22 September 2001

Subject: M. E.'s Travels With Toby

Dear Ones,

 

You really haven't lived unless you have a somewhat "unique" relative in your family. I know... I had several and Leavon has one, also. Today's story is about Leavon's elderly distant cousin, Mary Elizabeth (M. E.).... a one-of-a-kind, fun-loving, full-of-laughter, never-to-be-forgotten person. She weighs in at about 90 pounds.... a little stick of dynamite who is always dancing around and laughing at everything. God I wish I had her energy and outlook on life.

 

M. E. is an accomplished artist and generous beyond belief with her God-given talent. She has painted hundreds of pictures and given them all away. I know for a fact that she has painted 85 portraits of George Washington (3' x 4' in size), donating all of them to the various Masonic Lodges across a two-State area. She and her husband, Russell, a big-time Mason, loved to travel to various places to make the formal presentations of her works to these organizations. About two years ago, she "lost" Russell and felt that it was time she found herself another "traveling companion". That's where Toby comes in.

 

A few months after Russell's death, Leavon and I paid a visit to M. E.'s place where we were warmly greeted by M. E. and her four dogs. After visiting for a while, M. E. said, "I've just got to show you Toby" and headed out around her parked van to what I thought was a dog run. I thought to myself, "Oh, she has acquired another dog and named it Toby".

 

Was I ever wrong. M. E. opened the van door and much to my surprise there sat her Toby. Toby is a mannequin that M. E. dug out of her neighbor's trash can. Toby was just what the diminutive and talkative M. E. was looking for.... someone that she could travel with, someone who didn't overpower her in size and would forever listen to her constant chatter and ramblings-- the perfect traveling companion.

 

Then she began to relate to us all the "things" that have happened to her since she and Toby found each other. It all began with the look on a friend's face when she asked him to help her cut off Toby's legs so that Toby would fit into the front seat of her van. Her next experience was when she was stopped by a State Trooper at a license checkpoint and she asked the trooper if he was going to ticket her for having a minor in the front seat and not in a child's seat in the back seat as required by State law.

Another experience traveling with Toby was when she went into a restaurant and left him outside in her van in 100 degree heat. The manager approached her with the news, "Madam, I'm going to have to call the police. Two of my customers reported to me that you left your child unattended in your car for almost an hour now in this sweltering heat". M. E. laughed and wondered out loud, "Well, if they were so concerned, why did they wait an hour to bring it to your attention?"... and then she laughed some more.

 

Her latest experience was when a gas station attendant came into the station after pumping her gas and said to her, "Mam, that boy of yours don't say much, does he?" M. E. replied, "Oh, he's a dummy." The man apologetically said, "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that, but he 'shore' is a nice looking young man." M. E. laughed hysterically then and, again, when she related the story to us later. Her sense of humor and gift of laughter has stood her well for over 80 years and is sure to accompany her on her continuing travels with Toby.

 

We said goodbye to M. E. on Monday morning a week ago as she departed after her weekend visit with us. We helped her buckle the seat belt around her traveling companion and waved as she drove away.... all the time talking constantly to her Toby. During the blessing we said at the table before breakfast, we asked God for special traveling grace for M. E. and Toby as they traveled home.

 

Have a wonderful Saturday and may God grant us all traveling grace as we continue our travels toward "home".

 

Blessings!!

 

Don