Leading off this initially blustery month of March is an upturned digit from an appreciative Red Oak family.
In an email forwarded to this columnist, a family member wrote, "A big 'Thumbs-up" to the kind couple who found our sweet family dog, Toby. He wandered off on Sunday, Feb. 15, before all the snow and ice. We are so grateful to have him back. We didn't get their name.
"There are still so many nice people in the world. Hot Springs citizens are helpful."
Meanwhile, Danny and Mary Morrison have two "Thumbs-up" to award as noted in the following missive to the hometown newspaper.
"First," wrote Danny Morrison, "I recently took my wife fishing from the banks just below Blakely Dam. She is a cancer patient and is not always steady on her feet. Unfortunately, she lost her balance and fell head first onto the boulders below.
"Two nearby fishermen rushed to our aid and helped me get her to her feet and back up the bank. Thankfully, her injuries were limited to some nasty scrapes and bruises. But in the panic, I failed to get the names of the two gentlemen who helped us. However, I thank God for your help."
Morrison continues, "Secondly, I am impressed and grateful that -- despite the dangerous weather -- my newspaper has been waiting for me every morning in my driveway.
"Thank you all for who you are and what you do. Hard to believe some people don't believe in angels."
And joining the sunny-side-up crew with her own "Thumbs-up" is Roberta Watts, of Pearcy.
In her email, Watts explained, "This morning (Feb. 19) was trash collection day in our neighborhood near Lake Hamilton school. As I left home, I was distressed to see the large amount of trash littering our street. I returned home before noon and was getting my mail. The letter carrier told me that a new company was now collecting our trash.
"I walked down the street along our property and picked up the litter. Just as I returned to my driveway, two pickup trucks parked nearby and several gentlemen got out and started walking along our street. It became apparent that they were also picking up the litter. I told them how much I appreciated their effort. They replied that they were so sorry about the situation and were going to make it right, so thus the 'Thumbs-up.'"
On a personal note, this writer offers a "Thumbs-up" and her heartfelt thanks to two thoughtful neighbors who helped out during the recent spate of wintry weather.
To begin with, trainer Paul Holthus apparently saw my feeble attempts to clear the slippery stairs of ice and finished the chore in masterful fashion after I had given up and gone back inside. Paul also came to my rescue before this, hefting a large box containing a new paper shredder up the same stairs when he and his wife, Nancy, saw that I was struggling with it.
Then, after last week's snow, I mentioned to my friend and neighbor, Rosemary Sherrard, that I was going to try and sweep off the stairs again, and in minutes, she appeared outside my condo with shovel in hand, cleaning off the concrete apron area and the steps, then moving on to another resident's unit to create a walking path for him.
And ending with an upbeat thought, True Alisandre, of Hot Springs, sends out his "Thumbs-up" to the Starbucks on Central Avenue. He wrote in to say that the Starbucks was the only coffee shop open in a 5-mile radius on Feb. 16, pointing out, too, that Ken made him a specialty cup of Suwalesi (a low-acid Indonesian coffee) and "was happy to do it."
When Alisandre complimented one of Ken's co-workers for being open that day, the response was, "We have to be here for our customers."
The Thumbs Column appears in The Sentinel-Record the first and third Wednesday of each month. The newspaper welcomes readers' comments and suggestions, which should be submitted in writing with a name, telephone number and address for verification.
Editorial on 03/04/2015