Friday, January 9, 2009

PhotStory Friday- A Tale of Two Strangers and A Stove

PhotoStory Friday
Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek


I know, it's a photo of a stove, but the story of who I received the stove from is where it gets good.

Some of you will remember my week of disaster before Christmas. If you don't, you can go read about it here. It was a week that I should hope not to endure again for a very long time.

After Christmas was over, I started looking through Freecycle and Craigslist for any stoves that might be of use to us. After all, paying more than 100 dollars for a stove was not in our budget. I came upon an ad on Craigslist that had an electric stove for 25 dollars. Wow, what could be wrong with it?

Most stoves had ads asking for alot more and sometimes they couldn't even guarentee that the stove worked.

So I contacted this person about the stove and asked to come and look. I knew I was probably going to buy it. Even though it's quite old, anything would work for us as long as the stove did.

We drove just over an hour, through winding roads and towering hills. We arrived at a beautiful old (1893) home set off the road out in the country. I could see a nice Christmas Tree standing in the window. We pulled up and proceeded to get out of our truck. There were a few cats and a dog. This is exactly how I have envisioned my own little piece of the world, right down to the mature trees on the property.

Hubby and I met the individuals selling the stove. They helped load the antique beauty and then asked us in to their home. We walked into their screen porch and then the kitchen. It was in the kitchen that I knew I was in love with their house. I didn't need to see anything else.

There was one wall in particular that had shelving from floor to ceiling. On the shelves were hundreds of canned goods that this couple had made from the goods in their garden, fruit bearing trees and bushes. It was awesome!

I stood in their kitchen for a few minutes, letting Hubby pay them and thank them. I was just in awe about everything I was seeing. The dog was standing at our feet, licking Greg's hands and thankful for the pets she was getting in return. The wife asked if we'd like to have some jam she had made and canned.

Greg and I both began to make our way back out. We both said thank you and went to shake each the husband and wife's hand. To my surprise, the wife laughed, held out her arms, and said "Oh, give me a hug."

I did not know this woman any more than I do my mailman. Yet she opened her arms and hugged a complete stranger. She acted as if I were someone special.

I was not nervous, nor offended. Hubby and I both got in the truck and I had goosebumps; a warm cozy feeling all over. I was giddy with delight.

This little trip we took to get a stove was proof that nice people still exists. We were with this couple a mere 20 minutes total. The couple was kind to us without hesitation and that is something I'll remember for the rest of my life.

BTW, they even emailed us later that week to ask if everything was working correctly with the stove. Of course it was. The stove maybe older, but it's pristine and I love it! Within the email, they invited us to stop over whenever we were in the area.

37 comments:

Kmommy said...

What an amazing story!! It is great to know that there are still nice people out there!

Anonymous said...

I love that story!!! And after the week you had I amsure it was nice to have something like that to end it!!

tiarastantrums said...

oh - that was a lovely story!!

angi_b72 said...

What an awesome story!! I love that stove too! It is old but it is classic...i would love to have one like that!

Lorina said...

Wow.. what great people and a great stove to boot!

Rachael Schirano \\ Rachael Schirano Photography said...

wow, what a story! and such a great stove:)

Michaelle said...

Hi! Thanks for visiting my blog. I noticed that you were from Missouri. We are too!

The Bryant Family said...

LOVE THE STOVE GIRL!!!! I would have loved their home as well i think. A little nook of the world where you preserve the fruit of your labor....OH YEAH pick me to join you when you go again. :)
I am glad you got one. Alvin actually has one that is new that is stuck in some wharehouse somewhere that I tried to get him to get out....you know how that goes.

Supercool Hotmama said...

What a wonderful experience! That might almost make up for your disaster week :) That is the kind of person I want to be. But, I'm still working on it. LOL!

Maude Lynn said...

What a great story!

And, I'm glad the stove works!

Anonymous said...

What a great story. I hope you took them up on the homemade jam offer. My aunt makes tons of goodies, and I never say no when she offers them. What flavor was it?

Alicia W. said...

Awww, don't you just love people like that? Soooo sweet!!

Kristin said...

That is a great story. Made my day.

Kelly Deneen Raymond said...

That is the nicest story!!! It gave me goosebumps. :)

Cathy said...

What a sweet story! It's good to know that there are decent people in this world!

Lori of I'm no super Mom said...

That is so amazing! I love stories like this!

Anonymous said...

What a wonderful story. It is nice to know people like this still exist. And what an amazing sounding home!

Dawn said...

Somehow I missed your letter to Santa, but I am sure glad I caught up with it today - that is a wonderful story!

CC said...

Awesome! My old apartment had a stove like that, but it was gas. To make the oven work, we had to start the pilot light, put a match inside, and then jump back and hope we weren't incinerated!

Great story!

Jill @ Sneaky Momma said...

What a beautiful story! I love hearing stories about the wonderful people in this world.

Maggie May said...

That was a great story and it is a lovely stove. Isn't it marvellous that there are warm hearted people about like that. Maybe we only concentrate on the bad things that people do & there is not enough publicity about the good things. Thanks for sharing the good.

LiveLaughLoveCj said...

I love this story! You should take that picture and your story and tape into a journal to be passed along in your family... Goodness exists! What a wonderful loving couple and such a fine example of kindness at it's best.

I hope you will keep in touch with them, they sound like someone who walks into your life when you least expect it, kind of like angels, and you are forever better because of it!

Warm fuzzies here - thank you so much for sharing!

Kellan said...

I just loved this story and I love that old stove - it is beautiful and unique and the story that goes with it is - priceless! Thanks so much for sharing this wonderful story!

Have a good weekend - Kellan

Robyn said...

Great story and what a neat stove.

Aly @ Lip Zip said...

What a fantastic story! The visit sounds like it was worth the $25 alone and it's so neat that you have such a great story to tell about your stove. Ours came with our house. Nothing special there at all!

KatieZ said...

Wow, I got goosebumps just reading it! Love the story, but I totally love the stove more. What a beauty! I love that older kind of stuff! Congrats on finding one that works!

Susan said...

What a great reminder that though we are bombarded in the media with all the bad in the world, that there is far more good. Great story and quite an inspiration! I am sure they were happy to connect with a couple who really needed the stove and would appreciate and love it the way they did for so many years. And I must say it is a really cool stove.

Kacey said...

What an awesome story! And your new stove looks great!

Alex @ I'm the Mom said...

Aw! That is absolutely the most beautiful story I've heard in a while.

Chris said...

You find angels in the most unusual places.

danette said...

Wow, what a great story! Uplifting, thanks for sharing it.

Angela said...

That's so awesome! It sounds like you found a piece of heaven.

Carrie and Troy Keiser said...

How cool is that?! what a great fotostory! I love the 'new' stove....2 ovens?!

Dragonfly Kisses said...

What a great story! I had almost given up on nice people still existing until we moved this past summer. I was shocked at how many people went out of their way to make us feel at home when we moved in.

Unknown said...

Great stove and people! It is always neat finding people like them!

Cecilia said...

Great story! Nice to know good people still exist!

Michelle said...

I read your post from before Christmas, but just didn't have a chance to comment...I was praying for you though! It sounds like you met a lovely couple and were blessed with the stove you needed!