"My Grandmother, Anna Cooper, was given her mother's wedding dress on her 16th birthday. Anna passed the dress onto my mother and my mother, in turn gave the gown to our daughter Kelsey. Considering that Kelsey was only six years old at the time, my wife suggested that we gently wrap it in tissue and store it safely in the attic. Kelsey, on the other hand, was determined to enjoy her newly inherited treasure to the fullest. Each morning she would ceremoniously don her wedding dress and veil and clomp around the block in her mother's white heels. She would stop by the Save-Rite Market and accept the warm smiles and flowery compliments from any of our neighbors who happened to be shopping there at that early hour. That summer we referred to her as our dusty hemmed 'Study in White!'"

A SUMMER POEM by Bob Byerley. "A young boy counts the school days that are left until summer vacation. His teacher raises the classroom windows in the warm afternoons. The walk home takes longer each day and he takes his baseball glove to school for a quick pick-up game during recess. His jacket remains on the hall tree by the door and he rushes home with information about signing up for summer camp. On that 'most special' of all mornings, he wakes up and before opening his eyes he knows the day has finally come; the first day of summer. He quickly pulls on his overalls, grabs his glove and runs to the back porch where he stops, feels the sunshine on his shoulders, smiles and begins his 'Summer Poem!'"

A THOUSAND HOURS 'TILL MORNING by Bob Byerley. "Finally, finally it was Christmas Eve! 'Now go to bed and go to sleep; Santa won't come until you're asleep, you know!' I'm not sleepy... OK, I'll just lay here and wait for morning. This will be the year I actually see Santa; I'll see him wheel my new Black Phantom in and park it under the tree. I'll watch him set up my new electric train and pile presents up clear to the ceiling... I wonder how long I've been laying here now... I'm thirsty again... my cats' asleep. I heard something... no, I guess not... It must be at least 'A Thousand Hours Till Morning.'"

“The 'Breckenridge Ski News' declared it to be the downhill challenge race of the century. Collin 'Fresh Powder' Smith vs. Alice 'Lightening' Smith and her co-pilot Daisy 'Daredevil Dog' Smith. The smart money was on Alice and Daisy but a prominent ski insider divulged that 'Fresh Powder' Smith had, for the past week, been polishing his skies with 'Everbright Deluxe Shoe Polish'.”

"Once a month Max's Grandmother's sewing circle would meet for a light luncheon and quilting bee. This month, Grandma would be hosting the event at her own home. She cleaned and scrubbed and fussed with her best china cups and silver and for the umpteenth time, she kindly but firmly explained to Max that it was so, so, so important that everything be just right. 'Max', she said, 'I will introduce you to the ladies before we begin our meeting and then you will say, 'Please excuse me, I have some things I must do in my room. It was very nice to have met you all'; then Max, go outside and play and Max please, don't come back in until we are through.' On Tuesday morning, Max left his mouse cage in the hall, went into the parlor, gave his speech, smiled his best angel smile to the ladies, returned to the hall, sat down and quietly waited, 'And At Just The Right Moment...'"

CLOUDBUSTER AIRLINES by Bob Byerley. "They knew that in order to finish in time for the qualifying hearts at the Oak Grove Air Train, they would have to put in plenty of extra overtime. The left/right balance had to be corrected, the landing gear, had to be installed and the propeller needed one more check for proper balance. They had wisely anticipated these last minute production delays and had packed lunch to eat on the job. There would be no going home for lunch and a nap today."

Alice explained to her brother, "Collin, my ice cream cone lasts longer than yours because I always start off by cooling my tongue down with a few preliminary licks!"

COOKING WITH MELISSA by Bob Byerley. "Melissa's Momma taught her to make biscuits. Melissa made tall fluffy biscuits that would melt in your mouth and Momma taught her to make cornbread. Melissa made fabulous crispy crust cornbread with a rich moist center. Momma decided it was time to move on to cakes and pies and Melissa didn't disappoint her. Melissa, Momma told her friends, was a natural. Melissa was ready for her own cooking show on TV. Each day from three to four in the afternoon, Melissa would astound her studio audiences with culinary feats of excellence. Cooking With Melissa was an overnight hit and Momma and America never missed an episode."

THE DANCE RECITAL By Bob Byerley. "Artie Dunbar's brother Pee Wee never wanted to take dance lessons in the first place. His weekly trips to the dance class became both he and Mrs. Mayfield's 'trial by fire". Mrs. Mayfield only wanted to make it through her bi-annual dance recital without a repeat performance of two years previous. That's the year when Artie Dunbar literally ruined the entire effect of the 'Spring in Paris' finale. No such luck."

“There was that wonderful magical moment in time that came only once a year. We rose early and waited throughout the rising heat of the summer day for twilight. Having eaten our fill of fried chicken, potato salad and ice cold watermelon, having endured the hugs and kisses from all of our favorite aunts and uncles and having run ourselves into near exhaustion from endless games of hide and seek with our visiting cousins we came to the very best moment of the year. We sat on the lawn and waited for the Fourth of July fireworks. The very best fireworks displays were those we watched when we were children. The sky became a fairyland of light magic and we were happy.”

GIGGLES AND WHISPERS by Bob Byerley. "Here comes Artie Dunbar... when he and his buddies ride by, holler at him that your sister Charlene's in love with him!"

"The boss stood before the boys and with the look of steely resolve in his eyes said to them, "Men, I don't need to tell you how tough its going to be to get the payroll through to Tortilla Flats. The desperados have intercepted our last three deliveries and you two men are our last hope to save the company." Tom and Billy shook hands with the boss and walked out into the desert sunset. The boss knew that he'd picked the right men this time.

“Don't hide in the pantry, they always look for us there; Jenny's bedroom closet is too dark... I don't like it in there. How about the basement? That's right, we said that's off limits... Hurry up we're running out of time... The hall closet... no, it smells like mothballs... wait, I've got it... under the dining room table... quick... and don't giggle!”

HIGH NOON by Bob Byerley. "I stood and watched her from the station window. She slowly and silently made her way out of the shadows from behind the old sidecar. She waited for just the right moment and then quickly darted across the open clearing between the caboose and engine three. She crawled up onto the cowcatcher of "Old Number One" and patiently waited for them to come. They had been released from Carson City jail the day before and they were coming today to meet their destiny. They were coming to meet her for the big showdown; the showdown at 'High Noon'! She glanced up at the big clock above the depot platform and with the greatest of cool, squinted down the track and waited. 'Do not forsake me, oh my darlin.' She decided to wait until 12:15 and then she was going home for lunch."

Collin was a very mature two and a half year old who loved anything that made him feel like a big boy. It did not take him very long to discover our book containing antique fire fighting equipment. He would be lost in the pictures for hours or at least what felt like hours to a two year old.
That Halloween we dressed him as a firefighter complete with coat, boots and a bright red helmet. He is still dressed as a firefighter and it is almost Christmas. When he wears his gear, he refuses to wear a diaper because firefighters are big boys and they do not wear diapers either. He has also perfected the siren which he shares with strangers at the mall on a weekly basis.

 "Carpenter Elementary School, the Annual Orchestra Concert, and Leila had been chosen to perform an eight bar violin solo for the invited grandmas, grandpas, moms, dads, aunts, uncles and elected local officials. She had diligently practiced her small part for weeks but still, as she and the other orchestra students waited back stage, she was filled with a feeling of impending doom and a major case of stage fright. At that moment she turned her head and saw the wondrous magic parade of carriages, filled with concert orchestra musicians playing the same eight bars that she had labored so long to perfect. When she heard their beautiful sounds she knew that her solo performance was going to be fine. She had found her inspiration and her Grandma would be very proud."

 "In preparation for the class field trip to the county courthouse, Mrs. Fields read her class a wonderful story about Abraham Lincoln, the lawyer. The story intrigued young Phillip. The class tour of the courtroom cinched the deal for the ambitious young man. Years later, when "His Honor" Phillip Kelley sat upon the bench, his brother would say that the day of the fall field trip was the day he made his first "Judicial Decision"

"Every year, for the past ten thousand years; a child has been chosen for a wonderful task on the eve of the first full moon of May, the child deemed most gentle, kind and loving is given her instructions for the next three days the child assigns names to the new flowers that have been found throughout the year by the grassland fairies. Each new name chosen by the child is written in the book of flowers and mentioned frequently with awe and respect by all the peoples of the valley. This is an honor that all children should strive to achieve through sweet and kind deeds they bestow on other children and valley animals.