1933 - the year that keeps throwing punches

 As 1933 begins, there is worrying news from Germany as the papers write:

NEW CHANCELLOR CELECTED IN GERMANY Party Leader Forms Government Today In Berlin Berlin, Jan. 30.

At 43, Hitler, attained the ambition of his political career today, by becoming chancellor of Germany. Shortly after his appointment, the selected cabinet, including several well known conservatives, was sworn in by President von Hindenburg. To temper the new chancellor's dictatorial ambitions, von Hindenburg insisted on a cabinet that contains but three of his party members. But behind the man stand 600 000 storm troopers that he is expected to insist on making a national militia.

Tonight, at his orders, the storm troopers staged a gigantic torchlight parade. The nationwide frenzy of fear and enthusiasm that flashed through Germany on his appointment was comparable only to that of August 1914, the opening of the World War.

Anna is alarmed. She has followed news from Europe closely since the war, and is still in contact with her former colleagues there, Georgette, now a mother of three, and Yvette who both live with their husbands and families in Glimmerbrook. She knows they have been following this closely.

"They're worried," she says at dinner that night. "This man has been opening talking about overturning the Versailles treaty, stop paying reparations and building up the army again. And that's not to mention what he talks about doing to the jews!" "But the president has him under control, doesn't he? He wasn't even allowed to form a government with only his own party," Nash says, reassured.

"I just cannot take someone like that seriously," Josephine ads. "From the reals at the movies, he just screams and waves his head around. Like an angry Charlie Chaplin. And besides, it's all the way over in Europe! It doesn't concern us, nor your friends, they live in France, don't they?" "We said that about the war too," Anna points out, but by this point the topic has already shifted. Neither Johnny or Nash wants to talk about the war, both having scars from the battles, and Josephine just isn't interested enough.

Even Anna has a hard time keeping her focus, first because Ranger goes into labour, and who can think of German politicians when a new foal is being born? Anna stays with Ranger the entire night, comforting her, soothing her and helping her when needed until she all on her own delivers the most perfect colt. Anna and Johnny decide to name him Bronco.

While it does take a lot to care for a baby colt, Johnny still insist on the two of them celebrating the new birth and the lifting of prohibition. Alcohol can now be sold openly again, and the local "restaurant" is now officially a bar again. As neither has visited the place, Anna and Johnny decides that a night out is just what the two of them need. It is a perfect date. They eat under the stars, order nectar in the bar, and dance the night away at this new thing called a jukebox.

But as they return home, pleased and happy, tragedy is around the corner. Omisco dies in his sleep of old age. Although Anna knew this was coming, as he was getting on in years, it still hits her hard. Omisco was at times her only companion. In the jungle where she found him, in Japan where she didn't understand the language and had a hard time connecting and making friends, and in her apartment, on the many days and nights before Johnny became more than just a neighbor.

They bury him under a tree on the field next to the ranch, where he loved chasing birds and running free. It's a hard loss for Anna and she buries her sadness in her work with the horses. But misery loves company and soon after their mother calls to inform her and Josephine that Dolly too has passed away. For Anna this is hard to take. Dolly might have been the maid, but she has been there for her entire life. She was the nanny, the friend, the confident at times. And she knows her parents cared deeply for the old woman too.

"We have to go home," she tells Josephine. "You, me and the kids. We need to pay our respects." Josephine takes some convincing as does their husbands, but Anna gets her way and at first chance, Josephine, Anna, and all the children are on a train home to Louisiana while Nash and Johnny are left in charge of the ranch. The trip is long, and Josephine is plagued by nausea that can only mean one thing. She's pregnant again.

Abigail and Joseph are of course thrilled to have their girls back home, and Abigail can't stop sneaking treats to the children now that she finally gets to spoil them rotten. "When are you returning home?" she asks, but while Josephine still thinks of it from time to time, Anna is happy where she is. "You will have to come and see us instead," she says. "I neither can nor want to leave the horses, apart from being a nurse during the war, nothing has felt more meaningful than what I do now."

Josephine mitigates the impact of Anna's certainty by sharing the news of her pregnancy, and soon Abigail is gushing over the idea of yet another grandchild. "You will have to go see your nieces and nephews and their babies," she tells Josephine. "They're about the same age as Barbara."

They start, however, by visiting Dolly's grave and paying their respect. It's clear that the loss has hit their parents hard too. Dolly had been with them since early in their marriage. "She didn't have any family of her own?" Anna asks. "Not that we've been able to locate," Joseph answers. "So we paid for her funeral and plot."

After the visit to the cemetery they head to the park where the kids can play while the adults can talk. Abigail loves having her grandchildren around, and take some time to educate little Arthur.

That night Ida and Nathaniel comes over for dinner. It's a happy reunion for the sisters. "I can't believe you are a grandmother!" Josephine exclaims. "It comes faster than you think," Ida warns. "It will be your turn soon enough. One day they're five and the next thing you know they've aged 15 years and is heading out the door."

It's a nice evening for everyone present, until suddenly (because trouble comes in threes) Josephine feels herself cramping up. In panic, she rushes to the hospital together with her mother and Anna, but this time there won't be a doctor telling her she's just imagining things. As she arrive it's already too late and nothing can be done to save this baby. "How many miscarriages have you had?" the doctor asks, informing her that perhaps it would be best if she did not get pregnant again, because this will keep happening and one of these days it will be dangerous for her too.

It's a somber group that returns back to Willow Creek, and while Anna and Josephine had thought to stay longer, Josephine now only wants to go home. "I'll arrange it," Anna promises, getting them tickets for the very next train out of town. "Come see us mum!" Anna whispers as they say goodbye. "Dad is retired, you don't work, there is nothing stopping you from coming to stay for a while. There are good rental properties if you don't want to squeeze into our little place. But you're always welcome."