Friday, March 18, 2011

EARTHLY ANGELS- SPECIAL EDITION SANDRA THRASHER! ... NEW HP BLOGFEST REVEALED

Happy Friday, everyone. As you know Fridays are now EARTHLY ANGELS DAY! So if you are a new friend, welcome to my weekly post. Earthly Angels are people who come into our lives and show us a true kindness. They are the good Samaritans who are among us.

Today I am featuring a very special lady. One of our favorite blogger friends posted this on his blog a while back and I remembered it and wanted to feature Roland Yeoman's Earthly Angel, Sandra Thrasher.

Roland says: 


"There are so many people who were and are beacons in my life. But one stands out like a lighthouse on a desolate, storm-tossed shore ... my best friend, Sandra Thrasher.

We all find ourselves in the dreaded Valley of the Shadow at some point in our lives.


I lived there for a short time. It only felt like an eternity.

My mother was dying in the hospital. My book store was dying, too. I had walking pneumonia. Three times someone poured sugar in my gas tank in the Mall parking lot.

Three cars gone. I was reduced to walking to my home, the hospital, and to my Mall store on foot in the worst December in Louisiana memory.

My mother died one lonely night as I sat coughing by her bedside.

I had no money to bury her. No insurance company would cover Mother in her last years with her bad heart.

Poetically, an ice storm shut down the entire city the next day. I sat in a frozen world in my dark, powerless home, shivering and coughing and crying.

I felt as alone as if I were prisoner in a frozen Hell.

There was a knock on my door. Sandra Thrasher. My best friend and fellow Mall store owner was on the porch. Think Bette Midler with pepper and salt hair. She walked in, hugged me, and whispered,

"You're not alone."

From that moment on, I wasn't.

Hurting financially herself, she still used her last untouched credit card to take care of my mother's arrangements. She dragged me to the doctor and got the medicine I could not afford. She gave me a used car.

And though it took long months, she taught me to laugh again.

She led me through the Valley of the Shadow. I shall forever be in the debt of Sandra Thrasher, my best friend, who showed me what wonders one caring heart can accomplish in the life of another person.

She was the wind beneath my bruised wings ..."



Sandra truly is one in a million. Thank you, Roland for sharing you story with us.


DO you know of an Earthly Angel? I most certainly want to know and so do my blogger friends. Please leave your story in the comments or email me directly.


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Now on to the blogfest. I heard from Hart Johnson and she came up with a brilliant idea for my HP blogfest.


Are you ready? I know all you HP freaks are on the edge of your seat....


Which two characters would you want for your BFF, AND what kind of  trio would you be? Isn't this GREAT! Thank you Ms. Tart for your nakedness that brought on this blogfest! Have your entry posted on Wednesday March 30th. We need something fun for HUMP day!


Who will be the first to enter after me ...






25 comments:

Summer Ross said...

Michael- I'll put your blogfest up on my blogfest tab.

This was wonderful angel story! Roland I am so glad someone was there for you.

Anonymous said...

That was a touching Angel story. When the chips are down, you find out who your friends (and angels) are.

Unknown said...

I was so excited to join in on the blog fest until I saw that you have it scheduled for next week. AH! All my posts are done early and next week is a full week as it is! Talk about utterly depressing.

I look forward to the entires and you bet your bottom dollar on Tuesday I'll be commenting on who I would have chosen!

Nicki Elson said...

How dare you make me tear up in the morning! In a good way, mostly. My heart breaks to think Roland had to go through that (who were the jerks w/ the sugar???), but how wonderful for him to find out the depths of Sandra's amazing friendship. Thanks for sharing this story.

Now...who would Michael be friends w/ at Hogwarts...can't wait to find out. ;)

Hart Johnson said...

Oh, Roland's story made me cry! And this blog fest will be a BLAST!

Unknown said...

Just signed up!!!

PS I feel awful for having not made mention to Roland's post! I had to skip it while at work because it wasn't break time, but having just read it I'm with everyone else!! This really did make me cry... talk about a tissue fest!

Talei said...

Oh, wow. That was such a moving story, Roland has a true angel in his dear friend. ;-)

Michael, I have an award for you on blog, do pop over when you can.

Happy Friday! x

Heather said...

Thank you to Roland for sharing that sweet story! And wow, that sounds like a fun blogfest! Can't wait to read all the entries.

Roland D. Yeomans said...

Thanks for the warm words, everyone.

Many of the people you pass on the streets carry silent wounds, hollows of hurt in their heart. That's why I think Michael's Earthly Angels weekly post is important. It reminds us that whenever we do a random act of kindness to a stranger or to a friend, we may be that one person that hurting soul needed to keep from going under completely.

I'll be there on the 30th, Michael. Haven't a clue who or how, but that's what makes it fun, Roland

Linda Gray said...

Cool blogfest, Michael. Looking forward to reading those entries! And Sandra, a true earthly angel. Thank you for sharing that.

Elana Johnson said...

Great blogfest -- and what a sweet idea to spotlight people that make a difference in our lives.

Colene Murphy said...

I am SO in!!! Awesome fest!

Talli Roland said...

That's a brilliant story from Roland. I've got my thinking cap on about earthy angels!

I'd love to join in with the HP fest... but I have to admit, I've not read any of the books! I know, I know...

Golden Eagle said...

That's such a wonderful story.

It sounds like a great blogfest! Looking forward to reading all the posts.

N. R. Williams said...

Oh my, that is so touching Roland. Thank you for sharing this with Michael and thanks Michael for posting it. I often feel like I can't do anything for anyone since I don't have money. But that isn't true.

I'm in the blogfest. Are you making a button or should we just grab the youthful faces of Harry, Ron and Hermine?
Nancy
N. R. Williams, The Treasures of Carmelidrium.

Margo Benson said...

Thank you Michael and Roland for sharing and posting such a beautiful story. We are lucky and blessed when we know angels like Sandra.

I've signed up for HP!

Tony Benson said...

That's such a touching story of Roland's. I'm in for the blogfest.

Michael Offutt, Phantom Reader said...

Great story by Roland although to be honest...the whole "wind beneath my wings" line was a wee bit cheezy. But it drives the point home and that's all that matters.

As usual, great blog entry Michael.

Roland D. Yeomans said...

Michael Offutt : I regret that my last line struck you as cheesy. Sandra deserves a better thank you than a cheesy one.

I think the ghost of Mark Twain was trying to tell me the same thing about my "Mud or Stars" post. Thank you for nudging me back on the track I instinctually felt I should walk -- the non-disclosure one. Thank you again, Roland

dolorah said...

Thanks for sharing your story Roland. It is heartwarming to know there are such good people in the world.

Michael, I put you blogfest in my sidebar. I'll see if I can participate. I'm feeling a blog break coming along so I can possibly apply myself to another round of querying. Maybe.

.....dhole

The Words Crafter said...

I'm so thankful that you have Sandra, Roland. I've had a few in my life, too. They're priceless, irreplaceable, and hard to find. Hang on to her.

Michael, what a great idea! I will give it some thought. My last HP entry...well I didn't enter it. At 3k words, it went over a bit, lol!

Sharon K. Mayhew said...

I love this Friday segment, Michael! It's so nice to read such positive things that people do, just because it is the right thing to do. :)

Thanks for sharing Roland!

Marie Rearden said...

Great blogfest! I'm in.

Marie at the Cheetah

Ellie Garratt said...

I've just added your blogfest to my blogfest page :)

Laurel Garver said...

Roland's story was just...wow. Heartbreaking and powerful. I love the idea of your doing this as a regular feature, Michael. These kinds of stories really change us.

I just heard about the blogfest through Jen Daiker, and I'm in! Such a wonderfully fun prompt-- Can't wait!