Bonanza!!

I had to go into Ruidoso today. Since I was going in and remembered to take everything I needed, I stopped at the bank. Here's the deal ....

I had a US Savings Bond my parents gave me back in 1976. Apparently, they had bought savings bonds for each of us when we were born, and somehow my parents realized they had not bought one for me. I'm the last of five kids, so that's not surprising. When they figured that out, they bought one for me. The value was $75. They paid about $56 for it. I stuck the thing away and didn't give it much thought. It had to mature. I think it was a ten year bond.

When I moved from KC, I cleaned out the safe deposit box, and it was one of the things inside. I brought a home safe with me, and I put it, along with several other things, inside that safe. Didn't think of it again till recently.

A few months ago, I was looking for something or other, and I was going through the safe. There it was. I held it a few seconds, thinking I should cash it, but also wavering because it was something my parents touched before passing it on to me. I hated to let it go, as it seemed to have a connection with my folks. Silly, perhaps, but it seemed so. I finally decided a couple weeks ago, that it was ridilulous to hang onto it. So I collected all the necessary paperwork to cash it in. It was made out in my previous name, so I had to take the name change proof, etc.

Today I took everything with me and stopped at the bank. I had a couple other little checks to deposit, and I figured I would come out a bit richer, perhaps $100 to $150, and that make me happy. My plan is to leave it in the bank till I go to Hawaii, and it will be spending money. The teller began to look over the paperwork, and it was in order. She said she would check the current value of the bond, and she punched in the identifying codes, etc., and said, "Well, that's has a nice gain." She walked to the printer and got the sheet from it, then laid it in front of me. My knees shook when I saw that it was worth over $400!! Hot diggedy damn!!!!!! This makes my trip SO much more doable!!

Seriously, I was going to have very little spending money. I knew the best part of the trip would be the good company and the experiences, but of course, I wanted to have a little to bring back a souvenir, a sarong or something. This takes off the pressure!

Just when I think there isn't an out, something like this happens. Ain't life grand???

.... Life (really) is beautiful!!!!