Hurricane Harvey Visits a Library

People have lost their homes, lives have been lost, businesses have been destroyed or severely damaged, loss of income for those who could not get to work, and then I saw pictures of the damage to the Kingwood Library and the mounds of books that were damaged.  I was instantly emotional and it brought tears to my eyes again tied to the far reaching arms of Hurricane Harvey.

Yes I know that things can be replaced. This visual reminded me of the many children and families who find great enjoyment in their experiences shared at a library through reading and the many organized activities offered through our wonderful library system. A library is a window to the heart and mind which feeds our thirst to learn, to learn more, and grow not just intellectually but in our character, our family, our careers, and community involvement.

Libraries are a source to be valued. Not everyone has access to a source without fees like those driven by technology. It is wonderful to have options and I want this one protected, funded, and restored as soon as "humanly" possible. I read about the Tucker Foundation which appears to be for books, computers, etc. which I hope is availed soon along with other public money.

The library was my solace as a young girl and my excitement was not easily contained when it was time for the visit from the Bookmobile.  As an adult my library card was as important to me as my driver’s license.  Actually my library card is right next to my driver’s license in my clutch wallet.

Many things have changed over time and not always for the better. I hope that this disaster does not move this library to make fewer paper books available and move more towards technology at an increased level.  Those who may appreciate the books and access to books the most may be the ones neglected the most in that decision. It is nice to have choices so please do not remove the paper choice for those who prefer it or even more so those who desperately need it who may have limited options. 

2017 July 20 National Know Your Customer Day

Reading what today is brought a smile to my face but others perhaps not so much. Yesterday I went to my bank for two transactions; close a safe deposit box and cash a check.  Here is what happened.

As I walked inside the front desk person lowered her head and turned to her computer so I went to the teller line first.  I call the teller by name and provide my check for $250.  I request five in $10 dollar bills and the balance in $20 bills.  She takes my check and says “How would like the cash?” I repeat it to her.

Then she says “Would like some $5 and $10?” I repeat my request to her.  She then says “So you want 10 in $20 and five in $10?” I say “Yes please. “

I go to the other area to close my safe deposit box and after a short while she turns and asks if I need any help.  I tell her that I need to close a box and sit down because I know that I will need to sign a form.  She asked if I was in a hurry and I said that I had the time.  She then tells me that she does not know how to do it and will need to either wait until her manager returns from lunch or she will need to check to see how to do it.  I indicate that I would prefer not to wait until the manager returns but if that was necessary then I would.  She excuses herself from the desk then returns asking for my driver’s license.  I give her the two keys and we go to the box to confirm that it is empty. We return to the desk and she asked if I had both keys.  I pause and she realizes that both are in her hand.  She pulls the contract and I sign where indicated.  She then replies that she will get with the manager for further information as to what she might need to do. 

I am a retired banker with 38 years in the industry so I understand the importance of customer service, training, listening, communication, and meeting or exceeding the expectations in a customer interaction.  These are key customer factors within any industry.  It was an interesting experience.  I could clearly identify with the frustrations of a customer and this time I was the customer. 

There are numerous banking choices but at this point in my life I have learned to expect or anticipate the “Needs Improvement” category which is a banking examination term.  I was not frustrated with the situation but felt sympathy for the other customers.  I am not changing banks since at this point in my life I am more concerned with the financial stability of the bank and I can sleep at night knowing that my accounts are secure.

If the subject were technology then I would need to add “Don’t get me started.”  which is another conversation all together.    

Yes, I am shaking my head.  

My Mother and idle hands. Not hardly!

Many years were spent cooking, cleaning, cuddling and correcting: my mother’s hands, busy hands, happy hands.

During one of the times that I was her caregiver she caught me taking pictures of her hands. She said in her weak voice which she thought was loud and still firm “Linda Sue what are you doing?” I told her that her hands were beautiful, that I had always thought so, and that as much as I enjoyed taking pictures that I did not recall ever seeing them idle and was taking pictures of them now.  She then smiled up at me and said “Okay Lin”.

In that one sweet moment shared between mother and daughter she went from questioning my actions as her daughter “Linda Sue” to accepting and calming to her daughter “Lin”.  I wish that I knew how to post those pictures of her lovely hands here for all to see.  Two months later those precious hands were forever stilled with her passing. Blessed am I to have been touched by that most precious pair of hands.

A few months later I received a compliment that truly warmed my hurting heart.  This person said “You have hands just like your mother”.  Wow, just wow!

Thank you dear God for this unexpected gift that could only come from you.  

Memories.   

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

Interesting reading with a compelling storyline that definitely held my attention to the end. The characters and their flaws just kept coming but not in a way that detracted but instead pulled me into the story tighter and tighter.

The main character seemed weak which irritated me on a few levels until I started to understand her need to help, become involved in or part of something and her secrets.  Over a period time she created a story about a couple she watched each day from a train window and developed an attachment to them.  One of them goes missing and her already upside world becomes even more of a challenge.  Every character had secrets that drove them and she was someone that they all had in common.

She was also an alcoholic who experienced blackouts.  As she starts to remember things from her “blackout” periods, she sincerely wants to connect not just with people again but the truth, however deadly.

 I must admit to feeling exhausted by the time the book came to an end but not from disappointment. Since the books is full of liars, cheaters, beaters and a murder it is a small wonder why Hollywood would find the appeal for possible movie viewing.  My surprise is that it was not a TV movie until I actually finished reading the book.

Simple Reflection

This day is a time of memories and making more where possible. My memories provide such comfort, especially tonight. Yes. I am a thinker and thankful for my thoughts of those so dear to me that are no longer here on this earth to celebrate this season of joy in Christ. However, I know in my heart and mind that we will be together again. 

I am being reflective, not depressed, so it would be difficult for some to understand that in my mind I am experiencing the "silent" personal joy of having those people to share in my life during their stay here on earth. Being quiet and needing to wind down my mind does not mean sadness. For me it's just taking the time to recall those special moments in life that cannot always be fully expressed to others that I also love. 

May the joy of this special day make your heart lighter and your laughter louder as you celebrate with your family and friends. 

God is good always and in all ways.

Merry Christmas 

First time off schedule

I have an organized way of completing my Christmas and New Year’s Day baking of pies, 35-60 ready and waiting just for New Year’s Day with five particular pies saved as gifts for our sons, daughter in law and grandson. I enjoy this so much and have been doing it yearly since we moved into our current home. 

This year I am off my schedule considerably but not for anything bad. One could say that I am having a blonde senior citizen moment but I will not go there.  I am smiling even now while writing. 

For the first time in my 42 years of being a mother I will not be sharing Christmas Day with any of our sons.  The oldest has a nasty cold, my youngest is celebrating in heaven and my son Jason, his wife and their 22 month old son (our only grandchild) will not be joining us either but for good reason.  His little family will be celebrating Christmas Day together, just the three of them together.  It is time for them to start establishing their own traditions and we are still thankful that they were here last year.  I certainly understand and do support their decision. They will be here Wednesday and through New Year’s Day which is truly wonderful. The real reason for the Christmas season is celebrated every day in our hearts anyway.

Yes, I am happy but my “mental” schedule of doing things is out of balance.  I will need to reset it before next year and I will.  If not then no desserts will be ready when needed or desired which would be travesty (of sorts). Until then I will happily spend my Christmas Day baking but only after the hubby and I enjoy our standard Christmas breakfast fare together but this time “alone” for the first time EVER on Christmas Day. I am smiling already at the new memory in the making. 

As an aside, where are my Christmas Betty Boop socks?  I have twice checked my collection of Betty Boop socks that are kept together in the middle of the bottom right hand side dresser drawer.  Alas, yet another reason to bake myself into the right frame of mind.  Yes, I am laughing.

Merry Christmas 2016 from my home to yours.

2016 June 1st National Pen Pal Day

Wow! The thoughts that come to my mind are many so here we go.  This may include communication at its best … sort of.  Please, please begin with a good pen which is of course for me is a fountain pen.  Nothing is better even now than a handwritten note filled with sincerity and kindness which also coincides with another national day for today “National Say Something Nice Day”.  Oops, I am off topic.

I remember sending pen pal letters as a young girl back in high school.  They were each in various military branches of service from a list found at church or a magazine from church.  I understand that the parents, probably a mother, submitted the names to whatever publication I used back in the 60s. It was at the height of the Viet Nam war so one can easily understand the importance of mail and hearing from someone “at home” in the states.

I did not really expect a response but wanted each of them to know that someone was thinking about them, praying for them, and praying for their safe return.  I wrote a letter every couple of weeks to two different people; one soldier and one sailor.  The names changed but for the most part the letters were about the same.  It was important these guys received something from someone so that they knew that they were not forgotten.  Shame on me for not continuing the practice with the same dedication after graduation.

Now we have many more options available to reach those we know and countless others in computer la-la land: text, email, Tweets, Facebook, LinkedIn for business, and my personal favorite of blogging.

You may reserve your most private thoughts for your journal (the 21^st century diary) but sharing with others is so valuable.  Someone could benefit from the sharing of ones thoughts like the pen pal from times past.  The Internet may be an unregulated industry but it has an inherent value in communication for each of us. 

That old expression “all things in moderation” certainly applies to current media outlets.  Another expression that seems appropriate here is “exercise caution”.  This certainly applies to privacy issues and the relinquishing of same through its use with theft of our thoughts, expressions, and even photos.  Unlike “snail mail” the recipient and response cannot be controlled to the same extent.   “Return to Sender” takes on an all new meaning, dynamic, and dimension.  What you say can be used against you and be evidenced as proof. 

To say that we are leaving footprints is an understatement.  Tread lightly. 

The Ruby Locket by Anita Higman

A widow with a teenage daughter that might be financially challenged but they are rich in love and devotion to each other.  Enter a wealthy suitor who seems a dream come true for the mother, Dauphine.  Anne is the daughter who is ever watchful which proves to be life saving.

This is an engaging book by a favored author.  It has some interesting characters, a mystery that held my attention, and an ending that I did not fully expect.  While I am not generally a fan of serial reads I really want to know what happens in the next chapters in the life of Dauphine and Anne plus how they can turn the gothic mansion and their tumultuous, near death experiences into a positive situation. The mansion is quite the inheritance considering it was to come with their respective deaths. 

The writing of this author keeps getting better and better so far as I am concerned.  

Donald Paul Harriman Scholarship, My Nephew and My Memories

I was quite honored when my sister asked me to write a letter to the scholarship recipient this year. It is awarded annually in memory of her son, my much loved nephew, Donald Paul Harriman.  It is important that the recipient understand what he valued and how he lived his life vs existing in life.

Donnie was a remarkable young man who truly knew how to appreciate the many moments that came his way.  He took nothing for granted. He was a great athlete who excelled in Cross Country track.  He practiced even during his summer vacation from high school.  During our family weekend trip to Corpus Christi he got up much earlier than anyone, went for a run and got back in plenty of time for our family breakfast time.  He valued education and clearly understood the long term benefits it afforded.  He worked full time after high school graduation, attended college and made good grades. He liked to tease but was not a bully. He was an encourager and valued his family relationships above all else.

I must admit to being most proud of Donnie earning the level of becoming an Eagle Scout. He continued to practice that code of ethics throughout the remainder of his life.   

Donnie loved to laugh and cherished life.  His life was cut short but his appreciation for education lives on through the scholarship awarded in his memory.  His high school renamed their track meet in his honor to reflect his name. 

 I am equally pleased that the scholarship will help move dreams and goals forward. Donnie wanted to make a difference and this scholarship will make a difference in the life of another. 

Houston Post vs Houston Chronicle or Leon Hale

I was a faithful subscriber to the Houston Post.  This was in a time when you had three options for a newspaper in Houston, Texas: Post, Chronicle or Press.  The only woman that I knew who loved the newspaper more than me was my mother. We read every single page, even the Classifieds that held no real interest to either of us.

I saw an announcement which changed my mind.  As a result, I switched to the Houston Chronicle.  The following month I received a lengthy phone call from a representative of the Houston Press.  He inquired as to the reason I had not renewed with them since I had been what he called a loyal customer of many years.  My response was this “Leon Hale is now with the Chronicle.” He proceeded to sell me the benefits of switching back to the Post and said that he would have delivery resumed immediately and follow-up with an invoice.  I said “No thank you.” Again he asked why.  My response was the same.  His response followed “What could I offer you to come back to the Post? A discount perhaps?”  I said that it would take the return of Leon Hale.  He naturally said that he did not have the authority to make that happen.  I said “Goodbye. Have a nice day.”

News is just news for the most part.  Yes, presentation and method of delivery of information is important but it is the columnists that give it a personality and add the real value to the publication.

With Leon Hale there is never a blah-blah-blah experience.  One can feel the warmth and sincerity in every written column. I could and still can see (feel) the words come to life.  He writes with humor and truth, plus I feel like I am sitting on his porch or his porch steps with him. 

Current so called columnists pale in comparison.  Their passionate bias is so thick that the best knife money could buy could not cut through the bile.  It feels forced, not fresh, and no longer interesting.  My 30 years+ subscription to the Houston Chronicle is now canceled but at this point was not tied to my fierce loyalty to Leon Hale. 

Thankfully technology has come to my rescue for catching Leon Hale’s blog plus various mediums for obtaining other types of news. 

It is so nice to have options and I will enjoy my freedom to choose, while it still exists.