A to Z: T - Teaspoon & Tape

My A to Z Challenge: Flash fiction written using two words and a photo for inspiration. How did I chose the words? First I brought up a noun list for each letter, then averted my eyes, scrolled the mouse down, stopped and double-clicked. That was the word! The second word was chosen the same way but from a dictionary list of words.
NOTE: Photos are from free to use photo sites such as Pixabay.com and Morguefile.com. No attribution necessary.

She sat back on her heels, looking at her discovery. She'd been digging out a small patch of her yard for a flower garden. A place to be able to sit and reflect on the natural beauty and artistry of nature. She wanted to attract butterflies and hummingbirds, then build a gazebo, and after that...

"Whoa, slow down. First things first." She laughed at herself and ran her fingers over the dirt encrusted spoon. Not a teaspoon or a soup spoon but a serving spoon. A serving spoon like the one she remembered her Grams using when she was a little girl.

Lost in memories, she sank down onto the soft, warm soil, letting the remembrances wash over her. Sitting on Grammy's lap in the weathered rocker, savoring the smells on the threadbare apron as she fell asleep listening to the soft lullaby. Growing a flower garden, digging in the dirt, planting and weeding, then enjoying the results. Standing on a stool, learning to cook by her side. Stirring soups, whipping batter, kneading breads - she swore she could smell the aromas right now, here, sitting in the dirt. 

Losing her parents at age three, it was her grandmother who had raised her. Guided her through her tumultuous and rebellious teenage years, never giving up on her. She let the single tear fall. "Oh, Grams. I miss you so much." She sighed as a breeze ruffled her hair.  Life had been hard lately. Harder than usual. No home, no job, and no prospects.

Her grandmother had willed her this farm but she had let it sit, unoccupied, for several years. Until she had no choice. So she packed up everything she owned, loaded it into her ancient car and moved back to her hometown.

She looked around her. A ramshackle house in desperate need of both repairs and a paint job. Several acres of overgrown farmland that was probably only good for haying right now. And the yard where she was sitting, looking somewhat better after she had spent her first week trashing junk, weeding, and mowing. Not used to the hard work, she'd gained several blisters. She smiled as she remembered her first attempts at wrapping her own hands in yards of gauze and tape.

The spoon had grown warm in her hand and she looked up as the sun came out from behind a cloud. "Grams, I'm going to be okay. In a couple of months, you won't recognize this place. Thank you for everything you taught me. Flowers and baking, my new business. I didn't know what to call it until I found this." She held up the utensil. "Gram's Spoonery."

Stay Calm and Read Flash Fiction!

  

Follow the A to Z Goldendoodles