Wednesday, January 19, 2011 AM

Yesterday was a lot more exciting than the last week's dismal days.
Holston gas came early to install the propane tank for my Hut.
It was some man who used to have this route with the propane truck, so he knew where we are.  They put the tank precisly where I wanted it, but I didn't have it filled.  They could not hook it to the Hut's gas lines if there was any propane in it, so I had it left empty.  Steve will have to terminate the lines before we can put gas in the tank and turn it on.  I don't know when that will happen...probably in July or August.
After Holston left, I did a quick run-through for the birds.  It is still cold.  I have three nests of my beloved Frillbacks setting.  I'm extatic.
I came in and called Barbara to see if she wanted to have lunch, and we met at the Down Home for lunch.  They had that awful ribs and kraut dish, so I got a sandwich and tater tots.
She wanted a ride home, but I wanted to go to the Goodwill.  I mis-understood her, so we went to the Goodwill.  When I parked, she just walked home.  You can see her apartment from the front of the Goodwill.
Renae wanted me to stay and work, so I stayed until closing time.  We went through a lot of boxes of stuff, and I found a copy of one of my favorite childhood books...The Pokey Little Puppy.  I can still clearly remember momma holding me on her lap and reading that book to me.
I also picked up the left-over Christmas trees for my aviaries, which Renae let me have for $10.00.  I think there were about 4 or 5 of them.
I got Jo some silverware for her restaurant.
Joan, from Family Dollar, dropped by to see me a minute on her way home from work.
After I left Goodwill, I went by the Family Dollar to tease the girls about Joan sending me to check up on them.  They were both hungry (Beth and Fern were the only ones there), so Beth went next door to Hardee's and got us all a hamburger.  We had supper together, and it was pleasant to have freinds to eat supper with.  The store looked like they had got a bomb scare.  There were almost no customers all evening.  Fern gave me the sad news that Angie Green had to go out of business.  She had operated a little fast-food place over on 92.
A little later, about 8:30, this woman came in wearing ragged clothes, walking on the hems of her pants.  She went to the clothing racks, but I thought it a little strange that she was shopping for clothing at 8:30 on a cold, rainy night, when she didn't look like a fashion diva.
I watched her for a minute, mostly out of curiosity, and presumed that she was on a shoplifting expedition.  I was talking to Fern, who was at the cash register, so I 'cut my eyes' toward her to alert Fern that the woman might be stealing.  We all three took turns being in the area where she was shopping, and she was filling her buggy with the strangest things.
When she came to the cash register, 5 minutes before closing, she didn't have any money to pay for most of her things.  Fern had already 'rung up' her selections, so she had to void the sale.
After the woman left the store, Fern turned to me and said, "She knew she didn't have any money, and she was going to steal that merchandise".  I'm glad I caught on to her, and saved the store losing their property.  I think theft will get worse before this economy trouble is past.
I also think drugs contribute to the problems with stealing and child abuse that seems so prevalent.
I paid for my things, including the Coke I had drunk with my hamburger, and came home.  It was raining a cold rain.  I set the humane trap on the back porch, and got into the house.
I put away some things, and did a load of laundry.  Laundry detergent is one of the things I had bought at the Family Dollar.
I talked to Steve, got a bath, and went to bed.  I slept fairly well last night, and woke refreshed this morning pretty early.
I got the news last night of the death of Leona Burden, a sweet professing lady formerly from the Claxton area, who had moved to live with her daughter, Shirly, some years ago.  The funeral is Saturday, and I plan to attend.  Betty Pike e-mailed to tell me.  She's so faithful to keep me informed.
It's a dismal, overcast, rainy day.  My legs and feet hurt like I've run a marathon.
I'm still 'Running the Race'.