Once upon a time there was a little girl named Meagan. She lived with her mother Elizabeth, her father Michael, her brother Corwin and her cat Starweaver.
One day Meagan was helping her mother do the grocery shopping. They were buying ingredients to make bread. They got flour, yeast, and molasses. Meagan was very excited. She was going to help make the bread for her family's Lammas celebration. Meagan knew that Lammas was also called the 'Loaf Mass' by some Christians. It was a holiday to celebrate the grain harvest. She helped her mother put the groceries into the cloth bags and carry them to the car. Soon they were ready to go home and start making the bread.
"Mommy," asked Meagan, "can we make a loaf for Cindy and Mrs. Hanson?"
Elizabeth nodded, "I think that's a great idea! We're going to make a loaf for each of them, two for the coven and maybe a loaf for Nana and Gamma Lee and Granpa Scott. How many loaves will we need to make?"
Meagan thought and thought. She started to count on her fingers. "Hmmm," she said, "let's see, two and two is four and one is five and one is six. We need to make six loaves of bread to have enough for everyone."
"That's right!" said her mother, "and as soon as your brother gets home we'll start making them."
Meagan helped unload the groceries when they got home. She helped set out the ingredients for the bread. Then she decided to make cards to go with the bread until Corwin got home. She made a card for her best friend Cindy and Mrs. Hanson who lived down the street. She made a card for her Nana. She made a card for Gamma Lee and Granpa Scott. Corwin was still not home.
Meagan sighed. Her cat Starweaver jumped up into her lap and started to purr. "Gosh," she said to him, "I don't think that Corwin will ever come home!" She decided to make a card for Gwennie's new baby. Gwennie was in their coven and would be having a baby very soon. Michael had told Meagan that the midwife said that Gwennie's baby would probably be a little boy.
Meagan carefully chose a red crayon for fire. Meagan
drew a red lion to stand for fire and the South. She drew a yellow eagle for
air and the East. She drew a blue dragon for water and the West and she drew
a green stag for earth and the North. Meagan stopped and looked at her card.
She opened it up and put a silver Goddess on one side and a gold God on the
other.
Just then Corwin came in the back door with their
father. His face was pale. He had a white cast on his arm. Meagan jumped up
from the table just as her mother came into the room.
"What happened!" Meagan gasped.
Elizabeth hugged Corwin tight. "Corwin fell from the tree he was climbing at the park and broke his arm. He'll have to keep the cast on for awhile but the doctor said that it was a clean break and should heal well."
Meagan put her hand on Corwin's good arm. "I'm sorry," she said, "will we still make bread?" Elizabeth looked at Michael over Corwin's head, "That depends on how Corwin feels, honey." Corwin sighed, "I think I'll be okay but I'm just gonna sit in the armchair and supervise."
Everyone helped Corwin get settled in an armchair in a corner of the kitchen. They made the dough for the bread and set it aside to rise. Meagan showed Corwin the cards she had made. "Hey, that's neat," her brother said, "I think I'll make a card for Gwennie and the baby later too. But right now I'd like to take my medicine and lay down."
Corwin went to his bedroom. Michael and Elizabeth were both doing other things while they waited for the bread to rise. Meagan felt all alone. She decided to make an extra special card for Corwin to help make him feel better. She used all her favorite colors. She took her time and was very careful. The dough still wasn't ready to cook.
Meagan looked at the timer. It was about to go off! She called her parents. "We're coming," chuckled Michael. Meagan jumped around the kitchen shouting, "It's time! It's time!" "Hush," said her mother, "we don't want to wake up Corwin. First we have to punch down the dough and let it rise again. We'll wake up Corwin just before we're ready to cook the bread." Meagan sighed, "How much longer?"
Elizabeth smiled and showed her the timer. Meagan sighed again. She had already made tons of cards. What could she do while she was waiting for the bread? She decided to make a present for the new baby and for Corwin. She went and got two jars from the recycle box. She cleaned them very carefully. She saw her father in the workshop and asked him to punch some long slots in the jars. "What are you making?" asked Michael. "I'm making a saving's jar for Corwin and one for Gwennie's new baby," said Meagan. "That's a great idea!" said Michael, "Why don't you go decorate the jars and I'll have the tops ready for you by the time you're done."
Meagan took the jars up to her room. She glued on sparkles. She used yarn. She set the jars aside to dry and went back to the workshop. Michael had just finished filing the slots smooth. Meagan took the lids up to her room. She took out her button collection. She very carefully picked out buttons to fit on the lids. She glued buttons all over the lids in a spiral design. She hid the jars away so that Corwin wouldn't see them if he came into her room. By the time she had gone back to the kitchen it was time to bake the bread.
Corwin was feeling a little better. Soon the house was filled with the delicious smell of baking bread. When the loaves were done, they set them out to cool. Meagan and Corwin decorated some paper to wrap the bread in for their friends.
Soon it was Lammas. They put the bread on the altar with some real grain that someone had brought from their farm. Meagan looked for Gwennie but she didn't come. Someone told her that Gwennie was working on having her baby. While they were in Circle they asked the Lord and Lady to watch over Gwennie and her baby. When Circle was over everyone came back into the house. Michael checked the phone messages.
It is a boy!" he shouted, "Little Arthur Linden born at 6:22 PM. He weighed 6 pounds 11 ounces and was 19 1/2 inches long. Baby and parents are doing fine."
Everyone was very excited. Someone mentioned taking a present by their house. Meagan asked them to wait before they left. She ran to her room and got the card and the jar she had made. She also got the card and jar she had made for Corwin. Corwin saw the jars and asked her what they were for. "Well, one is for you and one is for Arthur for being born," she said, "since he's just a baby and won't care you can pick out which one you like best." Corwin took the jar that had blue and silver buttons on the top, "This looks like the night sky. Thanks Sis, this really makes me feel better." He gave her a hug. Meagan felt warm inside. Corwin had picked the jar that she had made while thinking of him. She gave the other jar to the grownup who was going by Gwennie's house. Everyone liked her present.
Meagan yawned. She told everyone goodnight and went into her room. She got ready for bed. When she got into her bed she found a piece of paper and a shell on her pillow. The paper was from Corwin and said "Thank you for being my sister." Meagan smiled and went to sleep holding her new shell. Her cat Starweaver came in and curled up at her feet. It had been a good day.
