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They worried less about the weight of the snow on their cabin than the ice that was now building up.
A combination of snow, melt, and sea spray was causing a buildup of ice on the dock, the rocks, and everywhere else. It made for very hazardous hiking, no matter where they went on the island, not to mention trying to use the boat to go across and get their mail. Many was the time they decided not to venture off the island as breaking ice off the boat and readying it for sea travel was too laborious. They tried to keep each other amused inside the cabin. Marion was stacking the pieces of cabin wall she was building in the screened-in porch, but she started to run out of room and was forced to begin stacking it outside against the cabin. Of course, she worried about the weather warping it despite the tarps she placed over it.
More than once, they slipped and fell on the paths while trying to get to the cabins. After Barbara returned battered and bruised from trying to take some of Marion’s creations to the cabins and get them out of the way, it was decided there would be no further unnecessary excursions. The thought of a broken limb or something worse on their remote island was terrifying to both women.
They spent a lot of time working with the children on their studies and trying to keep them amused. The children exhausted their knowledge of card games and Marion made a homemade cribbage board. But even the novelty of that wore off after a couple weeks of intense play. The two mothers determined to get more board games. Their supply was rather limited, and they realized their guests might enjoy the games too. They also finished reading their limited supply of books and both wished they could get to the town library for more stories.
“I’m going to find a used bookstore and buy all their adventure novels,” Marion threatened as they read through Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson for the third time. Robinson Crusoe and Swiss Family Robinson were also well-worn at this point, and the children were determined to build a tree house next year.
That statement led to a discussion about what other books they should have in their library including Tom Sawyer and Gulliver’s Travels as well as some others they hadn’t heard of before. They discussed the options and shared them with the children. The idea of searching for the books in a used bookstore had at first sounded boring to the children, but now, they thought of it as a search for treasure and looked forward to the excursion when they had the time, the money, and the opportunity.
Next, they tried to teach the children to dance using the radio, which really interrupted the customary peace and quiet they were all used to now. Every now and then, they gave the children hour-long dance classes. The children laughed at some of the dances the two women tried to teach them. It was so aggravating. Teaching them to waltz or foxtrot was too boring, especially for the boys, who were their main partners. Brenda liked it when a song came on that they could do the jitterbug or charleston to. Even the boys liked these more exciting songs, which required more invigorating dancing than the more sedentary waltz. Barbara liked being able to hold Marion as they demonstrated the various steps for the children. The adults used the books they borrowed from the library to learn how to mambo and cha-cha. It was a great way to exercise with the furniture pulled back from their wood floor and the carpets rolled up.
“Oh, I’m beat,” Barbara admitted as she collapsed undaintily into a chair while fanning her sweating face. Richard grinned unrepentedly as they had been trying a samba, and he was the first to get all the steps right.
“Anyone else want to try?” he asked enthusiastically, looking at Marion and Brenda expectantly and holding out his hands encouragingly.
“Oh, no. You are too rough,” Brenda said, backing away and holding her hands behind her, so he couldn’t reach for them.
“I think we need to find our record player and some records, so we don’t have to wait for this darn static-filled radio to play the songs we want to dance to,” Marion complained.
“Didn’t you say most songs have a beat you can adapt to the dances?” Brian asked, feeling proud of the stately waltz he had achieved. He hadn’t wanted to try at first, but Richard and Brenda were having so much fun with their moms that he joined in just to learn.
Turning off the radio, Marion answered him with a smile. “You’re right. You can dance to most songs; you just have to listen for the beat and tempo.”
“What about those songs they are calling rock and roll?” Richard asked.
“I am not sure I like them,” Marion admitted, sitting on the arm of the chair that Barbara was sprawled in, looking very unladylike.
“C’mon, you’re a jive bomber,” Richard stated, laughing at her.
“I’m a what?” she sputtered, laughing in return.
“Don’t you think I’m a good dancer?” Barbara challenged him, cracking up at the phrase he had used.
“Of course, you are, Mom,” he said, suddenly contrite and worrying that he had offended the older woman.
“I’m just busting your chops,” she told him affectionately.
“That was a gas,” Brenda admitted, sitting on the couch they had managed to bring over from the mainland in a similarly unladylike sprawl to Barbara.
“I need a drink,” Marion said, hopping up to get some water.
“Are you a swigger now, Mom?” Brian teased.
She laughed at him. “I couldn’t tell you the last time I had a drink,” she admitted. It had been a long time since she had even gone out anywhere that served alcohol. She didn’t mind. Everything she needed was here in this cabin. “Anyone else need some water while I’m up?” she offered.
“I thought you old geezers needed a swig now and then?” Brian continued teasing.
“The only swig I need now and then is a cup of joe,” Barbara admitted, but knowing how low they were on that she amended, “but I’ll take a cup of water.” She really loved how fresh and clean their spring water was, especially since she and Marion had figured out a filter system to protect against anything that might be living in their source.
“I’ll help!” Brenda got up energetically to pull out some cups out for everyone.
“Aren’t you the eager beaver?” Marion teased and tousled the little girl’s hair as they filled cups for everyone. The dancing had been quite energetic.
“I think dancing is killer diller,” the little girl stated ingeniously as she passed out the cups.
“It certainly teaches you balance and coordination,” Barbara admitted, taking a long draught. She was exhausted, and she had to admit, a little sore.
“I think some of those dances are for fuddy-duddies,” Brian put in, taking a drink.
“Well, the dances may change over the years, especially with that rock and roll coming into play,” Marion said. It was obvious she didn’t like the songs they heard now and then on the various stations. Their reception out here on the island was limited because there were so few stations anywhere near Franklin for them to catch, and the towers had limited range. “It will also change when you get doll dizzy,” she mentioned to Brian and glanced at Richard.
“I’m never gonna get girl crazy,” Richard asserted stoutly.
“You won’t be asking to borrow the boat to go across and see your girl?” Barbara asked, amused.
“I think if I asked to borrow the boat, you’d snap your cap,” he teased back, but he was intrigued. “You’d let me use the boat? By myself?”
“If Richard gets to drive the boat, I do too,” Brian put in quickly, asserting a claim.
“That’s years away,” Barbara told him, taking another drink of the cool and refreshing water. At least I hope it is years away, she thought.
Barbara was pleased when Marion hauled out the record player and played records they had both saved over the years. Both women were Doris Day fans. Secretly, Barbara thought Marion looked like the her but was prettier than the famous blonde. Still, a Doris Day song on the radio would stop them in their tracks to listen to her melodic tones. The records of the swing or big band era helped teach them all to dance, and when they listened to the radio, it was their favorite genre.
Music helped to pass the time while teaching the children to dance and showing them they didn’t have to work every minute of the day.