very good. I once showed them to Kenneth Childs, who said I might consider taking art classes and developing my talent. I never thought I was good enough to do that, and wasting time trying to be someone I couldn't be was something Daddy
convinced me was sinful.
"God grants us enough time to do something
worthy with ourselves. Procrastination, chasing
foolish dreams, that's what the devil would like us to
do," he had said,
I wasn't fixed on anything yet, but I had been
thinking lately that I might become a teacher, maybe
even a teacher in a school for the handicapped. It
made me feel special and filled me with so much
pleasure when I was able to teach May something and
see her eyes brighten with understanding. I felt as
though I had broken through a thick wall, no matter
how small the achievement, and I thought I could do
this successfully with other handicapped children. While we were sitting on the beach, drawing
and talking, Daddy and Cary went by on their way to
the dock.
"We're just going to check on the lobster traps,"
Daddy explained. Cary stood by, silent, still
somewhat sullen. "We won't be long, Laura. You
should get yourself and May ready soon."
We always dressed up for brunch at Grandma
Olivia's. In fact, we never went there without treating
the visit as if it were a special occasion. This was easy
for Grandma Olivia, since she was always formally
dressed. Even when she was working in her garden,
she had her hair pinned properly and wore outfits that
most would save for trips into town or visits with
company. Grandpa Samuel usually wore a sports
jacket and slacks, along with a cravat or a tie. Their