Hoping that your wife is in good health now.[/QUOTE]
Thank you, Lou. You're a real friend to be so thoughtful. It was my mother-in-law that passed away in the middle of January. She was a great lady, very sweet and special.
To bring this around to something the lads will love, way back in '88, my wife and I and infant son had to be away from home for a day. We were staying with other relatives. Anyway, that just happened to be the night a Mr. Mint auction ended. That's when The Mint Man ruled the hobby and had the choicest of gems to be had.
Anyway, Alan's auction had to be postponed a day, due to technical difficulties with his many auction phone lines. Oh, was he ever ticked off about that. Alan re-scheduled his auction to end the following night. His auctions always ended at 10:00 on the dot. Well, I could not be home on auction night, and among Alan Rosen's delectable items there was what I believed to be a once in a lifetime Mickey Mantle regional, in the finest conceivable condition.
Chance of a lifetime.
Anyway, my mother and father-in-law lived within a Mantle home run from where we were staying the night. I pleaded with my dear mother-in-law to use their phone to make a bunch of long distance calls. This is when Ma Bell ruled the roost, and everyone paid them well for it. Mom graciously said yes, and I of course assured her every penny would be paid back.
Long to short, God helped me win the card! I was on cloud 9, so overjoyed was I. In retrospect, it WAS the chance of a lifetime. When the hefty Bell phone bill came, I paid her back, gladly.
So, while all the company was here, and funeral service, and so on, late that Sunday night the memory of her kindly allowing me the use of their phone, while the house was empty, flashed through my mind. Brought a big smile to my face, then a wistful expression, and a couple tears of humble gratitude as I reflected on her love and compassion for her son-in-law on that night long ago.
Have a great day, guys. Be safe. ---Brian Powell