I was sorting through boxes the other day here in Texas and I came upon a stack of index cards held together with a rubber band. I started going through the cards and remembered that I found them a long time ago (can’t remember when) at an estate sale. Most have handwritten sayings on them but others have clippings from the newspaper with bits of wisdom, poems or else some odd fact. A few of the cards with sayings on them have the name of the person whose words it was written down at the bottom. The date on these cards is 1969.

One such card reads: There are few things more uncommon than common sense. The name Mrs. Mary Bell Shipp is written in the lower right-hand corner.

Another handwritten cards says: Lord, fill my mouth with worthwhile stuff and nudge me when I’ve said enough. Amen. (No name)

Another says: Some people grow with responsibility. Others merely swell.

I love things like this – a window into someone else’s life and how they kept themselves headed in the right direction and also entertained.

One of the newspaper clippings reads: Fish Growth.

Fish scales show growth rings. By counting much as tree growth rings are counted, the relative age of the fish can be estimated.

Another clipping is entitled Long Worms.

Earthworms that can be stretched to a length of ten feet are a curious feature of the rain forests of Australia.

My favorite so far – there are at least 100 cards – is this one:

Only those who have the patience to do simple things perfectly will acquire the skill to do difficult things easily. This card has the name Joyce Verran in the lower right-hand corner.

I think I’ll put these cards in one of the drawers here in the house. When I need a little pick-me-up, I’ll know just where to go!

Happy evening, my friends.