Marshall's Tale

One day, I decided to go to Marshall's.  It's one of my favorite places to wander and waste the day.  Somehow their "Clearance racks" talk to me.  Swear to goodness gracious...it's as if they say, "hey, come over, today is your lucky day."  I go shopping every six months or so unless I really need something for a specific reason.

On one of visits last year, I was in the check out lane and two women were in front of me.  Good friends obviously and they seemed nice enough.  One of them was purchasing a decoration for her yard.  A planter that looked like a tricycle.  I swear, all I said was, "that's adorable."  Well, from that point on the conversation ensued.  We stood outside the store on the sidewalk talking for at least a half hour.  Meanwhile we exchanged phone numbers and, as always, I told them if they were ever around Boones Mill to stop by.  

I got home and a short while later, the phone rang.  It was Sheryl, one of the women I'd met earlier that day.  She asked if she and Dottie could come by and I said, "absolutely."  Giving her directions on how to get to the house and to not be scared when they pass the old bus on the left, I was happy they took me up on the invitation.

About a half hour passed and there they were pulling in the driveway.  Opening the front door and greeting them as if they were old friends, they immediately began saying wonderful things about the front porch.  We went inside and I gave them the "tour" which they loved.  Then, before we sat down to have some lunch and a few cookies (pulled from the freezer), they took me back into my living room.  Out of a canvas shopping bag, they pulled something wrapped in brown paper and tied with raffia.  Handing it to me, they said, "This is for you.  We stopped at a place on the way here.  We want you to have it for being so hospitable."   Wasn't that so sweet?  They gave me a framed old cross stitch.  Isn't it great?! 

I immediately placed it on the mantel over the fireplace. because, to me, it was such a heart warming thing for them to do!  They both live out at Smith Mountain Lake...right on the lake actually.  I've been there a few times to visit.  They like it a lot when I bring cookies...:)