A Veteran's Family In Crisis Receives Help... Texas Style

In our early years of marriage and then children, Mr. Snoots was never quite into Christmas. He detested all the shopping and all the work, which all made him very cranky indeed. Somehow, over the years, this man has truly softened and begun to enjoy it. He actually got irritated with me this year for not letting him help, but that was just the beginning.

Mr. Snoots moderates several forums on a local community website and was privy to the knowledge that a local veteran and his family had been badly treated and ultimately evicted by a local slumlord. They had no heat when the temperatures were dipping to negative digits so they refused to pay rent until it was fixed. Of course, that's when the slumlord chose to evict them. The veteran Dad is a hard worker and has a job, as does the Mom, but they had just fallen on hard times, right at Christmastime, with several small children. People on the forums began to rally in order to help this family and Mr. Snoots was on the front lines.

There was one local man (a veteran and a cancer survivor) who would go to their house every morning and pick up the children and their mother, drive them to their school, then drive the mother back home. He would repeat the process at the end of the school day. There were others who rallied to give them a good Christmas, with gifts in abundance.

There was yet another local man who gave them $4,000.00 in cash so they could find a place to live, affording first and last month's rent, and then some. People just seemed to open their hearts and wallets for this precious family.

Mr. Snoots came home so excited and discussed with me whether we should give his Dad's old Cadillac to this family because they clearly needed transportation. Now, you must understand how very much this car means to him. He has held onto this car since his father died from cancer in 1998. He loved his dad's old car and poured tons of money into it over the years, in order to keep it running. I told him I was all for the donation but that, the decision was surely his since I'd wanted to get rid of it years ago. (Forget the fact I am crying as I write this and can barely see my keyboard.)

This was truly the most wonderful sacrifice this man could have made and he felt so good for doing it. While I was taking SD to the airport yesterday, he was able to meet up with the whole group that organized help for the family, to give the family the car. He said they all just broke into tears and he almost cried as he described the scene for me. Believe me, he is not the type to weep easily or openly. The last time he cried was when they pulled Baby Jessica from the well, okay? We had been glued to the TV for the entire extraction ordeal.

He claims there were many others who did so much more for this family than he, but they have no idea the sacrifice that came from this man's huge heart. This whole outpouring of love and concern made me feel so much better about people, about our small city, about Americans, and about my dear Mr. Snoots. There is a Santa Claus after all. There are many of them out there in the world.

It is imperative that we help the veterans who have fought for this country. I find it disgusting that the government has failed so many of our veterans, in so many ways. It is certainly time for that to be changed.

What Did You Get For Christmas?

I must admit that I got way more than I ever deserved this year for Christmas, but I'm keeping it all.

Mr. Snoots showered me with gifts this year. First there was this wonderful Food Saver that I've wanted for years. Not only will it keep food fresh longer, but it will also allow more space in the freezer. I love it! Even though it plugs into an outlet, which is certainly a husband to wife gift *No-No*.



Mr. Snoots also gave me two (yes, two!) gift cards to Stein Mart, which is my favorite place to shop for clothes and shoes and decorative items. I can now get an entirely new wardrobe, but I'll probably use it slowly, like I always do. Adding pieces to my wardrobe that I really like & will play well with the other items in my closet.



He also gave me a gift card to Starbucks, which is amazing since he refuses to drink a cup of coffee that costs more than a dollar. Personally, I adore Starbucks.



Next, our son gave us a new DVD player for our HDTV in the kitchen, plus some great movies to watch. We love it!


Then, our daughter gave me two new cookbooks that I've been wanting for a reaaaalllly long time. I wanted a new Joy Of Cooking to replace my old dingy one that is 31 years old.




She also gave me a hardback edition from the editors of Cooks Illustrated called The New Best Recipe, which is outstanding!



Soooo.... what did you get for Christmas? I'm dying to know!


I'm also thankful for many things this year. I'm thankful my daughter is still alive and wasn't killed by a blood clot in her leg. (I'm also kind of wishing that her doctor in California soon gets a blood clot in his leg that goes undiagnosed. Okay, not really.) I think we dodged a huge bullet there. I'm also thankful to have a son who made a comeback from the dark side of drugs and has been clean for two whole years. God has blessed us over and over again and I am forever thankful and grateful.