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Showing posts from August, 2011

For Me The Help Meant Love

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The old black woman stood at the kitchen sink, hands submerged in soapy dishwater.  Stacks of used plates lay on the counter, surrounded by wadded cocktail napkins and glasses of partially drank punch.  She took her time with the dishes, cleaning them slowly, wiping at unseen specks, except when the hostess walked into the kitchen.  She then hurried through a few dishes and resumed to her previous pace when the hostess left.  Even though the lady told her she could go on home, the black woman continued, insisting, "There's too many dishes to leave for you." Two hours after the party ended, the front door opened and young voices filtered down the hall.  Two teenage girls came giggling into the room.  They stopped, looked at the old woman, and ran to hug her. Smiling, the woman dried her hands.  She didn't need to stay any longer.  She could leave.  She had seen the girls. I wrote the above paragraphs as an assignment in my high school Creative Writing class ye

The Dreaded, Evil Fitted Sheet

My Uncle Wayne reads my blog on a regular basis and often leaves amusing comments and anecdotes.  When he sent me the following story about trying to follow an instructional video on folding a fitted sheet, I asked him if I could use it for one of my blog posts.  He agreed as long as I shared the video that made it look so easy.  So without further ado, I offer you the humor of my Uncle Wayne Gladden. A couple of weeks ago I received an instructional video for the proper folding of a fitted sheet.  I thought  it was so good that I forwarded it to several friends. First, you should know that I have been fighting a courageous, but losing, battle with the dreaded, evil fitted sheet for several years.  As I watched that video I began to smile, smirk and gleefully rub my hands together.  I now had the secret  weapon to win the war!  Oh, it was hard waiting until it was time to change the bed linens, but I told myself that delayed gratification always made the prize sweeter. The da