I may start the new year by getting back to my posting.  I will start by sending this little short story that I wrote yesterday.

EDEN IS WHERE YOU FIND IT

Five year old Ella fled the old farm house that was shaking with the angry voices of her parents as they lit into another of their fights.  She fled past the chickens who scattered as she ran.  She left the back gate and past the outhouse toward the barn.  She fled past the barn and pig sty with tears flying behind her as she ran.  She was scantily clad in a feed sack dress and no shoes, but it was early summer and the  air was warm.  

Ella knew where she was going as she continued down a hill in the deep woods. 

Suddenly she came out of the woods to an area of bright blooming flowers.  She collapsed on the ground on a carpet of purple and white violets. Overhead twining among tree branches were fragrant trumpet shaped yellow jasmine blossoms.  The pink honey suckle bushes were heavy with their delicate blooms.  The gransom greybeard tree was also dripping it’s fragrant tentacles over the bubbling brook. 

Ella fell asleep in this nature filled bedroom and dreamed of finding a knight in shining armor one day on her doorstep to show her more beauties in this world, never dreaming that one day that would happen.  But for the moment, this beautiful piece of the world was her own garden of Eden and she would grow up loving the sights and smells of beautiful flowers.  

She awoke with a start and saw the sun was beginning to set.  The  cows would be in soon and it was her job to milk.  Children on a farm learn early to do chores and this was one that Ella thought was fun.  She liked to hear the milk ping into the pan and she always petted the cow first.  Jerseys were so smooth and firm.  The cows were her friends and they all had names.  She loved their big brown eyes as they would turn and look at her as she milked.  She sat on a tiny stool to do the milking and when she was done, she would hurry home with the bucket of foaming warm milk where her mother would pour it though a clean cloth to take out any impurities that might have fallen in during the milking.