Heather Dale MacDonald
Audrey: I enjoyed having Spen so much…
When you were born, I argued with the Doctor, I said “no no”, it can’t be a girl born on the 9th! All the males in my family were born on the 9th. Dad’s the 9th; Spencer’s the 9th; Douglas’ the 9th!
Audrey: It is raining and the leaves are dropping. The trees will be bare pretty soon. I’m getting old. I’m happy I’m here. I have the cat and Buddy (the dog) for friends. Buddy carts a rag baby around in his mouth, and he looks so happy every time he finds it.
Brenda looks good. She says she is not dying with cancer. She is living with cancer. She has had the water drawn off. She is a fighter. I’ve never seen her look better. She wears the hats that Deardra designed and everyone is asking about those hats. They make her look so pretty. Spencer is fine. He’s determined that Brenda will live and he will not think of her dying. She is a fighter and he is right with her.
Audrey and Milton’s home, 420 East Greenwich Avenue, West Warwick, Rhode Island
“Aunt” Jeannie Campbell and her sister, Di Wicks
Audrey: I went to Spen and Bren’s house for the weekend. I go in and sit down in comfort. Julie now lives on Amanda Street with two other girls. Brenda takes medicine all the time, and she looks good, even though her stomach swells. We (Spen, Brenda and all) went to Doreen’s house for dinner. We had a lovely meal. David was puttering around his house. They have a three-sided room with half the wall being a TV. (When you kids were little) I had a big, old house. I didn’t know any better then. I didn’t feel put down at all. We had plenty of room and it was fine. Aunt Jeannie (Jeannie Campbell)* next door was just like another mother to me. Aunt Jeannie was an angel in disguise. She took care of everybody. Her husband (or son I can not remember which) was killed in a train accident going to the First World Fair in New York. Franklin, her first son, died. However, Aunt Di, Jeannie’s sister, was a pain in the neck. She had her mouth going. She was cross. She was always coming into the house with a broom.
Audrey: Brenda had the fluid drained. Sharon and Amy were up from Florida. They invited Amber to spend a week with them in Florida. Spencer is OK. Julie lives on Amanda Street. Isn’t that great. The name of her street reminds me of Aunt Mandy.
Audrey: There is snow on the ground. It’s not very deep, only about two inches and it is starting to melt. There are squirrels running around. Today is Spencer’s birthday. I’ll be 91 years, (my life span has covered) from the horse and buggy to the moon!
Audrey: Yes, but I should have gotten more dressed up. Why didn’t I?
(Heather: Mother, don’t say that. You look fine. You sit here with Spencer at this table. Chuck and I will go look for the Spencer and Vaughn geneology books. We will bring the books to the table.)
Douglas and Spencer MacDonald
Audrey: From age 12 to 14 years. He had tap dancing lessons from a dance instructor in Pawtucket. He could do the Russian, a dance where he would kick out his feet, balance on one foot while kicking out on another, for 20 minutes at a time.
(Heather: That is why Spen is such a good dancer now.)
Audrey: Here I can do what I want. I’m not bossed around. Spencer will take me out and wheel me around and I don’t have a boring chair. Spen drops in every other thing. Oh, my hand is fast asleep, so I switched hands. A girl came in and made my neighbor Vivian’s bed. Vivian walks with a walker. She is in and out all the time. She is always on the go.
Yesterday a hundred million black birds were flying up and down outside my window. The road was covered with birds. They stayed there even after I left. The phone fell on the floor. I’m going to put it back. I backed up so far the phone fell off the table. Oh, Dawn is coming in!! Who am I talking to?
(H: Heather)
A: Oh, I’m not getting that bad yet? Wasn’t that funny. I get along pretty good with whom I talk with.
(Heather: Of course, you do, Mother. It’s just that you are excited and happy to see Dawn. And besides, if you forget whom you are talking to, just say, “Whom am I talking to?” And then you will get the answer and we keep going with the conversation. No one will be upset if you forget for a moment. We all forget at times. That is natural. Let me say Hi to Dawn and then I’ll call you next Saturday. Love you.)
Spencer, Dawn, Douglas, Heather, Deardra and Vaughn MacDonald
Audrey: The front door was never used. It was just to look at. It was beautiful. I can always see that front door of that big house. That door was beautiful. Grampa (William J.B. Spencer) sold the homestead in East Greenwich and we bought the house in Coventry with the money.
I lived there since I was twelve years old until I married and we moved to a small house. We went back to live at 742 Washington Street until we bought the house on East Greenwich Avenue in West Warwick. You (Heather) were nine months old when we moved.
I got by. I had the children there. I was making up things all the time. We would go out and play and pick daisies. The field was full of daisies. But I enjoyed you kids. It was all I needed—my seven masterpieces as I call you.
Audrey: No. He has a girlfriend! I am happy that he is happy. He deserves happiness. They go dancing all the time.
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Glimpses of the Past: Morning Conversations with Audrey
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