Ice Skating and Sleigh Rides at Honeywood Farm

Hello future readers,

Vivienne told me about this really groovy place where all the kids go ice-skating, and she wanted to take me there. Ice skating? Hmmm...I love roller skating, but that's easier, 'cos you're balanced on 4 wheels, not a skinny metal blade! I knew I was gonna get out on the ice and fall right on my tushie! But I told her I'd give it a try. She even let me borrow her pretty new skating outfit she got for Christmas! What a neat friend! So we grabbed some skates and walked past the houses and over a hill to this place called Honeywood Farm. We walked over to the pond. I put on the skates and stood up. And fell down, WHAM! Right on my tushie! Just like I figured, only I didn't think it would happen so fast!

Vivienne helped me up and asked if I was OK. I was...sorta. But man, did that hurt! And the ice was COLD! I decided to sit down for a while and watch Vivienne skate. She ice-skates as good as I can roller skate.

I decided that watching was really no fun, so I decided to try again.

This time I stood up slowly, and held the side of the bench until I thought I had my balance. Vivienne told me to try walking on the ice first going from my toe to my heel. I slowly took a step...so far so good, I didn't fall, so I took another step. OK, this wasn't too bad. I made it all the way to the fence without falling down.  Vivienne said I should try sliding my feet while I held onto the fence. So I put one hand in the fence, and my other arm out for balance. I slid one foot, and then the other. Not bad. I kept doing this until I felt OK with the sliding. Then Vivienne tells to to slowly take my hand off the fence while I'm sliding. I wasn't sure if I could do it.
"C'mon, Julie...you can do it. You just can't hold onto the fence all day. I'll catch you if you fall."
I whimpered a little, and then I started sliding my feet again. Slowly I took my hand away from the fence, and I didn't fall down! I was actually skating! Outta site!

Vivienne cheered. "Yippee! That's the way, Julie! I knew you could do it!"
And I could! Pretty soon I was skating all over the pond. I almost fell once...but I leaned forward so I could fall on my hands, not my tushie. I didn't want to do that again!

Just look at me go!

Pretty soon, C.J. showed up. He sat on the bench to put on his skates.

And WHAM he fell on his tushie too! At least he was wearing pants!

Vivienne and I helped him up.
"Are you OK, C.J.?". I asked.
"Yeah, I meant to do that." Uh-huh...this was the first time I actually heard him talk. He usually let Kevin do all the talking.
"You better be careful", Vivienne warned. "You're lucky you didn't break your glasses."
"I know. Mom just got them fixed from when I was wrestling with Kevin."

Then he looked at me and said, "I'm really sorry I threw that snowball in your face, Julie. I didn't want to, but it was Kevin's idea. Sometimes when I don't do what he wants, he gives me a noogie. I hate it when he does that."
"Thanks, C.J.", I said. It made me feel almost guilty for wanting to get back at the kid...almost. Just then Kevin came along with a horse pulling a little sleigh.

"Sleigh rides, ten cents!", Kevin shouted. "Only one thin dime!"
"You can't do that", Vivienne told him. "Morgan and the sleigh don't belong to you. Mr. Horst owns them."
"Oooh! What a pretty horse!", I said slowly walking up to it. He looked almost like Cherokee from Springfield Farms back home!

"That's Morgan", C.J. said. "He's the greatest horse in the whole world."

"You guys don't get to ride for free!" Kevin said. "Mr. Horst said I could bring him out."
"He didn't say you could charge money for rides", Vivienne told Kevin. "And if you try it, I'm telling Mr. Horst and your mom. You'll have to get your comic book money someplace else."
"I didn't know you were such a tattletale, Vivienne Walton!"
"And I didn't know you could be so creepy, Kevin Fleagle. Julie's a guest, so she should be the first one to ride."
"Bossy girls". Kevin muttered. Wow...Kevin sure didn't act this way when he visited last summer in Springfield. Maybe he was being extra nice, because he was so far from home. I took off my skates, put on my boots, climbed in the sleigh, and put the blanket over me, while Kevin led me around.  Vivienne just smiled.

I wish there was more room so that Vivienne could ride with me. But Kevin and Morgan walked slowly so that Vivienne and C.J. could walk beside us.

"Ok now it's Vivienne's turn, and then after that, me and C.J. are gonna ride", Kevin said. Man was he a grump today! But I was still having fun. I climbed out and Vivienne climbed in, but C.J. was trying to climb in too!

"Hey, knock if off, C.J.! This sleigh only fits one person. As soon as we're done giving these bossy girls a ride, you and me can have Morgan and the sleigh all to ourselves, OK?"
So Vivienne got her turn.  Just then Betta showed up yelling "Who wants hot cocoa and cookies?"
She set up a little table, and put out a jar of cookies, a thermos of hot cocoa and some cups and napkins..
Vivienne and I just smiled and winked at each other.

"Want a cookie, Kevin?" Betta asked. "Mom just baked these this morning."
"Oh boy! Mom baked these? Let me at 'em!"

He unscrewed the jar, and reached in to get a cookie.

He didn't know what was inside....*giggle*

When he touched the  spider, he pulled his hand out and screamed like a girl! It was the funniest thing I'd ever seen! We were all cracking up! Even C.J.!

"I think spider cookies taste twice as good as snowball sandwiches", I said. "Don't you think so Vivienne?"
"Maybe even three times as good", she agreed.
"I think so too", Betta said, winking at us.
"That'll teach you to mess with us girls", I told the boys.
Vivienne and me slapped each other some five.

Betta reached into the jar again and pulled out the toy spider.
"OK, I guess I had that coming", Kevin said. "That was a pretty good one, sis."
"It was Julie's idea", Betta told him. "And Mom's!"
"Mom did this to me? To her own son?"
"Well, she said this was just like when you put the snake in Danny's bunk last summer."
Kevin smiled. "Oh yeah, I'd forgotten about that."
"Mom didn't", Betta said, laughing.
"So are we even, now, Kevin?, Vivienne said.
"Yeah, I guess so. I'm sorry I've been such a creep, Julie. You were pretty cool to me last summer. I guess I was just trying to act like a big shot. Friends?"
"Yeah...friends", I answered and slapped Kevin and C.J. some five.
"Can we eat now?" C. J. asked
"Sure, kiddo", Betta answered.
We all took a cookie and Betta poured the hot cocoa.
"These cookies are far out", I said.
"Now who wants a sleigh ride?", Kevin asked.
"Me!" C.J. shouted.

"Hey, cut it out, C.J.! Julie is our guest, remember?"

Until next time, future readers,
Your friend,
Julie Newman

Snowmen, Snowball Fights, and Snow Cream

Hello future readers!

Is there enough "snow" in the title of this entry? *giggle* Well, it's because I'm surrounded by it! I'm having such a far out time here! This morning, after a big breakfast of pancakes, sausage and fruit, (Man, is Vivienne's mom ever a super cook!) Vivienne asks me if I wanna go outside an build a snowman. Is she kidding? YES! So we asked her mom for some old clothes, so our snowman wouldn't get cold. Vivienne's mom just rolled her eyes at our little joke, and told us to look in the hall closet, in an old trunk.  We found a hat, a vest, and even some Christmas stuff. We got a carrot from the refrigerator and got to work. I think we did a terrific job! Not bad for my first snowman!

The both of us were in a pretty goofy mood, so we started singing "Frosty The Snowman" kinda loudly. The neighbors must have thought we were crazy! Suddenly, I hear a voice behind me saying, "Goofy girls, don't even know it's not Christmas anymore!"
 That was Kevin. (You remember him, right? Danny, Jason and Kyle's pen pal? He's also Betta's brother). Kevin and his little brother C.J. had just come over from down the block.
"We got a letter from the Trailblazers yesterday, and they'd said you'd be spending the week here." (The Trailblazers was the boys cabin at camp last summer).
So I said Hi to Kevin and C.J. I've never met C.J. before, but I've seen pictures of him. So I asked, "How do you like our snowman?"
"It's OK", Kevin answered. "But he looks more like a snow girl with that flower on his hat."
That made C.J. giggle.  And then Kevin gets the funny look on his face and picks up a handful of snow.
"Hey C.J., those girls look hungry. What do you say we give 'em a snowball sandwich?"
"You better not!", I yelled, and I picked up an handful of snow myself.

Then Kevin yells, "Fire!" , and suddenly my whole face is covered in snow. It was even going up my nose!

Vivienne called after them "You jive turkeys! We're gonna get you for that!" C.J. and Kevin took off running and Vivienne helped me get the snow off my face.

"Are you OK, Julie?" Vivienne asked me.
"Yeah, I'm OK", I told her. "Snowball sandwich, huh? I'm gonna get those two for that, but good!"
"I'm with you", Vivienne agreed. Then she said we should go inside and get some hot cocoa. That sounded like a great idea!

Later as we were sitting there, drinking our hot cocoa, Vivienne said, "I'll bet those 2 are at home acting like nothing's happened."
"Yeah, probably...but like my friend Robyn always says, "Don't get mad, get even! We'll come up with a way to pay those turkeys back!"
Then we heard the doorbell ring, and Mrs. Walton answered it. We heard her say "They're in the kitchen, boys." Boys? Kevin and C.J, were here?

Kevin walked in the kitchen with C.J. behind him.
"Sorry we beaned you with the snowballs, Julie", Kevin mumbled. He couldn't even look me in the eye. C.J. just nodded. "We brought you some suckers."
Kevin handed both of us a sucker, then turned around and walked out with C.J. right on his heels.
"Well what do you know?" I said. I was kinda shocked.
"I know that those 2 probably came running in the house, and their mom got the whole story out of them, and she made Kevin go into his candy stash and bring us these suckers."
"So they're really not sorry?"
"Knowing Kevin, probably not yet. I bet C.J. is, but he won't admit it 'cos he doesn't wanna look like a baby in front of Kevin."
"So our plan for revenge is still on?"
"Definitely."

When we finished our cocoa, Betta called and invited us over. Outta site! I've been waiting to meet her mom, Mrs. Fleagle for a long time. Since Danny, Jason and Kyle are pen pals with Kevin and C.J., they're always sending each other cards and toys and stuff. That's when I decided I needed a pen pal too, and Kevin's mom wrote to me and told me about Vivienne. Mrs. Fleagle is super nice! When I twisted my ankle in Gym class, she sent me a get well card. She even sent me a groovy purse once, so wouldn't feel left out when she sent the boys gifts. When we knocked on the door, Mrs. Fleagle answered it and gave us both a big hug. She said it was nice to finally meet me, and she was sorry for the boys little "welcome" before. She smelled like cinnamon, like she had been baking or something.  She told us that Betta was on the sun porch, and we should go out there. Betta had all the fixings for ice-cream sundaes. But where was the ice-cream? Betta told me we were gonna make "snow cream". Ice cream made outta snow? Far out! She went outside, and filled a mixing bowl full of snow. and then we added a little sugar and a little milk, and a dash of vanilla flavor, and presto! Snow cream!

Vivienne and Betta wanted chocolate syrup on theirs, and I wanted strawberry on mine. Wow, was it ever good! I can't wait to tell my mom about this!

Betta finished hers first and went to her room and got her new puzzle, and asked if we wanted to help put it together. I love puzzles. But Vivienne doesn't like doing puzzles too much. She says trying to figure out where all those pieces go gives her a headache. So Betta and I worked on the puzzle on the sun porch floor, (no room on that small table), while Vivienne played with Betta's Etch A Sketch.

When we were almost done with the puzzle, I heard a weird sound, like someone crying. I heard Mrs. Fleagle yell, "Betta? Will you please get Little G? I'm putting laundry into the dryer." I asked who Little G was, and Betta explained he was her baby brother. His real name is Glenn, but everyone calls him "Little G". Wow, another brother? Poor Betta's surrounded by boys! Vivienne and I followed Betta inside and we went into the baby's room.

I looked down into his cradle. Awww...he was so cute. He kinda reminded me of that doll I got for Christmas. the "My Real Baby" doll. Only Betta didn't need a doll, she has the real thing!

Betta said we should give him his bottle until her mom could come in and change him. She asked me if I wanted to hold him. Me? I've never held a baby before. I've played with them, you know, Patty Cake and stuff like that but I've never held one. Betta showed me how. She picked him up and put him on my lap. And he stopped crying!

I talked baby talk to him and he smiled and drooled. I bounced him on my knee softly and sang "Pony Boy" , and that made him giggle. Then Betta handed me the bottle and said I could feed him!

When Mrs. Fleagle came in and saw me feeding Little G, she said, "You do that very well, Julie. You're gonna make a good mommy someday."  Wow! That made me feel really grown-up!

It was getting close to dinner time, so Vivienne and I had to go. We had fried chicken, mashed potatoes and salad for dinner. We cleaned our plates and got chocolate pudding for dessert. Yum!
Later on, while we got ready for bed, we kept trying to think of a way to get Kevin and C.J back for that snowball sandwich.

"We'll talk to Betta about it tomorrow and see if she can come up with anything", Vivienne told me. "After all she lives with them. She should know better than anyone how to get back at 2 pesky brothers." Super! We'll tell Betta! I can't wait to see what she comes up with!

Until tomorrow, future readers,
Your friend,
Julie Newman

West Virginia, Here I Come!

Hello future readers!

Greetings from Falling Waters, West Virginia! (I sound like a post card!) I had to get up really super early this morning, because I had an 8:30 a.m. flight. That was OK, because I was too excited to sleep  anyway! I was really excited, but a little nervous, too. I've never been on an airplane all by myself before, and I've never left the state of California without my mom. She was crying a little when I boarded the plane. She made me promise to call her as soon as I got to Vivienne's house. The flight was outta site! This really nice stewardess named Gail looked out for me. She gave me a hot dog and a chocolate ice-cream sundae! She also gave me a neat coloring book, a pin shaped like pilot's wings, and a new set of jacks in a mini airline bag! I guess I must have been a little sleepy, because she woke me up just before we landed. I looked out and wow! Is Dulles International Airport ever BIG!

Gail walked me out and I gave her a hug and thanked her for being so nice to me. I looked over and saw 2 people holding this beautiful sign that said "Welcome Julie". It was Vivienne and Kevin's sister Betta!

I ran over and gave Vivienne a big hug!

I said hello to Vivienne's mom, Mrs. Walton and thanked her for letting me stay at their house. Betta was excited because we were gonna drive to Falling Waters, where they live (isn't that a groovy name for a city?) in their neighbor, Mr. Hansen's cool car. Mrs. Walton borrowed it because the battery in her car died and Vivienne's dad was still at work. I got my warm sweater out of my suitcase. As we were walking through the airport, I looked out the windows and could see snow on the ground! This was so exciting!

Man, was it ever cold outside! I was really glad to get into the nice warm car. And what a dynamite  car it was!  It was white and had red leather seats and a red steering wheel! Far out!  It was like riding around in a Valentine card! The boys would flip if they knew I was gonna ride in this thing! I asked Mrs. Walton and she told me this was a 1967 Buick.  I want a super car like this when I grow up.

It was an hour and a half drive back to Falling Waters, Vivienne's mom had the radio on, and we wer singing to all our favorite songs. I found out that Vivienne and Betta like a lot of the same songs I do! We played funny "hand jives" like "A Sailor Went to Sea Sea Sea". (a hand-jive is a game you play with your hands, sorta like "Miss Mary Mac" ), and "Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky" and "Waddle -y Acha". Before we knew it, we were almost to Vivienne's house. As we pulled up to the house, we looked out and saw some of Vivienne's friends and Betta's 2 brothers Kevin and CJ playing outside. Vivienne rolled down the window and we waved at them. I felt like the Grand Marshall in a parade, waving from that car!

Mrs. Walton wanted to know if I wanted to pose for some fun snapshots in this car so my friends in Springfield could see it. Did I ever! Here are a couple of pictures we took:

Outta site! This car is a convertible!

Eat your hearts out, Danny, Jason and Kyle!

We told Betta we'd see her in a little while, and went inside. Vivienne has a nice room with a big purple bed that was big enough for the 2 of us to share. She even had the picture I sent her along with the talking stuffed dog  and the friendship bracelets I gave her for Christmas on her night stand. What a groovy friend!

I called my mom to let her know I was OK. I told her all about my flight, and she was glad I had a good time, and that I was safe. Mrs. Walton asked me if I wanted to rest up after my long plane ride. But I was too excited! I wanted to go out and play in the snow right away! So Vivienne loaned me a red coat,  a hat, some mittens, and some boots and she bundled up herself and we went outside. She got her sled out of the garage and let me play on it!

Wow, was that ever fun! I've never been sledding before! Betta came outside and we took turns on Vivienne's sled.

And then we did something I've always wanted to do...make snow angels!

Mrs. Walton called us to come inside. She didn't want me to get too cold on my first day. We took off our wet things, and got ready for dinner. Mr Walton came home. I like him. He's tall and handsome. He has a mustache and smells like cologne. He kept calling me the "newest member of the family." If my dad were still alive, I would want him to be almost like Mr. Walton.  We had homemade chicken vegetable soup and cheesy biscuits for dinner. Yummy! That soup tasted really good after playing out in that cold snow. After dinner, Vivienne wanted to watch television.  So her mom gave us some Hawaiian Punch and some Jiffy Pop and we went into the living room. And do you know what was on? The Partridge Family! My favorite show! Only here in West Virginia, it comes on Mondays instead of Fridays. Right on!

I was getting a little sleepy. I'm not used to the time difference yet. So we got ready for bed.  I like Vivienne's room. It's cozy. It's a little smaller than my room at home. She even has posters of The Partridge Family and the Brady Bunch on her wall, kinda like me! Far out! She's also a Beach Boys fan. My mom likes them. I like the song "Surfin' U.S.A."

We talked for a little while. I was kinda missing my mom and Boomer. He was probably lying on my bed right now, whining for me. It's gonna be a little strange sleeping in a different bed so far from home, but at least Vivienne will be right here with me. Mr. and Mrs. Walton came in to tuck us in and kiss us both good-night. That made me feel a little better. *Yawn*. Good-night, future readers. I'll have more to tell you tomorrow.

Until then,
Your friend,
Julie Newman

*I would like to extend a very special THANK YOU to my good friend Fawn for sponsoring Julie's trip to West Virginia. She is taking all of the photos you are going to see for the next week. I'd also like to thank her neighbors, The Hansens, for the use of their fantastic '67 Buick. Man, whatta car!*