A Tale Of Two Lemonade Stands...

Saturday afternoon, I had an errand to run. And so, I got in Donk, the Subaru and went for a drive. I took the upper road and avoided I-15. You see life when you take the backroads, people walking dogs, joggers, yard sales, 

And lemonade stands.

Two, to be precise.

You don't see lemonade stands very much anymore. Maybe they're there, and I just miss them. I don't know, but on my drive south, I saw the first stand by a church. Two boys, a card table, cups, various drinks, and a sign. I waved and kept driving.

At the very next church (and, where I live churches from the same denomination can literally be across the street from each other...) another lemonade stand sprang up, this time, two girls about the same age as the boys. They also had a card table, drinks, cups, and a sign. I did notice their sign listed the price of their product--twenty-five cents. Once again, I waved and kept driving.

After completing my errand, I returned home the same way, but this time, I spotted some loose sitting idle in my car. I decided I was thirsty.

The girls's stand was the second I saw driving in, so on the return trip, it was the girls's stand that I reached first. I pulled over and fished out a quarter. "Do you want ice," one of the girl's asked.

"Of course," I said.

We completed the transaction. I pulled ahead a little and downed my drink. Good stuff! I drove the couple of blocks until the next stand, pulled the car over and lowered the passenger-side window.

"Hello," I said from the driver's seat.

"What kind do you want?"

Wow--choices. The girls did not offer choices, just lemonade.

"What you got?" I asked.

"Lemonade, watermelon, and fruit punch."

I'm more impressed.

"I'll take watermelon." I was feeling a bit zesty.

"How much?" I asked as I fished out another two-bits.

"Seventy-five cents," the boy said as he handed me my drink. I grabbed a few more quarters and handed them over. Good drink, no ice--I wasn't even given the option.

So, there you go. Capitalism at work--what the market will bear. I drove from the second stand wiser...

And out a buck.

Helping Out Any Way They Can...

I saw the kids and their card table on the corner as I drove to my in-law's tonight. That's cute, I thought. A lemonade stand. We usually don't stop, mostly because our kids have sensitivity issues to some foods, and we don't know what's in the lemonade, or the cookies, or the other items found at such events.

After our visit, we passed by the kids again. I waved and smiled, and since I knew I wasn't going to stop, I hoped waving and smiling would take some of the sting of us not stopping. This time as I passed, I read their signs.

It was the sign with the picture of a tornado that caught my attention. It read "Help The Victims In Oklahoma." I had my son in the van with me and we talked about how great it was for them to help. We were a few blocks away when I remembered I had some cash in my wallet. I turned the van around and drove back.

I snapped a picture as my son handed the kids a few bucks. He told them we didn't want to buy anything, just to make a donation. It's only a few dollars. I hope it helps out in some small way. But I praise the kids for doing something good.