If

No, I'm not talking about the old Bread song: if a picture paints a thousand words/then why can't I paint you? Eeek...did I used to listen to that stuff?

If you had the opportunity to create a scholarship fund, what type of person would be the recipient? Who would you name the fund after? What kind of qualifications would you require? Would you decide it could only be used for a certain school or age group? How would you choose the recipient?

Consider, of course, that everyone you know and love already has been given the gift of education.

Shopper Madness

Tony wanted to buy a Christmas present today at a Berks County store that shall not be named. I didn't really want to go with him because he was buying a digital camera which is always a long ordeal.

After forty-five minutes, I finished my shopping at three other stores and went back to retrieve him. He still did not have his desired camera in his hands.

Finally, a reluctant young salesperson found the camera Tony wanted. Then, without a word, he high-tailed it back to a counter to sort some papers. We had to wait in a long cash register line....

We got to the payment point and encountered reluctant young salesperson number two. No, he couldn't look up my teacher discount card, no he couldn't put a rebate check for his store towards the camera, no the camera was not eligible for the sale because it cost forty dollars less than the required amount, no our 10% off coupon could not be applied to our camera because it was considered a "technology item" and technology items were excluded...

I told Tony that maybe if he bought fifty bucks worth of ink pens he might be able to use his coupon if, and only if, he was a good boy all year. The cashier didn't even look up or offer a grin. He rigidly handed Tony yet another coupon for five dollars off his next item...with a credit card sized bit of print listing the exclusions on the back that even young eyes can't read. Maybe next time they'll give him an invisible coupon to save time!

As we left the store I recalled that earlier this month a man was arrested at the store because he was complaining into his cell phone that he wanted to blow the place up or use a gun or something. Wow...somebody got their attention that day...The salespeople probably got the rest of the day off...oh wait...I mean they must have took the rest of the day off while they were at work. Sheesh. I really felt a lot of sympathy for that arrested guy after my experience. I wondered who would hire salespeople with zero personality and work ethic.

You couldn't drag me back into that store. I predict its early demise.

Grandma's Tablecloths

December is when I often finds "gifts" for myself put away in boxes that I forgot about. Today, I forgot that I put the garland in with the artificial tree in its box. After tearing through several boxes of Christmas stuff and miscellaneous what-the-heck-is-in-there boxes, I finally remembered where the garland beads were...During my garland search, I found a box with some stuff in it from when we cleaned out Grandma's apartment.

I had to smile as I went through the stuff in that box. There were the napkins that matched the daisy tablecloth. There were some cool, but simple embroidered pieces. There, too, was the old-fashioned knife sharpener that is now put away in my kitchen. Somehow, one of those TV cook and drain pasta pots that Tony got for me got in this particular box too.

Then I came across them. Two cloth Christmas tablecloths from many Christmases.... and many Christmases ago....not a spot on them. I distinctly remember spilling gravy on one of them. Somehow Grandma got it out and put it away sparklin' clean, ready for a next Christmas that hasn't come yet. These two tablecloths would be easily labeled "vintage' on ebay with no problem.

These tablecloths are not stylish or trendy or made of something special from Somewhere Special. They're simple, heartwarming, and clean. They're salt of the earth Wyoming Valley Christmas through and through.

We used these tablecloths the holiday season after our house burnt down, and after Michael died. We brought out these tablecloths the first time Ann brought Jimmy home for Christmas and when Auntie Helen helped "watch the store." Those tablecloths were present when Grandma wrapped up the ham bone and put it in the freezer, and threw the ham bone from the previous Christmas away: a bizarre ritual that Grandpa joked about. Those tablecloths were probably there when I was brought "home" after we came back from New Mexico. The tablecloths were there when Carol lived there, and they were there when she brought Jan to visit. Tally and Bootsie ate crumbs under the table under those tablecloths.

Gosh, if only tablecloths could talk, could whisper the times past into my ears, to repeat the sounds of loved ones' voices, to remember the happy and sad times.

Oh, wait.

These tablecloths do that.

Well, Now

I promised a few months ago to tell you of a possible reunion story and now have an update.

I found Colin's daughter one day while surfin' the net. After contact and fact-checking between Joan and Sammie (the daughter), we confirmed the actual relationship. This was enough to wow us over and over again. As Joan and I got to know Sammie, we became emotionally involved in that we didn't want her to be hurt by a second fatherly rejection.

Urged on by Sammie, Joan contacted Colin with the only e-mail address we knew. There was no certainty that he would see the message, let alone respond. As usual with a Colin Contact Effort, he did not answer for a few weeks, or was it more than a month? Both Joan and I expected a wrathful angry "HOW DARE YOU?" kind of response, if any were given.

Luckily, we did get a response, and even luckier, it was a positive one. Now the ball is in Sammie's court. She lives in Kent, and, with any luck, Colin is somewhere in the UK. I am daring to breathe some hope that there will be contact.

Perhaps Colin will glory in the fact that he has grandchildren and a beautiful daughter. Perhaps he will finally understand that he truly is a person worth loving, despite his fears and his past. Perhaps this little family will bring out the best in him. I know it's in there.

Some things are just meant to be. Some things are affected by our choices. Sometimes, God puts His muscle into our lives through grace. Guess what?

Joan's mom's name is Grace. This can be her miracle.

If you remember, before you go to sleep tonight, say a little prayer for a miracle for Sammie and Colin.