Harlequin Heartwarming

Life Can Be As Much Fun As Fiction

by Linda Sweeney, the "Lynn" of Lynn Patrick

I have never been a mother but I try my best to be a crazy aunt.  I think you kind of need crazy aunts in a family, someone who takes kids to get their ears pierced when their Mom didn’t plan on it and has 7,000 books, a real sword, an art studio in one corner of the kitchen, and various ancient artifacts in her apartment.  I only wish I could dye my hair bright red like the character Aunt Margaret in “Home to Sparrow Lake” and spray it to stand on end.  Unfortunately, my real hair is too fine to stand on end and I look terrible in bright red.  I am an artist like Aunt Margaret, however, and I dote on my little nieces and nephews.

My twin great-nieces, especially, have played a part in our Heartwarming books:  the aforementioned “Home to Sparrow Lake,” and “The Forever Home.”  They also have walk-on parts in the upcoming “The Long Road Home.”  

I’m going to call them Addison and Taylor, like the twins in the book, though those are not their real names.  "Addison" and "Taylor" are the daughters of my late middle sister's daughter and are bundles of joyous energy. 

The twins can also be a bit naughty and I'm always asking their mom what they've done lately in case I can use it in a book. 



The twins in their dad's karate outfit.

Some of the “twin” incidents in Lynn Patrick books have actually happened.  For example, the dolls and horses and bath scene in “Home to Sparrow Lake” was based on the time Addison’s and Taylor’s other crazy aunt, Stacy, their Mom’s sister, tried to babysit them and told them to take a bath.  After a bit, she heard a splashing uproar and went to find both twins, toys, their older brother, and pieces of clothing amid a mountain of towering bubbles in the bathtub.  It took a while to clean that up!

Like Addison and Taylor, my little great-nieces love animals.  They don’t have a dog like Kirby but they have two cats to dress up, sleep with, and play with.




Lady wearing princess crown
 

Taylor being kissed by Lady

Addison and Patches







Though it probably won’t be appearing in one of our books, the twins’ Mom told me the latest funny story.  The twins ride the bus to and from school.  One day, the bus driver came to the door after the twins had come home and asked to speak to their mother.  Concerned, she listened carefully. 

 

“I’m sorry to bring this up, Ma’am,” said the driver, “But your daughters have been using bad words on the bus.” 

“Bad words?” said Mom, thinking she was going to have to punish them.  She and their dad had been careful not to say anything questionable in their children’s hearing.  “Such as what?”

The driver looked uncomfortable.  “Uh, well, they used the 's' word.”

“Oh, dear,” said Mom.  “I’ll talk to them.”  Immediately.

After the bus driver left, Mom called the twins to task.  “The driver said you were using bad words on the bus, girls.  You can’t do that.”

Two pairs of big brown eyes stared up at her.  “We didn’t use any bad words, Mom.  Honest.”

“The bus driver said you used the 's' word and said it to other kids.”

Taylor, who had the most innocent and hurt look of all said, “The 's' word?  No, Mom.  We didn’t call anyone 'stupid.'"

May we all be so innocent and fun-loving these Holidays!

 

 

The twins and their older brother