Excerpt:
Casually standing and stifling a yawn, Noreen added, "By the way, daughter, I don't mean to hurt your feelings, but did you speak to Austin about his pigs and their smell?"
Nora sprang to her feet.
"I am aware your father gave him permission to corral his animals out back of your house, but the odor … You know how I hate to complain …"
Nora was proud of herself for not choking since her mother was the queen of queens when it came to belly aching.
"And I've been so patient in not saying much about it, yet I must alert you to the disagreeable situation. Since Clabe brought Abby home, I can't seem to catch my breath in my own house. Why else would I relegate that dog to live with Justice in his cabin most of the time? I admit, she has made me smile once or twice when she's not tearing up the newspaper or tracking sand inside or leaving her fur on my rugs, but she smells like the animal she is. My tender constitution requires open windows as weather permits to keep the house fresh. When the wind blows, it blows Abby's odor out and then it is quickly replaced by all that pig stink. There are times Duffy Place smells as bad inside as it does out! Oh, how I dread rainy days like today or cold days when we have to button up everything and that nasty odor gets trapped indoors. Should Mr. Sousa smell it, I would die of embarrassment on the spot! On the spot! By way of a natural perfume, I have instructed Winnie that she is to steam apples, cinnamon sticks, cloves and orange peels at the first sign of a cloud."
Unable to keep her patience, Nora sniped back at her mother, ever the hypochondriac. "Tender constitution?"
Remembering her daughter was still young and had yet to appreciate the depth of her physical and mental suffering over the years, Noreen said, "We will save the discussion about me for later. Now we are talking about your husband's offensive pig farming occupation. How you can stand to be touched by a man in such a line of work?"
"How dare you. How dare you!" Nora spit in anger and none-too softly. "Austin is a fine, honest, loving husband to me. You knew when we married he was a pig farmer and a volunteer fireman. I don't ever hear you saying a prayer for his safety when it comes to risking his life to save others or their homes. All you do is carry on and find the negative in everything. When you and father suggested we build our house behind Duffy Place like Breelan and Carolena did behind Dunnigan Manor when they wed, it was explained how Austin's animals needed to be close by for him to care for them. We built on the back of your property, as far from your house as possible with the pigpens behind that. We could have just as easily gotten a piece of land somewhere else, but you insisted we stay near to you. You assured us you'd have no problem with this. Besides, Austin keeps the pens in pristine condition. Like most of your problems, this one is all in your head. The only foul smell in your house is when you burn the beans! And my husband bathes twice a day, if you must know!"
Noreen crossed her arms over her ample bosom, tightened her lips and tried to close off her hearing, as was her usual when she was admonished.
"You pretend that if you preface your comments with an 'I don't mean to hurt your feelings, but--,' it takes away the sting in what you say. You know it doesn't! Who made you Lord High Executioner anyhow, dear mother?"
Aunt Noreen's Potpourri Recipe
quarter 2 apples
3 to 6 cinnamon sticks broken in half
small handful of cloves
peel of 2 to 3 oranges- chopped into 1 inch pieces
water to cover
Simmer above ingredients, uncovered, to refresh and deodorize your home.
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