Mildred Riker, a buxom, plump woman, well dressed and groomed got out of her unusual car and tiptoed with the pose and grace of someone much smaller. She shut the car door and smiled. Everytime she looked at her new car it made her smile. Then laugh lightly to herself as she thought of her husband's reaction to her new purchase. He called it a box. Her friend Jim Qwilleran had nicknamed it the "toaster". They had alot of fun joking about her purchase, but she loved her compact, small SUV that did in fact, look like a box on wheels, and silver like a stainless steele toaster, to boot. She was tiptoeing because torential rains the last week had left mud and mush and goo along the dirt roads of Dimsdale. Dimsdale was not a what you would call a proper "community" or a "town", but a collection of run down shacks and trailors down a dirt road. For years Mildred had encouraged the "housewives" of Dimsdale to better themselves, employeeing them to quilt, paint or sew there way into prosperity and a better life. She now had embarked on a new venture to help the woman of Dimsdale, online sales. She had created a website to sell items produced by the Dimsdale crastswoman and she was having trouble getting them to buy into her enthusiasm.

Mildred thought, Why don't they want to get out of this hole in the wall or at least make enough money to get their children or grandchildren out. She had proposed building newer and better housing for them to the K fund, but without matching funds or some kind of envolvement from them, to let the K fund know they would have input in bettering themselves, they had turned her down. Mildren pictured a group of pastel painted bungelows, with vegetable gardens in Dimsdale. She smiled again at herself as she pictured lemon yellow, seafoam green, sky blue, baby pink, mandrin melon and pale violet cottages with garden growing green things to eat and flowers along the front. She pictured a small building in the center of the community with a day care and playground for the children. Paved roads and new mailboxes, she mused, mailboxes to match the houses with crisp white trim..............squash.......squich, with all her day dreaming, she had stepped right into a large mud puddle. She caught herself on a fencepost before she went all the way down. OHHH she sighed.....I'm glad I wore my waterproof boots.

Chapter 2

Jim Qwilleran, the richest man in the northern United States, slowed his car as he passed the Dimsdale Diner. He could see far enough down the road past the Diner .............a shiney new silver car, glinting in the sun......that was Mildred's funny looking new SUV he thought. What is she doing in Dimsdale, he wondered.

Hi Joyce, if you look at my email address, the "xb" is for my silver scion xb! But I am not going to state that in the story. I like to leave the reader to use their imagination! Also I deeply apologize for the typo/spelling mistakes. Does this site have a spell check or edit feature. I am a terrible proof reader, please excuse me.

Qwill drove down the bumpy dirt path until he pulled up behind Mildred's vehicle. She was coming oot of one of the trailors in the middle of an encampment of mobile homes, sheds, old pump houses and dog houses. Qwill, she exclaimed as she delicately picked her way through the tall grass, mud and rocks. You are just the person I wanted to see she said. Mildred, what are you doing out here. Aren't you afraid you will dirty the toaster, it still has it's new car shine and smell, he said, tongue in cheek to needle her a bit. She laughed a hearty well modulated laugh, oh Qwill, I just love my new car no matter what you and Arch say. I need to talk to you Qwill about a new project, a community project and fund raiser that encompasses the Dimsdale Quilters, the high school home economics department, and the world wide web! She finally stopped and took a breath. Well, this sounds ostentatious, he said, and a lunch is called for so I can hear about this magnificant and all encompassing project on a full stomach. Care to join me at Tipsy's Tavern for a burger or perhaps the Dimsdale Dinner is serving goulash today. No, no Qwill, I need you to see something at the house. We are still in Mouseville ......well for one more week at least, before we pack up and move to the condo for the fall. Follow me to the cottage and we can eat there. I have a pot of fisherman's stew in the crock pot and laid out some slices of smoked turkey and homemade wheat bread for sandwiches. You will just love this years pickles I put up. The dills are lovely, but the bread and butter pickles are the best, I think. And I made some blueberry pies yesterday. Qwill's mouth was watering as he agreed to follow her to Mooseville. The caravan arrived and toulouse, a black and white tuxedo cat met them at the door. The smell of the lake wafted up as he whiped his muddy feet, and Mildred took her boots off at the door and put them on the porch.

After I reassured you about the typos, I couldn't help laughing at one: Mouseville? Well you spelled it right the second time. But this typo is Freudian, don't you think? I'd like a slice of that pie and some bread and butter pickles, please.

Qwill I know you let the K fund board make all the decisions, but I want to share with you as a friend and get your input about the remodeling project for the Dimsdale squatters encampment. Mildren unrolled what appeared to be blueprints and in fact turned out to be drawings for an entire community. She explained that if the Dimsdale quilters, in conjuction with the high school home economics department and their state of the art materials and appliances could be joined, and a website made, the sky was the limit on how much money could be brought in. She said if the K fund would match it dollar for dollar, at least 15 cottages, a community center, a playground could be build to replace the squallor that was now Dimsdale. The community center could house computers to keep the business going. It could have a room for boxing and shipping finished products all over the world. And then the high school component could be phased out once Dimsdale has their own equipment.
Qwill was astounded at the magnatude and detail Mildred had complied in this proposal. He told her to submit it and he would let Bart and the think tank in the city know it had not only his blessing but he desired to see completed. He added, why not include a component to send high school tutors to the proposed new Dimsdale community center to teach basic reading and literacy to the citizens there. And Mildred, a no drugs or alcohol stipulation for the residents. That will weed out the riff raff. Well Qwill we certainly won't let drugs in , but alcohol is still legal you know.

NOOO Praline I so don't mind. I love the last sentence, it is so LJB. Mildred reminding Qwill, but alcohol is still legal. Please feel free to contribute anytime. I am so caught up at work, I have not time to write.