Harry is the usher extraordinaire at Grace. Nearly every Sunday and for almost all funerals, Harry can be found in the back of the church, greeting, handing out bulletins, and no doubt giving people a hard time.
One Tuesday afternoon, Harry was working at the Dawson area food shelf, which happens to be housed in the room across the hall from my office. I stopped in to chat with Harry as he sat at the desk, listening to the radio, available for any community members who would stop.
We talked for a few minutes and then he said to me,
“What’s your name again?”
“Lindsay.”
“Oh,” he replied. “I won’t remember that. I’ll call you sweet pea.”
And it has stuck ever since. How he can remember sweet pea and not Lindsay I do not know. When my family visited a few weeks ago, he was sure to introduce himself and enlighten them as to my new nickname. Yesterday, Pastor Lori called Harry to find a good time to come visit him and his wife at home. He told Lori, “Make sure you bring sweet pea.”
So today, as Pastor Lori and I walked into Harry’s home, we were greeted as he said, “Oh, good. You brought sweet pea.” As long as it’s coming from Harry, I think it has grown on me. I can be his sweet pea for the next year.
Another Harry conversation:
“Do you have a boyfriend?”
“Nope. No boyfriend.”
“Oh.” (pause) “So that’s why you’re so happy.”
Ha.
there's no place like gnome. 
This one makes my heart warm. 🙂