Feelin' It

After gray and rainy days, the sun broke out from exile this morning (albiet for a quick visit) in more ways than one. A story in the newspaper featured a new ice cream/lunch shop on the main street in Lemoyne, the rather plain town just to our north. They are implementing the Main Street project, which has been completed in Annville and New Cumberland; new sidewalks, brick walkways, plantings -- suddenly the downtowns of the small places look like a place you'd like to spend more time in. The owners of this new business in an old building right in this improved area are retired and don't take a salary; they post pictures of their customers and introduce them to each other, while providing good food and treats. This sounds like something out of "It's a Wonderful Life," but it's not fiction, just good people getting more out of giving back to their little community.

Spread out over our first floor are 17 of a projected 36 Christmas gift packages, the midway point of Nancy's Secret Santa project through work. Information about the first-name-only recipients is gathered by area social service agencies, and Blue Cross employees do the rest; I'm not sure anyone does more than she. It is fun looking for what these children and teenagers expressed wishes for and wrapping the presents up in bursts of color. This world's a better place for the efforts of the ice cream man and my sweet wife. It was just a lovely sight in the morning sunshine today.