, I WAS GOING TO DO THAT!) WELL, I ASSURED HER THAT SHE WOULD NOT BE SHAMED OUT OF THE TROOP, I WOULD BUY THE COOKIES TO REPLACE THEM. TO BE EXACT, THE COST OF COOKIE DAY WAS 268.00 FOR THE "SAVED COOKIES" AND 268.00 TO REPLACE THEM. OH DON'T FORGET THE 400.00 WORTH OF TUPPERWARE I HAD TO DELIVERTHAT WEEK AS WELL. SO, ALL WAS WELL, I WENT BROKE, BOBBIE JO GOT BRAGGING RIGHTS THAT HER DADDY DELIVERED ALL THE COOKIES IN ONE TRIP, AND THE LITTLE ONES HAD COOKIES FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR. FUNNY THING, I NEVER DID GET ANGRY, I GUESS I MUST HAVE REALIZED THAT THIS WOULD BE A MEMORY THAT WOULD SUSTAIN ME THROUGH THE TOUGH TIMES. AND IT IS, LOVE, NANASEE