Never a dull minute, thankfully

Over these years, as I’ve learned more about my job,I have merrily passed on that knowledge for the benefit of those who come after me. Discovering tasks that a churchchick is expected to do flavors the work.  The  list grows, even now. File this under job description/miscellaneous….possibly staff support.

I got a call from my boss. He was in the car with his wife on their way to a funeral.

“ Church chick, Bobbie- the -mailman stopped us when we were pulling out of our driveway. He frantically waved us  to roll down our window and he had a tight grip on a hand full of mail. He was so up set, and worried. He said he had just delivered mail to a house that had a strong and peculiar odor. He’s afraid something very bad has happened there. He’s terrified. I told him not to worry and that I’d take care of it.”

“Hmmmm”, 14 years on the job said.

“So, you saw Bobbie-the-mailman and he’s afraid something horrible has happened there? The odor reeked of treacherous: scary, awful?”

“ Very, very bad. He was panicked!”

“ And you told him you’d take care of it?”

“Yes, and that seemed to calm him right down.”

“And so why are you calling me?”

“Well, I was wondering if you’d maybe go over there and…..”

“Take care of it?”

“ Well, yeah.”

“Ok,no problem, I just want to be sure I’ve got this right. Our mailman (who is a strong and stocky guy who walks miles every day so his stamina is also pretty fit) is freaking out over a possible crime scene across the street and you want me to risk my life to check it out?”

“Yes, and can you call me when you find out?”

I loved the trust.

“ Of course I will.”

I walked across the street to said house. I noticed no sinister wafts. I went up the front steps and there on the ground beside the steps lay a mountain of used doggie bags that were in full sun, and covered with flies and other worse crawling creatures.

“That’s probably what it is.” I said to myself. But what if it wasn’t that?

I opened the mail slot in the door and peeked in. The mail that Bobbie-the-mailman delivered in a mad rush was still half way stuck in the slot, but I could still see through. I didn’t notice anything out of order, but of course, I’d never been there before.

I pushed the mail over and stuck my nose into the mail slot and took a sniff. ….another….Nothing.

“Well, I guess it’s nothing.” and I headed back across the street to work.

Bobbie- the -mailman was just coming out of the church.”Did you notice anything? Anything at all? I mean people can be hurt or die and be left there for days and I don’t want anything like that on my route.” 
His heels clicked sharply. “I’m a mailman who cares.”

“You sure are, my friend. You sure are. I didn’t really notice anything other than the dog poop, but if it happens again tomorry, we can go together to check. That troubling odor might be coming from the vacant house next door that is for sale, or maybe even the house on the other side.”

There we were standing with our heads together looking at the houses in question, when the door of the poop house opened and a woman's head appeared. Crazy gawking eyes looked around, crackling with suspicion.  Her hair was mussed and messy, stressed. She stepped out onto her front porch holding the wrong end of a broom. 

“She sort of reminds me of Gladys Kravitts.” I crossed my hands genie style.

“Yeah, she does.”

" Oh, wow. She's looking pretty freaked out, man"

We turned our backs to her. “Okay, Bobbie, listen. If a Police car pulls up in the next few minutes you may have to bail me out of jail. She’s going to say,”I know it wasn’t the mailman, because he already delivered the mail. It was someone else, I saw a nose. I heard a distinct sniff.”

“ Okay, I can do that. No problem.” We parted ways.

I called my boss to let him know the neighborhood appeared to be safe again, and not to worry. “I knew you could do it.” Such faith. or such something…

No sign of police cars later that day or since, but I have noticed an ADT security systems van out there the last couple of days. 

Saving souls is church business

Well, here’s the thing…..

Lots has happened since I last added words here. I mean, I’ve become aged and decrepit, of course,but then some of you have also gotten older, you’ve had some good days and not so good days, too, I imagine. So, it is a little hard to know where to start. Do I put the demise of Calvin behind me and skip rocks? Throw out a few bits as the rock taps the water around here? No timely order? Maybe since I’m not a linear creature, new stories won’t be either. There. All settled.

Church life is a book with endless chapters

Church and saving souls….

I got to have a little pinch of that last week. Work Church is in a neighborhood where many places use the neighborhood area name… Hayes Barton Pharmacy….. Hayes Barton Baptist Church…. Hayes Barton Methodist Church… Hayes Barton neighborhood…..Late Friday afternoon,  I was packing up to leave a very very busy week behind, when the phone rang. I answered. A woman’s voice echoed, “Yeah, I’m down here in the basement, been working all day on this equipment and somebody just came by, turned out the lights and locked the door so now I’m locked in. Can someone come let me out?”

I put the phone to my shoulder and thought a minute. I had not seen any workwomen onsite… I was not aware we had any work that was needed in the basement, but if we did, the room that houses the equipment has an outside entrance that work people use all the time, so I was a bit confused.

“ Hmm. Do you see any stairs near you? There should be stairs that lead outside.”

“ I’m in the DARK and I don’t see a damn thing.”

Her tone had a touch of Hangry in it and I thought to myself, “Well, it’s no wonder if she’s been working all day down there.”

A random wonder appeared inside my addled mind and I asked, as nicely as I could, “ Do you know where you are?”

“ I’m locked in the damn basement!”

“ My mistake, I meant to say, Do you know what building you are in?”

“I’m in HAYES BARTON!”

I started to wish I had a snickers bar for her, but sadly, I did not.

“ Yes, but Hayes Barton what?”

“HAYES BARTON CHURCH!” (you moron was surely on the tip of her tongue, but somehow held back)

“I understand you are ready to leave, and I’ve just thought of something so hopefully, you’ll be out in a minute, and if you aren’t, call me back.”

She hung up.

I called our neighbor, Hayes Barton Baptist.

“Hayes Barton Baptist Church. May I help you?”

“Hey, this is church chick down at the Methodist Church. Have you had a woman working downstairs today?”

“ Yessss, she’s been here all day working on the equipment in the basement.”

“Well,  I’ve had a call from a very weary person who said she’s been down there all day long working on some equipment and someone went downstairs and turned the lights off a while ago and locked the door, so do you think you could let her out before she scratches herself out?”

…... “Lorrrrrrdeeeeee, and I was just getting ready to leave. Thank you so much, I’ll go right down and release her from her darkness!”

Now, if that isn’t soul saving, I don’t know what is.

Ch ch ch ch ch changes

 Dear office, we've been friends for such a long time. How can I ever thank you? What can I say? There aren't words enough.

We've seen file cabinets come and go, haven't we? We've been the motel 6 for little mouse Chester and his family every now and then, too.  Remember when your wall was struggling and  strangling from  carrying those heavy burdensome curtains? Remember when we couldn't see that beautiful red brick welcoming the morning brightness in?

You were such a good sport, wavey window, to hold the birdfeeder for so long. How many birds came to see us? Too many to count. How many came inside? a handful at least.
Guess the landscapers won't be blowing  sunflower shells and leaf dust through the window anymore, eh? Remember the cold, colder, coldest winter when the ledge let a beef roast chill on it  so I wouldn't forget to give it to the boss to take home at dinner? What was it then? 20 degrees and windy? oh, yeah.  He was so surprised to see it  sitting outside on the  cold brick when he came asking for it, wasn't he?  You have been so resourceful, friend, and you have held and helped and been a safe place for me, the little folks, and many others.

I hear you are getting an updo. That's fine and good, but I have to tell you that no matter what your makeover looks like, I will always  hold you - just the way you are now- in my heart. When you are new again will you know me? Will you try? Pinkie swear? Love you lots.

*************

Come along now, office door sign that says, "Visitors are always welcome!"
Choose your travel box, doorknob sign that says, "I'm open even when I'm not"
Little folk, we're going on a field trip, so buckle up and hold hands.
Spunky man, there's  a new door waiting to bonk your tummy so it won't close tight.
Twinkle lights , let's go
The plants are probably vacationing  in their beachy bungalow by now. They will be wreaking havoc, no doubt. Hey, philodendron, Christmas cacti, Don't make me come get you, hear me?
Evergreen tree/Christmas tree, get ready.
Therapuke chair, get ready to be a friendly hugging chair, one floor up.
Recliner, we can't leave you behind, that would never do.
Yardsale find wooden stool- you are invaluable, irreplaceable, come on, too.
Nuts and Tom's pretzles, follow super bubble's bouncing balls.
Pin family, staple family members, Directionary Vol 1 How to do the job, speakers that speak old radio shows all day into my work space, it's almost time everybody.
All of you office supplies, stay in your containers, we'll make a train-

Brick wall, thanks for being such a wonderful serendipity to my day, every day. Thank you for your steady welcome of "I'm here, glad you are, too", for the last ten 1/2 years. Thanks for having my back; no, really.
Bye cardinal family, wrens and other little winged ones. I'll miss you so much.

Big changes upon us. Huge shifts, adventures I can't even guess about.  New temp work space waiting to be discovered and settled into by church chick and company.Where will the little folk be hanging out?  So much 'unfamiliar' and 'different' batting about.

I'm still just a church secretary wannabe. Some things never change.