The Storyteller | Mary Vee

  As told by… A non-existent witness by Mary Vee   From where I’m sitting. What an amusing statement. The very words practically qualify me as a judge.   Coincidentally, I am. I have been a circuit court judge for ten years and have listened to cases that would bend a dog’s ear and make a granny frown. The things people do and expect to receive leniency for boggles my mind.    Take, for example the case currently in my court. A woman driving a four-door Dodge ramped up her radio to hear the rest of a story on the Moth program aired on NPR when the semi-truck driver next to her leaned on his brakes creating a disturbing noise. She, of course, didn’t have his perspective of the road from high in the semi driver’s seat. A unique view, in this case, which enabled him to see what was to come.    The Moth story had so intrigued the woman, she thought nothing of what would happen next to her, but only what would happen next in the story. She sped up to get aw...

This summer a pair of wild geese raised a family on the grassy shore outside our home. This was the first time a family stayed from gosling to raised geese. Recently, they flew away and didn't return. I read  North by Night  this week as part of my research for the story I'm currently writing. The main character is Lucy, a teen girl living in small town, Ohio, who helps her family hide slaves fleeing north in the 1800's. The story is powerful and I highly recommend it. In the days of the Underground Railroad, individuals fleeing slavery were called Wild Geese. It was a code word. Pictures and drawings of wild geese pointed the way north, because, as we know, geese go south for the summer, have their babies, then fly north. It took courage to modify businesses or homes to harbor, feed, and cloth these individuals on the run. Families risked their lives to help men, women, and children find freedom. They often kept their secret from r...

Grandma adopted my mom. She and grandpa had tried to have their own children for many years. The decision to adopt came on a whim one day when the neighbor across the street volunteered to babysit a little three-year-old girl. The little one twirled outside in her frock. She played with the toys and laughed.  Grandma crossed the street, curious about this new visitor. The neighbor said, "Her mother  only recently died. There are five children, and the father doesn't know what to do. He says he can care for the older three children, but feels he must let the two little ones go for adoption." Grandma watched the little girl play. Not long after, Grandma and Grandpa signed adoption papers changing my mom's name and giving her a new home. They lived on a large rectangular plot of land more deep than wide. Grandma cooked and sewed everything from scratch, including mom's clothes. In her free time she made quilts. Keeping in  her frugal budget, Grandma took...

Photo by Mary Vee I heard a great interview with a nature expert on the radio this morning. The topic, of course, piqued my interest, especially since he was showing the interviewer signs of coming Spring. With the snow still floating through the air in my neck of the woods, in April no less, I wanted to hear about these signs as an encouragement that yes, Spring really and truly would come. When you live in a northern state, constant gray skies from November through April can get pretty dull. It's difficult to believe new blossoms are on their way. Animals are waking from hibernation. And the circle of life is not broken. This radio interview, conducted in a northeast state, let listeners hear the crunch of boots while guide and interviewer traversed through nature. The guide stopped. "See here," he said. "This is a bear paw print. Almond shaped for the toes. A small indentation for the heal. This bear is on all fours. It is a cub. Probably woke before M...