Red Marbles.

Post 212 - - - - - Thursday, 24th May, 2007.

Hi Everyone ~~ I hope you are having as good a day, as I have
had today. I turned 73 today and so far it has been painless and
I have had lots of phone calls, cards and a couple of e cards ,
and many friends in the blogosphere have wished me well also.
Thank you all for taking the time to do that; I truly appreciate
your kindness. I got a surprise parcel from Canada from Pea.
There were two lovely little glass butterflies and some very
pretty serviettes. Thank you so much Carole.

Tonight's story came from my friend Linda. It is called "Red
Marbles" and you may need a tissue or two. Thanks Linda.

I was at the corner grocery store buying some early potatoes.
I noticed a small boy, delicate of bone and feature, ragged but
clean, hungrily appraising a basket of freshly picked green peas.

I paid for my potatoes but was also drawn to the display of fresh
green peas. I am a pushover for creamed peas and new potatoes.
Pondering the peas, I couldn't help overhearing the conversation
between Mr Miller (the store owner) and the ragged boy next to me.

"Hello Barry, how are you today ?"
"Hello Mr, Miller. Fine thank you. Just admiring those peas.
They sure look good." "They are good Barry. How is your Ma ?"
"Fine. Getting stronger all the time."

"Good. Anything I can help you with ?"
"No Sir. Just admiring them peas."
"Would you like to take some home?" asked Mr. Miller.
"No Sir. Got nothing to pay for them with."

"Well, what have you to trade me for some of those peas ?"
"All I got is my prize marble here."
"Is that right? Let me see it," said Miller.
"Here it is. She's a dandy."

"I can see that. Hmmmmm, only thing is this one is blue
and I sort of go for red. Do you have a red one like this
at home ?" the store owner asked.
"Not exactly, but almost."

"Tell you what. Take this sack of peas home with you and
next trip this way let me look at that red marble." Mr Miller
told the boy.
"Sure will, Mr. Miller."

Mrs. Miller, who had been standing nearby, came over to
help me. With a smile she said, "There are two other boys
like him in our community and all three are in very poor
circumstances. Jim just loves to bargain with them for peas,
apples, tomatoes or whatever.

When they come back withtheir red marbles, and they
always do, he decides he doesn't like red after all and he
sends them home with a bag of produce for a green marble or
an orange one, when they come on their next trip to the store.

I left the store smiling to myself, impressed with this man.
A short time later I moved to Colorado, but I never forgot
the story of this man and the boys, and their bartering for
marbles.

Several years went by, each more rapid than the previous one.
Just recently I had occasion to visit some old friends in that
Idaho community and while I was there , I learned that
Mr. Miller had died. They were having his visitation that
evening and knowing my friends wanted to go, I agreed to
accompany them.

Upon arrival at the mortuary we fell into line to meet the
relatives of the deceased and to offer whatever words of
comfort we could.

Ahead of us in the line were three young men. One was in
an army uniform and the other two wore nice haircuts, dark
suits and white shirts all very professional looking.

They approached Mrs. Miller, standing composed and smiling
by her husband's casket. Each of the young men hugged her
and kissed her on the cheek, spoke briefly with her and moved
onto the casket.

Her misty light blue eyes followed them as, one by one, each
young man stopped briefly and placed his own warm hand
over the cold pale hand in the casket. Each left the mortuary
awkwardly, wiping his eyes.

Our turn came to meet Mrs. Miller. I told her who I was and
reminded her of the story from those many years ago and what
she had told me about her husband's bartering for marbles.
With her eyes glistening, she took my hand and led me to the
casket.

"Those three young men who just left were the boys I told you
about. They just told me how they appreciated the things Jim
"traded" them. Now at last, Jim could not change his mind
about color or size, they came to pay their debt."

"We've never had a great deal of the wealth of this world, "she
confided, but right now, Jim would consider himself the
richest man in Idaho."

With loving gentleness she lifted the lifeless fingers of her
deceased husband. Resting underneath were three exquisitely
shined red marbles.

The moral : We will not be remembered by our words, but by
our kind deeds.

Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the
moments that take your breath.
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Things That Make You Go Hmmm . . . . .

Can a hearse carrying a corpse drive in the carpool lane ?

Who was the first person to look at a cow and say, "I think
I'll squeeze these dangly things here, and drink whatever
comes out.

Who was the first one who thought that the white thing
that comes from a hen's butt looked edible ?

Why do toasters always have a setting that burns the toast
to a horrible crisp which no decent human being would eat?

Why is there a light in the fridge and not in the freezer ?

If Jimmy cracks corn and no one cares, why is there a song
about him ?

If the professor on Gilligan's Island can make a radio out of
a coconut, why can't he fix a hole in a boat ?

Why does Goofy stand erect while Pluto remains on all
fours ? They are both dogs !!

What do you call male ballerinas ?

If electricity come from electrons, does morality come from
morons ?

Do illiterate people get the full effect of alphabet soup ?

Why is it that when someone tells you that there are
over a billion stars in the universe, you believe them, but
if they tell you there is wet paint somewhere, you have
to touch it to make sure.....?
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Laws From All Around The Globe.

In Alabama, prison guards are forbidden from referring
to their spouses as "the old ball and chain."

In Los Angles, it's illegal for a waiter to tell a customer
that "I'm really an actor."

In Indiana, it's against the law to dress "Barbie" in "Ken's"
clothes.

In Samoa, it's a crime to forget your wife's birthday.

In Australia, it's illegal to name any animal you plan to eat.

In Cannes, France, it's illegal to wear a Jerry Lewis mask.

In Portugal, it's against the law to pee in the ocean.

In Tennessee, it's illegal to tell someone to quit smoking.

In Arkansas, it's illegal for a woman getting married for the
second time to wear a white gown.
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Ten Years Bad Luck.

A funeral service is being held in a synagogue for a woman
who had just passed away. At the end of the service, the
pallbearers are carrying the casket out, when they
accidentally bump into a wall., jarring the casket.

They hear a faint moan. They open the casket and find that
the woman is actually alive.

She lives for ten more years and then dies. A ceremony is
again held at the same synagogue and at the end of the
ceremony the pallbearers are again carrying the casket.

As they are walking out, the husband cries, "Watch out
for the wall !!"
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The opportunity to experience joy is always only a smile
away.

He has achieved success who has lived well, laughed often
and loved much. - -Bessie Anderson Stanley.

Mistakes are valuable. They show us the correct path to
take next time.

Time to call it a day, Take care my friends and enjoy your
lives and have some fun. Love and best wishes to all. Merle.

Post 212 - - - - Thursday, 24th May, 2007.
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