Post by cam83 on Jun 6, 2004 1:44:34 GMT -5
Chapter Thirty-Six
After their tasty dinner, they bundled up and headed out to the cars. It only took a few minutes to head out of the city, and to Daniel and Katie's farm. Karen had never been here before, and upon seeing it was shocked.
Their home was huge. Practically a mansion. The yard surrounding it was vast, and covered with snow. The yard was encircled by a row of tall Evergreens. Beyond that was a small creek, which was now covered with ice.
She knew that the kids would have so much fun with each other. Katie and Daniel had 22 Grandchildren between the ages of 1 to 16, so it was going to be an interesting Christmas to say the least.
Daniel and Katie came to the door, all decked in holiday colors of red, white and green. They welcomed everyone with great big bear hugs. Karen really loved her in-laws. It always surprised her that they were so open with their affection and feelings. Karen loved to see that Daniel and his little wife Katie still kissed and hugged openly, in front of the grandchildren. The little ones giggled, while the older grandchildren just rolled their eyes and pretended to gag. Karen found this all so amusing.
The huge house had plenty of room, with over 8 bedrooms, 3 living room/dens which would be filled with all the kids. The little ones would stay in their parents' bedrooms. Karen took all their belongings up to their room, which were cozy and looked nice and neat. She unpacked their belongings, and contrary to popular belief, she packed light. She organized all their belongings, and put some of their clothes in the drawers that were provided.
Coming down, she bumped into the other sisters and brothers of Jon. Everyone began to talk and exclaim out loud when they saw the newest Andrews baby-Cynthia, and everyone wanted a chance to hold her, to which Karen had no problem giving up her child, and heading to the kitchen where her mother in law was.
The kitchen was huge, and built in a very homey, yet old-fashioned way. Karen loved the feel and the warmth that was encircling her. She took off her heavy sweater, and rolled up her sleeves, and began to help Katie with making cookie dough and cutting them into shapes. This was one of her favorite things to do. Back in her anorexic days, she used to cook and bake, and make wonderful cuisine items, and she was excellent at it. She still was, but now she wasn't anorexic. Which made her remember her niece Kristi, and she wondered how she would mention this to Katie.
Katie was the type of woman, who had learned a lot in her life, and gleaned jeweled wisdom. Some may have thought she was too old fashioned, but a true believer, would have seen how knowledgeable she really was. Karen could see this, and that was why she loved her mother in law so much. Oh, she loved Agnes so much, but she always wondered what it would be like to have a mother that she could confide in about anything, and not to have a mother that was a know it all, or a berating type of person. Karen felt guilty for feeling this way about her own Mother. She only did what she knew how, Karen thought as she tried to console herself.
"Katie, can I ask you a question?" asked Karen, with a little tremor to her voice, as she looked at the dough she was kneading. She couldn't look at Katie's face. "Sure Karen. Ask away, " said Katie, as she grabbed a handful of flour and sprinkled it on the table, and grabbed the rolling pin, and began to roll the dough, quickly and with expert hands that had done this type of things many times before.
"Well, it's about Kristi…you see, I think she may have a dieting problem…uh, and I was wondering if you noticed anything suspicious about her dieting, or anything…maybe I am just being too overly concerned, but…well you you know that I suffered from anorexia nervosa for many years, and I usually can spot the signs,,," said Karen in almost one deep breath, and her voice was shaky. It still bothered her somewhat thinking of those dark years of hers. But she didn't want Kristi to go through what she endured…no one deserved that.
"I'm glad someone noticed. I've tried to talk to Catharine and Derrick about it, but they say that I am making a mountain out of a mole hill, which I am not. Kids nowadays, wanting to get thinner…it's so sad," sighed Katie, as she stared out the window looking out at the yard where some of the kids were playing in the snow.
"Well she seems to really not be eating much of anything, and it worries me. A girl of her size should be much heavier. She covers her weight with baggy clothes, and insists that she is fine, at least that is what Jonathon said when he asked Catharine. I mean, maybe she needs some sort of help. Her bones are sticking out in her face," said Karen facing her mother in law.
"I know what you mean Karen. She is way too thin, and when she last came here, about 2 months ago for a weekend visit, I had a hard time getting her to eat. I even baked all her favorite foods, but she just nibbled at it. I even caught her taking food from her plate, and placing it into a napkin, which she tried to hide. I was concerned. Why would she do that? And since then, she has lost at least another 10 pounds, and it scares me. She is wasting away. And what makes it worse, is my daughter doesn't think anything is wrong. That's what makes me even more upset!" exclaimed Katie, as tears came to her eyes.
"Don't worry…Katie…I mean Mother. Jon and I will talk to Catharine and Derrick and explain as best we can. Everything will be fine, you'll see," said Karen in what she hoped was her most soothing voice as she wrapped her arms around her mother in law.
After their tasty dinner, they bundled up and headed out to the cars. It only took a few minutes to head out of the city, and to Daniel and Katie's farm. Karen had never been here before, and upon seeing it was shocked.
Their home was huge. Practically a mansion. The yard surrounding it was vast, and covered with snow. The yard was encircled by a row of tall Evergreens. Beyond that was a small creek, which was now covered with ice.
She knew that the kids would have so much fun with each other. Katie and Daniel had 22 Grandchildren between the ages of 1 to 16, so it was going to be an interesting Christmas to say the least.
Daniel and Katie came to the door, all decked in holiday colors of red, white and green. They welcomed everyone with great big bear hugs. Karen really loved her in-laws. It always surprised her that they were so open with their affection and feelings. Karen loved to see that Daniel and his little wife Katie still kissed and hugged openly, in front of the grandchildren. The little ones giggled, while the older grandchildren just rolled their eyes and pretended to gag. Karen found this all so amusing.
The huge house had plenty of room, with over 8 bedrooms, 3 living room/dens which would be filled with all the kids. The little ones would stay in their parents' bedrooms. Karen took all their belongings up to their room, which were cozy and looked nice and neat. She unpacked their belongings, and contrary to popular belief, she packed light. She organized all their belongings, and put some of their clothes in the drawers that were provided.
Coming down, she bumped into the other sisters and brothers of Jon. Everyone began to talk and exclaim out loud when they saw the newest Andrews baby-Cynthia, and everyone wanted a chance to hold her, to which Karen had no problem giving up her child, and heading to the kitchen where her mother in law was.
The kitchen was huge, and built in a very homey, yet old-fashioned way. Karen loved the feel and the warmth that was encircling her. She took off her heavy sweater, and rolled up her sleeves, and began to help Katie with making cookie dough and cutting them into shapes. This was one of her favorite things to do. Back in her anorexic days, she used to cook and bake, and make wonderful cuisine items, and she was excellent at it. She still was, but now she wasn't anorexic. Which made her remember her niece Kristi, and she wondered how she would mention this to Katie.
Katie was the type of woman, who had learned a lot in her life, and gleaned jeweled wisdom. Some may have thought she was too old fashioned, but a true believer, would have seen how knowledgeable she really was. Karen could see this, and that was why she loved her mother in law so much. Oh, she loved Agnes so much, but she always wondered what it would be like to have a mother that she could confide in about anything, and not to have a mother that was a know it all, or a berating type of person. Karen felt guilty for feeling this way about her own Mother. She only did what she knew how, Karen thought as she tried to console herself.
"Katie, can I ask you a question?" asked Karen, with a little tremor to her voice, as she looked at the dough she was kneading. She couldn't look at Katie's face. "Sure Karen. Ask away, " said Katie, as she grabbed a handful of flour and sprinkled it on the table, and grabbed the rolling pin, and began to roll the dough, quickly and with expert hands that had done this type of things many times before.
"Well, it's about Kristi…you see, I think she may have a dieting problem…uh, and I was wondering if you noticed anything suspicious about her dieting, or anything…maybe I am just being too overly concerned, but…well you you know that I suffered from anorexia nervosa for many years, and I usually can spot the signs,,," said Karen in almost one deep breath, and her voice was shaky. It still bothered her somewhat thinking of those dark years of hers. But she didn't want Kristi to go through what she endured…no one deserved that.
"I'm glad someone noticed. I've tried to talk to Catharine and Derrick about it, but they say that I am making a mountain out of a mole hill, which I am not. Kids nowadays, wanting to get thinner…it's so sad," sighed Katie, as she stared out the window looking out at the yard where some of the kids were playing in the snow.
"Well she seems to really not be eating much of anything, and it worries me. A girl of her size should be much heavier. She covers her weight with baggy clothes, and insists that she is fine, at least that is what Jonathon said when he asked Catharine. I mean, maybe she needs some sort of help. Her bones are sticking out in her face," said Karen facing her mother in law.
"I know what you mean Karen. She is way too thin, and when she last came here, about 2 months ago for a weekend visit, I had a hard time getting her to eat. I even baked all her favorite foods, but she just nibbled at it. I even caught her taking food from her plate, and placing it into a napkin, which she tried to hide. I was concerned. Why would she do that? And since then, she has lost at least another 10 pounds, and it scares me. She is wasting away. And what makes it worse, is my daughter doesn't think anything is wrong. That's what makes me even more upset!" exclaimed Katie, as tears came to her eyes.
"Don't worry…Katie…I mean Mother. Jon and I will talk to Catharine and Derrick and explain as best we can. Everything will be fine, you'll see," said Karen in what she hoped was her most soothing voice as she wrapped her arms around her mother in law.
