Folk’s hang on. We are going to make it! We are almost there, hopefully. On the day I am writing this, I did my walking outside. And, the many rose bushes here at the Retirement Village are putting on those tiny green leaves. And the daffodils have several buds. And the forsythia is blooming. And, the tiny rosettes of the Autumn Joy/Living Forever are pushing through. And, some are seeing robins. Yup, spring is doing her best to push Old Man Winter out and make her welcomed entrance. Do you think you can stand to hear one more story about the General Store? Ok, here goes. It was closing time. That required several steps. Must turn off the gas pumps, lights here and there and etc. Was just finishing and was locking the door and here pulls up a car at the gas pumps. It was a local teen. He said, “I need gas for my dad to go to work in the morning.” I said Nick you know what time I close. So why did you not come a little earlier.” He said, “I told dad you send me there now and she will bless me out.” I said, “Give me time to get everything going again.” He got his gas and stepped inside to tell me how much to add to his dad’s account. Then, right behind him a stranger walked in. I was glad Nick was there. The stranger said, “Lady I’ve been shot, call an ambulance!” It took me a minute to think that through. So, I jerked up his shirt and sure enough there was a small hole in his tummy and a trace of blood. I said, “No and ambulance is 20 miles away and would take to long.” I called my brother-in-law. Husband was home with stomach flu. Brother-inlaw came immediately with their dinner guest. The stranger hurriedly wrote down a telephone number and said, “That is my mothers. If I don’t make it, please call her, but only if I don’t make it.” So, I said to Nick again, “So glad you were here.” The sheriff came later to my home and questioned me. He said, “This guy that was shot and that old fella that lives up north, were drinking. They got into an argument and the old fella shot him with a very small gun.” Oh yes, he survived. However, the sheriff said,” Ok, Mrs. Whitworth, you have to give me that telephone number.” I did, with instructions not to call his mom, only if he did not make it. More of this story later. Had to save room to tell you this. One Sunday, Pastor’s sermon focused on how the children of several left Egypt and how they wondered in the desert for 40 years. On the way home from church, mom asked Tommy if he remembered what Pastor talked about. “Sure,” Tommy replied. “He talked about the children of Israel and everything they did. What I wonder is, what were the grownups doing all this time?”