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| Groceries, Hand Sanitizer, and Disinfectant Wipes, Oh My! |
On Tuesday, I was visited by two angels and I can tell you that angels don't carry harps, they carry bags of groceries and cooked food, that they shopped for and prepared on their day off from work, out of the goodness of their hearts!
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| Dinner: Rice and Curries |
My friend S (not neighbor/piano teacher S), had left me two messages, one on Monday night and one on Tuesday morning. So, on Tuesday afternoon, I called her. One of her first questions was did I need anything? At first, I said no, because I don't like to ask people to do things for me and inconvenience them in any way. But, S persisted. Did I have enough groceries? Can she get me anything? S works in a grocery store, so, thinking of my last two carrots (no, S doesn't read my blog and, as far as I know, doesn't even know that I blog!), I asked her if she could get me some carrots. Was that all? Did I need any other vegetables? How about milk? What about eggs? What about toilet paper? I said carrots and maybe a little milk. But, I said only when it was convenient to her, because today was her day off.
Fifteen minutes later, I got a call from her. She was at the store! Shopping for me (and another friend, I found out, later), on her day off! Did I want green beans? Did I have onions? What about chilies? Do I have this or that or the other? I said OK, get me a few green beans and chilies, too, because I only had two green chilies left.
I picked a bag of curry leaves to give her and I wrapped up three new kitty themed mugs that I had bought for gift giving and added a card with some money to reimburse her for the groceries.
Later, in the evening, she called to say that she and her husband were on their way with the groceries. Her husband carried the bags in and kept just inside my doorway while S and I tried to maintain a proper social distance and talked. Just before they left, she said, "There's some dinner in there for you" and she was going to take some groceries and dinner to a mutual friend, as well.
After she left, I took the groceries out of the bag and that's when I found out that, in addition to the items I had asked her to buy, she had also given me additional items from her pantry! A can of garbanzo beans, a can of coconut milk, sweet potatoes, a leek, garlic and ginger, a packet of crushed red chilies, and, best of all, a container of disinfectant wipes and a bottle of hand sanitizer! Plus, the dinner of rice, fish curry, wilted greens (mallung), dry fish curry, and dhal. Such generosity! I almost cried, because, with her husband laid off due to the closure of his work place, it is only her income from working at the grocery store. Yet, she is so giving of herself and what she has!
I also had a phone call from another friend, actually, the daughter of a late friend, saying she tried to text me last night, but didn't have my cell phone number; she was calling to find out if I needed anything or wanted any groceries or shopping done! I thanked her and said I was OK for now and she said to let her know if I needed anything.
I am so blessed when it comes to friends! They are truly angels.
Today, I am grateful for:
- The blessing of good friends
- Their kindness, caring, and generosity
- More groceries and fresh produce, including six huge carrots!
- My friend bringing me dinner
- Conversations with my daughter
Do you believe in angels?
That is just wonderful, Bless. Your friend's kindness in thinking of you is very touching.
ReplyDeleteAnd yeah for the carrots! lol :) And the other foods including a prepared dinner.
Your friend is a kind person to spend her day off back in her workplace doing for others especially with her own financial situation having been affected by the virus.
Giving and sharing always makes things better.
Take care,
Debra
It really touched my heart, Debra, that she would do that. I will need to think of a way to return the favor - maybe put together an Easter basket for her daughter. Of course, I decluttered all my Easter eggs, a couple of years ago...
DeleteThat is truly a blessing to have such angels around you! Such a heart warming post, beautiful! Stay safe and healthy ☺
ReplyDeleteThank you, Natalia. I hope you and your family and loved ones are safe and doing OK. I hope that you, too, have angels around you at this time. Take care.
DeleteReally nice! How lucky to have people care so much about you. I think one thing we are learning during this time is that there are good people still around.
ReplyDeleteI am so blessed by my friends, Sharon. Even my daughter's friends who are down here have texted her, telling her to let them know if I need something!
DeleteThat's lovely, how generous of your friend. This is certainly a time when so many people are showing just how kind and caring they are.
ReplyDeleteYes; maybe people were just waiting for an opportunity to show they care and want to help? Perhaps, in normal times, we are all so self-sufficient that we don't allow any vulnerabilities to show and provide an opening for someone to help?
DeletePractical angels are the very best ... wings and harps may have their place, but thoughtful acts in worrying times can't be beat! What a wonderful friend you have- now your lonely carrot has companions, and I hope you can enjoy your newly filled shelves- those of us here are avoiding any non-essential trips out, but there have been a (very) few essentials that required going out for (all following guidelines very carefully)- on those occasions we have called the neighbors and collected what they might need also-
ReplyDeleteToday we will be trying your daughter's recipe for the roasted spicy garbanzo beans- I am sure baby Jamie will love them ... she is all in favor of anything that is a savory snack ... okay, she likes almost anything ... the girl likes her food!
Hope your days are passing pleasantly- you are always such a happy soul, and your friends are now returning some of your acts of kindness-
As always, fondest wishes from here-
Barb
I agree, Barb, practical angels are the best. :) The new carrots she brought are so huge, my old carrots are getting an inferiority complex! LOL.
DeleteYou, too, are being an angel to your neighbors, checking with them to see if they need anything when you go grocery shopping. Neighbors helping neighbors, friends helping friends. It's one of the silver linings during these dark days.
I hope you like the roasted garbanzo beans. Baby Jamie sounds like a darling! Please give her a hug from me.
I'm doing well, thank you, Barb. Still not being quite as productive as I should be, but, I've decided that, in the long run, it is OK. I try to stay positive and I know that there is a purpose for all what is happening although we may not know what that purpose is until it is over. My mother was an avid gardener and she used to tell me that, sometimes, one has to prune back the plants to encourage new growth (I used to tell her not to cut back the plants) or thin out the seedlings and the fruits to allow the rest to develop, fully. Maybe that's what is happening, now?
Hope all is well with you and yours, Barb, or, as well as it can be. (((HUGS))). Keeping you all in my prayers.
Wow! Whoever said or believed that there is no goodness in this world just does not have his/her eyes open.
ReplyDeleteThere are angels among us, disguised as ordinary people, Anne. Sometimes, we are privileged to be touched by them. :)
DeleteI'm so happy to hear that another friend has been so thoughtful. It must be hard when you live alone and these acts of caring must make such a difference.
ReplyDeleteWell, I did the dirty deed today, I went on a grocery run. I avoided the seniors' hour because I am very mobile and it occurred to me that it made more sense to go just afterwards. It wasn't too busy in the store and everyone kept their distance. I stocked up on a lot of things, even found a can of mackerel but it is really tiny!! But there was no flour or yeast! Plenty of bread, though. I went to the other store as well. Now I won't go to town again for at least two weeks, I even planned a meal for Easter. If my friend's son can't get out for any reason and there is something they need, I may be able to help now.
I'm hoping that we can last out even longer than two weeks with a delivery if there are essentials we need. I did get a delivery from the drug store yesterday as I didn't want to go in a store where people might go when they are sick and need cough medicine! How fortunate we are with our local merchants.
I feel very blessed to have friends like S, Bushlady.
DeleteI'm glad you were able to grocery shop and stock up on a lot of items, Bushlady. That's good that you were able to plan your Easter meal and won't need to go back for at least two weeks. Good idea to avoid going into the drug store and have items delivered, instead. I feel that each time we venture out, we are jeopardizing our health, at this point! We have 3,524 confirmed cases in our county and of those, 1,580 are in my city. I live on the border between two communities in my city and one community has 45 cases and the other has 9 and another nearby community has 35. These are just the confirmed cases.
Your friend is definitely an angel. Hand sanitizer and wipes how awesome, there is a shortage of them here, I actually had my mini hand sanitizer stolen from my basket a week before the lockdown! I think crisis brings out the best but also the worst in human nature. But on the whole I think good triumphs because of the angels like your friend.
ReplyDeleteYes, crises tend to bring out the best and the worst in people. I'm sorry someone stole your hand sanitizer. Who'd have thought!
DeleteWell bless her heart - that was truly above and beyond. Friends like that are such a blessing.
ReplyDeleteIt was very sweet and kind of her, wasn't it?
DeleteWhat an amazing friend.
ReplyDeleteWe need more kind hearted people like S.
She is really a very kind hearted and giving person, Nil.
DeleteAre you doing OK? I heard on the news that Florida went into lockdown, yesterday.
I commented yesterday but somehow it all disappeared! Anyway I wanted to say how glad I am that you have caring friends and neighbours because it makes a difference when you live alone at a time like this.
ReplyDeleteYesterday I broke my 14th day of isolation and went early to the grocery stores and bought a pile of things. I even found a really tiny can of mackerel! I think it will end up in sandwiches. There was no flour or yeast but I have some loaves of bread, some from each of our two stores so I didn't deplete the stock in either. When they, and the milk are gone I will have to get creative (no, I will not buy a cow. A goat might be useful to eat the weeds when the snow goes!) It wasn't too busy early in our small town, but even so, now I am well stocked up again I think I might get a delivery next time as there should be fewer things I need. I did have a drug store delivery on Tuesday as I didn't want to shop in there for my prescription, etc. It was easy to pay with card over the phone. Now I'm back to isolation, helping DH to bottle maple syrup!
Your comment didn't disappear, Bushlady, I saw it before I went to bed, but, it was already past 3:30 a.m. and I decided to wait until morning to publish it and a few other comments. As it was, I didn't fall asleep until after 4:30 a.m. :p
DeleteThank you; yes, it is a blessing to have caring friends and neighbors and I hope I can repay them all one day.
I'm glad you were able to get your groceries and are now safe at home bottling the maple syrup. Enjoy some of it on a pancake for me, please! I had to laugh at the cow, but, honestly, something like this almost makes one wish for a small homestead or farm, doesn't it? I've been reading about concerns regarding our food supplies and it is rather sobering.
Can't you see how this isolation is affecting me? I go to the laptop much earlier and more often than usual!
DeleteIt's all good, Bushlady. :)
DeleteOf course I believe in angels. If we listen, we can let the spirit move us into performing many acts of kindness. Your friend S is very generous to shop for you to keep you safe; but to give you a cooked meal on top of that was icing on the cake. When I learned that they also included items from their own pantry, after he has lost his job....well. That is love. You are indeed blessed.
ReplyDeleteYes, it was an act of generosity and love, wasn't it? I feel so blessed. I shall be seeking for ways to be a blessing to others in turn, Susan. I think that will be the best way to repay the kindness, by passing it on to others. For now, it might have to be regular phone calls to check on others. Later, I hope to be able to do more.
DeleteGlad you’re being looked after.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Akasha. Hope all is well with you and yours.
DeleteThat is so wonderful to read and it's reassuring to know you have people you can rely on. Angels indeed. X
ReplyDeleteIt really is a blessing, Jules. I feel I have some wonderful friends!
Delete