Saturday, October 9, 2010

Did You Ever Have the Fire Department or the Police Come to Your Home?


Another question for your story:

Did you ever have the fire department or the police come to your home?

Today I called the sheriff's office because my neighbor was not home and there was a strong smell of propane from his propane tank.  A deputy came and checked out the tank, then called the fire department to come.  Fortunately nothing disastrous happened.  The problem was taken care of.  
One rainy night about midnight I awoke to my dog barking and realized someone was knocking on the door and I heard a deputy yelling through the door asking if I was okay.  Fortunately it was a deputy that I knew.  He said there had been a 911 call from my address.  I had been sound asleep.  I jokingly said, "Maybe my dog called, but I hadn't.  I checked my phone.  It was on the hook, and there was a dial tone.  He said he was sorry to wake me, but they had to make sure I was okay.  He then commented that they had had a problem with some of their phone circuits and thought it might be due to the moisture.  Although I hadn't enjoyed being awakened in the middle of the night, I was glad to know the sheriff's office was following up on 911 calls.

When we were living in a duplex, we were startled one evening to hear a fire engine pull up outside with it's sirens going.  We hurried outside to see why they were there.  They were putting out a fire that had started in the swamp cooler for the other half of the duplex.  We were so grateful they responded so quickly.  No damage to the building was done because of their quick response.
As a child I only remember one visit from the fire department to our farm.  Our main chicken coop had caught on fire.  The volunteer fire department from the town five miles away responded.  So did the department from a town fifteen miles away and from the largest city in our area that was fifteen miles away.  Unfortunately the coop was too far gone for it to be saved, but they prevented the fire from spreading to the other coops, corrals, and grainery as well as protecting our home.  That was a sad time for our family, but we counted our blessings for what did not burn.

Whenever I hear a siren from a police car, a fire engine or an ambulance, I am grateful for those who will respond in emergencies and who are there to help us.  Think about the times in your life when you have been helped by the police, the fire department or an ambulance.  Record those times in your story.   

http://www.pdclipart.org provided the public domain clip art above.

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Who Was a Favorite Teacher in Elementary School?

Here is another question for writing your story:

Who was a favorite teacher in elementary school?

I think my third grade teacher was my favorite teacher from elementary school.  I remember her as being kind and gentle.  She taught third, fourth and fifth grade.  Her husband was the principal of the school and he taught sixth, seventh and eighth grade.  I only had her for third grade since our school district changed the way the schools were the summer after I finished third grade.  The four room school house in our town was closed, and we were bused to the town five miles away when I started fourth grade.   She and her husband were friends of my parents.  I remember her giving me two store bought dresses that her daughters had outgrown.  My mother sewed all of my clothes, so they were the first store bought dresses that I owned.