A Clean Trunk

[ Moving the boxes ]

January 16 – Time really moves on too fast these days! Even school kids are always busy doing something, and most of it is not homework! Hours are spent on various tools and electronic devices that were unheard of not more than a few years ago. When I see the ads extolling the virtues of the latest phone or iPad, I wonder how anyone survived without owning one of those latest inventions in years past.

Lately our days have been moving on more quickly than I like, too. With all of the busyness of Thanksgiving moving on into Christmas and the New Year (which has not been new for more than two weeks already), I have felt that I needed a respite of some kind. Can’t work outside when it’s so cold, with ice on the pond beside the driveway. Can’t go out to walk unless we carry around a number of extra pounds because of heavy jackets and pants, gloves, and hats. That all prevents my losing some extra pounds gained from the various holiday meals.

[ Anybody want a box of pancakes? ]

So this last week we did welcome the change that came with our monthly visit with the folks who come to pick up food from the Harvesters’ truck (as I wrote about yesterday). If we were going to volunteer, and stand outside in the cold winds and low temperatures, we had to leave our warm rooms and comfy easy chairs and bundle up to prevent our extremities from freezing. We finally were getting out of the house for some much-needed activities.

While we were at the church waiting, two or three of the dogs in the area meandered over to be petted and fussed over. When the smaller black and white one plopped down upside down with its head on my shoes, Jim, one of the other volunteers said to me, “See, he wants to be your friend! He likes you and wants you to take him home!” Home? To MY house? Not with Big Cat ruling the roost inside, and Friend Possum with his nest in the big container in the garage! That poor dog wouldn’t have a chance of establishing a permanent home with us!

[ Loading up the trunk ]

As we loaded the vehicles, I found it interesting that the trunks or back part of the pick-up trucks do not look the same from vehicle to vehicle. Some are neat as a pin while others are so packed full of stuff that it’s hard to put the food in a place where it won’t be ruined.

Last time I typed and printed out a few lines congratulating the drivers whose trunks were clean and neat. You would be surprised at how pleased those folks were, and how often they reminded me of the “award I got here last month.” One man, with a huge smile, said, “Well, after the award you gave me last month, I just had to show you a clean trunk again! I’ll just keep it clean, not only when I come here, but ya know, I like it much better than some of the dirty ones I see! You told me once that you never tell a driver his trunk is dirty or messy, so I won’t either!” – CHRIS