Winter
Once upon a time, in a land far away, there lived a young girl. From an early age it was clear that She was unlike the other girls. Despite a tough life living on small prairie farm in thirties this girl learned early to have treasure a sense of humour, believe in the wonder of life look for the magic that surrounds you.
Grace spent many hours as a young girl out in the open prairie riding her horse to school crossing the fields where the warm summer breeze can be seen as it makes its way in waves over the wheat and headed off into the far distance beyond sight.
Grace believed quietly in magic. She believed that there were many wonders waiting for her in life. Grace tells the story of the day her fairy tale adventure began.
When she was sixteen she went to a early summer picnic with her friends and other young people down by the river in Edmonton.
As she tells the story of that day, you see the glint in her eye, her smile, she tells how she went down to the rivers edge and came back up with her hands in her coat pocket to a group of her girl friends, who were talking to a couple of boys…. What do you think i have in my pocket? she said peaking the interest of the girls and catching the eye of the boys. Just waiting for one of the girls to insist on knowing what her surprise was. She pulled out of her pocket a handsome large young frog and showed it to all present the young girls all fled but one young man was impressed with this beautiful girl who was so uncommon.
That was the day that Grace met her handsome young prince. I am sure there was a kiss at some point because from that day forward young man and this beautiful girl would spend the rest of their lives together.
Now fairy tales are more than just good times and fancy castles. For there to be a true fairy tale you need adventure and you need challenges you need to conquer monsters and outsmart unknown perils.
So they set off to the wilds of south america to make magic and find their fortune. As Grace would tell you every adventure got better and better from Columbia where they outwitted the bands of armed guerillas storming their camp and raising their children with the monkeys, ant eaters, foxes and drunken donkeys, to the coastal desert of Peru where they did not see rain for seven years.
She lived in her first castle when their adventures took them to Argentina.
Followed by She found a kind of personal richness on the coasts of Costa Rica. Grace was memorable for her charity work at the thrift shops and working with the mentally handicapped. She would do what others would not adn talk to the poor adn the dissadvantaged She was always involved with charities and driving the country discovering new places.
She never worried about where she went or how to get to her destination, when she drove she trusted that where ever she was that is where she was meant to be and that if she looked she would discover something worth while and interesting a treasure of some sort.
She taught us some simple magic over the years and encouraged us to believe in more than what we were told and to find out for ourselves what was real.
From the wilds of the americas the winds of fortune led her to the land of kings and of knights spain was a discovery of culture and historic treasures. Ruined castles and languages. Grace was always interested in learning, she would always have several language programs from greek german, italian french. She loved to talk to people.
It was france that provided one of the final lessons of life, the discovery european culture and food. A chance to learn a new language in depth.
With her seventh challenge overcome she was now ready for the biggest and final adventure. She had finally conquered the world and she made it to the land of Princes and Queens. Grace had arrived to her prize destination. England and it is no coincidence that they her and her prince charming ended up in the little village of Burley , where magic is known to be found in the forest. where people understand the adventures of life.
Yes of all the places and adventures this was her finest hour. She loved her home, the people and the life that she made here.
Grace lived a charmed life, and she worked hard for it and she knew the value of what she had found and she cherished it and all the people that surrounded her.
FRom frogs to princes Grace ended her days happy in her domain after a good life that no one could say was anything less than a true fairy tale.
