"Sometimes I sits and thinks ... and sometimes I just sits." was one of the many things I've forgotten Mrs. Partin saying. Nina Partin was an aged woman who lived about a block from the church when I was growing up. She was a widow and a retired seamstress, though she often took in some sewing. Her son Wilbur lived in a room behind her house for most of the time I knew her. He was an alcoholic and a really nice guy. Wilbur would mow someone's lawn or fix a broken lamp or do some other domestic chore for someone and he'd buy eggs and chicken necks for his mother (and probably a bottle for himself). She was such a sweet spirit and never had a bad thing to say about Wilbur, though I'm certain he was a millstone about her neck. I wish I could remember all the witty things Mrs. Partin would say, but that has been too many years ago. What I do remember is that our family took care of her ... in lots of little ways. Mom would make extra dinner and walk down the alley to take it to Mrs. Partin. When I got older I would ride my bike down and take her milk or eggs or something... then I'd pull weeds in her flowerbeds and take out the trash and then sit and listen to her quote poems to her parakeet.
When David and I were traveling through Europe during the summer of 1971, we spent almost a week in a small fishing village north of Barcelona called Aryns de Mare. I remember walking about the village early in the morning and watching the lady at the top of the hill sweep her sidewalk into the gutter and then sweep the gutter toward the main part of town. When she was about half finished, her neighbor came out and greeted her. They visited while he swept is sidewalk into his gutter. He picked up her refuse and continued pushing it down the hill towards town. I noticed that this process took place all over town and it dawned on me that this morning ritual allowed the whole town to get out and visit with each other and the entire village got swept in the process.
I think these two memories are related.
"They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread together in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising GOD and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." Acts 2
