THE WADDODLES OF HOLLOW LAKE OVERVIEW

The Waddodles of Hollow Lake

A series of books about a widowed raccoon mother who courageously raises her family alone on a lake in The Great Northern Wood.

“Harriet cradled her twin sons in her arms, thinking of her husband, Theodore, battling the blizzard cold and alone. Petrified, they waited for him to return, praying he could find enough food to keep them among the ‘Survival of the Fittest’…for one more day.”

The death of a parent can devastate a child. I know. My four children (ages two-eleven years) experienced this devastation when they lost their father in December of 1968.

We were stranded in a blizzard, the day after Christmas, in an unfinished house with little money when my husband died. Anxious how we would manage without him, too young to understand, the children asked, “Why my daddy?”

Feeling lost and alone, our hopes and dreams shattered, I struggled to find a way to explain his death to them. How could I make them understand? Comfort them? Make them realize he was gone forever? How would I reassure them life would go on; that we would find the courage to live without him…that they would be happy again? I searched for books to help them adjust, and found few. So I began writing one…for them …for me…for the countless suffering children who lost a parent.

Children need help to understand their sorrow. When they read the series The Waddodles of Hollow Lake and understand how well the Waddodles cope with Theodore’s death, they will feel encouraged and know they are not alone. With faith restored, hope renewed, they will know they can endure their devastating sorrow; that they will feel happy again.

We spent the summer following my husband’s death at my brother’s humble cabin on Hubbard Lake in the Michigan Great Northern Wood. Every night we watched a young raccoon mother and her babies feeding at our stump. My children related to the fatherless raccoon family; watching them cope made it easier for them to accept their own loss. This inspired me to write my series through the eyes of animals instead of humans, thus The Waddodles of Hollow Lake was born.

In many ways Harriet Waddodle is me; my children are her children. Through the series of books the Waddodle children learn to adjust to their loss, relocate to a faraway home, change their lifestyle, make new friends and cope with family problems as many children experience, even welcoming a new father and more babies into their lives.

“Cradled in Harriet’s arms during the blizzard, Theodore Waddodle gave up his earthly life and passed into eternity. Before he died he made Harriet promise to, ‘Always look forward, Never behind.’”

Over the years, after working as a registered professional nurse and raising six children, the Waddodle stories evolved into a series. Because death is a depressing subject and difficult for children to deal with, I felt the need to address this subject knowing many children face this problem daily.

Though The Waddodles of Hollow Lake: Law of the Woodland may stimulate feelings of sorrow when a parent dies, humor is interwoven throughout the series. The stories are upbeat, warm, amusing, moral, adventurous …even mysterious. Many characters have endearing, humorous personalities.

The Waddodles and their friends are real to me. They behave like animals but reason like humans. Children will laugh and cry along with the Waddodles sharing the family’s good times and bad.

I hope all who read these books will enjoy them as
much as I enjoyed writing them. Thank you…and ‘Always look forward, Never behind.’

Carole La Flamme Beighey February 2002

FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS

POSTED BY LARRY BEIGHEY FROM HIS BOOK, "A DROP IN THE BUCKET."

Follow Your Dreams

My wife is a remarkable person. What she has accomplished at this point in her life makes any of my accomplishments pale in comparison.

Her first husband died the day after Christmas, leaving her with four children, ages two to nine. She was 30! Besides her own grief, she still had to cope with explaining the loss of their father to these four small children. They just couldn’t understand what had happened to their father. When was he coming back?

While vacationing at her brother’s lake cabin in Michigan’s northern woods, she watched a mother raccoon and her babies feeding nightly at the stump outside the kitchen window. The idea came to write her stories through the eyes of animals, believing it would be less painful for children to relate to their loss.

Carole had a dream about writing but could never imagine how she would find the time, especially after marrying me and having two more children … six children under the age of 11.

It was a great idea, but when would she ever find the time?

One Saturday afternoon, I told her that I was going to take the six kids out for about three or four hours and that she should do whatever she wanted.

When I returned home, I found that she had sat down at a typewriter (there were few personal computers in those days) and had written 30 pages of her book, The Waddodles of Hollow Lake. That was 31 years ago.

By sneaking a few minutes here or there – or staying up half the night after everyone had gone to bed – she typed away.

In 1986, we bought a personal computer and after a few quick lessons, Carole learned how to use a simple word processor. Soon, she was proficient in using the computer and had moved up to the most advanced word processors.

That was 1500 type-written pages ago.

She has now had three books published in the series, The Waddodles of Hollow Lake, and has written enough draft material for 5 or 6 books. (http://www.waddodles.com/)

What started out as a dream has turned into a reality! It just proves the point that if you set your mind to something, you can find a way to get it accomplished, despite difficult odds and situations.

Remember to “follow your dreams” and as Theodore Waddodle, one of the raccoons in Carole’s books says, “Always look forward, never behind.”

WADDODLES LAW OF THE WOODLAND SYNOPSIS

A blizzard is raging. Trapped in their rock den, overlooking Hollow Lake, The Waddodle Raccoon Family is freezing and starving. Harriet is pregnant, expecting babies in the spring. Her husband, Theodore, struggles daily to locate enough food to keep them alive. After several near-death failures to locate food, Theodore must compromise his principles and raid Old Mr. Grump’s garbage cans.

Infuriated, Old Mr. Grump lays a trap for Theodore, tempting him with fresh meat. After tasting a few morsels, Theodore trudges homeward, toting the rest of the tainted meat for his family. When almost home, he collapses near his favorite pine.

Near the rock den, The Ruffin Twins are howling and whining, tormenting the Waddodle family. When Theodore is late, Harriet prepares her sons, in case their father does not return, teaching them about "The Law Of The Woodland" and "Survival Of The Fittest."

After much soul searching, sensing Theodore needed her, Harriet decides to look for him. Leaving strict instructions for her frightened sons to stay covered and not to leave the den under any circumstances, she gathers her courage, and in spite of her advanced pregnancy, trudges forth through the blizzard in search of Theodore, with the starving Ruffins howling and prowling nearby.

Harriet encounters many harrowing experiences as she battles the blizzard during her search before finally discovering Theodore buried deep beneath the snow beside his favorite pine. Heroically, he struggled to stay alive to warn his family about the poisoned meat. Until he dies, Harriet cradles him in her arms to comfort him.

But where can she bury him with the ground frozen? She chose a temporary grave in the stump where Theodore had her bury the poisoned meat. With help from her "strength," Harriet finds the courage to tell her sons the devastating news of their father's death and reveal to them Theodore's parting words and his dying wish was for them to be happy.

Harriet promises her sons that through faith, courage, and love for each other, they will survive if they follow Theodore's wise advice, to "always look forward, never behind."

Lonely and pregnant, Harriet and her devastated sons struggle to survive the winter and endure frequent encounters with their enemies, Jake and Rudy Ruffin and Old Mr. Grump, his double-barreled shotgun and blood-thirsty hounds, Rufus and Brutus.

At long last, spring arrives. Harriet's devoted neighbor, Scitter Chipmunk, visits daily along with Clara and Zoe, who offer the Waddodle Family their undying love and support, helping them to adjust to their tragic loss.

Slowly, the ground thaws. It is time to bury Theodore safely in the earth. Teddie and Freddie search for the perfect burial spot. Clara, Zoe, Teddie and Freddie dig Theodore's grave. Harriet and Scitter gather adornments to decorate it as a memorial in his honor. Reluctantly, shovel-shy Percy Chipmunk tries to help dig, but proves useless, getting in the way of the doe's sharp hoofs, and ends up injured by Clara’s flying clumps of dirt. All the women, except Percy’s wife, are aware Percy is not sick but "hung over" from a night of carousing with "floozies" and sucking on beer caps in The Dump.

Scitter pampers Percy, which annoys the doe. Clara and Zoe vow to intervene with Scitter, on Percy’s behalf, to help guide her alcoholic husband back to health and encourage him to mend his 'wandering ways'... or else. Clara and Zoe send The Waddodles to the brook, while they prepare the grave for burial and transport Theodore's body from the stump to his earth grave. Clara and Zoe bury Theodore, beneath his favorite pine.

Everyone returns to the gravesite. Harriet is too overwhelmed to speak. Clara takes charge of conducting the funeral service. Prayers are said and eulogies delivered. Percy shocks everyone by delivering the best speech they have ever heard. He leads them in song, singing The Woodland Anthem.

After the boys fall asleep, Harriet visits Theodore's grave, and buries the poisoned meat in the earth. Unexpectedly, her labor begins. Luckily, Clara and Zoe, sensing Harriet needed them, returned and stayed to help with the delivery of the babies. Scitter came to baby-sit.

Freddie helps Clara construct the birthing bed. Teddie rubs Harriet's back and times her contractions. Both boys pace nervously, waiting in the rock den for news of the births.

As Harriet’s delivery approaches, Clara grows frantic. Aware she overstated her birthing skills, she now worries whether she can measure up to the task. Her nerves get the best of her and she throws a 'conniption fit', issuing orders fast and furious to everyone, upsetting Zoe and Scitter and the boys, especially Freddie. Zoe suggests that Clara go off alone to compose herself.

Finally composed, Clara returns to apologize to Freddie. She shocks him when she reveals her secret to him, that she feels inadequate. Freddie thinks Clara can do anything. He calms and encourages her, helping to restore her confidence. They patch up their differences and become each other's "Rocks."

The babies are delivered safely. Harriet expected two babies but, to everyone’s surprised delight, delivered triplets. The third delivery is a difficult breach delivery. Finally, when all the healthy triplet girls arrive safely, everyone rejoices, except Freddie, who wanted brothers.

When Harriet reveals to Freddie that his father had two fine sons and wanted baby girls, Freddie quickly adjusted to the idea and struts proudly, showing off his sisters to Scitter.

Harriet named the triplets Adalaide Clara, Bithia Zoe, and Cecelia Scitter, after her dear friends, which delights them. The girls will be called Addie, Bitzi and Cissy, until older. Now that Teddie and Freddie are big brothers with more responsibility, they decide they want more mature names and ask to be known as Ted and Fred instead of Teddie and Freddie.

The boys pick violets for their mother, knowing Theodore would bring her violets if he were here. They lay violets on his grave, and present Clara, Zoe and Scitter with bouquets, bringing them to tears. Harriet believes Theodore's spirit is near, guiding her sons to bring her violets.

After watching their sisters nurse and asking many questions, Scitter hustles the happy brothers inside so Harriet can rest. Clara and Zoe take turns standing guard day and night over 'their family'.

Grateful for her healthy children, Harriet, though missing her husband, reminds her friends that life is good. She falls asleep smiling, holding Theodore's violets in one arm, nestling his babies in the other, looking forward to a promising future, vowing to follow Theodore's wise advice, to 'always look forward, never behind'.

For the time being, all is quiet and peaceful at East Bay, on the shores of Hollow Lake.

WADDODLE SERIES OVERVIEW

SERIES OVERVIEW

A series about the trials and tribulations of a family of raccoons in the Great Northern Wood … targeted for pre-teen children.

STORY LOCATION

A dense virgin Great Northern Wood of white birch, evergreens and hardwoods surrounding Hollow Lake. Running brooks feed the clear, spring-fed lake. Territories include East Bay; West Shore; The Rock Den; Theodore’s Pine; The Chipmunk’s Hollow; Old Mr. Grump’s Cabin; The Cedar Swamp; Pine Forest; The Grassy Meadow; The Gravel Pit; The Ravine; Billy Buck’s Dam; The Grassy Knoll; The Dump; The Stump; 'The Shack'; The Mighty Oak; The Brook; and the Shores of Hollow Lake.

MAIN CHARACTERS:

The Waddodle Raccoon Family:

Theodore: [Father] Strong, brave, honest, devoted to his family and his woodland
Harriet: [Mother] Pregnant, caring, loving, devoted wife and mother
Teddie: [Twin Son] Dependable, obedient, strives to achieve
Freddie: [Twin Son] Adventuresome, fun loving, mischievous.

Triplet Daughters: Born the spring following Theodore’s death.
Adalaide Clara ‘Addie’ … Fun-loving, kind
Bithia Zoe ‘Bitzi’ … Generous, patient
Cecelia Scitter ‘Cissy’ … Musical, comical


WADDODLE FRIENDS

Whitetail Doe: Clara and Zoe: Devoted friends of the Waddodles. Known as “The Newspapers”. Live in The Grassy Meadow. Inform neighbors of woodland Happenings. Offer protection, help police the woodland and assist the Waddodles, offering love and support.

Clara: Beautiful, bossy, ‘take-charger', persnickety perfectionist.
Zoe: Lovely, docile, sweet, a pacifier.

The Chipmunks: Scitter and Percy: The Waddodles good friends and neighbors.
Scitter: Percy's trusting wife; one of Harriet's best friends, good-natured, personable, amusing.
Percy: Shovel-shy, vain, intelligent. An alcoholic 'carouser', addicted to beer-cap-sucking in The Dump. Annoying, troublesome. Wants to reform, but fails consistently. Prone to periods of depression.

WADDODLE ENEMIES

Old Mr. Grump: Grouchy hermit. Hump back, sinister. Only human on East Bay. Totes a double-barreled shotgun. Torments woodland wildlife, especially The Waddodles and Clara and Zoe. Main target is Theodore Waddodle who is forced to raid Grump’s garbage cans during the blizzard.

Rufus and Brutus: Old Mr. Grump’s bloodthirsty hounds who 'coon hunt'.

The Ruffin Twins: Jake and Rudy: Mean, wily red foxes who endlessly torment The Waddodles.

Jake: Most hateful and leader of the two. Abuses brother.
Rudy: Petrified of his brother, Jake, but follows Jake’s lead.

Mr. You-Know-Who [Phantom name] for the notorious black bear: Big Casey: The most fearsome of all enemies. Sick, mean, mad with pain, rumored to be rabid. Torments the entire woodland.

MY PERSONAL THOUGHTS

You may wonder why I have so many pieces about soldiers and the war in my blog. It probably stems from my childhood, growing up during WW II and listening to all my family's daily discussions of the war. It was prime news at our dinner table. Several relatives of my family were involved in that war. Many in our town were serving. Some came home; some did not. Some came home ill or injured. It took its toll on everyone in my hometown. And I will never forget it.

Many windows in the homes proudly displayed stars depicting they had a member of their family in service, dead, missing or wounded. Every day, we kids made our trip to check the Honor Roll next to our Post Office to see if there were any new stars by the names of our boys, meaning they were dead, missing or wounded. People laid flowers under the Honor Roll. The church bell tolled when bad news was reported. We children took our turns at school scouting the sky for suspicious aircraft ... usually a younger child [K-5] paired with one of the upperclassmen [6-8]. My father served as a blackout warden. My mother worked with the Red Cross.

A favorite teacher, Mrs. Blue, with her perfectly groomed upsweep hairdo with a faint blue tint, sat proudly pumping out patriotic songs on the old oak organ every school morning and again when the kids paraded through our room on the way to the lunchroom. Mrs. Blue didn't believe in wasting a minute ... having to teach four grades in one room, she had not a minute to waste. We had our music class while singing to the students as they passed back and forth for hot lunches. We all sang at the top of our voices, showing off, thinking it was great fun.

We had a small country school ... only three rooms for K-8 but we had everything we needed, including a great hot lunch program with great cooks who catered to the students ... even bringing in mid afternoon snacks such as peanut butter and honey balls rolled in cornflakes or apples ... sometimes milk or orange juice. Not all schools as small as ours had a hot lunch program. If we had all our work done, we were allowed to go to the kitchen for an hour and help the cooks prepare for the following day, by peeling potatoes, buttering bread, etc. Our parents took good care of us to see that we were well fed. Our town was not wealthy financially. For some of the children, this was the only hot meal they received all day.

The hot lunch program was a wonderful addition to the school but the addition I remember the most was when I came to school and found we had inside bathrooms with flush toilets and running water in sinks and drinking fountains in each room. The year before, when in Kindergarden, we had to use an out house, which was a scary place to me, as when using it one day, a mouse ran across the floor.

The boys favored wearing leather air helmets with chin straps, high top boots with a pocket for a jackknife, knickers, camouflaged shirts and pants, the metal hats worn by the infantry marching in combat; everyone pledged the Allegiance with respect. The boys played war, the girls played Army nurses.

We went to the store with our coupons and tokens and bought what we could during the rationing. Chocolate and bubble gum were at a premium, as was coffee, sugar and butter. Victory gardens were everywhere, some sharing gardens with neighbors. We were allowed only two pairs of shoes a year ... and for growing children, that is tough. When our shoes got too small, my father would cut out the toes ... when they got holes in the soles, he cut out cardboard innersoles and lined them to try and keep out the dampness. No one complained about the shortages ... they shared what they had and were thankful for what they did have knowing many throughout Europe and Asia and other countries were without. We saved our paper and tied it in bundles and my brother wheeled it to school in our red wagon. We saved our tin cans, squashing them flat ... any iron or rubber ... it all went to storage. I still have my certificate for all the paper I saved during the war in my scrapbook.

WW II music was special, some of the best music of my lifetime ... romantic and wonderful ... the big bands played; the movies depicted what was going on during the war. Every movie had a newsreel, unlike today, there was no television news. We saw Hitler, Tito and Mussolini on the newsreels. I was petrified seeing Hitler raging his 'Heil Hitler' .. his looks frightened me. I had nightmares as a child picturing the Germans or the Japanese breaking into our house and taking my family away ... or worse.

One boy from our town, Donald Friedinger, died on the beaches of Normandy. When I visited there, I saw his name engraved on the American Memorial and have a video of it. My brother and I, who remember D-Day, looked over the clifts and wept, wondering how our men had the courage to climb those trecherous clifts, know when they reached the top they would be facing the German guns aiming directly at them. One man I knew when living in Pennsylvania lost his eye during the Normandy invasion. A boy from my home town was shot down over the Baltic Sea during the Korean War and was never found. One of my cousins was shot down in France early in the war and was a prisoner of the Germans throughout the war. He went in the army with dark hair and came home totally white. Two of my cousins who served in the islands occupied by the Japanese came home with malaria that surfaced on and off throughout their lives. Another was thrown overboard in a naval attack and spent several long hours in the ocean before being rescued. Yes, ... that is just a few of the soldiers, sailors, marines, coastguardsmen and national guardsmen from our hometown who were affected during the wars. Our town paid a tremendous debt for their courage in battle and we are all very proud of them.

One of the nice things that came out of that era was the patriotism of the people everywhere. We were all in this together and we all pulled together to win the war. That is why America is so great ... it is the people who love her and fight for her that made our country the greatest country in the world. I wish our people today would follow the same message the people exhibited during the big war ... WW II. I will never forget those days. They made an indelible impression on me. It instilled in me my great love and admiration for our country. Our teachers instilled in their students the feelings of patriotism. My father flew the American flag over our store every day of the week and took it down every evening. When I think of my dad, that is one way I remember him best ... raising and lowering his flag and shoveling the great amounts of snow we had as a kid ... and always working so hard. And my mother, too. She loved the kids in our home town and they loved her. When they went away and came home from school or the service, they all came to see 'Aunt Anne'. When the Mexicans came in the summer to pick the pickles and sugar beets, they traded at our store remembering the kindness and fairness my parents showed them. My mother stood for more than one little Mexican baby's baptism.

When I see a serviceman, I thank him for his service. If it weren't for men like him, I would not be here in this great country living the free life I enjoy ... and neither would you. When you see one, let him know he is appreciated. That is the least we can do for the sacrifices they have made for us. The family erected a flagpole in the Memorial Park by the bay to honor our brave men; a memorial donated in memorandum of my brother, who had great respect for our armed services and served in the National Guard and taught in the Guard for the duration of his duty.

I love my country. GOD BLESS AMERICA! GOD BLESS US ALL! GOD BRING PEACE THROUGHOUT OUR WORLD.