6. This Week's Stories and Requests for Help   
      
   We try to post stories and comments from our readers each week. Send your   
   story to newsletter@tias.com and we'll publish it in an upcoming newsletter.    
   Please share your story about what you collect and what got you started   
   collecting.  We *love* to hear your stories!  If you have a story you'd like   
   to share, tell us about it and if you have any photos, we'd love to see them!    
   Send us an email to newsletter@tias.com so we can share your story with the   
   rest of our readers.   
   --   
      
   Irene J shared a Christmas story in our last newsletter, and two more people   
   shared their own stories:   
      
   >From Enola N: "When I was a kid, I hated turkey CÇô my wonderful   
   grandfather would always CÇ£stuffCÇØ the neck end of the turkey with hamburger   
   for me - my grandmother would always yell at him for spoiling me, but I always   
   appreciated the extra effort.  I guess that is where I get the idea to   
   CÇ£spoilCÇØ my family by doing the extras that make them happy - I wear the   
   title CÇ£enablerCÇØ proudly in this regard!  If it means I enable the ones I   
   love to have more time or more security or more whatever-it-is they need, then   
   I am happy - Love reading the stories folks submit - thank you"   
   --   
      
   and from Linda H:   
   "Hi, TIAS!   
       Love the stories in the newsletter and never thought to submit   
   one, but here goes:   
      
       Reading the Christmas story about the poor lady whose kids   
       opened every gift under the tree and proceeded to float wooden   
       salt and pepper grinders in the overflowing bathroom sink while   
       the exhausted parents slept, reminded me of one Christmas while   
       I was growing up: Nobody has ever heard this story and I'm   
       nearly 70 years old....  Our family was the sort where every   
       penny had to be accounted for, there just wasn't the income for   
       "discretionary spending." But the folks did their best.  We got   
       a lot of clothing at Christmastime and looking back, the bulk   
       of our gifts were from aunts and uncles.  I must've been about   
       ten years old and wanted a bicycle bigger than the 20" I'd been   
       riding since day one.  "Them days" as my mother would say, kids   
       "lived" on their bicycles, riding off everywhere and running   
       errands for parents and childless neighbors (who would let me   
       keep the change from the .50 or $1.00 for getting them a few   
       items from the grocery store).  I'd been sneaking off with my   
       sister's bigger bicycle whenever I could for some time and it   
       seemed everyone should have known the "desire of my heart" for   
       that Christmas.  My folks kept discussing (when they knew I was   
       in earshot) that they were considering getting me new tires for   
       the old bike--and it got to the point where I knew either there   
       was a new bicycle for me or nothing, which was the more likely   
       prospect; somehow new tires didn't even seem necessary.  On   
       Christmas morning early I happened to be awake and just   
       enjoying the quiet house.  Got it in my mind to look in the   
       garage attached to the kitchen to see what was the real story   
       about my Christmas gift (fully expecting to be   
       disappointed)--and there it was!  Just what I wanted, three   
       speeds, caliper brakes (WOW!)...well, no one was around and I   
       hightailed it back to bed before anybody had a clue.  I knew   
       I'd better look amazed and happy when the parents handed out   
       the gifts...sure wouldn't want to ruin my surprise for them(!)   
       and I must've done all right.  For years my mother would tell   
       the story about how excited and happy I was on that particular   
       Christmas morning and how well they'd kept the secret about   
       that bicycle.  A side note: my elder sister still can NOT stand   
       to see a wrapped gift (Christmas, birthday, you-name-it) and   
       not know what's inside.  She would (and still does) unwrap   
       every gift under the tree when nobody is looking and re-wrap   
       them!!!  Hope these stories are amusing."   
   --   
   --------------------------   
      
   --- BBBS/Li6 v4.10 Dada-2   
    * Origin: Prism bbs (1:261/38)