A New Pony and A Good Deed

Today we went to the thrift store to buy coats for a homeless man and woman that we met at the dry cleaner. This is SO not me, I never even give a dollar to the people who stand at the intersections begging for money, so what am I doing buying coats for a couple that basically were trying to steal some from the dry cleaner? I have no idea, but we did it anyway. Chalk it up to teaching the kiddos some character building and community service. I was hoping to find some info to give them on a place they could get to easily that could handle the rest, as I am afraid that they will want more things once they get the coats.

I sound like such a meanie, but really I prefer to give my money to organizations that handle this way better than a one on one transaction, and I don't want the dry cleaner to worry about people loitering about asking for anything and everything they need and want, scaring away Mr. Joo-Lee's business. But every organization I found was definitely not within walking distance, neither was it within bus distance.

Anyway, I hope they like the coats. I fear I will not be seeing Mr. Joo-Lee again as I feel compelled to switch dry cleaners again so I will not be the coat distributor for Takoma Park homeless people. (We certainly do not have the extra money to do that.)

So, while we were at the thrift store, we got Mia a new Halloween costume, since hers does not fit anymore. Perhaps too many pony fruit snacks?

Also, our camera is on the fritz. So, (yippee!!) I need to go get a new one. It sounds so selfish of me to be buying a new camera when I was complaining about getting people who have nothing some essentials. I guess that's life for now, at least we could help them out a little.


But isn't there a little part of you that worries you are getting conned every time you try to help out someone? For some reason I always think that when I give someone a handout. Perhaps it is because of the guy in Raleigh who held a sign that said "Will Work for Food" who turned down a good job the city offered him because he said he made more money standing at the freeway exit every afternoon. Perhaps it is because of the women I see standing at several different intersections here in Takoma Park who get in a fancy car at the end of each day?

I don't know, I guess you can't fix the world no matter what you do or don't do. On that note, have a happy weekend. We finally got some RAIN!! Hooray!!

A little update on the day: This morning, Laney climbed out of her bucket swing and fell on the ground. She seems okay, but whew! were we all frightened!