Gardening

Mrs. Myrtle Standich and Mrs. Martha Gaylord visited Mrs. Dottie Page. The temperature was forecasted in the high seventies. So, it was decided that gardening would be a good activity. Mrs. Dottie Page had been bed-ridden for four weeks. She can now move about with aid of a walker. Mrs. Dottie Page claimed that it was her polio coming back. Mrs. Martha Gaylord immediately corrected her by saying that she had a stroke. Mrs. Dottie Page responded, "That's what my doctor said. But, who do you think knows my body better?" Mrs. Martha Gaylord was visibly agitated and this agitation caused her to say that Mrs. Dottie Page did not have the right to decide what illness her body had. Adding that, in her opinion, it was dishonest and unhealthy. Said Mrs. Dottie Page, "I did not decide. God did. And I take it in stride." Mrs. Dottie Page let the situation get the better of her, by responding rather curt, "I think you're crazy." Mrs. Myrtle Standich felt the need to mediate and did so by saying, "Ladies, we've got azaleas to plant."

All in company soon busied themselves with azalea seeds. It should, however, be noted that Mrs. Dottie Page had a history of personally misdiagnosing herself. This resulted in the dismay of her friends as well as her personal physician, whose name was unavailable at the time of press.

Midway through the first row of azaleas and just as Mrs. Dottie Page was asking if every other row should tulips, thunder crackled. The forecast had also predicted rain, but only as a very slight possibility. As rain had not yet fallen, it was decided to finish the first row before heading indoors. Mrs. Myrtle Standich had begun to hum a tune. This tune was selected at random and she paid little attention to its title or content until Mrs. Martha Gaylord began to sing the lyrics and identified it as "It's raining, it's pouring. The old man is snoring."

Mrs. Dottie Page was eager to incite a viable anecdote. Said she, "You know that song is actually a metaphor for how the Nazis took over Europe in World War II, right?" Mrs. Myrtle Standich admitted that she did not know this information. Mrs. Martha Gaylord did not follow suit. She, instead, retorted, "Dottie Page, it's one thing to fabricate an illness for yourself. But, I will not have you fabricate history!" She added that her grandfather, Mr. Phineas J. Polk, had sung that song decades before World War II. Mrs. Dottie Page recanted her previous claim and added, "maybe it was the first World War." Mrs. Martha Gaylord interjected that it was not. Following this, was a transaction in which Mrs. Dottie Page listed as many wars as she could remember dating back to the French and Indian War while Mrs. Martha Gaylord would simply say, "No." Mrs. Myrtle Standich could be seen looking upwards and hoping that the rain would naturally interrupt the argument. But, no such luck would occur. The forecaster, whose name was unavailable at the time of press, was right about the rain.