The Cab Driver....Compassion at its finest......

This email has been around more than once, but such a lesson is taught.....Betty
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> I arrived at the address where someone had requested a taxi. I honked but
> no one came out. I honked again, nothing. So I walked to the door and
> knocked. 'Just a minute', answered a frail, elderly voice. I could hear
> something being dragged across the floor.
> After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 90's stood
> before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil
> pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940s movie.
>
> By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one
> had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets..
>
> There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the
> counters. In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and
> glassware.
>
> 'Would you carry my bag out to the car?' she said. I took the suitcase to
> the cab, and then returned to assist the woman.
>
> She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb.
>
> She kept thanking me for my kindness. 'It's nothing', I told her. 'I just
> try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated.'

> 'Oh, you're such a good boy', she said. When we got in the cab, she gave
> me an address, and then asked, 'Could you drive through downtown?'
>
> 'It's not the shortest way,' I answered quickly.
> 'Oh, I don't mind,' she said. 'I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a
> hospice'.
>
> I looked in the rear-view mirror. Her eyes were glistening. 'I don't have
> any family left,' she continued. 'The doctor says I don't have very long.'
> I quietly reached over and shut off the meter.
>
> 'What route would you like me to take?' I asked.
>
> For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the
> building where she had once worked as an elevator operator.
>
> We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when
> they were newlyweds. She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse
> that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.
>
> Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner
> and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.
>
> As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, 'I'm
> tired. Let's go now'
>
> We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a low
> building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed
> under a portico.
>
> Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were
> solicitous and intent, watching her every move. They must have been
> expecting her.
>
> I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was
> already seated in a wheelchair.
>
> 'How much do I owe you?' she asked, reaching into her purse.
> 'Nothing,' I said
>
> 'You have to make a living,' she answered.
>
> 'There are other passengers,' I responded.
>
> Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me
> tightly.
>
> 'You gave an old woman a little moment of joy,' she said.
>
> 'Thank you.'
>
> I squeezed her hand, and then walked into the dim morning light. Behind
> me, a door shut. It was the sound of the closing of a life.
> I didn't pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly lost in
> thought. For the rest of that day, I could hardly talk. What if that woman
> had gotten an angry driver, or one who was impatient to end his shift?
> What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven
> away?
> On a quick review, I don't think that I have done anything more important
> in my life.
> We're conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments.
> But great moments often catch us unaware-beautifully wrapped in what
> others may consider a small one.
>
>
> PEOPLE MAY NOT REMEMBER EXACTLY WHAT YOU DID, OR WHAT YOU SAID, BUT THEY
> WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER HOW YOU MADE THEM FEEL.


> Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are here we might as
> well dance.

> IN GOD WE TRUST---

Happy Fall....Ya'll..........

Welcome to our home....fall is in the air and that makes me want to bring out the harvest decorations....the tractors are humming and the farmers are gathering the crops......


Mr. Scarecrow keeps an eye on the front porch......
The flag is very colorful.....
A bale of cotton, gourds, pumpkins...................
Colorful mums.....
If it stands still I'll tie a bow on it....

The window box in front of the den looks pretty outside as well as inside......

A swag of leaves and pomegranates with a raffia bow.....
The planters on the back porch have a fall touch.....

A scarecrow girl from a thrift store...a dollar.....
The window box on the kitchen window.....
Do you see the brown lizard behind the red bird house?
An old rustic birdhouse with iron bird and bunny....
Mr. Bunny stood still and got one tied on...why is this underlined and in blue?
A cornucopia and a turkey gourd.....
A ceramic cornucopia.....
A wicker cornucopia.....

I laugh everytime I walk by this turkey with her little head and tail...a gift from my friend Jackie...
These dishes are some of my very favorites...they look so 'fallish'....


A large arrangement of mums on the piano....A stuffed pheasant peeking out....
And last of all one of my favorite fall pitchers....

When I was a little, scrawny girl my grandparents lived a few blocks from the elementary school. I walked to their home for lunch one fall day. My Grandfather was a wonderful gardener and had a pumpkin patch. He offered me one and of course I chose the largest one. I started back to school carrying my gold cargo....I'd walk a little ways and sit down on my pumpkin....continued doing this all the way....finally I made it to my class room. We carved a Jack-O-Lantern and I was a happy camper. Do you have a pumpkin story?

Thanks for taking the time to visit with me...wishing you God's richest blessings.....

Heaven....................

WHAT HAPPENS IN HEAVEN This is one of the nicest e-mails I have seen and is so true: I dreamt that I went to Heaven and an angel was showing me around. We walked side-by-side inside a large workroom filled with angels... My angel guide stopped in front of the first section and said, 'This is the Receiving Section. Here, all petitions to God said in prayer are received.' I looked around in this area, and it was terribly busy with so many angels sorting out petitions written on voluminous paper sheets and scraps from people all over the world. Then we moved on down a long corridor until we reached the second section. The angel then said to me, 'This is the Packaging and Delivery Section. Here, the graces and blessings the people asked for are processed and delivered to the living persons who asked for them.' I noticed again how busy it was there. There were many angels working hard at that station, since so many blessings had been requested and were being packaged for delivery to Earth. Finally at the farthest end of the long corridor we stopped at the door of a very small station. To my great surprise, only one angel was seated there, idly doing nothing. 'This is the Acknowledgment Section,' my angel friend quietly admitted to me. He seemed embarrassed. 'How is it that there is no work going on here?' I asked. 'So sad,' the angel sighed. 'After people receive the blessings that they asked for, very few send back acknowledgments.' 'How does one acknowledge God's blessings?' I asked. 'Simple,' the angel answered. 'Just say, Thank you, Lord.' 'What blessings should they acknowledge?' I asked. 'If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep you are richer than 75% of this world. If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish, you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy.' 'And if you get this on your own computer, you are part of the 1% in the world who has that opportunity.' 'If you woke up this morning with more health than illness... You are more blessed than the many who will not even survive this day.' 'If you have never experienced the fear in battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation .. You are ahead of 700 million people in the world.' 'If you can attend a place of worship without the fear of harassment, arrest, torture or death you are envied by, and more blessed than, three billion people in the world..' 'If your parents are still alive and still married ..you are very rare.' 'If you can hold your head up and smile, you are not the norm, you're unique to all those in doubt and despair.' Ok, what now? How can I start? If you can read this message, you just received a double blessing in that someone was thinking of you as very special and you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world who cannot read at all. Have a good day, count your blessings , and if you care to, pass this along to remind everyone else how blessed we all are. ATTN: Acknowledge Dept . 'Thank you Lord, for giving me the ability to share this message and for giving me so many wonderful people with whom to share it. I thank God for everything, especially all my family and friends!!

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Monday Thrift Finds...Rhoda

Happy Labor Day........Please go by Rhoda's blog to see what everyone is showing on 'Thrifty Monday'........I found this table at Amelia Island when we were at the beach this summer....it really is vintage...I think the price was $15.00. My daughter, Melinda, liked it so now it belongs to her....
This is Arthur Court....I have other pieces that I enjoy...a couple of dollars....
This was the best buy of all...when we carried the garbage to the dumpster it was on the ground by the dumpster. I found it several months ago....cost....FREE...

Happy Thrifty......Betty

Happy Birthday to Me......

Welcome to my birthday party! I am 68 today...I am the 6th child in my family line up...the youngest next to me was 14 when I was born so I don't think I was exactly planned. The oldest child was 25....gosh, I bet he was embarrassed......now I have one brother living....cancer has taken our siblings plus our mother....


Thanks for coming by........

Thrifting.....

This is my first time participating in Rhoda's Monday Thrift Finds....but this is my cup of tea and I enjoy seeing the great things other people have found....

Hurry on over to Rhoda's......



A pair of Vaneli shoes...one of my favorite brands....cost....$3.00


Outdoor plastic American flag....$2.00
Staffordshire dogs...$1.99
New hooked rug $8.00 ....I had been looking for one to put on the faux brick painted floor in my little garden room....

White ceramic fruit topiary....ONE DOLLAR and it is quite large.......

What did you find interesting this week?

Edward is doing well...thank you for your prayers....A Sack Lunch....

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Dear Bloggers,

Edward continues to do well...we give all the praise and glory to our Lord...thank you all for your prayers and good wishes...each one was deeply appreciated...

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I've received the email before about the sack lunches but I want to share it with you...even if you've already read it...we owe such a debt of gratitude to our brave men and women in the military as well as their families...

Our veterans through the years have given so such and asked so little...thank you...

God Bless the USA The Sack Lunches I put my carry-on in the luggage Compartment and sat down in my Assigned seat. It was going to be a Long flight. 'I'm glad I have a Good book to read. Perhaps I will get A short nap,' I thought. Just before take-off, a line of Soldiers came down the aisle and Filled all the vacant seats, totally Surrounding me. I decided to Start a conversation. 'Where are you headed?' I asked the soldier seated nearest to me. 'Petawawa. We'll be there for two Weeks for special training, and then We're being deployed to Afghanistan After flying for about an hour, an Announcement was made that sack Lunches were available for five Dollars. It would be several hours Before we reached the east, and I Quickly decided a lunch would help Pass the time.. As I reached for my wallet, I Overheard a soldier ask his buddy if he Planned to buy lunch. 'No, that seems like a lot of money for just a sack lunch. Probably Wouldn't be worth five bucks. I'll wait till we get to base ' His friend agreed. I looked around at the other Soldiers. None were buying lunch. I Walked to the back of the plane and Handed the flight attendant a Fifty dollar bill. 'Take a lunch to all those soldiers.' She grabbed my arms and squeezed Tightly. Her eyes wet with tears, she thanked me. 'My son was a Soldier in Iraq ; it's almost like you are doing it for him.' Picking up ten sacks, she headed up The aisle to where the soldiers Were seated. She stopped at my seat And asked, 'Which do you like Best - beef or chicken?' 'Chicken,' I replied, wondering why She asked. She turned and went to The front of plane, returning a Minute later with a dinner plate from First class. 'This is your thanks..' After we finished eating, I went Again to the back of the plane, Heading for the rest room. A man stopped me. 'I saw what you did. I want to be part of it. Here, take this.' He handed me twenty-five dollars. Soon after I returned to my seat, I Saw the Flight Captain coming down The aisle, looking at the aisle Numbers as he walked, I hoped he was Not looking for me, but noticed he Was looking at the numbers only on My side of the plane. When he got to my row he stopped, smiled, held out his hand, and said, 'I want to shake your hand.' Quickly unfastening my seatbelt I Stood and took the Captain's hand. With a booming voice he said, 'I was A soldier and I was a military pilot. Once, someone bought me a lunch. It was an act of kindness I Never forgot.' I was embarrassed When applause was heard from all of The passengers. Later I walked to the front of the Plane so I could stretch my legs. A man who was seated about six rows In front of me reached out his Hand, wanting to shake mine. He left Another twenty-five dollars in my palm. When we landed I gathered my Belongings and started to deplane. Waiting just inside the airplane door Was a man who stopped me, put Something in my shirt pocket, turned, And walked away without saying a Word. Another twenty-five dollars! Upon entering the terminal, I saw the Soldiers gathering for their trip to the base. I walked over to them And handed them seventy-five dollars. 'It will take you some time to Reach the base. It will be about time for a sandwich. God Bless You.' Ten young men left that flight Feeling the love and respect of their Fellow travelers. As I walked Briskly to my car, I whispered a prayer for their safe return. These soldiers were giving their all for our country. I could only Give them a couple of meals. It seemed so little... A veteran is someone who, at one Point in his life, wrote a blank check Made payable to 'The United States of America ' for an amount of 'up to and including my life.' That is Honor, and there are way too many people in this country who no longer understand it.' May God give you the strength and courage to pass this along to everyone on your email buddy list.... I JUST DID

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