A Famous Father and Gifts For Dad
Let’s celebrate fathers. A father is so very important in the lives of his children – even if his children have four legs! A good father guides, encourages, supports and loves his kids unconditionally. That’s why in honor of Father’s Day, we want you to know Harold Sanders is that kind of dad. He’s also the most famous father here in Shady Pines Story Town.
Harold and his wife, Edna, never had children of their own. But the day Boomerang, an Australian Shepherd dog, and Halley’s Comet, a silver streak of a cat came into their lives, everything changed. When they adopted the two strays, Harold and Edna officially became parents.They had no idea the challenges they would face as the Sanders became a family of four.
Boomer and Halley weren’t all that excited about becoming an instant brother and sister act. Boomerang had grown up out west on a ranch where his herding instincts made him a natural for rounding up cattle. It was when he left the U.B. Good Ranch in a pickup truck with his favorite ranch hand that everything changed. Clint had stopped for gas. Boomer heard a 
squirrel in the nearby bushes and took off. He wound up lost in Shady Pines.
Meanwhile, Halley was living the good life with a family up north in a beautiful neighborhood. The little girl of the family spoiled her with gifts and all the tuna she could eat. The silver kitty was used to going on trips with the family. But the vacation down South turned everything around for Halley’s Comet.
The family left her in the car for just a minute to go inside a restaurant to get lunch. They left the windows down a bit so their favorite feline would have enough air. That’s when Halley heard the birds chirping. Instinct took over and the silver streak was out the window and gone. You guessed it. She found herself lost in Shady Pines.
We’ll pause here because the whole story of how Boomer and Halley were lost, then found, is the title of the second book in their honor. A local author, Mary Jane McKittrick, decided to write about the adventures and misadventures of this blended family of animals and humans. Lo and behold, the books started winning awards and that’s how Harold and his family became famous. In fact, the Sanders put little ‘ole Shady Pines on the map! Visitors are always coming to our small Southern town asking to meet them.You can get your own copy along with the other two books in the series by going HERE
If you can believe it, the books for 4-8 year olds won the Mom’s Choice Gold Award for excellence and the Pinnacle Award for 
Independent Book publishers.
You know the best part? Even though the Sanders’ family gets so much attention, It never goes to their heads. They’re not stuck up at all. Oh, sure, Halley can be a little snooty at times, but she was like that from the beginning. And Boomer always puts her in her place.
Edna is so creative and fun. Harold is the steady one who sets such a good example. He is a decent, hard-working man who looks you right in the eye when he talks. He believes in doing a good job, loves to laugh, and doesn’t have to raise his voice to get attention. Harold walks with quiet confidence and leads by example.
It’s funny but Boomer and Halley seem to want to please him. They feel really badly when they disappoint him. Don’t get me wrong. they’re kids after all, 
so they can get into trouble. That look he gives them when they’ve done something wrong is enough to snap them back into good behavior.
Folks around Shady Pines admire the man who owns the town’s Nuts ‘N Bolts hardware store with its old-fashioned soda fountain slap dab in the middle of the store. That’s where locals enjoy listening to Harold spin a story. Harold Sanders is like a lot of our neighbors who love to tell stories filled with positive themes. Seems all they want to do is inspire young children to grow up and be good people. That’s why we’re known as Shady Pines Story Town where kindness and caring is a way of life. People here don’t just talk about being good to one another, they actually try to live that way. Just another reason to celebrate the contributions of Harold Sanders and all the fathers making a difference in the lives of their children!
If you’d like to help your kids make their own Father’s Day gifts we found a site that could help GO HERE
Why is Edna Sanders such a popular mom?
He owns the Nut ‘N Bolts hardware store downtown. She works part time at the Shady Pines Community Center. Harold and Edna met at a holiday party years ago, got married, and have been together ever since. They never had children of their own and lived a mostly quiet, well-ordered life.
That’s the day that an Australian Shepherd dog named, Boomerang, and a silver streak of a cat, Halley’s Comet, came into their lives. These days, her biggest challenge is handling the two, four-legged children running through her house! Adopting the stray Boomerang, an Australian Shepherd dog, and Halley’s Comet, a silver streak of a cat, meant the Sanders’ became instant parents. It’s a tall order for anyone but Edna takes it all in stride.
drop by Edna’s Kitchen to see what she’s whipping up. You can bet nearly every meal will end with a plate of Edna’s blue-ribbon chocolate chip cookies – and their special ingredients.
MOM’S CHOICE GOLD AWARD-WINNING BOOKS
The holidays jump up on our calendars and barrel toward us with increasing speed, and turn up the volume on stress –– so much to do, and so little time. We’ve barely stashed away our uneaten Halloween candy before plans are underway for family Thanksgiving gatherings, brightly wrapped presents, and holiday travel. Amidst the hubbub, folks in Shady Pines take time to focus on something really important: Gratitude.
“Hey, watch out!” says Harold.
“Hey, where do you want me to put these?” One of the volunteers helping to decorate carries an armload of ornament boxes. The fragile, colorful balls will decorate the Center’s Christmas tree later on. The trouble is, right now, he can barely see above the top box and shuffles right towards the tree. Before anyone can yell, “Look out,” the man bumps right into the tree. Swaying uncontrollably on its stand, rocking from one side to the other, the tree lurches to the right before toppling to the floor. The boxes fly across the room, crashing to the earth in an almost musical tinkling of breaking ornaments.
One of the smaller boys, clutching his pine cone, tugs on Harold’s tool belt. “I want to put mine up high,” he says, and soon the adults are lifting the smallest children up on their shoulders so they can tie their pine cones to the tallest branches. Old and young alike smile and help one another.
It’s overcast in Shady Pines this morning. Already warm, the forecast calls for temperatures to soar to 87 degrees with a decent amount of humidity by afternoon. It feels more like summer than mid-October.
Harold hugs Edna. “That’s a fine idea. I love you.”
Boomer barks and wags his tail.
Edna likes what she’s hearing. “That all sounds great. I’ll make sure Zulah Talmadge and Scoop get the word out through the Shady Pines Gazette newspaper. I’ll alert the mayor’s office and make sure Rita Malena at the Community Center knows, too.”
Well, hello there! I’m Kimberly Dunworthy. Haven’t seen you around here before. New in town, eh? It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it? Clear, blue skies and just a whiff of a breeze. Take a deep breath. Do you smell the fresh aroma of pine? Just look at all those big, tall pines trees reaching for the sky. Notice the long, finger-like branches dotted with prickly pine cones. Ah, yes. That’s how you know you’ve arrived! Welcome to Shady Pines Story Town!
What do you say we wander down Main Street? Look at all those brightly colored stores. C’mon, I’ll introduce you to our very special town – and our very special townspeople. Watch out! Heh, heh, those kids can sure whip by on their bikes and skateboards. We’ll just step aside and let these folks running with their dogs pass by.
Yep, this town has everything you’d expect, and some things you might not!. Cup ‘O Joe’s coffee shop over there brews a great cup of coffee. And Maggie’s Dinner is always good for a hot meal and interesting conversation. For the latest hairdo, just stop in at Helga’s Beauty Parlor
Say, do you have a pet? Yes? Well, Pete will help you find everything you’d ever want for your pet over at Pet’s Galore. And, you can stock up on groceries at Fred’s Corner Grocer.
Now, if you want to find out what’s really going on around town, THIS is the place. The local newspaper office. Meet Zulah Talmadge. She’s the editor of The Shady Pines Gazette.
Zulah:
“Oooooh, fiddly fiddle sticks. Where did I put my glasses?”
Narrator:
Heh, heh. There she goes again, missing her glasses again – but not really. Zulah often wears three sets of eye glasses at the same time – one on her head, one on her face, and one pair hanging around her neck on a chain. She wants to make sure she doesn’t miss a thing.
Zulah:
“How am I going to see without my glasses?” She looks all around her desk.
Narrator:
Oh, good. Just in time to help her find them. The tall, freckled young man with red hair coming our way is Shawn Billingsley, or “Scoop, the Cub Reporter” as folks around here like to call him. He loves a great news story just about as much as his boss Zulah does.
Scoop:
“Ms. Talmadge, may I help you find something?”
Zulah looks up. “I’m trying to find my glasses Scoop.”
Scoop:
“Well, Ma’am. They’re right up there on your head.”
Zulah reaches up and touches her dark, brown, hair.
“Well, by golly, there they are! Grab your camera and coat, and I’ll just get my reporter’s notebook and my bag, Scoop! We’ve got news to cover!”
Those two will have a good laugh over that one. Now that they have solved that mystery, it’s time to get going. Oh, and Zulah’s bag? It’s full of 
“Thank you everyone for coming today. I’m proud to announce that – wait a minute. Should I say, ‘proud?’ Maybe I should say, ‘excited.’ Oh, blast. I’m not sure.”
Mayor Fibbs does not like writing speeches. But he does like to give them. He likes the attention.
“So, in conclusion, my fellow citizens, this is another example of why Shady Pines is a marvelous place to live.”
“Mr. Mayor, the newspaper and tv people have arrived.”
That’s Martha, the mayor’s assistant.
“Thank you, Martha. I’ll be right there. Oh, I bet Zulah will ask her usual tough questions. Well, I’m ready.” He checks himsef in the mirror, pulls out his comb and fixes a stray bit of hair. All good. Time to face the microphones and the cameras.
While the good mayor is doing his civic duty, let’s head over to the Nuts ‘N Bolts hardware store to meet Harold Sanders. He owns the place. Brooms, shovels, paint, the works. You name it, and you can usually find it here. This is the go-to place for fix-it-up projects large and small.
Hey, check out the old wooden barrels filled with candies and goodies. They’re stacked all around the old-fashioned soda fountain in the middle of the store. This is where Harold likes to hang out and tell his stories. He’s got a million of them. See him? He’s behind the counter making a hot fudge 
“Hi, ya, boy. I got a bowl of water here for you, and a chew toy. Wanna hang out with me while I serve up some sodas to these kind folks?”
Now Boomer is fast on his feet and smarter than most humans. We don’t know for sure where he came from, but a guy passing through town told Harold he’d heard about a dog that jumped from his owner’s truck. They were on their way to a big, fancy, dog show when he disappeared. If Boomerang is that dog, then he grew up herding cattle on the U.B. Good Ranch somewhere out West.
“Say, folks, did I ever tell you about my close call the day I turned 35? No? Well, you see, I was out on this hiking trail, far up in the mountains, trying to get home in time for the surprise birthday party I wasn’t supposed to know about, when all of a sudden –”
“Ruff.”
That is our signal. Harold has buttoned his cardigan sweater and pushed up the sleeves. That means he’s about to tell a really big story this time.
Say, let’s walk over to the Sanders’ home on Dogwood Drive, right across from Copy Cat Lane. I want you to meet Harold’s wife, Edna. She’s a hoot. Makes new friends real easily. She is fun-loving, bright, and always trying out new things.
This way. So what do you thing of our little town so far, hmmm?
Here we are. What is Edna doing now? I think she’s practicing ballet moves in front of the mirror. Edna used to be quite the dancer.
Rita makes people feel comfortable. She can kid with the men, help women with their artwork, or play games with the kids. It’s all in a day’s work.
“Yikes! Slow down, children. No running in the hallways. We don’t want anyone to get hurt.”
Rita checks the bulletin board on her way back to her office. Since becoming director over a year ago, Rita has added a lot of new programs. She’s especially proud of Operation: Arts and Crafts. Once a week, students from the elementary school mingle with the older folks. They get help with their school projects. It makes Rita feel good to see young and old working and laughing together. They’re learning from one another.
“Hi ya, Emma. How’s my sweet baby girl? Thank you, Sophie, for watching her.”
“No problem, Ms. Malleno. She’s a good baby. I’ll be back with the mail.”
Sophie is Rita’s assistant. And Emma is her infant daughter who has a little crib right by Rita’s desk – which also has lots pictures of Emma on it, as you can see.
“Ms. Malleno. Here’s your mail. And, Ray Robinson is here.”
“OK, Sophie. Thank you for letting me know.”
Ray’s mom often drops him off here after school. The shy seven-year-old is a wonderful student. His mom has two jobs, and his dad is in the military. He’s working across the ocean for the third time.
“Hello, Ray. How are you?”
“All right, I guess, Ms. Malleno.
“Only all right? Well this should cheer you up. It’s Edna’s day to volunteer.”
“Is she bringing Boomer and Halley?”
“Yep. She just called me. She’s on the way. Would you like to go on rounds with them?”
“You bet I would!”
“Oh, look! Here they are now!”
“Ruff. Ruff.”
“Hi, Ray. Sorry we were a little late. We had a little something we had to clean up first.”
“Meeeoow.”
“That’s OK, Ms. Sanders. Would it be all right it we went down by the lake?”
“Sure. Halley and I will hang out while you throw the ball for Boomerang. How does that sound?”
“Let’s go!”
While Ray and Boomer play, Halley naps, and Edna eats a sandwich – the soup was not a success – let’s stroll over to Stonewall Park and sit under the shade of the gazebo. This special spot is where the town holds all kinds of get-togethers – birthday parties, concerts, important town meetings. It also gives us the best view of the park.
Whew! It feels good to sit down, doesn’t it? And just listen to the pipe music blare from the carousel. Look at all those kids riding the pretty painted horses up and down and around. And the laughter and barking you hear? That’s from the Dog Park nearby – another great addition to our town.
Yep, this is a pretty special little town, don’t you think? And I believe you’ll find that everyone who lives here – young and old – wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. So, welcome again. We hope you will stay for a while get to know everyone a little bit better in the small Southern town of Shady Pines.
To get to know more about our neighbors here in Shady Pines Story town, go