I had a few afghans and prayer shawls to donate to the Folts Home, the nursing home in Herkimer where I used to adjust eyeglasses occasionally (I intend to do it again, but have not worked it into my schedule yet).
I almost didn’t have any afghans this year, but for the generosity and Christmas spirit of my sister Cheryl. You see, last year I inadvisedly announced that everybody in my family was getting afghans for Christmas in 2011. I thought it would be easier. Silly me. The afghans did not pile up as fast as they have in the past, but certain nieces and nephews had expressed satisfaction at the idea (I think it was by fist pump and the word “Yes!”), so I felt obligated. I mentioned to Cheryl that her recently married daughter and her husband were getting one to share.
“When they’ve been married ten years, I’ll give them two afghans.” (That was a joke; I know many couples married more than ten years that still cuddle under one afghan, and I’m sure Dana and Dan will be that way). I also mentioned that I had none for the nursing home. A few days later, Cheryl called me back and said I should donate the afghans for her girls to the nursing home.
“It’s not that we don’t love your afghans; I’m under two of them right now,” she assured me. “But we felt bad about the nursing home, and you can give us afghans any time.”
So I had a few afghans. I also had a few prayer shawls. I ended up with one less prayer shawl, though, because the day I took them to church to have the pastor bless them, I found out a church friend had lost her husband. It seems she was having a hard time in many respects, so I suggested to Father Paul we pull out a prayer shawl for this lady. She was very appreciative.
Wow, I thought this was going to be a short post about a drive to the nursing home and I’m over 300 words already. I do go on, don’t I? So anyways, I had the afghans and shawls in my truck and went a different way home from work. Instead of going from Main Street in Mohawk over the bridge to Mohawk Street in Herkimer, I turned right onto Route 5S and took the bridge to Washington. It meant a short drive down a highway I don’t often go on. I just love these little adventures. As we used to say when we were younger, it takes so little to please some people.
The receptionist at the Folts Home had to let me in (for some reason nursing home doors stymie me), and she called someone from the Activities Office down to collect the donation. Both ladies loved the story of my sister’s generosity and why there was one less prayer shawl. They thanked me for the donation, pooh-poohed my apology that it was not larger, and said if they got donations of yarn, they would send it my way.
I drove home with the warm hearted feeling that Christmas can bring.
Mohawk Valley Girl 