STAMP OF APPROVAL . . .OR NOT

Last year during the SOL March writing challenge my Grandpa passed away. One of the things I wrote about was how I spent the day I heard about his death in a blind panic looking for several sets of stamps he had given me.  At first, I didn't want to open the envelopes because I really struggled with disrupting them. Over the course of several months more and more packets of stamps would appear.  My Mom would find a set in her hutch with my name on it or I would find another set in my kitchen drawer with some bills.  I joked with my family that there was no possible way my Grandpa had given me all these sets and that he must still be collecting and sending stamps to me somehow.

As he would pass on a little packet of stamps here and there, I would say to myself that I would frame them all someday.  Someday was apparently an overly warm day afternoon this past fall.  I picked up some nice matted frames from Target that I found on clearance.  They had to be on sale, as my Grandpa would expect nothing less.  I don't think the man bought anything that was full price in his life.  I started by laying out the stamps on top of the glass just so I could get an idea of how many frames I would need. I settled on three.  I left the project out for several days as I was working on it.

One day I came home from work and found the stamps shoved up to the top of the frames.  I kind of panicked.  At first I thought someone had come in the house via the sliding glass doors across from the kitchen table and the breeze had blown the stamps around.  That would make perfect sense except I live by myself.  I even tip-toed around and did the proverbial "Is anybody here?" bit.  I texted my family and asked if any of them had stopped by while I was at work.  I looked around for open windows, ceiling fans left on.  I even picked up my cat and looked deeply into his eyes to assess his involvement in the matter (he says he didn't do it).  

Logically, I know there is a rational explanation.  But it won't stop me from smiling and saying "Message received, Grandpa.  Shall we try alphabetical by country of origin, instead?"