joe's Guestbook

"Partly, but mostly I hate seeing this family fall apart because of one thing or another," he said as he frowned and then let out a sigh. "I just want my family happy and to get alone with everyone. Is that really too much?" Andy asked, now mostly talking to himself rather than Joe. 

"You won't know how she feels about you until you give Lynda a chance. And yes I know her rules are a little off the wall, but if it means you beccome a better person in the end, then that's all that matters," he told him. "And yes my kids and I still live here, though I'm considering moving since I'm gonna try to convince Michaela to come back," he said. "The only reason she treats me different is because I respect her and this house," he added. 

"I know it sounds crazy for Hoss to be that protective of her, but if you knew the way she treats him, you would understand," Andy said. "Besides, I think Laura could talk him into just thumping you on the nose if you gave her a daisy," he said laughing as he stood inside the doorway, about to leave. 

"I'll tell you that story and every other story I have," he said. "Especially the one where Hoss chucks mud at Adam," he added laughing. "Hoss got in trouble but I rolled on the ground for like 30 minutes laughing. Anyway, see you soon little brother and please try to stay out of trouble," he added as he grabbed the door handle and pulled it closed behind him. 

"I know it's your stuff and I also know that your stuff matters," Lynda said softly. "And yes I am well aware that your father gave you some of that stuff," she said. "But I'm also aware that if you really think your stuff matter that much," she told him. "Then it wouldn't be all over the room to where it could get broke," she told him as she reached over and took his cell phone. Then Lynda let out a sigh as she got into a pocket and pulled out a key and handed it to Joe. 

"There's the key to your unit," she said. "You're right, I can't make you learn anything if you aren't willing to do so. And I know that I'm not your mother," she told him. "But there are a couple of things you should know. The first thing is this, there are a million, perhaps billions of storage units in the United States, so happy spending the rest of your life hunting for something you aren't ever going to find," she said. "And the second thing I want you to remember is this, I'm only hard on you because I love you, believe it or not," she said. 

"And the fact that I only want the best is the reason why I am doing this," she told him with a soft expression. "And I know you aren't a little kid. I never claimed that you was," she told him. "I just want you to learn how to treat the things that are bought for you," she said. "And I'm also trying to teach you the value of a dollar," she added. Then she went silent for a little bit and then looked at Joe.

She looked as though she wanted to cry, but kept it all inside. She went on talkign to Joe. "And you don't have to worry about tell your father," she told him as she changed the subject. "I will tell him the moment he gets home," she said. "And if you don't believe me, then you can stay right here and wait with me," she said as she crossed her arms again. "But the important question still remains, are you willing to give this a try or not?" she asked him.                                                                                                                                   

Andrew smiled as began to reply to everything Joe just said. "I'm just glad that between you and Jennie, you are at least listening," he said as he gave Joe a playful and brotherly hug. "And you know I will always be there for you and for Jennie too," he said. "I just wish you two would not be so angry all the time," he said. "There's enough angry people in the world without the two youngest Cartwrights stirring the pot," he said as he looked at his watch and then back at Joe.

"Just promise me that whatever you do, you'll try to stay on Lynda's good side. Yes I know she's touch but I also know she's fair too. And despite what you and Jennie thinks, she does care and love you two like you were her own," he added as turned to walk over to his suitcase and got ready to pick it up to leave for his trip. 

Andrew stopped and turned back to Joe. "Oh and when you meet Laura, keep it as short as possible and don't give her any flowers," Andrew told Joe. "Hoss will throw mud clumps at you and then deck you on the nose," he told Joe. "And before you ask...I'll fill you in on those stories when I get back, but for a 5 year old, Hoss had a pretty good throwing arm and punch," he said as he put his hat on. 

Lynda waited until Joe was done with his little rant before she finally began to speak to him. As she was speaking, she kept her arms crossed and her temper cool "First off, I don't respond to people yelling and cursing at me, espeically people who are still in high school," she told him."Secondly, I didn't get rid of your stuff, I put it all in storage until you can earn it back," she told to him as she uncrossed her arms and put them on her hips.

"And I can almost promise you that you won't be able to get the key, but if you do, there is no way you can even find the storage unit, let alone break into it," she told him as she changed the subject back to his orginial complaint. "And now, if you are done having your little tantrum, I'll explain everything, including the reasoning behind why I did what I did," she told him. "But first, I will need your cell phone and any other devices you might have on you," she said as she held out her hand. 

As she waited for Joe to hand over his cell phone and other devices he had on him, she went on speaking, this time about his father. "And granted, your father doesn't know about what I have done, but he does know how tired I am of trying to get  you and Jennie to clean your rooms. He also know that I have tried everything from being nice to even paying you two and nothing seems to work, " she told him.

"So I took matters into my own hands and hopefully you two will learn the lessons I'm trying to teach the both of you," she added as she continued to wait. "But if you think telling your father will help you in any way, by all means, go right ahead," she said. "But I can tell you now, I would rather see you act  like a mature grownup instead of making even more trouble down the road," she said. 

Lynda had just finished up with Jennie's room when she moved onto Joe's. And like Jennie, knew that she had given Joe every chance in the world to clean his room and keep it clean. But time and time again, Joe would just blow it off, so finally, having had enough of her room being dirty, Lynda took matters into her own hands. She had hired professional cleaners and movers to come and professionally clean Joe's room and take all his stuff, including his bed, any posters on the wall, all his clothes, school books he would need, etc, packed and moved to a storage unit. Then she changed the lock on the door and locked it up good and tight. The last thing that Lynda was put a sign on Jennie's door which read:

 

EVICTION NOTICE!!
Since you insist on living like a filthy animal and don't understand the value of a dollar, you will be treated in the manner in which you choose to live. You will find you no longer have any stuff or have access to your room anymore. Your stuff, including all clothes, makeup, school books, beds, etc, have been placed in a storge location in which I only know where it is. If you would like to talk about this further, I will be in the living room. But until then, your new room is out in the barn in one of the empty stalls with your name on it. For your bed, you have a pile of hay, with a pillow and a sleeping bag.

Love, Lynda Cartwright.

After she posted the note, she couldn't help but smile. She knew that Jennie and probably Joe would go crying to their father, and she would deal with that when it came, but for now, she knew this was the only way Jennie and Joe was going to learn not only to keep things clean, but the value of money as well as how to take care of things.