07/30/2025
Part 1
Eyes blue like the ocean...
Living at the Oaks at Towne Lake is a beautiful woman in her nineties by the name of Helene. Her eyes are stunning and the bluest color, just like the blue waters of the ocean. This is appropriate as she grew up along the banks of the Whidbey Island, in Washington State. As a child she loved to play along the beach and spent many days alone with only her imagination. Helene was not an only child, but it felt like she was as she was much younger than her siblings. In fact, her mother was confident she was going through menopause when she found that she was actually pregnant with Helene. What a wonderful surprise!
Helene was an independent child and didn't mind entertaining herself. She says she did not have many friends but often played with her cousins. Her daughter, Becky, told me a funny story involving the cousins. The cousins were referred to as the "country cousins" because they lived on a farm. One day they played a horrible trick on Helene. Apparently, there was a plant that tasted like licorice. The cousins convinced her that to get to the plant she had to pass through the electric fence. Helene not only reached for the fence but grabbed on to it with both hands. Once she had her grip she was unable to let go. Fortunately, her cousin was wearing rubber boots and was able to kick the fence away. This shock from the fence made Helene extremely ill and her cousins, not wanting to get into trouble, took her into the barn to clean her up before returning her to her mother. She was only five or six years old, but she remembers this incident vividly.
If you visit the Oaks at Towne Lake, you will likely see Ms. Helene reading a book. She is an avid reader and said she developed her love of reading as a young child. Helene told me that she went to the library as a necessity to find warmth because her home was cold and drafty. It was there she met a librarian that made a huge impact in her life. Her name was Ruby Weaver. Helene described her as an "old maid" who never married. She said Ms. Weaver helped her to locate books that broadened her understanding of the world and challenged her imagination. She shared with me that one day she decided to browse the mature section of the library and came upon a book that intrigued her. Ms. Weaver fortunately guided her away from the book before she read too much. Ms. Helene applauds Ms. Weaver as a woman whose influence is still vivid in her heart and memory.
Part 2 is coming soon.
