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Back to Its Rightful Owner

Here's a funny story that happened nearby, although I'm sure the unfortunate family wasn't amused.

A lady had a garage sale on Saturday. She sold a large ceramic turtle for .50 cents to a woman who wanted to use the turtle as a cookie jar. The problem was that the lid wouldn't come off. The two discussed the best way to remove the lid, and the buyer left with the turtle.

The husband of the seller became alarmed when he couldn't find the turtle in the house and asked it's whereabouts. He was distraught upon learning it had been sold, because apparently the turtle contained the ashes of his first wife who had died. Thus the sealed lid. The wife felt terrible as she hadn't realized the turtle contained anything at all. The couple immediately contacted the local paper searching for the buyer, and the notice even made our front page for two days, though we are several towns away.

As luck would have it, the turtle has now been found. Apparently this morning, the newspaper received an anonymous call from the buyer, stating that she had donated the turtle to the local Salvation Army. A worker at the Salvation Army feared that the turtle had already been put on their truck going to their distribution center where it could then be dispatched to a nunber of Salvation Army stores. Fortunately for the original owner, the turtle caught the eye of the thrift store manager, and she pulled it off the truck. She planned to sell it at the store with a ticket price of at least $7.99, she said. When the newspaper contacted the Salvation Army, staffers were able to find the turtle and set it aside for the owner to repossess.

I just want to know who is organized enough to buy something at a yard sale on a weekend and have it tried out, rejected and to the donation center two days later?! I thought I was donation happy--but this lady even has me beat.

Comments

Anonymous said…
:) thoughtful and pretty interesting
jenny said…
Hmmmmm...why a turtle? That seems like an interesting choice.

And yes, as a person who needs to be more donation happy (I'm too sentimental) that was very fast turnaround.

Enjoyed catching up on your blog...camping looked like so much fun and the Little Chic and Brainy Boy looked like they both had fun (at camp, or at home).

Excited to read your upcoming product reviews...
Unknown said…
That was quite the story and so happy to hear the turtle made her way back to its rightful owner. She's the fastest turtle I know, with lightning speed getting back where she belongs.
Anonymous said…
Thank you for stopping by my blog.

Wow! What a story!!
Anonymous said…
I read the story too, but not the update, did I miss it in the paper?

It's a story with a happy ending. Seemed this deceased wife loved turtle and had many all over the house. It's just weird that the hubby didn't let his new wife know where his deceased wife's ashes were? That is very strange that she didn't know. AND Obviously this man kept all her turtles all over the house on display and the new wife wanted them outta there! LOL!

~Sue

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