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Everyone from far and wide, had come this day to Stately Martha Manor because Jane Marie's brother, Bob, had announced he was being promoted to Chief Petty Officer in the United States Navy.  The ceremony would be held at nearby Mayport Naval station in north Florida the next morning.  

Though he was disappointed that the rest of his family had been unable to come from those far and wide places, Bob told anyone who asked, "Any part of my family pile and friends in attendance will be better than none.  Hey, that's what cameras are for." 

With that said, Martha Bear®, Senior Ursine Editor of GraciousJaneMarie, the Newsletter, waddled, as she was like to do because of her comely large hips, toward the pump organ chair.  She retrieved Jane Marie's new digital camera that was hanging there because Martha couldn't let another moment of activity escape chronicling.  Jane Marie had taught Martha the importance of taking pictures ever since she was an almost bearling, waiting patiently for her final ounces of stuffing in Jane Marie's sewing basket.

"If you please, Bobby," directed Martha, "I'd like you to pick up that piece of paper and pretend it's the original letter telling you about your promotion to Chief.  We need to reenact the moment you realized you had been promoted for posterity.  Look surprised and happy," she instructed.

Always most obliging, Bob did her bidding, not mentioning that he preferred natural shots to staged pictures.   

Martha Bear® held the camera steady, pushed the shutter half way down for the auto focus to lock in and then snapped the photo.  "That should be great!" she told him, delighted she'd mastered this technical marvel.  "Let me take a gander at the display screen here on the back of the camera to see how my shot looks." 

She turned a button and, like magic, Bob's animated expression appeared!  The only problem was a large white paw covered a third of the photo.  Ever honest, Martha said, "Uh, excuse me, Bob.  Could we do a reshoot on that?  Just for insurance ... well, and because I have to remember to keep my claws away from the lens." 

Without a frown, a fret or a suffer sound, Bob reenacted the reenactment.

"Graciousness certainly does run in our family," Martha Bear® commented, appreciating his cooperation.

Because he never felt completely comfortable with praise, Bob changed the subject, "Hey Martha, where's Airborne today?  I haven't seen him around."

"My dear grasshopper friend and advisor will be here in a bit.  He's visiting Hedda Mae Hopper, his female acquaintance.  You know her, don't you?  She's the pretty hopper he's been seeing for sometime now."

"Is that a fact?" Bob asked.  "I didn't realize he had a steady."

"About as steady as they come," added Airborne, who'd just flown in through the kitty door with Hedda Mae at his side. 

After introductions, Bob teased in a whisper, "Good thing we're different species, Mr. A., or I'd give you a run for your money."

Airborne enjoyed the ribbing, but was glad that Bob was, indeed, of another species because he was a tish insecure when it came to Hedda Mae and uniforms.  How many times had he heard her comment about how attractive the bug-eyed professors at Insect U were in their robes?  How often had she sighed at a mere mention of Antuneio Toad of the Amelia Toad Choir in his band uniform?  Yes, his gal appreciated a good-looking male and Airborne was most pleased that she had chosen him out of all the other free and easy grasshoppers that were always after her on Amelia Island. 

As party preparations progressed for the next day's celebration, Martha Bear® continued to snap pictures and direct Bob as to how to angle his head this way and his shoulders that, lift a foot higher or flatten his mussed hair.  After several hours, he was beginning to tire of the rigors of modeling, yet he endured.  He didn't want to upset Martha Bear® who was known to be thin-skinned. 

This wasn't because the fabric Martha was made of had originally been inexpensive.  On the contrary.  It was white quilted material of the best quality, and had been purchased from the local Teddy Cares Grocery run by Wink E Bear, Jane Marie's very first teddy bear.  Wink E had gotten a great deal on a fine bolt, and Jane Marie soon after began crafting Martha Bear. 

As for the floral fabric that covered Martha's tummy, well, Martha Bear often told her three little bearlings, Pickles, Poodle and Art, that it came from a semi-formal gown once worn by Jane Marie and Bob's mother, Martha Marie (Martha Bear's namesake).  Martha Marie had fashioned the dress and worn it to chaperone a high school prom along with her biology teacher husband, Leo. 

No, it wasn't that Martha Bear's fabric skin was actually thin.  It was more that some bears get their feelings hurt very easily.  And everyone who had been around Martha for any length of time soon realized she belonged to the class of bears with delicate emotions.

Understanding his duty, but a bit more clever than the average bear, Bob suggested he take a few pictures of Martha making some of her favorite Berry Juice for the party. "You can't help it Martha Bear®," Bob told her.  "The camera adores bears, especially you."   

Having to agree that she was indeed photogenic, Martha cheerfully changed from photographer to model.  Her picture-taking claw was becoming tired anyway. 

When the subject of pressing Bob's uniform came up with Hedda Mae, Martha Bear® readily volunteered for the mission.   

Overhearing, Bob said, "Oh no, Martha.  Thank you, but it's quite a job.  I'll do it.  I've been doing it for years.  Besides, I don't want to tire you out for tomorrow's fun." 

No male, bear or human, could withstand the quivering chin on the large round white face with nervous wiggling ears standing before him.  And Bob was no exception, "Alright, Martha. You can do it.  But only if you promise to have a very long nap and a very big snack when you've finished."

"My pleasure.  Certainly.  Of course!" agreed Martha.

The ironing board was set up, the iron plugged in and heated, and Martha Bear® climbed up onto the kitchen stool she often used to reach the contents of the kitchen cupboards.  Meticulously, she pulled and straightened and pressed, horrified when she accidentally added in a tiny crease instead of removing one.  "I'll get you, you nasty little finkle-wrinkle!

After dozens of strokes with the blistering hot steam iron, Martha Bear held up Bob's trousers and then his jacket.  Proudly, she declared that the garments were chief-worthy. 

But Martha had over extended herself.  She quickly gobbled down some of Jane Marie's Heavenly Popcorn, and then let Bob tuck her in.  This time she chose to nap in the bottom drawer of Jane Marie's armoire atop the stored Christmas stockings. 

"Sweet dreams, Martha," Bob said.  When Martha Bear® offered her heart-shaped bear nose for him to kiss, he gladly did so and returned to the parlor where Jane Marie, Airborne, Hedda Mae and Spew and Mr. Buzzbee, the Florida Feline workforce for GraciousJaneMarie.com, were all waiting. 

Immediately, Jane Marie led the questions, querying Bob about the duties of a chief in the United States Navy, about life on board a ship in the United States Navy and about the basic overall history of the United States Navy.  She believed, and rightly so, that Bob knew most everything there was to know about military matters.  She also liked to ask questions.  Ever curious, she was often referred to as the "Question Meister of Martha Manor." 

The lengthy quest for information about naval life was finally interrupted by several growling stomachs.  Bob was overjoyed and said, "As Martha Bear® often says, 'Do I smell food?'" 

Jane Marie took the hint and chuckled, "Yes, Bob.  One of your favorites, Slow Cooker Spaghetti."

A bit later, Martha Bear® came out of Jane Marie's bedroom rubbing the place where her eyes would have been had she been crafted with any.  Always seeing with her heart and smelling with that heart-shaped nose of hers, she asked, "Do I smell food?"

Everyone laughed and as they all sat down to dinner, filling the church pews on either side of the table.  And as the happy group ate, they finalized plans for Bob's party.

Because it was such a special occasion, no one slept in the next morning.  Everyone dressed in their best red, white and blue clothes - though Martha Bear®, complete with rhinestone pins and ribbons, outdid them all. 

see a photo of Martha's finery at the top right corner of this page ↑

The family piled into the family car with Bruce, Jane Marie's husband, doing the driving honors.  After swinging by Hedda Mae's place to pick her up, they caught the ferry to nearby Mayport Naval Station.  The ferry delivered Bob's guests in ample time for them to claim front row seats to the formal proceedings while Bob disappeared behind closed doors.   

Airborne glanced over at Jane Marie and asked, "Why are you saving those extra seats?"  He counted everyone in their party. "You, me, Hedda Mae, Martha Bear® and Bruce.  You've got five extra chairs besides the ones for us.  Why is that?"  

Jane Marie put her finger to her lips, smiled and replied, "Shhh."

Martha Bear® did not miss their dialogue, but was so caught up in the military music being played, she didn't think further until she felt a tap, tap, tapping on her shoulder.  She stopped keeping time with her paws, turned around and spied five special seat-fillers: Jane Marie and Bob's sisters, Nancy from Oklahoma City and Peggy from Kansas City; Jane Marie's daughter, Barbra, from west Florida, and Leo, the patriarch of the family, from Erie, Pennsylvania! 

Cries of glee and squeals of joy spread throughout the auditorium as the relatives of the clan of Stately Martha Manor exchanged quick greetings before the lights dimmed in the hall, signaling it was time for the ceremony to begin.  In silence, the candidates for promotion entered the stage, each looking sharp and crisp in his or her uniform.  Then, all stood and sang while the National Anthem was played.

Upon its conclusion, the audience took their seats.  The next thing they heard was a curious squalling.  All festivities halted as spectators and honorees alike were caught off guard.  Martha Bear's ears perked and began a nervous wiggling as other heads turned toward the rear of the auditorium, trying to find the source of the disturbance.   

"Perhaps it's feedback from the speaker system," whispered Airborne.

"I don't think so," Martha whispered back. "That sound seems familiar somehow."  And that sound was getting closer and louder.  Since Martha was sitting on the aisle, she was the first in their party to discover the explanation.  She jumped to her bear pads and declared out loud, "Why, it's Teddy O™!"

"On no," fretted Nancy in a tight voice.  "In all the excitement, I'd momentarily forgotten about Teddy O™.  He said he had a special gift for Bob, but I never thought he'd ..."

At that, the little golden brown bear, known occasionally for his good intentions, but more often his rascally ways, marched up the aisle dressed in a headband, feathers and a loincloth.  He was covering and uncovering his mouth with his paw and whooping and hollering.  As the house lights came back up and the Shore Patrol moved in, Teddy O™ sang,  

Teddy O™ proudly declared: "We like him a lot!  Yea Chief Thunder Bob!  Wahoo!  Wahoo!"

All coughing, sneezing, wheezing and breathing stopped for a very long instant while folks took in the little bear.  That silence quickly passed and in seconds the thread of laughter began to wind its way about, around and over everyone.  Even the Shore Patrol backed off, choking with amusement. 

Meanwhile, Bob was receiving claps on the back from his superiors and equals alike.  When the captain whispered in Bob's ear, the young sailor left the stage, hugged his newly arrived family members, including Teddy O™, and then raised the little bear to his shoulder.  "I'll be a chief in the United States Navy, buddy, not an Native American Indian chief." 

Teddy O™ replied with a surprised, "Oh!  I was wonderin' why nobody else was dressed like me."

"Hey, no matter.  I'm touched that you've gone to all this trouble.  What cha say, Ted?  Once around the prairie?"

"I'm game, oh great Chief Thunder Bob.  Let's go!" Teddy O™ chuckled. 

The sight of a uniformed military man hoisting a teddy bear dressed in feathers on his shoulder and running around the room while cameras flashed took late-comers aback.  But then this was America, after all, and wonderful things happen every day!

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