After all, it IS the season..............

[pettyfan43]

Merry Christmas to all and hope you and yours have a great Christmas and holiday season, Happy Chaunaka (I don't know how you spell it!!!!) And whatever I missed!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPgq_fxaW7U

[Charger_Fan]

Merry Christmas!

[nh_mopar_fan]

Yesterday, it was all hands on deck for unloading one of the numerous 26ft
box trucks full of toys from the Toys for Tots drive at NH Catholic
Charities.

My wife, Deb, works at NHCC and had the time to help out so she worked unloading the truck.

Never having been there to see how this sort of effort works, she
finally got a first hand view.

When you carried in the toys, someone directed you to a section of the
room that held toys for that age groups and gender.

Parents in need contact their parish priest, social worker, or NHCC and
they are registered. Parents then come to the storage location, show
ID, confirm their children's age and are taken to the appropriate area
where they "shop" for 2 gifts per child.

Brother Paul heads up the effort at NHCC. This year, I managed to amass
18 mp3 players (mostly sandisk and ipods). I buy them throughout the
year, here and there, when I see them on sale. Deb brings them in and
hands them to Brother Paul rather than dump them into the toy
collection bin. Can never be too careful and I don't want them to
disappear. In any case, we never see them after that.

Until, this year. While Deb was unloading, a woman walked in to shop.
Once Brother Paul confirmed her information, he asked her if she would
like an mp3 player for her 16yr old? She looked at him in surprise and
said "Really!?" He reached under his desk and handed her one. She
thanked him profusely. He pointed at Deb and said, "Her husband buys
them."

Deb told me the story when she got home last night.

It brought a tear to my eye. Made my holiday, an early Christmas present for me.