Jilly Brandon

What to buy..what to buy?   I was contemplating a “mini” or a “vw convertible beetle.”  Both cars made me smile.  About 5 years ago, or more, my Mum and I test drove  a mini convertible, and I was hooked.  Ever since then, I’ve thought, one day I’m gonna get me a convertible.  I live in perhaps the sunniest state in the union, that displays sapphire blue skies nearly every day of the year, and boasts more sunlight than Mexico!  It’s astounding to me that not everyone drives a convertible who owns a car, and lives in this beautiful state.  People wear shorts and flip flops year round, so why not a wind in your hair, fresh air upon your face, tunes blasting, open air vehicle?   Exactly….

After, not that much contemplation, I recently spotted….yes I just said that, I found the object of my desire…yes…a red Volkswagen Beetle convertible, with a black ragtop, and wait for it….she was accessorized with black dots.. I could hardly stand it… She was a looker…a real “Bianca beetle bug convertible.”  I must have her I thought.  I called the dealer and found out she lived in Texas.  It seemed that I may have to journey to bring my little dream car back home.  I emailed my friend who lives in Texas, and found out that the dealer lived only 20 minutes from her home..Bingo… Surely this was a sign from above…I asked my son Zach if he would fly to Dallas and since he has mechanic training, would check out this little auto with me?  He was game, so last Monday morning off we flew.  At this point, some of you are going, did you not think you could have found such a car in your home state?  Of course that was possible, but not nearly as dramatic or enticing as having an excuse to have an adventure with my 23 year old son.  A Momma has got to grab the opportunity when she can to spend time with her boy.  Plus…his childhood school friend lived there, so why not I thought.

My friend picked us up at the airport, we dashed through “In and Out Burger,” one of my sons’ favorite, then off we blasted to “make the deal.”   I saw her…and yes…I admit.. I coveted her.  She was darling…I could not stop smiling…Here’s where it gets more interesting.  When I went inside to sign paperwork, I found that I had left my drivers license at home…duh…dumb blonde…I know, who flies out of state to buy a car, and doesn’t bring that vital piece of documentation?  Apparently me….. The dealer looked at me as if I was completely daft, however I did have my Canadian passport, and resident alien card on my person.  I’m not a complete nitwit!  So..we made the deal…Zach and I climbed aboard, and immediately put the roof down, because why wouldn’t we?  Um…small issue..when Zach pushed the button down to put the roof down, it pushed itself too low, and broke…hence, the roof was half way down….Holy Crappola!… We were still in the car dealer lot..I had just given them my cheque, and um, well….I may be an idiot.   I called the dealer…he came running out, I had developed a major knot in my stomach wondering if my rather impulse buy was straight away about to bite me in the butt, and he wrestled with the button, and finally got the top down.  He remarked…to Zach..”just chill dude..ill take it and check it out..”  Ha…my son must have had the look of..” I’m gonna choke you man..”  I think he intimidated the car dude… This made me giggle nervously….Zach and I sat on the curb side by side, pondering if I’d made the right choice, but enjoying a gorgeous, warm Texas afternoon.  Not that long after, the dealer wheels in, and all systems are a go… Ok ..Jill..you can breathe now.  And so…”Dorothy,” the beetle bug, or “Dot” for short came into my life.  Such a gift she is… I still can’t quite believe that she’s mine.  Every time I see her.. I grin… I know my God supplied her for me, because He knew I just may need some help smiling these days.  How magnificent that He would bring us together in such a way.   I just love Him for how He takes care of me.

Zach and I had a fabulous visit with our friends, enjoyed gracious hospitality, ate delicious outdoor dining Mexican, Texan BBQ, Zach and his friend went shooting, and I had a blast with my friend exploring her home  town.. We were so blessed.  We both needed a lift, and our friends were like a healing balm on our aching and wounded hearts.

On our way home my prayers were, please let the little bug make it, and please don’t let us get pulled over while I was driving, since I didn’t have my drivers license on my person..” Bad Mummy.”  I prayed that if we were pulled over, it would be with Zach in the cock pit.  I started off the drive since Zach had a bad headache, and then around lunch, I developed a migraine, and so we switched drivers.  I fell asleep rather quickly, and I don’t know how long it was, before I groggily heard my son say…” Oh man, what does he want?”  As I sat up and dusted the sleep from my eyes, I realized the Texas state trooper had pulled us over.  My heart sank….my stomach rolled up into a big knot, and as we attempted to roll down our windows…I prayed in earnest.  He was quite pleasant beginning with, ” how are ya’ll doing, and where are ya’ll from?”  Once the pleasantries were out of the way, and he heard my breif saga of our exploits to secure the little red bug, he told us that our temporary license tag was blowing about in the wind so he could not read it.  He stated that under Texas law, that is a traffic violation.  He obviously liked us, or our crazy story and decided to offer us grace, and let us go with just a warning, and then had us promise to get some electrical tape at the next gas station and tape that flapping license paper down….”Thank you Jesus!”.. I said  out loud, and then repeated it even more in my head….another prayer answered…He was faithful..yet again..We made it back to Colorado, and all was well, and she is parked in my driveway.

Dot has already enjoyed adventures, but so far the most humorous one happened on Friday night.  My friend, Laura invited me to a play at her daughter’s high school.  It was “My Fair Lady,” which I had never seen.  I readily agreed, and it was all systems go…well almost.  She mentioned in passing, as she flew up the stairs to change her clothes, that we would be picking up her Mother in law at her place of residence at a retirement home.  I stated, “you do know this is just a two seater car right?”  “Yes, she said, but I’ll just squeeze in the back, and it will be easy to get my Mother in law in the front.”  Apparently what she thinks is easy, and my understanding of the word are quite different.  We peeled off the high way, and Dot cornered like the race car she truly is, and in we pulled into the rest home.  I waited in the car while Laura went in to retrieve her Mother in law. I didn’t have long to wait, until I see Laura bustling her out to  the car in her walker.  We helped her in, and then I remarked, “not quite sure how we are gonna get this dang walker in, I sure hope it folds somehow.”  Her and I were getting the giggles by this time.  I opened up my front seat, and Laura squeezed herself in the back, but just so we are clear, she had to sit sideways, because as I explained earlier, it’s a “2 seater,” so virtually next to “0” legroom in the back.  I was able to fold down the walker, but had to put the back window down to wedge the walker in back with her…As I got in the front, I realized that I was going to have to lean forward because one wheel, or some part  of the blasted walker was trying to inbed itself in my right ear…Comfortable..so not..I kept telling her..”you ain’t right..”  “Who does this?”  We laughed, and she snorted, she does that when she laughs, and off we went to the play.  Dot was one of us..she was a girl friend.  She was true, and loyal, and she was proud, I could tell.  Long may she drive us, and I look forward to the many other exploits we will find ourselves on, and I say with gratitude…I love my little beetle bug, and I know Bianca would have loved her too.  Bianca is our beetle bug, our Bonkees, Bonkers, BB, B, and a host of other lovely nick names.  It is with honor and rememberence that I shall drive about, and dream of a delightful 17 year old with soft brown curls, and laughing blue eyes sitting beside me, and giggling, and talking away to me.  She will always be with me….she is in my heart….Mummy loves you Bianca….