Dear Walmart

Dear Walmart,

Usually when I go to you, I think to myself, "Self, why are you here, you hate Walmart". Yet, I continue on and go in, get what I need and leave. Yeah the lines suck and it's a little annoying that you have like 2 cashiers for the 50 people in line, but I get over it since you usually have what I need.

Well, lets just say that didn't happen last time. I had to make the long trek in from the parking log in the freezing cold. Then I got in and the 2 things I needed weren't even available. And the 1 or 2 employees on the floor had a giant crowd of people waiting for assistance so I didn't even bother since having them look for them would've taken hours.

I just went to Target. Same price, on the shelf, and as an added bonus, I also found a musical cow. And they have a pizza hut in their store.

So let me just tell you Walmart, you have crappy produce, poor service, lots of out of stock stuff, and a few things cheaper than Target, but Target kicks your butt in terms of service, quality, and the fact that they actually have what I need in stock or employees willing to assist me.

Les

Dear Fear,

Dear Fear,

I once had you, sometimes I still do. But I sometimes at night I pray for courage. I pray to stand up for what is right and true. I pray that I will have the courage to say what I feel and to act on those feelings.

I trust that God will give me courage to overcome you in my life and to do the things that need doing. To say what needs to be said, and to follow the path that might be harder to go down.

Someday, I will stand tall and know I've overcome you. And to know I didn't do it alone. With faith, nothing is impossible.

So try if you must, but I will beat you.

Les

Dear Santa,

Dear Santa,

I realize it's a little late for this year, but I came up with a late Christmas wish list, maybe it will work for next year, maybe not:

1. I would like my sister Christine to give the evil meowing cat that your "elf" left under the Christmas tree to Jake for his birthday. I know it's regifting, but I think it will be given just as much love as it's gotten at her house.

2. I would like Becca to get some sort of skimpy shirt or funny item. I usually get her a gag gift of some kind, but it just didn't happen this year. I ran out of energy.

3. I would like a baby cow. I don't know where I'd put it, but Ang has a strip of grass. Her neighbors wouldn't mind right?

4. A baby lamb would be cute too. They are hard to kill right? They are the size of a small dog, surely one could go in the yard too?

5. I really think I should get another patio pool. I miss my old one. It was super fun. I just hope I don't lose my top in it this time. I realize it is funny, but lets just say I prefer that it stay on my body.

6. When I get a new yard, I want a peach and nectarine tree. But you probably shouldn't bring them for me because I will buy them myself. If you could provide a love slave to help plant them, that would be much appreciated.

7. Do you think you could give me a fireman's pole? It might be fun, or I might hurt myself...most likely I'll hurt myself. But ya gotta live right?

8. I think my sister Ang would love one of those obnoxious screaming witch candy/toys. The one she so beloved somehow got thrown in the trash. Every time someone slammed a door it would scream. I know she loved it. I thought about getting it out of the trash for her and hiding it in her room or under her pillow. If you bring her one, please make sure you put it somewhere like under her bed or behind her dresser in some hard to reach place. She loves to hear it scream.

9. My sister Jenny would like something cool too. Maybe you've got a cool game like Operation Zombie or Monopoly Farms? Or you could bring her Just Dance 3? I think she needs to practice so when she comes to visit I won't beat her at it. It is a super fun game.

10. My dad would like a new dollhouse toilet. The one that belonged to the toy dollhouse at his house unfortunately got flushed down the toilet during our family christmas party and he had to remove the toilet and run a snake through it to get it out. The dollhouse one is now somewhere like the landfill.

Thanks for all the nice gifts you gave me this year. I am grateful for them.

Thank you for your consideration of these things in the future,

Love,

Les

Dear Becca,

Dear Becca,

Happy birthday late! I meant to post this a few days ago but I wasn't feeling very good and my bed and sleep called to me instead. I did call you though.

Anyways I'm glad you're my sister. You're kind and giving and you can make my nails super pretty. And you love me even when I burp happy birthday to you. Well, actually I've never done that but I know you'd still love me if I did.

I remember some fun times we had together. The hide and seek in the dark which mom and dad forbid us to play anymore because of damage to the house and their christmlas tree. I loved the karaoke and the special Christmas gives we give each other.

Anyways, I love you.

Love,

Les

Dear Old Neighbors,

Dear Old Neighbors,

I've been getting emails and things from you since I put my house up for sale and moved, and you know, you really made me feel loved. I really did enjoy living by you all. I know I was a softie when I came to your kids because I think I bought something from every one of them that came over to sell me stuff. And I even bought lemonade and then just dumped it out when they weren't looking cuz it was a little gross. Anyways, I thought I'd share a couple of emails I got from some of you that really made me grateful to know you and really touched me. I didn't realize how much of an impact I had on some of you until you started wishing me goodbye. But it goes both ways, there were so many of you I loved and admired.

Love,

Leslie

Here they are:

Hi Leslie,

How are you? I am sorry we didn't catch you before you left, but I just wanted to thank you for all you did for us. You were a really great neighbor. Thanks for all the times you mowed our lawn or pulled our weeds or found the fencing company or brought us a treat or let me sit by you in church. I learned a lot from you about looking out for and reaching out to others. Thanks for all the good you did here. I hope things go well for you. We will miss you!


Hey there Leslie-

Just wanted to know I saw your house pop up on my radar yesterday and when I told the family at dinner time- the whole clan was bummed about it.

The older kids have really missed you teaching them. You will be missed by us!

Change is always good! It's a rare person who welcomes it :) Good luck, and do- keep in touch with us- our family has really grown to love ya!

Dear Leslie,

I miss seeing you and your terrific smile. I am sad that I don't see you any more and was even sader to see a foe sale sign on your house, but I understand.

Some people come quickly into our lives and quickly leave,
Some stay a while and leave footprints on our hearts and we
are never ever the same.

Thanks for the heart attack on my birthday, the numerous nuts and raisins to lift my blood sugar, and your friendship.

Dear Doug and Margie,

Dear Doug and Margie,

I haven't thought of you in years, and suddenly I woke up this morning thinking of you. Wondering what happened to you.

I remember meeting you both at the cute little house next to the fire station where Doug worked in Brockport, NY. You had the cutest kids. You made us the nicest dinners. You wanted the best for your kids and did everything in your power to teach them good values and to make right choices. You didn't have a ton of money, but you were so down to earth and so kind. Such a giving sweet family. We had great discussions about religion.

Margie, I remember you telling me how you really wanted to get a house with a nice yard for the kids. I hoped you would find that. I hope you got your house with a yard that you could call your own. And I now understand why you felt that way. It's nice to have something and to belong somewhere. To see the fruits of your labors. You really did deserve to get a nice house. You were such a kind, Christlike person.

I wrote you when I left. I loved your family so. I wish you had written back so I could know what happened.

I hope that you found a nice house to move to with a cute yard that you could call your own. I hope it brought you joy. It's been a long time since I saw you both. You're probably grandparents by now.

But I thought of you today. We crossed paths for such a short time, and yet, it was a lifetime of memories and thoughts of you from years ago that crossed my mind today. Wherever life has taken you, I hope you know that God loves you. Just like you had such hopes for your children, he has such great hopes and desires for you. He sees potential in all of us, he knows what we are capable up.

Love,

Les

Dear Bridget

Dear Bridget,

Happy Birthday! Well I know there's like 2 days still, but I'm thinking of you at this very moment and so I am writing to you now.

I am glad you're my sister. I remember some fun times with you.

Do you remember all the special gifts you and I and Becca would wrap up for each other at Christmas? Well and I still do it. And the hide and seek in the dark at moms house and we kept knocking over the christmas tree and breaking things.

And when you got married you and Glenn gave me 2 cookie sheets. It made me happy. Those 2 cookie sheets are the only ones I have and it's so nice to have them.

And I love how we can sit around and laugh about things when you come and visit mom. And when you came down to visit and stayed at my house last year, it was great. I loved having you here.

You are such a hard worker. I'm proud of how hard you've worked to get through school and to take care of your kids.

I am so impressed by how much you love your students and how badly you want them to succeed. You have such a great heart.

I hope your birthday goes well and you know that your family loves you so much.

Love,

Les