Donate to the Salvation Army

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December 9, 2012: Human interest story with a twist -- North Carolina man calls North Dakota an oasis, will stay in Williston. This is really quite a story. A reader suggested I post a note about donating to the Salvation Army. Interestingly, that idea gave me an idea how to manage some of the stand-alone posts, but that might be another story for another day. I digress.

This is really coincidental. I posted the short notes reminding folks about donating to the Salvation Army. Then this article in The Dickinson Press. Go to the link for the full story, but this was wonderful to see:

His first weeks in Williston weren’t easy, however. Bozeman’s first stop was the Williston Walmart parking lot on the advice of a bus driver to meet a man who needed workers. The man, who had no license plates on his vehicle, recruited Bozeman to help dig a ditch and provided him housing at a camp. 

He then got some housing assistance from the Salvation Army and later spent about six weeks sleeping at Williston’s Concordia Lutheran Church while he searched for work.

Bozeman said he feels like God was watching out for him because he never had to spend a night outside, he never went hungry and he always had someone willing to give him a ride.

By the way, there's a story behind the Concordia Lutheran Church. That, too, is an incredible story. Charles Dickens would have plenty of material if he were alive today.

Original Post

I will be off the net for awhile. For those who enjoy the Bakken stories, scroll down to the next post. It's quite a story.

Something for everyone to think about: a donation to the Salvation Army.

Link here for the details.

My granddaughters mean the world to me. I can't imagine them being in a place where they needed help from the Salvation Army. But if they needed such help, I can't think of a better organization to provide it.

A Note for the Granddaughters

Yesterday I had to return a couple of books we "checked out" from the local Audubon association here in Belmont, Massachusetts. I put the "checked out" in quotes because upon returning the books,  I asked how they keep track of books that are borrowed from their library. She said there really was no system, she sort of just remembered who took them out. Interesting. As a volunteer she is only there some days. Other days the house is staffed by Dan L or Dan M on a rotating basis.

I say the house because it is a small McMansion. Built for his wife as a wedding present many decades ago, the beautiful house and the grounds were eventually bequeathed to the Audubon Society.

Returning the books, I drove up the long drive-way, pulled into a gravel parking space, and walked up to the house, and walked in. I had the feeling of visiting a wealthy friend, perhaps the Romneys (?), on a beautiful Saturday afternoon.

On the way home I had some thoughts about the experience, which I shared with my older granddaughter and she quickly caught on to the "game."

A little background: my carbon footprint is a) one bedroom; and, b) one bike. [That's a bit disingenuous or incomplete. I am fortunate to have much more, but that describes 99% of my carbon footprint-life.]

While driving my granddaughters to a birthday party -- no, we didn't ride bikes -- we took the car -- I talked about my "extended house."

I mentioned that at her house, I had a bedroom, but when I want to visit "my" study, I can visit the Audubon society library just down the street/up the hill.

When I want to watch NASCAR or college football and have a beer with friends, I to to "my" den, the Upper Crust at Harvard Square, Cambridge. [Unfortunately, at the moment, the Upper Crust is closed; bankruptcy; pending; hopefully they will re-open their doors. The one-way 40-minute bicycle ride was just the perfect distance for an evening out.]

Of course, "my" office is Starbucks.

And then I asked my older granddaughter, when I need to go "my" pantry, where I do go?

She answered, without missing a beat, "Shaw's." Shaw's is the grocery store across the street from her house. So she got the idea.

Of course, I have several "rooms" of art: the Peabody Essex Museum, the Boston Fine Arts Museum, and, then the recently discovered National Heritage Museum in Lexington.

Her favorite climbing tree was in "our" backyard: Beaver Brook Reservation a couple blocks down the road.

The older granddaughter got a kick out of thinking how big "my" house was. Even the younger one joined in: Curious George at Harvard Square was "her" playroom. Smile.

By the way, there will be an open house/artists' reception (with free food) in "our" library this afternoon, 1 - 3 p.m. at the Audubon center, Belmont.