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Friday, December 21, 2007

SHOW AND TELL FRIDAY AND RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS









It is time for show and tell at Keli's house. Click here to find out more. http://kellishouse.blogspot.com/


Today I want to show you my favorite vintage Christmas item. I found three of these guys at a yard sale. It is a little Santa looking guy playing a guitar. The metal guitar is actually a bottle and can opener. It is magnetic and held to his little metal stick body with a magnet. They were all in boxes and had a date on them from the 50's. I sold the other two on ebay but could not resist keeping on for myself. He is just too cute!
Here is another of my favorite vintage items that I got for free in a box of junk. This is real heavy and looks hand painted. I do not know if this is a handmade ornament or not but to me there is just something special about it.
My main purpose today is to share with you a story about a random act of kindness. My local radio station has been doing these stories all week. Yesterday 12/20 was the anniversary date of our house fire. In 2001, five days before Christmas our lives changed forever. Our house caught fire. As we all went outside to safety, I suddenly realized that all of the boys' Christmas presents were going to be lost. I began to panic. Somehow I knew that this was going to be an awful Christmas for us and those presents would be the only good thing. Out of nowhere two gentlemen came running up and along with my oldest son and husband they ran into the smoke filled house and began to throw all the presents out in the yard. Everything was happening so fast and I was in tears. When I turned around to thank them they were gone. I never found out who they were. I was so amazed by their unselfish act of kindness. I think that was the best Christmas gift I had ever recieved. I contacted a local news channel and a radio station, but noone ever came foward and said it was them. It amazes me that someone would endanger their own life for someone else who they do not know and then desire no credit for it! Wow! What a blessing.This is three of the boys looking at the reamains of all of their possesions. We learned a great lesson thru this. Material things do not matter, they can be replaced. Your life cannot. Live each day to the fullest for you do not know what tomorrow will bring!

I took an old window and put pictures in it from the fire. At the bottom I painted this saying-There is always, always something to be thankful for.

This hangs in our house as a constant reminder of that.

13 comments:

Hootin Anni said...

Great share. Love the Santa looking dude myself.

And the Acts of Kindness goes a long way. Terrific.

My show n tell has been shared, won't you drop by if you can to visit?

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for sharing your story and ornaments.

Diane Shiffer said...

Wow, what a great post! I have tears in my eyes....


You are such a blessing:-)

ellen b. said...

Wow what an amazing experience and what a great reminder that you have chosen to focus on through this trajedy. Thank goodness you were all safe. Merry Christmas.

Rose of Sharon said...

I am so sorry you and your family had to go through that. I have heard that when you lose everything like that it really makes you realize that material things do not matter and that the good thing is you were all okay. You have such a neat family, your boys are so lucky to have a good mother like you. It is too bad you never learned the names of those two heros, who knows, they could have been angels!

I also think your two vintage Christmas treasures are wonderful!

Merry Christmas! Sharon

Barbara H. said...

I really love the second ornament there. It does look hand painted. And that is just amazing about the men coming to help during the fire! I can't imagine how awful such a fire would be, but thank God your family was all right.

Barbara H. @ Stray Thoughts

Kathy b said...

Thank you for telling your story. Your response is a good reminder for all of us.

Mary said...

What a beautiful post. Nothing matters but family. I've always said that material things can be replaced, but loved ones cannot. How nice that the gentlemen helped your husband save the presents. Do you believe in being entertained by angels, unaware? I have also been visited by angels at Christmas. Maybe I'll post about it tomorrow.

May the Light of Christmas shine in your hearts and home this holiday season.

Blessings,
Mary

Anonymous said...

What an amazing story. Thank you so much for sharing.

Today on the radio I heard that two little boys lost their lives in a housefire here in Melbourne last night. My heart grieves for them and their parents. Their baby sister is in hospital but should be all right.

hugs,

Kate

Martha said...

I am so sorry about your house fire. Those things do bring like back into proper focus. I think it is neat that the presents were rescued. I am sure each Christmas you think about life then - and where you are now. Yes, so much to be thankful for. Thanks so much for sharing.

~Jane

Susan said...

WOW!!! Angels unaware? What a wonderful story in the midst of trouble.
Susan

Celestial Freak said...

Your RAK story brought a tear to my eye, probably because I had a kitchen fire just a couple days ago, but also because I think those men were angels! What a wonderful Christmas story, so brave, heroic, and caring.

The vintage Christmas things are sweet, I'd have to keep one of the little bottle opener Santa's too if I had found that find.

Yellow Rose Arbor said...

Loved the bittersweet story. I think you may have been visited by two Angels helping with the gifts!

I'm late with comments, we've been out of town!

Happy New Year.

Katherine