Thanks, But No Thanks

Geof and I were outside this evening pulling up the spent sunflowers around the yard. Our neighbor stopped by to ask for some seeds for a friend who mentioned she'd like to have some. I collected enough to fill a small container and gave them to her. She said she appreciated me giving them to her but that she couldn't thank me. Something about an old wives tale that you're not supposed to thank someone for flowers or the person will die. What?! I chuckled and thanked her for not bringing about my death prematurely. She said she heard that as a child. She's an older lady, set in her ways and ornery as hell, but I like her a lot.

I'd never of heard that old saying before. It reminds me of one my grandmother taught me. She always says that you're never supposed to return a vessel empty. Like if you give her a pie in a reusable pie plate she always returns the plate with something else in it. Wives tales are funny I was trying to think of some others that I know of, like...

• If you drop the dishrag that means that company's coming
• Never kill a spider in the house because it's bad luck
  
• Never take a broom along when you move, throw it out and buy a new one.
• Pulling out a gray or white hair will cause ten more to grow in its place.

...etc, etc, etc. Old people are awesome!