Thanksgiving Gift
by
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No one envies Okie weathermen. Like Will Rogers said, "If you don’t like our weather, just wait a few minutes." Saturday started out gray with clouds. But by nine AM, it was as sunny as Hawaii with no pineapple juice (their semi-rain). By time to go, it was seventy degrees. Lying on my bed I zipped up my jeans and decided to choose only diet drinks from now on. Somehow sweets don’t tempt me when Brody’s holding my hand. I know that sounds smaltzy. It is. We picked Gram up. Of course she wore her red and white to match OU’s colors. The stadium was jampacked. The game of the season. Our seats weren’t good - directly behind the goal posts, and only about twenty-five rows up. But I suppose that’s all Brody could get. I could have sat behind a tree with Brody giving me constant attention. Were you ever like that, Mom? Why can’t I go back to living by my HEAD? HEARTS lead you to crazy acts and decisions. My head says I’m in La La Land and will return to sanity soon, because there’s no future with this guy. My HEART could care less. The game was exciting. Gram threw her hat up in the air several times. When OU scored, the little covered wagon pulled by two horses (a student guiding) came out and circled on the field. We were ahead. The crowd had a roaring good time. Next came another touchdown. The kick was good. After she threw her hat in the air, Gram stood up. Would you believe that ball went over the middle of the goal post and RIGHT INTO GRAM’S HANDS. She caught it with the agility of an OU student (who tried to grab it first). But Gram held on to the ball. The cheers were explosive. When everyone finally sat back down, Gram did, too. But she held on to the ball. She gazed at her catch as if it was precious - like one of her angel collection. I urged, "Gram, throw it back." She hugged it close to her. Brody shouted to me above the din, "She can’t throw that far." He tried to take the ball from her. By that time, people all around us said, "THROW IT BACK." But Gram held on. "It’s mine." Brody and I tried to reason with her. Yet she shook her head back and forth. She continued. "When I was at OU, you could keep the football if it went out into the stadium." I argued, "But that was over seventy years ago. NOT NOW." Gram just held on to the ball. Finally an official came toward our seats. By that time, the crowd yelled, "Throw it back. THROW IT BACK." Before the official reached us, Gram stood up to throw it. Brody urged, "Let me do it. You’ll never get it on the field." But Gram pushed him away. "You want to bet?" Holding the ball, she straightened up to her tallest five- foot- five height. She raised her arm way back and threw with superhuman force. Would you believe, Mom, that ball flew right over the top of the goal post, right between the uprights! Our whole section clapped and yelled, "Touchdown. Another touchdown." The little covered wagon went out on the field and turned around twice - once for the real touchdown and a little short turn for Gram’s. The student in the crowd (who found Gram’s hat she had thrown up in the air) came to give it back. She hugged Gram. The student pointed to the camera she carried. "I got your picture throwing the ball. I’m sending a copy to the Daily Oklahoman, and I’ll send you a copy. I think the coach should hire you as our mascot." She got Gram’s address and hugged her. The rest is history. OU won by a nice margin. Ardella says she’s keeping a scrapbook for Gram. It’s already nearly full. What a gal my Gram is! Albeit, she’s a scene stealer of the first degree! After the game, Brody took us to the Pro shop under the stadium. There he bought himself and me OU T-shirts. And he bought Gram one of those little OU footballs. Later she hung the football on a rafter in her living room, not far from her angel. Looks cheesy, of course. But who’s talking cheese?
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About the Book
Thanksgiving is the second-most-special family gathering of the year. We go to Mom's or Grand Mom's for that traditional meal of gratitude. THANKSGIVING GIFT, an inspirational novel that hinges on Thanksgiving Day, makes an inexpensive thank-you gift. The first page after the cover has a shield with space for writing TO: Gram: MOM or your Friend – and FROM: You. THANKSGIVING GIFT has a unique appeal, with traditions of faith and family values. How many ninety-year-olds are as active, feisty and with-it as Karen's Grandmother is? Gram says, "MORE THAN YOU THINK. " She also believes " A LAUGH IS BETTER THAN A TONIC." Her hilarious antics keep the book light. The viewpoint character, Karen, e-mails regularly to her Mom, (a consultant in Hong Kong). Due to retire in six months, Mom convinces her daughter (rebel Karen) to spend Saturday mornings with Gram, until Mom arrives home on Thanksgiving. A scene-stealer, Gram embarrasses Karen in every way imaginable. Yet Gram yanks Karen out of death's jaws, leads her back to faith, and into the arms of the man of her dreams. On Thanksgiving, Karen finally expresses her gratitude to her mother and her grandmother. THANKSGIVING GIFT cleverly encourages a very important THANK YOU to Moms, Grams, and Friends –while they are still with us.
About the Author
Eloise Rodkey Rees received her AB degree as well as her master’s degree in Drama from the University Of Oklahoma. Her short play, YO, CLEO, was produced at Rose State College in Oklahoma City, in 1994. Several years ago Rees sold two novels, ONCE IN SIX THOUSAND YEARS and GLOOMSDAY SUN, published by Manor Books and Laura Books, respectively. MS. PRESIDENT 1999 (novel) was sold but not published. THE OK WHITEHORNS is her full-length published play. Best known are her futurist novels, DOVE'S SONG and its sequel, DOVE'S DUET, published in 2000 and 2001, respectively. Eloise Rodkey Rees’ latest novel, THANKSGIVING GIFT, is a situation comedy with laughs in each chapter from Gram's bizarre activities. This novel cleverly encourages your very important THANK YOU to mothers, grandmothers and friends.