On a recent trip while wandering through antique shops searching for treasures, I amused myself by photographing posters, and signs that people hung in their homes because they were: meaningful, funny, whimsical, truthful, and sometimes shocking.
TOILET OUT OF ORDER. PLEASE USE FLOOR BELOW. —————————— —————————— —————————— – In a Laundromat: AUTOMATIC WASHING MACHINES: PLEASE REMOVE ALL YOUR CLOTHES WHEN THE LIGHT GOES OUT. —————————— —————————— —————————– In a London department store: BARGAIN BASEMENT UPSTAIRS… —————————— —————————— ————————- In an office: WOULD THE PERSON WHO TOOK THE STEP LADDER YESTERDAY PLEASE BRING IT BACK OR FURTHER STEPS WILL BE TAKEN. —————————— —————————— —————————— —————————— ————— In an office: AFTER TEA BREAK, STAFF SHOULD EMPTY THE TEAPOT AND STAND UPSIDE DOWN ON THE DRAINING BOARD. —————————— —————————— —————————— — Outside a second-hand shop: WE EXCHANGE ANYTHING – BICYCLES, WASHING MACHINES, ETC. WHY NOT BRING YOUR WIFE ALONG AND GET A WONDERFUL BARGAIN? —————————— —————————— —————————— —————————— — Notice in health food shop window: CLOSED DUE TO ILLNESS… —————————— —————————— —————————— ———— Spotted in a safari park: (I sure hope so.) ELEPHANTS, PLEASE STAY IN YOUR CAR. —————————— —————————— ——— Seen during a conference: FOR ANYONE WHO HAS CHILDREN AND DOESN’T KNOW IT, THERE IS A DAY CARE ON THE 1ST FLOOR. —————————— —————————— ————————– Notice in a farmer’s field: THE FARMER ALLOWS WALKERS TO CROSS THE FIELD FOR FREE, BUT THE BULL CHARGES. —————————— —————————— ——————– Message on a leaflet: IF YOU CANNOT READ, THIS LEAFLET WILL TELL YOU HOW TO GET LESSONS. —————————— —————————— ———————– On a repair shop door: WE CAN REPAIR ANYTHING. (PLEASE KNOCK HARD ON THE DOOR – THE BELL DOESN’T WORK.) Proofreading is a dying art, wouldn’t you say? —————————— —————————— —————————— — Man Kills Self Before Shooting Wife And Daughter This one I caught in the SGV Tribune the other day and called the Editorial Room and asked who wrote this. It took two or three readings before the editor realized that what he was reading was impossible!!! They put in a correction the next day. —————————— —————————— —————————— —————————— —————– Something Went Wrong in Jet Crash, Expert Says Really? Ya’ think? —————————— —————————— —————————— ———————- Police Begin Campaign to Run Down Jaywalkers Now that’s taking things a bit far! —————————— —————————— —————————— ——————— Panda Mating Fails; Veterinarian Takes Over What a guy! —————————— —————————— —————————— ——————— Miners Refuse to Work after Death No-good-for-nothing’ lazy so-and-so’s!
—————————— —————————— —————————— ——————— Juvenile Court to Try Shooting Defendant See if that works better than a fair trial! —————————– —————————— —————————— ———————– War Dims Hope for Peace I can see where it might have that effect! —————————— —————————— —————————— ———————- If Strike Isn’t Settled Quickly, It May Last Awhile Ya’ think?! —————————— —————————— —————————— ———————- Cold Wave Linked to Temperatures Who would have thought! —————————— —————————— —————————— ——————— Enfield ( London ) Couple Slain; Police Suspect Homicide They may be on to something! —————————— —————————— —————————— ——————– Red Tape Holds Up New Bridges You mean there’s something stronger than duct tape? —————————— —————————— —————————— ——————– Man Struck By Lightning: Faces Battery Charge He probably IS the battery charge! —————————— —————————— —————————— ——————– New Study of Obesity Looks for Larger Test Group Weren’t they fat enough?! —————————— —————————— —————————— ——————– Astronaut Takes Blame for Gas in Spacecraft That’s what he gets for eating those beans! —————————— —————————— —————————— ——————– Kids Make Nutritious Snacks Do they taste like chicken? ****************************** ****************************** ******************** Local High School Dropouts Cut in Half Chainsaw Massacre all over again! ****************************** ****************************** ****************************** **** Hospitals are Sued by 7 Foot Doctors Boy, are they tall! ****************************** ****************************** ****************************** ***** And the winner is… Typhoon Rips Through Cemetery; Hundreds Dead Did I read that right?
During my bereavement support group meetings where I met Peg, one of the grieving widows suggested that we should ask our dead partners to send a sign. The sign can be anything a soft wind across your cheek, a butterfly landing near you. It was this lady’s way of dealing with her grief. I liked the idea and often asked Barb for a sign. Anything I’d say, just to let me know you are doing well. Days would pass, or even weeks and months without a single thing I could interpret as a sign. One day, I was walking on the bike path. It was the middle of the day, and sunny. I felt a presence next to me. It was the strangest thing to feel something so close to you yet not hear it. I turned my head ever so slowly to see a full grown deer walking alongside me just behind my head. I walk this path almost daily, I ride my bike on the path almost daily yet I have never seen a deer near the path. That day, not only did was there a deer on the path it was walking side by side with me. I couldn’t take it any longer even though we had only been together for a few seconds, I had to talk to it. As soon as I did, the deer startled and ran on ahead of me for about twenty yards then skittered off into the woods.
Last month I started asking Peggy to send me a sign. What the heck maybe it’ll work again. Since then there hasn’t been a single event that I would place in the class of being a sign.
Last evening I had just settled down to watch a movie, and found one titled “Brad’s Status” starring Ben Stiller. The story has him thinking that out of all his college clique he is the only one that is not famous, rich, or successful. The story is more than that, however and I liked it.
I clicked on the start button when a sudden every loud noise happened within a few feet from me. Startled I nearly jumped out of my skin with freight when a second loud bang happened within a microsecond of the first. I jumped up to learn the source of this mini explosion. There in front of me just behind the loveseat lay a framed picture with broken glass all over the floor. Th picture is one of Peg’s and my favorites by Ted DiGrazia of running wild horses. I hung it above the bar separating our dining room from the sun room. It was set high and had fallen seven feet, first bouncing off the marble counter immediately below and then to the floor. It took out my orchid plant on the way down. The first thing that popped into my mind was what happened, then the SIGN came to mind. Was this a sign from Peg?
A Sign From Peg, The Horses Galloped Off the Wall Mustangs Free To Run At Last
I started to think of all the horse possibilities within our family. She has a son, whose wife and daughter are horse owners and horse lovers. I have a daughter-in-law who also has horses. Did something happen to one of these families? I wanted to call them on the spot to learn if all was well with them, but fought off the urge. If they had something happen they will let me know, in the meantime I’ll just categorize this as a sign from Peg, I connected once more.