I will miss Steinmart!

Once more the heavens have opened and rains pour on our freshly painted surfaces at The Palace. Perhaps the silicone content of the paint product prevents it from being affected after it is applied to the surface. I wish the men suspended outside my window would go back down and into safety because the lightning is freaking me out and I am inside!

At this point the men have removed the old caulk and putty from around the windows and applied new sealant into the cracks and crevices. My prayer and hope is that this will do the trick when it comes to the driving rains off the river finding their way into my house! At least around my windows and patio doors! Once the rain lets up today I must go back downstairs to get more of my grocery purchases as I only carried up the refrigerated items this trip. The man pressure washing the parking garages offered to help me carry the stuff in my arms upstairs but I respectfully, perhaps foolishly, declined.

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My eyes feel goofy after weeping so hard this morning when I read about the drowning of those two little girls. Oh, my goodness, it was as though a switch was flipped inside me, wracking sobs for this family as I identify with their grief. It was truly an accident, no one's fault, I hope they know this, but certainly those thoughts run through heads and hearts. It is a wound deep to the soul and like my mom said, she hopes they have someone in their lives like our Pastor to remind them the Lord is in control of these things. My eyes looked okay for going to the store, thanks to a little eye shadow and mascara!

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There was something so heartwarming to counter the heart ache of earlier today, at Publix. An elderly lady was checking out in front of me, a cart heaped with a mixture of purchases. She looked at me as she unloaded in a rather apologetic way for taking so long in getting the cart emptied. Of course, I just smiled at her and said I usually end up with more than I intended to buy when I go shopping. She was sort of weary looking and I heard her tell the Manager who was bagging the groceries as well as the Assistant Manager who was checking that she did not feel good. The male manager asked her if she was okay to drive and offered to drive her home. My heart was repaired!!!! The lady declined his offer but then I made the remark about the storm was about to set in, as I could see the trees moving dramatically in the wind. The lady then agreed to let him drive her home, and another assistant manager would follow them to drive him back. When it was my turn to check out, I thanked the female manager for taking such good care of this lady, and she said, "We don't want anything bad to happen to our customers" and I replied, "That is what sets Publix apart!" This was the Eagle Harbor store in case you want to take your business there from now on!

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The other day we heard that our Eagle Harbor/Fleming Island Steinmart was going out of business. Closing its doors. Imagine that!?! According to the press release, the store was just not profitable and the decision to close it, as well as other under-producing stores was made, due in part to the opening of the Kohl's, just down the road a piece. Although it has been a while since I have shopped at Steinmart, it holds a warm place in my heart....Of course, there is a story coming: warning

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In December of 2000, after moving into our new home in The Preserve, we were having a party! This surprises you??? Anyway, I believe it was the one for our employees and Timmy and I were at Publix to start buying supplies. As inevitably happened, Timmy had to go to the bathroom---stinkies, as he referred to it. Frustrated, I pulled my not yet full cart to the side and escorted him into the handicap stall in the ladies' restroom. I got him situated on the high potty and he proceeded to make regular deposits, he was not lying about having to go. BUT, (not butt), every little while, he was compelled to lean wwwaayy forward and peer into the potty to see his deposits. He would then leap off the toilet because it was an automatic flusher---as soon as he leaned over, the potty flushed! And freaked him out! After doing this more than once, I got impatient (now it's funny, but then...not too much!), and decided to check out with the groceries I had already and take him home to finish his potty.

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That day, though, we had purchased red and green plasticware, napkins, and accessories for dressing our table festively. Timmy took quite a liking to the green knives and forks, so when it was time for us to go CHRISTmas shopping for his daddy's present from him, Timmy, when asked, told me he wanted to buy a green shirt. Okay, good, at least we knew where to start our search. Timmy carried along one of the green plastic knives to Steinmart and I let him tell the saleslady what he wanted to buy. The clerk and he wandered the racks looking for a green shirt to match his green knife and they came up with one! She thought he was just the cutest thing, and I found out later how she shared this story with her family around the dinner table.

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Less than a month later, Justin and his dad were shopping at Steinmart again, using the same salesday, who helped them find a suit for Justin to wear to his brother's funeral. Either the lady remembered Justin on her own or he told her, I am not sure, but she was upset to hear it was Timmy who had drowned. The same lady, smiling about Timmy one day, weeping about him less than a month later. I still have the knife, or a piece of it, in the memory box in the hallway.....and Roger had immediately quit wearing the shirt, to put it away for posterity. Yes, I will miss Steinmart.........