Grand Babies!!

The gardens at Shady Hollow echoed with the sound of children's laughter yesterday. My granddaughter came to visit, bringing with her our two great-granddaughters, ages 5 and 18 months.

Lauren, the oldest, loves Grandma's flowers and really fell in love with the Sweet Annie once she learned it smelled nice. She was full of energy and enticed me into several games of "chase Lauren" up and down the hillside. After the downhill run, she would take my hand and 'help' grandma back to the top of the hill. Her squeals of laughter rang across the woodlot and across the meadow, waking the fairies, I'm sure; for not long after we started several butterflies showed up to join in.

Lauren picked leaves and flowers to share with Grandpa, me and her parents. She got to know some of the cats, but most were shy and would hide whenever we came inside. They have lived with just us old folks for too long. Children are strange, exotic creatures to the Shady Hollow Cats.

Haley, a bright and happy child if ever one existed, spent most of her play time running and dancing on Grandpa's wheelchair ramp. I had never considered what a wonderful play place it could be for a small child. Haley took her own turn at running down the hill, but her baby legs lost their grip and she took a tumble. It turned into a laughter filled roll down the hill. No crying for her!

Brandi,my granddaughter, watched the girls and talked about remembering when she was that age, and ran up and down Shady Hollow's slopes. Hard to imagine that much time had passed. She marveled at how small the cottage is now, when it seemed so big when she was a child.

It had been many years indeed since the sound of a child's laughter rang across the gardens. A beautiful sound. The echo of that laughter will forever fill my heart.