Four Odd, But Cool, Incidents

Yesterday at Ginny’s work, she had to go to a different part of the building to get something from storage. A door in the hall opened and a man stepped out of a meeting.

He stopped abruptly intently looking at her.

“You have absolutely beautiful hair,” he said.

The stunned gentleman was former Jacksonville Sheriff Nat Grover!

I understand how he felt.

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Yesterday an earthquake measuring 5.2 on the Richter Scale shook 16 mid-west states. It was centered in Illinois along what geologists call the New Madrid Fault. No causalities were reported and little property damaged but it is unusual for earthquakes to be felt by people in this region at all.

One of the odd facts of history I remember is that in 1812, a major quake along the New Madrid Fault caused the Mississippi River to flow backward for a time (some accounts say it was for days). The quake actually changed the course of the river.

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The lady from the pizza party called yesterday.

She was at her cardiologist’s office. He’d said there was no sign of damage to her heart and that her problems may have been caused by a reaction to some medication she was taking.

“The Old Man Upstairs is looking out for you,” he said.

Her other physical problems remain.

We’ll see what happens — If anything.

She was very happy about the cardiologist’s report.

My own state can best be described as one of doubtfully believe.

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Yesterday, on Kings Road over in Southside, only a few blocks from where I grew up as a boy, a construction company was renovating a building when workers made a strange discovery.

During the 1950 and ‘60s the building had been home to Skatetown, a roller-skating rink where teens hung out.

In renovating the building workers found about 30 wallets, billfolds and purses stuck in a hollow space between some walls.

No cash was in the wallets leading the construction foreman to speculate that they’d been stolen from the lockers of teens while they skated. The thief stripped the cash then dropped the wallets into the hollow space between walls to hide the evidence.

But he left everything else in the purses and wallets. Old snapshots in accordion sleeves, folded up love letters, bus passes, birth certificates, pressed flowers — anything a teenager might carry in a wallet.

As a sign of those far-away times, virtually every one of the 30+ wallets and purses contained — a library card!

The construction company is attempting to locate the original owners to return the items discovered between the walls.

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Speaking of construction…

Also yesterday, in my latest ploy to avoid writing that fire department history, I began cleaning out and tearing down our rusted garden shed.

I found termites have shredded some old maps I had stored out there.

I filled five garbage cans with debris, valuable debris that I’ve been saving for years just in case I would need it someday.

Jesus said, “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth where moth and rust doth corrupt and where thieves break through and steal… For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also”.

But what if I really need those old lawnmower wheels, Lord?

What will I do then?

And here’s a perfectly good replacement bulb for our car’s headlight… Er, right, that was a headlight for our car three cars ago.

Tomorrow I’m borrowing three more empty garbage cans from my neighbor Rex.