An hour of my time...

I knocked on the door, and heard our elderly neighbor lady call out to me to come in. I wrinkled my nose at the funny smell of her house that greeted me; as I came in to her dining area she sat at the table, cutting up some garlic cloves. I sat down in chair across from her, and she proceeded to ask me how my day at school was, before I could even say two words, she chattering on about a thousand things, and so it went for about the rest of the visit.
I had stopped by to pick up an application her daughter had gotten for me from the place she worked at. I wasn’t exactly in a big hurry, I just didn’t feel like hanging out with this aged women. However before I knew it had been forty minutes and I really thought to my-self I could go now. But she continued to chatter on asking me questions I could hardly answer before she was off talking again. She offered me a piece of cake and some milk, and since I didn’t have much for lunch the offer sounded pretty good. As she pulled the piece of cake and milk out of the fridge she was telling me how she still enjoyed baking and such even though she couldn’t eat half the stuff because of her doctor had told her to stay away from it.
As I savored the cake (it was quite good) I studied her. “Man I am going to hate it when I get old.” I thought to my self, her face was wrinkled, her hands showed they had arthritis and her hair was gray, she even was missing a few teeth.. ”I sure hope I don’t lose any ever, I sure do like mine,” the thought flickered through my mind.
She talked about the plane that had crashed into the Hudson, and she stated she was scared to ever fly in a plane. I laughed when she asked me if I’d flown before, “sure” I replied, “it’s not as bad as it seems, it really neat to look down when your flying” she just shook her head at me.
Finally I stated, “I really do need to go,” as I got up from the table she continued her talking still…”Do you want to take a piece of pie for you mom?” she asked. I felt like she was trying to delay me, “ok,” I replied. What was another five minutes, she dished out some pie onto some paper plates. As I inched towards the door she stated she would need to go put some wood on the stove out in the garage part. Following me out the door she again asked, “do you want some garlic cloves, I know you mother would like some.” Ok, I thought if she feels like giving me some garlic I am not going to protest. As she finally handed me a garlic clove she hurriedly asked “do you want an apple or an orange?” At this I protested we had plenty of those at home and no need to take more of her stuff.
Finally she turned to me, taking my hand in hers, she grasped it, and I saw the look in her eyes, she so hated to see me go and if she could just hold on to me for a few more moments she would treasure it for a long time. I smiled, “thanks,” I said. “for the pie and the application, I’ll tell my mom you said Hi.” She nodded and smiled, as I turned to head out the door she called to me, “stop in anytime, I really enjoyed your visit!” I nodded and waved.
As I sat in my car and turned the key, I thought about the visit again, she had been lonely and I knew I had brightened her day so much more. No I hadn’t done anything really; I had nodded my head and made a comment now and then trying to answer her questions before she ran off on another topic. I had watched the clock tick away thinking of all the other things I could be doing. However as I backed out of her driveway, I thought to my self, “Really I must try and stop to see our neighbor more often.”

I love UPSTATE New York...

well I didn't really come up with this but I found it amusing and believe anyone from upstate NY or has lived there will enjoy this and if you aren't in NY at this moment...Your missing out. ;-)
Upstate New York
1. If you consider it a sport to gather your food by drilling through 36 inches of ice and sitting there all day hoping that the food will swim by, you might live in Upstate New York.

2. If you're proud that your region makes the national news 96 nights a year because Saranac Lake is the coldest spot in the nation, and Syracuse gets more snow than any other major city in the US.

3.you might live in Upstate NY If your local Dairy Queen is closed from October through May.

4. If you get 131 inches of snow in a week and you comment that 'winter's finally here'you might live near Oswego in Upstate New York .

5. If you instinctively walk like a penguin for six months out of the year becuase you are bundled up, you might live in Upstate NY.

6. You might live in Upstate NY, If your dad's suntan stops at a line curving around the middle of his forehead.

7. you might live in Upstate New York If you have worn shorts and a parka on the same day.

8. you might live in Upstate New York If you have had a lengthy phone conversation with someone who dialed a wrong number.

9. YOU KNOW YOU ARE A TRUE UPSTATE NEW YORKER WHEN: "Vacation" means going South past Syracuse for the weekend and You measure distance in hours.

10.You know several people who have hit a deer more than once.

11.You often switch from "heat" to"A/C" in the same day and back again.

12. You can drive 65 mph through 2 feet of snow during a raging blizzard, without flinching.

13. You install security lights on your house and garage and leave both unlocked.

14.You design your kid's Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit.

15.Driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow.

16. You know all 4 seasons: almost winter, winter, still winter, and road construction.

17.You can identify a southern or eastern accent.

18.You have more miles on your snow blower than your car.

19. why buy a four-wheeler? you only get use if for about three months so that's why you have a snowmobile.

20.You find 10 degrees "a little chilly." and 55 is shorts weather.