Dear Reader:
Every so often an incident occurs that reminds me why I love my town of Summerville. The people are the friendliest in the world and at Christmas this observation is only increased and magnified…like the Grinch’s heart.
The other day I called Eva’s Restaurant to leave an order for pick-up… I was running around checking off errands right and left…and was in the mood for some home cooking.
Audrey answered the phone…I told her my name and she immediately responded “I knew it was you Becky…what do you want today?” Surprised, but pleased (Audrey is one of the newer waitresses working at Eva’s now) I gave her my order and then squeezed in another errand quickly.
As soon as I got there Audrey announced to me that my order was ready…but before she rang it up…she came over with this decorative mason jar, filled with candy, and said “Merry Christmas Becky” accompanied by a hug. She must have seen my surprised face…because she said quickly, “I just wanted to give back to some of our special customers and let them know how much I appreciate their business and friendliness.”
Wow! Here is a pretty, sweet young lady taking some of her time, talents, and hard-earned income, to give to others for the opportunity to serve them. Sound familiar? If you haven’t found Christmas yet…go eat at Eva’s and call Audrey over and give her a big hug…and a big tip! Merry Christmas Audrey!!
Like the window decorations at Eva’s (title photo) …this restaurant is always open to kindness and caring…a piece of Summerville history that continues its legacy of providing a place diners can call home. How lucky we are to still have it!
It was while I was juggling my pocket book, sweet tea, and bagged lunch…while crossing Exxon’s Express gas station on the corner (besides Eva’s) that I looked down and saw it…a smashed penny…a lucky penny. I almost didn’t stop and pick it up because of my juggling act…but something in me just couldn’t leave a lucky penny staring up at me in the parking lot.
Just at that time the town Bell Tower rang out 12:00…it was noon and it sounded so beautiful. I grabbed the penny and scurried back to my car. When I got inside and examined the coin…it looked more like buried treasure from a sunken ship than a lost penny in a gas station parking lot. It must have been there for quite awhile and probably been subject to gasoline and oil stains accompanied by lots of car and truck wheels that had flattened it out. The result: an object of beauty! Front and back!
What was the best thing to do with it? Make a Christmas ornament! Inside the candy mason jar that Audrey gave me… there was, also, a bluish-felt snowflake with a tiny snowman…So with a few dabs of glue and some ribbon…a lucky penny has become a memorable ornament…a way to remember each year a special act of kindness during the Christmas season in Summerville- 2016.
But it didn’t end there…I should have known that lucky penny had another magical trick of kindness up its sleeve for me. Friday (for the Christmas story I am telling at the MS luncheon and a week later…the Christmas Eve Service)…magic is going to play a major role in it.
My “Magic Coloring Book” (which I planned to use as an introductory prop) was literally falling apart from years of excited children trying to figure out the magic inside…the cover had come off and several other pages were loose.
So I took it to Staples and found Krista…my latest Christmas angel! She pondered the problem for about five minutes and then said “We can remove the loose staples keeping the book somewhat together and instead spiral bind it to secure it for future presentations.”
She called me just over an hour later and said it was finished…come pick it up. By then she was very busy but still had a smile on her face and she told me she tested the “magic” to make sure it was still there and it was.
In reality, the magic, was Krista, with her pretty smile and “go to” attitude. Merry Christmas Krista!
So until tomorrow…Let’s all look for the real magic around us this Christmas in the faces of friends and strangers. Not only will you find it…but you will feel it.
“Today is my favorite day” Winnie the Pooh
*Saturday I collected a few magnolia limbs from my yard and my neighbors…added some baby breath and filled in the empty planters beside the photo cabinet my brother David built in high school a long time ago. Except for a little more greenery around the mirrors and paintings…I am finished with decorations. Inside and out.
Walsh and Mollie have been re-modeling (reconstruction) the inside of their home for the past few weeks and now they are re-decorating …a wonderful Christmas present for themselves! So much more space…everything looks wonderful!
And oh my goodness…Look carefully…I do believe an elf has crash-landed in the Christmas tree!
