Hey, Maeve: I was so upset to hear about your misfortune! We're sending up prayers down this way.

Hey, Peter: It's more a matter of emphasis over here, not a complete lack of friendly service. Part of it is the effort to cut expenses, leading to most gas stations being "Self-serve" now. When my mother was in her 90's she was still driving but found it challenging to pump her own gas. She managed to find a couple of gas stations that had a full-serve pump.

I've almost completed a chapter titled The Graciousness of Strangers that talks about three people who work in stores who have been generous to me (and others, I'm sure) beyond measure. I could add another half a dozen. I've posted part of the chapter on here, I think, but if you want to keep up with my writings, think about following my blog: Thoughts on Faith at http://jerryrasmussen.blogspot.com/ I have a link on my blog bringing people over to mudcat.

Jerry