THREW Mikes EyEz

Original Writings, Images, Video and Artworks of Mike Hartley

Memorable gift

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The Bloganuary writing prompt of the day is “What is the most memorable gift you have received?”

My children have been the most memorable gift I’ve received in my life. And it’s a gift that keeps on giving on making memories. I had no idea of the value of this gift beforehand. It felt unusually special from the time it was delivered. It’s given me happiness, pride, laughter, contentment, focus, warmth, love, and purpose from the day they were received.

And now that those gifts are older they are creating new gifts for me again in the form of grandchildren. And those are giving me many wonderful things all over again.

Even the most memorable physical gifts have come from my children. But of course, none of them would have been possible without the first gift of my better half.

The less life becomes about material gifts, the happier you will find yourself.


As I was searching through some old memorabilia of my early days in newspapers I found these tucked in with some other older photos. This top shot is probably 20 years old and it was probably 30 years before that, I first stepped foot in Mr. Yates’s store.

Nickle popsicles, 10-cent ice cream sandwiches. Photo by Mike Hartley

That first job was with the Times Newspapers just a hundred feet up the street for his store. No A/C during the summer drove me to his business repeatedly for ice cream when we would get a break. There was no need for a gym back in those days. Work was a workout in itself.

Mr. Yates behind his counter. Photo by Mike Hartley

Working late nights we would go over and stock up on snacks and dinner items before he would close.

Flowers in front of old Yates Market Photo by Mike Hartley

It’s been gone from our history for about 10 years now but I’ll always remember how good it felt to come back to the plant with a fist full of popsicles from his freezer on a baking summer night.


Random Thoughts of the Day

  • It’s good to think ahead if you have the right thoughts.
  • If you help someone and it doesn’t go well, write it off and look for the next person to help that will benefit from it and appreciate it.
  • Pets can’t talk but say thank you many more times than humans.
  • There were leftovers so it was also Taco Monday following a Taco Sunday. I wonder if I’ll be taco’d out by the time Tuesday rolls around?
  • Deja Vu in South America.

Author: Mike Hartley

With a lifetime and a half in the Newspaper industry I'm preparing for my retirement career as an Artist, Writer, Photographer and Video content provider. I'm a proud father of two wonderful children and I'm still married to the first girl I fell in love with and probably only one that would have me.

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