In this blog: The Story of the Cape
Notes from Joy
BOOB Girl Talk for your groups
The BOOB Girl Series
Story of the Cape
“Here’s the story,” Robbie said, “Mary Rose will fill you in on the details later.” She took a deep breath and began to read.
The Sisterhood of the Meadow Lakes Traveling Cape
A long time ago in the Celtic age in Scotland there was a cave. This cave was hidden near a village where the smoke drifted out of chimneys in soft white curls, where the wild mustard blooming on the moors looked as if the sun had lain down to take a nap, and where the last drops of rain turned into daisy pedals as they fell.
Sticking out of one side of the cave was a straight rock with a hook at the end. Hanging on that hook was a soft, beautiful cape done in the finest Scottish plaid.
It hung there year and year, alone in the dark, cool cave.
One day the sky opened with a tremendous burst of thunder and rain poured onto the land. Through the downpour, soaked to the skin, was a beautiful young girl. She had been gathering flowers on the moor and in the terrible downpour ran as fast as she could for home.
It seemed as if she would never reach her doorstep. Just as she was ready to drop to her knees soaked and exhausted, she spotted the entrance to the ancient cave.
She rushed inside, falling as she did so. She lay on the floor of the cave, breathing hard, her eyes closed. At last, she opened one eye, then the other.
The cave was filled with shadows. She turned her head from side to side and then – from a corner of her eye – she saw a splash of plaid against the wall.
Carefully, so as not to slip, she crawled to the piece of plaid.
She helped herself up, holding onto the wall of the cave.
She felt the piece of plaid. It was soft and comforting.
She lifted it from the hook and there, before her very eyes was the beautiful cape.
She put it over her shoulders.
She raised the hood over her head.
She felt warm, especially in her heart, as if a wonderful gift had been given to her.
And there, in the cave, the cape around her shoulders, she knew this was a special, special gift. She knew it would be worn by many women. She knew it would become of symbol of friendship and sisterhood.
She wore the cape home.
When it came time for her to adventure into the world she came to America. She wore the cape everywhere.
One cool November day. She happened into a grocery store and there – standing by a rack of clothes, she knew – knew beyond any doubt – that she was to hang the cape on that rack. She knew the woman who would introduce the cape to a wonderful sisterhood was at that very moment, entering the store.
The girl grabbed an empty hanger, hung the cape on the rack, turned and hurried into the card and candy section, disappearing from view.
In just moments a woman approached the rack of clothes, saw the cape, took it off the hook, and wrapped it around her shoulders.
She smiled a sweet, knowing smile.
And the adventure began.
They were in the dining room at Meadow lakes Retirement Community. Snow lay blown up against the floor-to-ceiling windows and pots of hot coffee and warm cinnamon rolls graced the top of table 12.
Hadley Joy Morris Whitfield, Wiley Vondra and Alphonso Greatwood sat around the table listening to Robbie in a semi-interested mood. Raven, a full-blood Apache was doing his Indian thing by staring off into space, looking at nothing and seeing everything. Geoffrey, the over-sized mastiff was asleep at his feet, snoring and seeing nothing.
Mary Rose McGill jumped up and down in her seat. “So, here’s what happened,” she said, her voice full of enthusiasm. “I was at the corn by the mailboxes, and I saw Vicki and she was wearing this beautiful little cape, and I said, ‘Vicki, if you die first, can I have this?’
They all, except Raven and Geoffrey, smiled at Mary Rose.
“Well, the next morning it was hanging on my door with a note saying I should wear it.,” she smiled. “I didn’t think Vicki had died, so I called her, and she said I should wear it and I said I would through January then she could wear it through February and we would share March.”
Mary Rose sat back, waiting for a response.
Silence.
Robbie came to the rescue. “So. Mary Rose called me and I called Vicki and we had coffee and we are inviting all the ladies of Meadow Lakes to wear the cape for three days each and write down their adventures while wearing the cape.”
Silence.
“Think of all the fun!” Mary Rose said, “When you wear the cape you can be anyone you want to be, go where you want to go and after three days the next lady has an adventure.”
“Like the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants,” Robbie added.
Silence.
“Alphonso looked at Wiley, “You want a beer?”
“Yup,” Wiley and Raven said together.
The men got up and left the dining room.
Geoffrey followed.
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A note from Joy
The Real Wonderful, Whimsical Traveling Cape
I really did meet my friend, Vicki, in the hall at Arboretum Village, our retirement Community and we created the traveling cape.
The cape represents a lot of things: community, support, friendship, adventure and sisterhood. Each wearer had the cape for three days. She can go anywhere in the cape, turn it into a table topper, throw it over her legs when watching TV, venture out into the world and do what she wants.
When the cape wraps around her shoulders, she is wrapped in the love of all the women who signed up to wear it.
I was first to wear the beautiful plaid. With me the cape went to Round the Bend Steakhouse (the model for Ragged Ass Saloon in book I) and Longhorn Steakhouse. It prefers Filets. I wore it through the halls at Arboretum Village and to Happy Hour where it enjoyed a really good Chardonnay.
Our next few blogs will be about the adventures of the cape, so hang on – when a bunch of Burned Out Old Broads try something new – who knows what can happen?
Now that we are opening up some, I will be available for speaking. At least I HOPE we’ll be opening up some! The BOOB Girls Talk will be shorter, 30-40 minutes, and will be available only within 150 miles of Omaha.
For information, email joy.johnson@msn.com or call at 403-639-2030,
This is a laugh out loud talk that includes how older women are beautiful and BOOB Girl Books will be waiting for you.
Credit cards: website or 402-639-2939
Check to Joy Brown at
8141 farnam, #322, Omaha NE 68114