Playing Nice In The Wednesday Hodgepodge

Welcome to this week's edition of the Wednesday Hodgepodge. If you've answered today's questions add your link at the end of my post then leave a comment for the blogger linking before you. Or all the bloggers linking here today.  Let's go-

1. What's one part of your everyday routine you'd be better off without? 

Facebook. It used to be a much looked forward to part of my everyday routine, but other than linking my blog and sending birthday greetings I am rarely there these days. I won't yammer on about why because surely everyone can agree it's not the congenial little corner of the Internet it once was. 

2. October 5th is/was National Do Something Nice Day. So what did you/will you do? 

I baked peanut butter cookies. Does that count? Hubs would say yes. He brought his mom over from Tennessee yesterday (Monday) and what should have been a 3-hour drive took them five. Ugh! Peanut butter cookies fresh from the oven made his day. 

3. What question do you hate to answer? 

These days pretty much anything relating to politics. So much hate and judgement out there. 

4. Do we have control over technology or does it have control over us. In that same vein, have you watched The Social Dilemma (available on Netflix) and if so what did you think? 

Y'all.  If you have not watched this documentary you need to, particularly if you're a parent. Prior to watching it I might have answered this question differently, but since I have seen the program I'm going to say technology does control us, and it controls us in ways we might not have considered. Unless you're off the grid, but of course if you're here reading this blog I suspect you're not off the grid. teehee. 

5. What are three small things that make your day better? 

that first cup of steaming hot coffee, a cloudless blue sky, dinner plans

6. Insert your own random thought here.

As much as I hated to say farewell to my beautiful geraniums that bloomed all summer long, these huge mums were too pretty not to buy.

And if you give a porch a mum you need to add a pumpkin. And a pansy. And maybe a baby pumpkin and also a white pumpkin and then another mum in a different color. Did I tell you I love fall? 

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 389

It's that time again and here are the questions to this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog then hop back here tomorrow to share answers with all your friends and neighbors. See you there! 

1. What's one part of your everyday routine you'd be better off without? 

2. October 5th is/was National Do Something Nice Day. So what did you/will you do? 

3. What question do you hate to answer? 

4. Do we have control over technology or does it have control over us. In that same vein, have you watched The Social Dilemma (available on Netflix) and if so what did you think? 

5. What are three small things that make your day better? 

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Be An En-, Not A Dis-

Entering Week 2 in the April A to Z Blog Challenge and we're moving right along. 100 meaningless bonus points to anyone who gets this title. Perhaps if you read on...

I'm trying not to make every post in this thirty day challenge relate back to the virus, but a fair chunk of the words I was given do send my brain in that direction. For now, our everyday life is impacted by restrictions to our actions and our interactions, which makes it hard to avoid referencing every once in a a while.

These are strange times and my blog is a journal of sorts, so while I'm not intentionally dedicating these challenge posts to the current public health crisis, it will very likely get more than a mention now and then.

Day 5-E is for Encourage

Okay, on with the show. Today's word is brought to you courtesy of my mother-in-law, encourager extraordinaire. Everybody needs one in their life and she has the gift of encourgement. She is always telling you you're appreciated...loved...better than you think you are, and for that I'm grateful.

I'm realizing that while I didn't start out with the idea of giving a shout out to the person in my life who provided the day's word, it is turning out that way. As I write each post I think of the sender and our shared history with so much affection. An unexpected happy little bonus to my theme this year.

Before I start one of these alphabet posts I always like to look up the definition of the word, along with any synonyms or antonyms. Synonyms for this one include hearten, cheer, uplift, inspire, motivate. In this present age of social distancing where do you find encouragement?

When I stop and think about it I realize I'm finding encouragement in all the places I normally find it-

From family who call-text-zoom to say I love you and you matter to me.
They bring joy to my heart.

From the kindness of strangers on display all around the globe.
Inspiring me to be kind too.

From people in all sorts of professions figuring out new and creative ways of moving forward.
Motivating me to be flexible and to keep trying new things.

From friends who make me laugh when we hang out 'together' albeit online.
Bringing cheer and lifting my spirits.

From people who show restraint and resist complaining when yes, there is plenty to complain about. Who look for the good and find it, and then tell us about that.  
Encouraging me to remain optimistic.

From the quiet stillness of the early morning hours.
My heart remembers peace is possible.

From the beauty of the sunrise.
New mercies are mine for the taking, come rain or shine or Coronavirus.

From reading God's word and mediating on this holy season of extraordinary love and sacrifice.
I have hope. What's more heartening-cheering-motivating-inspiring-encouraging than that?

Let's all resolve in this upside down season of life to be encouragers, not discouragers.
We can do it, and I'm encouraging us to try.

Kruising Into The Weekend

Winding down week two in the A-Z Challenge and I'm still here. And it's Friday and my teacher daughter is on spring break next week so whoohoo! I think I'm as excited as she is not to be getting up before the crack of dawn for a solid week. Cheers to the weekend and sleeping past 5 AM!

I don't have a lot of time to blog, and if I'd been better organized I'd have written these A-Z posts weeks ago.  I probably didn't have time then either so here we are crawling into the weekend with one of the harder letters in the alphabet challenge.

I press on...

K is for Kindness

Not just the random unexpected kind either, but ordinary everyday kindness. Who doesn't feel delight at ordinary everyday kindness in the year 2019? I think this used to be what we called good manners, but now we call them 'acts'. 

Holding a door open for the person behind you, letting someone jump in line who has just a handful of groceries to purchase, picking up trash we didn't drop, returning the shopping cart, a baked treat for the new neighbor, going out of our way a little to help someone who needs helping, not saying everything you think. Saying good morning-thank you-you're welcome-I'm sorry. 

Kindness extended in even the simplest of ways lifts the spirit of both the giver and the receiver.

Then there are the random unexpected acts of kindness that come our way. The theme for my A-Z challenge this year was born out of one of these unexpected acts. Three months later and that small big act continues to delight me every single day.

Early in January I wrote about my word for this year. Someone read what I wrote and they acted on it. Two weeks later I had a package in the mail and I am still not over it. Every day I put that bracelet on my arm and every day I feel that same sense of delight all over again.

And now I've written two blog posts about it and it's only April.

Sometimes it feels a little obvious, trite, cliche to write about kindness. We're bombarded now with t-shirts, slogans, social media hashtags urging us to be kind but like most things that matter in this world, things that make a real difference in peoples lives, it's the doing as opposed to the 'talking about doing' that creates change.

Can kindness change the world?

In a word yes.
Our little corner of it anyway. 

The Bracelet

I want to tell you a story. A true story. And I want to write it down because I want to come back here and read it when the world feels harsh.

I grew up in a neighborhood where kids walked to school. Where red rubber balls were kicked across the blacktop. Where we learned to write in cursive and play the recorder. Where we hit softballs on the diamond out back and learned to finally do a pull up on the playground monkey bars.

It was the kind of neighborhood where kids spilled out of doors and skated on a frozen pond. Where games were played and arguments occurred but where we always made up because we were a team. A pack. The kids from Barclay.

We lined up every year on the first day of school with our friends, our classmates, kids we'd known since kindergarten. While every year the mix of kids in each class varied a little, whatever the combination it would be recognizable. Familiar. The makeup of our elementary school didn't change a whole lot in all the years we were there.

We rode our bikes 'look no hands!' to the swim club on sunny summer days it seemed would never end. Except they do. Of course they do. We grow up and away and our circles expand. We make new friends and yet always always in my heart is a place I hold dear for the kids from Barclay.

Flash forward to the year 2019, last Friday to be precise. I was reading in our family room when hubs came in with the mail. He put a CD sized envelope in my lap and I noticed the return address immediately. It was from a childhood friend. A girl from elementary school I haven't seen in literally decades.

We're friends on Facebook and occasionally have had a message back and forth about something or other, but no real long talks or heart to hearts. I love her artwork and she likes my travel pics. She encouraged me to try to make our high school reunion this past year, but I wasn't able to go.

So I looked at the envelope and wondered what in the world she might be sending me. I kind of assumed she was mailing something from the reunion, maybe a picture or a CD of pictures perhaps, but y'all in a million years I could not have predicted what was tucked inside that envelope.

It was a bracelet. And a few words with big impact on the backside of the card. The bracelet is a pretty strand of chords held together with a delicate silver bead. In the center of the bracelet is a washer style charm with three tiny hearts and a single word stamped in the metal.

My word. Delight.

I was speechless. I'm still a bit lost for words. A true random act of kindness that made my heart sing.

So obviously she reads my blog and let me just say that's the first thing that 'delights'. When someone reads my blog and I didn't know they were someone who reads my blog. But still, how many people know my word and see my word on a sign or a piece of jewelry or wherever and think of me and then act on it.

Because acting on it is really the thing, isn't it?

I mean many of us have good intentions. We want to do something kind or thoughtful or meaningful for someone but we just never get around to actually doing those things.  I don't know what prompted my friend to act but it doesn't really matter. She saw my word. She made the bracelet. She hunted down my address. She bought the off sized envelope. She packaged it. She wrote the note. She mailed. it.

And I'm still not over it y'all.

I hope I never get over it. I hope I remember my delight at the surprise and the thoughtfulness and the intent and the oh so perfect words she wrote on the back of the card and I hope I pay it forward in a way that makes somebody else feel what I felt when I opened the envelope and saw this.

I've been wearing the bracelet and when I look down and see the charm peeking out of my shirt sleeve I feel my heart shift. My perspective change. Now how do you say thank you for that?

So I'm writing it all down here with the hope this sparks someone reading to act. To do that kind, generous, thoughtful thing you've wanted to do, meant to do, but haven't gotten around to doing.

Thank you V! It's honestly the best thing that has happened to me in forever.

Five Minutes of Support

Joining with Five Minute Friday today, where the rules are simple- write for five minutes flat for pure unedited love of the written word. Link back to Five Minute Friday, and leave an encouraging comment for the person who linked before you.

Today's prompt-support

While we were not in the eye of hurricane Irma she did make her presence known around here. More so than expected I think, or maybe with all the weather reporting we were getting our area forecast simply hit my brain as white noise.

Nevertheless she was here.

In the grand scheme of things we had very minor stuff to deal with, a messy yard littered with hundreds or maybe thousands of sticks and branches, and no power for a couple of days. We love our electricity and don't do very well without it, do we?

Our power went out Monday evening and on Tuesday morning a friend called saying they'd hooked a generator up and would I like to bring over my frozen food and leave it for the duration to avoid spoilage. Yes please.

The worst of the wind and rain left our area on Tuesday so hubs and I got busy picking up sticks and debris. A neighbor down the street stopped by to see how we had fared and our next door neighbor phoned later to see if we needed anything.

Hubs and I went one town over in search of power and landed in Starbucks (naturally). It was packed with students as the local university had cancelled classes, and there were quite a few folks like us in search of a free outlet to charge devices. Everyone scooted in and moved over and passed cords under chairs to get connected. We got to know the man stuck in the corner beside us who, as it  happens, live in a neighborhood very close to ours. We exchanged contact info and made plans to meet for dinner soon.

We went out for dinner with friends that evening, and as we left the house hubs pulled the garage shut manually. When the power's out you do things the old fashioned way. A couple of hours later we pulled back into the driveway in the pitch black of night and much to our surprise the garage door was locked. Somehow when hubs closed the door he must have pulled it down just hard enough for the locking mechanism to kick in.

Which wouldn't normally be a problem but neither one of us had house keys. Oops.

We phoned the friends we'd just left and they said come on over and sleep in their guest room. They didn't have power either, but they did have a small generator and promised us an actual cup of coffee in the morning. Besides that hot cup of coffee they gave us toothbrushes and loaned us pjs and t-shirts for sleeping and we were so grateful.

On Wednesday we mentioned to another friend we were locked out of the house and her hubs came over and attempted to pick the lock. Apparently that's in his skill set-ha!, but our locks were too much even for him so we resorted to calling a professional. On the bright side, nobody's going to be breaking in here.

And now it's Friday, the sun is shining, we've had hot showers at home, done laundry, restocked the frig and carried on with life. We're not in an area where the cleanup will take months, where homes are gone and businesses demolished. Our little piece of the storm was an interruption to our daily routine, a frustrating few days, aggravating but certainly not devastating, and still the kindness and support we felt meant so much.

It's nice to have people worry about you. To do practical things like give you space in their freezer and a toothbrush from their cabinet. And I think about how everybody is just doing the best they can. Making their way through life, managing one storm or another.

How from time to time we all need someone to ask, 'are you okay?'

Hodgepodge Happenings

Welcome to the Wednesday Hodgepodge. I wrote my answers on Monday evening as I wasn't sure we'd have power here on Tuesday, and as it turns out we don't so whoohoo! for planning ahead. We ended up with more Irma effect in our area than was predicted, but thankfully all our big trees stayed in the ground. They did drop about a million trillion leaves and branches all over the yard, but we'll deal.

Well hubs will deal because y'all my rib thing ain't no joke.

Power went out Monday evening around 8:30 PM and we have not been given an anticipated time frame for it's return. Ugh. A friend has a generator and called to tell me to bring over my frozen foods so that was a blessing. I know our problems are first world problems and I try hard to keep that at the top of my brain while standing in a cold shower.

What a hard few weeks it has been. Irma has certainly left a path of destruction in her wake and my heart is heavy with the needs of those who've lost homes, businesses, pets, and most especially their loved ones. I pray we can all continue to be good neighbors, helping one another in whatever way we're able.

I so enjoy this midweek gathering every Wednesday, and am especially glad you've stopped by today. Here are my answers to this week's questions. If you're playing along, add your link at the end of my post, then leave a comment for the blogger linking before you. Here we go-

1. Is a picture worth a thousand words? Elaborate.

Ha! I think you know my motto runs more along the lines of 'a thousand words are worth a picture'. Wonderful photographs inspire words, and I need some of both. 

2. Have you ever driven any part of the Pacific Coast Highway? If so what was your favorite stop? If not, is this sort of trip on your bucket list?

I have not, and yes it's on my bucket list. In fact it's on my autumn to-do list so definitely share your favorite stops. We're planning to drive a small amount of the California coast later this fall, then meander along the Oregon coast a bit too. 

I'd love to drive the southern end of the PCH, but that will have to be another time. 

3. How do the changing seasons affect you? As the seasons change do you find yourself looking more forward or backward? Which season-season transition bothers you most? Why do you think that is?

I love the changing seasons and look forward to each one. I think it would be harder for me to live where the seasons don't really change. I'm someone who enjoys looking back and ahead and do both on a regular basis. 

4. It's your birthday and you get to pick the dinner menu. What are we having? Do you ever lie about your age?

What's on the menu? The main varies, but there will definitely be cake. German chocolate is my favorite but any chocolate will pretty much  do. 

I don't lie about my age. Why???

5. What's a life lesson you've learned recently?

I'm not as young as I feel? That little mishap I had three weeks ago was a doozie, and showed me I can't just go-do-grab-reach-hop like I could ten years ago. If I'd slipped like that ten years ago I think I'd have probably caught myself. These days I need to think before I act, instead of just going for it. 

6. Insert your own random thought here.

A short while back a blog friend (Shannon at The Iron Diva) asked if she could make me something for our new house. Last week I opened the door to find her very special package on my doorstep-

She sent me this most gorgeous afghan which, as you can see, I'm enjoying. If you've got time today, hop over and say hi to Shannon at The Iron Diva . 

Dear world-unprompted kindness makes planet Earth a sweeter place to lay our heads. 

Thank you so much Shannon for thinking of me,  for the beautiful blanket, and most especially for brightening my day. 

A Berry Nice Hodgepodge

We're kicking off this first day of June with another edition of the Wednesday Hodgepodge. If you've answered this week's questions be sure to add your link at the end of my post. Then go say something nice to the blogger linking before you because today is National Say Something Nice Day.

Here we go-

1. Tell us about one fun thing on your June calendar.

We celebrate 32 years of married life this June, so there's that. Course it lands on a Thursday so hubs will be dining at a work event, and I'll be dining with friends on the other side of town. They tell me we can Skype him in-ha! 

2. How careful are you in the sun? Do you tan or burn? Do you make it a point to see the dermatologist every year?

Ah the sun. Why must it be so bad for you??? I used to only tan, but now I'll burn if I'm not covered in sunscreen so I wear the lotion and a hat, spend time in the shade, and yes I do visit the dermatologist once a year. 

3.  Describe a time when you wanted to 'throw in the towel'.

Not often because I'm quite stubborn, but in all likelihood it had something to do with a computer problem I couldn't solve on my own. Thankfully I birthed my very own I.T. department so the frustration doesn't ever last for long.  

4.  What's a song you love that has a day of the week in the title or lyrics? 

Again with the pick one? My favorite is probably Easy (Like Sunday Morning) by the Commodores with Saturday in the Park by Chicago coming in a close second. 

5.  Are you a fan of berries? Which one's your favorite? What's the most recent berry dish you've eaten? Which blueberry breakfast food appeals to you most-blueberry pancakes, blueberry yogurt, or a blueberry muffin? 

I love berries. Blueberries are my favorite, but when it comes to berries I'm really not picky. We had mixed berries for breakfast on Monday morning and they were delish. Of the breakfast foods listed blueberry pancakes appeal to me, but I almost never eat pancakes. I like hubs to order blueberry pancakes when we go out to breakfast and then I can have one bite which is enough. I'd choose the yogurt. 

6.  What's something you want to do before your next birthday?

Move into the new house! And on the off chance Bob the Builder is reading here, my birthday's mid-September. Maybe I should tell him it's in mid-July? 

7.  June 1st is National Say Something Nice Day, so let's all say something nice here. 

I was grocery shopping Tuesday morning and a man shopping near me gave me a coupon for $10 off a $50 order. Whoohoo! It was expiring that day and he said he wasn't going to have $50 worth of groceries so would be happy for me to use it. Small unexpected kindnesses make life so much sweeter, don't you think? 

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

My nephew turns 10 today, and if you're related to me and your birthday falls on the Wednesday Hodgepodge you get a birthday shoutout. 

I thought it would be fun to see what else turns ten this year, and that list includes-Taylor Swift's first album, Twitter, High School Musical, and Nintendo Wii (anyone besides us still have one?). 

Oh, and also Facebook although it had been available to college students before then, but 2006 was the year your mama could finally see what you were up to online. Not this mama because I did not jump on the FB bandwagon until a few years later.  

Happy birthday A! I wish I were there to hold up two hands on your big day! 

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 268

Here are the questions to this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog then hop back here tomorrow to join the party. See you there!

1. Tell us about one fun thing on your June calendar. 

2. How careful are you in the sun? Do you tan or burn? Do you make it a point to see the dermatologist every year? 

3. Describe a time when you wanted to 'throw in the towel'? 

4. What's a song you love that has a day of the week in the title or lyrics? 

5. Are you a fan of berries? Which one's your favorite? What's the most recent berry dish you've eaten? Which blueberry breakfast food appeals to you most-blueberry pancakes, blueberry yogurt, or a blueberry muffin? 

6. What's something you want to do before your next birthday? 

7. June 1st is National Say Something Nice Day, so let's all say something nice here. 

8. Insert your own random thought here. 

Random Acts of Hodgepodge

Welcome to this week's edition of the Wednesday Hodgepodge. Answer the questions on your own blog, then add your link at the end of my post. Thanks for playing along today.

One quick item of blog business...I'm declaring next week winter break in the HP, so no Hodgepodge on February 24th. We'll be back the following Wednesday (March 2nd) with brand new questions and a brand new month.

Is it just me or is time flying?

Okay, back to today...here we go-

1.  February 17th is National Random Acts of Kindness Day. It lands on the calendar one day after National Do Something for a Grouch Day (February 16) which somehow feels related. Perhaps the 16th inspired the 17th? 

Tell about a time you performed a random act of kindness or were the recipient of one. Will you make an effort to perform a random act of kindness on the 17th? Share details if you're so inclined, and if you have something specific in mind.  

I'll make a specific effort to notice someone on the official 'holiday'. These ROK are wins for everyone, and I almost don't want to write about anything I've done because anonymity is part of what makes them special. I will share one story because it still makes me smile when I remember this particular young woman.  

About a year ago I was preparing to pay for my manicure when a bride to be came into the salon. She was literally counting our her singles to determine whether or not she could afford to have her nails done and she had an accent I recognized immediately as East Tennessee (it was, but we were in NJ...small world). 

She explained to the owner that her wedding was the following day, and asked what she could do for the few dollars she had to spend. I was the only other person in the shop, and this bride made no secret about the fact that money was really tight, not in a complaining way, but just matter of factly said she needed to count pennies. So I quietly paid for her manicure and left the salon smiling. 

Most of these National Holidays feel contrived, but I like this one...a reminder to look for opportunities to brighten someone's day. I'm going to try! 

2. What's the most uplifting or encouraging thing you see happening in the world right now? You may have to dig deep for this one.

The world still rallies around nations stricken with natural disaster or man-made terror. 

3.  Black olives, black currants, black grapes, black beans, blackberries, Oreos...your favorite food the color of night? Your least favorite on the list? 

That's an easy one! Black olives are my favorite. My least favorite on the list would be black currants, not so much the berry as things flavored with black currant. It's not a common flavoring in the US, but we found it in many drinks and candies in the UK.  

4.  A while back I read (here) a list of twelve things  you should do before you turn 50. They were-

travel when you have the chance, take care of your skin, learn a foreign language, make exercise a habit, leave a toxic situation, stop caring what others think about you, stop worrying, volunteer, spend time with your grandparents, pledge to work less, learn to cook an amazing dish, and seize an opportunity as it arises

What do you think of the list? What would you add or remove and why? If you're over 50, have you done all 12? If you're not yet 50, have you done any at all? What's on the list that you haven't done, but would like to do?

I've passed the mile-marker mentioned and have done most everything on the list. The one I found most challenging, and that still needs conquering from time to time would be 'stop worrying'. I've come miles in that department, but can't say I never ever worry.  I think it's a pretty good list. 

The only thing I might add is that you should tell people who've impacted your life in a positive way what it's meant to you. Let them know they played a part in shaping the person you are today. So often we assume that youth leader, coach, camp counselor, fifth grade teacher, etc. knows they've made a difference, but it's extra special to hear it said aloud or see it in a hand written note.  

5. Besides the classic Christmas flicks, what's your favorite film where winter plays a part in the setting? 

I like the sweet romance of  Serendipity starring John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale. And I like the thriller Cliffhanger starring Sylvester Stallone. I don't care how many times I've seen it, that first scene makes my palms sweaty every single time. 

6.  When did you last feel helpless, and what did you do about it?

Probably a couple of weeks ago when I was home alone with a fever and the worst headache of my life. What did I do about it? Cried to my husband when he phoned from an out of town business trip. Then later to my mom when she phoned to check on me. And possibly also one daughter. Maybe two. So to answer the question-I cried.  

7.  Share a favorite proverb.

"When words are many transgression is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is prudent." Proverbs 10:19

8. Insert your own random thought here.

 Combining two things I love (ballet and Degas) in a most beautiful way....click here to view. 

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 256

Here are the questions for this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog, then ski back here tomorrow to link answers with your friends and neighbors. Also, one item of blog business to note-I'm declaring next week Winter Break in the HP, so no Hodgepodge on Wednesday February 24th. I've got some things going on next week and I'm not sure what my computer access will be. Thanks for understanding.

We're here this week though, so let's get started-

1. February 17th is National Random Acts of Kindness Day. It lands on the calendar one day after National Do Something for a Grouch Day (February 16) which somehow feels related. Perhaps the 16th inspired the 17th?

Tell about a time you performed a random act of kindness or were the recipient of one. Will you make an effort to perform a random act of kindness on the 17th? Share details if you're so inclined, and if you have something specific in mind.

2.What's the most uplifting or encouraging thing you see happening in the world right now? You may have to dig deep for this one.

3. Black olives, black currants, black grapes, black beans, blackberries, Oreos...your favorite food the color of night? Your least favorite on the list?

4. A while back I read (here) a list of twelve things you should do before you turn 50. They were-

travel when you have the chance, take care of your skin, learn a foreign language, make exercise a habit, leave a toxic situation, stop caring what others think about you, stop worrying, volunteer, spend time with your grandparents, pledge to work less, learn to cook an amazing dish, and seize an opportunity as it arises

What do you think of the list? What would you add or remove and why? If you're over 50, have you done all 12? If you're not yet 50, have you done any at all? What's on the list that you haven't done, but would like to do?

5. Besides the classic Christmas flicks, what's your favorite film where winter plays a part in the setting?  

6.When did you last feel helpless, and what did you do about it?

7. Share a favorite proverb.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

What I Want In A World Gone Mad

Friday afternoon. A good time to blog because nobody reads on Friday afternoons, right? Lately it feels like nobody reading might not be a bad thing. And everyone can relax because I'm not going to weigh in on the refugee argument here. Not precisely anyway but make no mistake, it is an argument.

Everything is an argument, and that's what I really want to weigh in on.

Raise your hand if you've changed your mind on a particular issue because somebody posted a snarky comment on Facebook insinuating or outright saying you're an idiot? Yeah.

So can't we just stop? Why can't we stop? Why is there this insatiable need to prove you're right and I'm wrong. You're smart and I'm not. You love the poor and I don't. You're a Christian and I'm not and by golly I'm going to convict you of your transgressions in a public forum, and I'm going to do it in a way that doesn't just quietly offer you another point of view. I'm going to eviscerate you, judge the state of your heart and life because you asked a legitimate question and I'm a Bible expert.

Except very few people posting and commenting are actual experts. They're just average citizens with a Facebook page or Twitter account, a lot of opinions and most importantly, absolute certainty in their rightness.

I think we can all agree the refugee crisis is serious and complicated. Like almost every other issue that's divided our country in the past few years, this isn't an all or nothing deal, so why can't I have more than five minutes to make up my mind about what I want to see happen?

I'm not alone in feeling the need to step back and look at all the pieces of the puzzle. So many people feel conflicted about the right way forward, but woe to you who don't have an instant opinion.We're not allowed to feel conflicted about anything anymore. An issue arises and in a matter of seconds everyone and their brother is posting in ALL CAPS!!! where they stand, which is their perogative, but please don't tell me where I stand when I haven't been able to articulate it myself.

With almost everything that's occurred in our nation and around the world recently we've rushed to judgement. We're sheep, and nowhere is this more evident than in the online community. People follow speakers, high profile Christian authors and commentators, celebrities, political figures, people they admire for one reason or another and when that high profile person spits out their position, we're literally like sheep. We jump on the bandwagon without hesitation and heartily echo yes me too, without taking the time to figure out if what that person has espoused is true and accurately reflects how we feel or if we just lack the energy to swim upstream.

There are big problems in the world. Huge. Ginormous. Too big to tackle on our own. We need conversation. We need ideas to be floated out there, lots of ideas. We need to be able to have reasonable discussions about the important issues facing our communities and our world, and it seems we've lost the ability to do that. Calling someone names isn't going to get us anywhere, except further and further across a divide I fear we're in danger of never mending.

The judgements hurled at people who disagree with some particular point of view have made me feel a little bit sick to my stomach this week. I want to curl up and hide away from the nastiness, to not speak, voice an opinion, or ask an honest question, but here I am blogging. Because I want things for this tired troubled place we temporarily call home.

I want us to think for ourselves. I want us to listen. I want us when things go pear shaped to wait a second for the dust to settle and facts to emerge before hitting someone over the head with an opinion. I want us to quit judging the quality of a person's heart on the basis of a status update. I want people who hold positions of influence to be gentle in their responses to those who are trying to understand a world gone mad.

Do I think this post is going to change anyone's mind or behavior? Probably not, but that's not why I write. My blog is a journal, not a point of persuasion. I don't have a big following, but some important people really do read my blog. My daughters. And I want them to know their mother believes no matter how ugly the world becomes, they can still choose to be beautifully kind.

There is much written online I suspect is later viewed with regret, but dear daughters you will never be sorry you were kind. The world is harsh. Choose kindness.

Cruising Through the Hodgepodge

Welcome to another edition of the Wednesday Hodgepodge...add a link to your own answers (Hodgepodge posts only please!), and then be all neighborly-like, and visit the bloggers who linked up before you. Here we go-

1. What's the biggest change since your childhood in the way people think or act?

There is in general less respect, not only for those in authority such as teachers, police officers, etc, but also for the average person we encounter as we go about our day. I think we've become quite rude as a society. 

We don't know how to deal with someone who holds a viewpoint counter to our own, so that person must be eviscerated. They must be judged and judged harshly, labeled with the most derogatory terms we can find, and then verbally beaten to a pulp. It does seem to me the more we have talked about 'tolerance' the less 'tolerant' we've become. I feel like there is now much more emphasis on our differences, less celebrating what we as humans share.  

There's no shame. 
In anything.  

Technology is amazing, but has definitely re-shaped the way we interact with one another, not always for the better. There are new ways to communicate, but also new dark anonymous alleys for bullies and pedophiles and other creepy crawlies. I think there's more fear in the world today, which leads to less trust, and consequently planet earth feels a little less friendly than it did when I was young.  

Wow that got heavy.  

On the bright side I'm not wearing polyester or blouses tucked into high waisted jeans anymore either.  

2. The Olympic Biathlon involves cross country skiing broken up with two or four rounds of target shooting. Which part of that would stress you out more? Or would you love them both equally?

I'd like to try the shooting portion of this event, just not in combination with the pressure of a cross country ski race. I've never actually been on cross country skis, but those athletes all seem to fling themselves to the ground once they cross the finish line, so I'm thinking its way harder than it looks!  

3. February is National Canned Food Month...what is your most purchased canned food item? What was in the last can you opened?

I use very little in the way of canned foods. My most purchased item would probably be tuna fish, although I will admit to a love of canned whole green beans. I love fresh green beans too, but I really do like the taste of whole green beans, eaten right out of the can. There are worse things to snack on, right? 

4. What river (anywhere in the world) would you most like to cruise?

I'm not a 'cruiser', but I can handle rivers, so this would likely be the only way I'd ever agree to that sort of holiday.

The Rhine...castles, vineyards, and fairy tale towns in The Netherlands, France, Germany and Switzerland. What's not to love?

5. It's the middle of the night and you can't sleep...what do you do?  Count sheep? Toss and turn? Watch television? Or do you get up and do something productive?

This question reminds me of an e-card I saw the other day-

Well I don't count sheep. If I wake up in the middle of the night I'll start by ripping off the covers, since heat is normally to blame. I'll probably toss and turn a little, and oftentimes  I pray. Prayer has a way of settling me down on the inside so I can sleep. I don't turn on the television in the middle of the night, and I try not to get up and disturb my hubs. Apparently I'm not that great at being quiet-ha! 

6. How important is keeping your cool?

Keeping my cool is really important to me. I'm a pretty even tempered person, and find anger in others very difficult to handle. I think a viewpoint or opinion is heard, and more willingly considered, when it's made in a reasonable tone. Anger wounds. 

7. I've got white stuff on the brain so why not run with it? White lie, wave the white flag, white knuckle it, white wash a situation, or white as a sheet...which phrase could most recently apply to your own life in some way?

Hmmm...none of these really apply to me at the moment, although some of the Olympic events make me think of white knuckling it. I'm so nervous for the athletes, especially those doing the super scary stunts.  Aerial skiing anyone? Or how about the skeleton sled where they hurtle down an icy route head first going 80 mph? 

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

Speaking of the Olympics and treating others with kindness today...did you see where the Russian cross country skier fell in the middle of the race, and broke a ski? He thought he wouldn't be able to finish, but a coach for the Canadian team ran in from the sidelines with an extra ski he'd carried up in case his own skier needed it. The Canadian coach helped the Russian skier put the ski on, and the Russian was able to finish the race. He came in 12th, but was greeted by the Russians as if he'd won.  

How about US hockey star, T.J. Oshie, who when labeled a hero for essentially winning the match against Russia said, "The real heroes wear camo. I'm not one of them." 

Humility from someone in the spotlight is refreshing, isn't it? 
And another person's spontaneous act of kindness makes the whole world smile.   

"How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a naughty world." ~William Shakespeare, Merchant of Venice

N is for Normal

I'm here to talk about normal.

Or rather letter N in the April A-Z challenge.

I think it must be so hard to parent in the age of the Internet. There are a lot of supermoms out there, or at least women who play one online.

Their homes are beautifully decorated, their children's rooms organized by bin and color, and they bake themed sugar cookies for every occasion, monogrammed no less. They craft cute stuff in their spare time like hair bow holders that match their nursery colors, and mod-podged bulletin boards. They prepare perfectly balanced, organic, sugar-free, lunches that their children gobble down because they've been taught a carrot is just as good as a chocolate. They capture it all in soft angel light with gorgeous photographs that are filtered, cropped, and posted for all the world to see.

I truly love seeing beautiful photos, and I have no issue with people who post only their best side, be it home or family. I'm sure some mothers out there though, feel less than adequate when they hold themselves up next to a superwoman, and to those mamas I say if you wanna feel better, hold yourself up next to me. In fact I'll give you a stool for your aching feet and a cup of tea for your tired heart.

I admire women who are not only creative, but who make their creative ideas a reality. My house was clean, but you could come in and plop down on my couch, and our kids could play while we had coffee. We'd be interrupted a lot because kids interrupt, but we'd work on teaching them to say excuse me, to wait, to not interrupt...it's a process.

I baked and cooked and enjoyed it very much, healthy meals and cookies too. Cookies that were not monogrammed, but tasted good anyway. I took an awful lot of pictures, emphasis on the word awful, because I've always liked to mark the days and the moments and the memories. Even now I look at my brown bag full of out of focus, off centered photos, the ones I can hold in my hand because I haven't quite managed to get them in a scrapbook, and I smile.

Because I love being a mother.

And I love mothers, the perfect and the imperfect. The old, the young, the mid-lifers. The super creative who run like the energizer bunny, and the moms who think cooking means opening a can. The gardeners and photographers and the ones who drive their kids to school wearing pajamas under their raincoat. Motherhood in the 21st century has become something of a competition sport, and I don't really understand why.

I am a less than perfect mother...a mother who fretted more than she should have, who occasionally uttered the dreaded phrase, 'Because I said so', and who every now and then said let's put our pajamas on at 4 pm and eat pancakes for dinner because Mama's tired.

Because sometimes Mama was tired.

Mothering takes energy and sometimes you just run out of steam. You need a nap, a vacation, or a night out where you're offered wine instead of apple juice. You need a friend.

I'm not criticizing women who are chock-a-block full of talent...I just think we all have something different to offer, and the world benefits from the many unique strengths and abilities mothers bring to the table.  If mod podge isn't yours that's okay. I'm sure there are other things you do well, so focus on that.

I like to think of the many women whose paths have crossed mine, some since birth and some for just a season. Women whose hand reached out to mine as I navigated the sometimes mysterious, sometimes scary, sometimes just plain exhausting land of motherhood.

I think of my own mother who still mothers me. Who lets me pour out my heart to her in regards to my children. A woman who prays. I think of my very dear mother in law who has always treated me as a daughter and who always tells me I'm a wonderful mother even when I'm not feeling so wonderful.  My sisters and sisters in law...women different from one another, but each one loved for the special something they bring into my daughter's lives.  

I think of all the many moves we've made, new towns, new neighborhoods, new countries, and how God knew just who I needed next door or across the street. Neighbors who swapped child care, who drove me to the emergency room when my daughter needed stitches and it snowed and my husband was out of town and my car was in the shop. Yes all at the same time.  

Neighbors who gave my children juice or Kleenex or band aids, and me a cup of tea and a listening ear. I remember the gentle encouragement of a slightly older mom, and her very practical offer of a ride to bible study on Tuesday mornings. I remember the warm reassurance of a first grade teacher...Sunday School workers and youth leaders too. Strangers who became friends in a city across the sea. Special friends who every Friday prayed for my children, for their teachers, their school, and for me.  

I think of my sittin' at the kitchen table friends comparing notes on life with teens, and figuring out together how to gracefully go from a houseful to not a houseful. Women who had run businesses and classrooms and offices, and who now ran homes and carpools. Women who grew up speaking a language different than mine, but whose heart beat with the same fierce love for their children.  

Dear Moms-

Be kind. To yourselves and to the moms you see in real life and online life. We're all doing the best we can, making some mistakes along the way, but loving our kids as best we know how.  

And when you have an Easter where your 7 month old has twisted herself into a pretzel in her efforts to get down, and your almost 3-year old does not want her picture taken, or her cousin either, take it anyway. Don't filter out the shadows or try to photoshop that worn out, frustrated expression from your face, the one that says you've had too little sleep and are contemplating tears as soon as the lens is snapped. 

Just let it be.  

In twenty years look with new old eyes at the picture of your long ago normal day. A day you wanted so much to be special that in the end you found a little disappointing, because this was your picture.

When you look at this picture again, you'll wonder how in the world something so impossibly funny and sweet could have ever been viewed as a dissapointment. You'll laugh at your two piece dress and the bright blue sky, and most of all at the preciousness of a moment that will come racing back to you in a flash of something brilliant and perfect. 

Yes, perfect.  

Not you yourself, but the moment you captured on film. That moment you thought was all wrong with its shadows and bad lighting and uncooperative small, but mighty subjects is absolutely perfect.   

One day you will laugh and know that only in motherhood can imperfection be perfection.  

Five on a Friday

I'm not sure I have five fragments, but five on Friday has a nice ring to it, so I'll come up with something.

1.  Our fox-

Okay, so he's not really 'our' fox, but we call her ours because she has a den in the woods on our side hill.  I took these pictures from inside the house so they're a little blurry. She has a way of staring me down that is off-putting, so I wasn't going out there.

Every spring kits are born in the den and they are adorable, but her?  Not so much. She looks a little mangy and kind of hungry to me. I watched her run up my next door neighbor's driveway on Wednesday morning and then cross into our front yard. She looked right at me and then hopped up on the big rock close to the house.

Groundhogs live in this wall, but she didn't need me to tell her that. When we first moved into this house we watched a fox snatch a groundhog from a hole in the ground and kill it with one swift snap of the jaw. Nothing says welcome to your new home quite like that.

She stood on the rock a while, but I guess the groundhog has grown wise and he never made a peep. The fox moved on up into her den and then off into the forest to snag some unsuspecting chipmunk or fieldmouse or other woodland creature. I try not to think too hard about these things.

2. I had a manicure yesterday because my hands were beginning to look like my great-grandpa's. Does anyone else feel like every drop of moisture is sucked out of their skin during the winter months? Ugh.  Anyway, while I was in the salon I had a chance to perform a random and anonymous act of kindness that absolutely made my day.

Yes, my day.

That's the thing about kindness...the giver often gets back more than was given.

3. Speaking of random kindnesses...Daughter1 surprised daughter2 and I with presents when we were all together in the mountains last weekend.  She even fancied up the edges of the tissue paper with her snazzy cutter.

Apparently she'd had these gifts in her possession for quite a while, and it took every single ounce of self control for her not to spill the beans a long time ago. Let's just say secret keeping is not her forte. Ha.

3.  She is awfully cute though, don't you think?

Here's what was inside the bags-

All the ingredients to make the cutest little Lent bunting I have ever seen. Actually I've never seen a Lent bunting before, but this one is really special.

4.  Forty cards for forty days, plus one more for Easter Day.

I strung it in front of my dining room window so I could take a picture because forty cards, even small ones, take up a good amount of space. I haven't quite decided where I want to hang it.

Some of the cards have bible verses on them and others have thoughts and quotes relating to the Easter season. The colors and artwork are so lovely. She got the set from Naptime Diaries.

5.  Here's today's card-

Okay, that's my five.

Who was I kidding?
I think we can all agree when it comes to fragments I have a never ending supply.

For more Friday frags or to add your own link, click the button below. Have a great weekend everyone!

The Twelve Days of Christmas Kindness

In the days and even the months leading up to the election it seemed the dialogue in our country took a turn for the mean.  The divide was (and still is) palpable and people were outspoken and cross. It made me weary.

I decided during the month of December to look for ways to be kind 'on purpose'.  I added a button to my blog for anyone who wanted to do the same and thus, The 12 Days of Christmas Kindness was born.  12 Acts of Kindness in the 25 days leading up to Christmas.

I said at the time that I'd post my thoughts when the challenge was nearing an end and today's the day.  I don't know if anyone has a post they'd like to share but I'll add a link to make it easy if you do.

I would like to think kindness comes naturally to us humans, but here's what I've observed in recent weeks~

People are busy, harried, distracted, tired, hurting, broke, and anxious about a multitude of things. All of that keeps us from being kind when, I think deep inside, we really do want to be. I can't tell you how many times during the month I thought of that verse in Romans where Paul says, "For I do not understand my own actions.  For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate." (Rom. 7:15)

We know when two of us are approaching the door to the post office at almost the same time we should allow that other person to enter first.  Instead we avoid eye contact and quicken our pace because, by golly, we've got stuff to do, and this guy looks like he's not prepared and will ask a million questions and, whyyyy does that clerk move so slowly when the place is jam packed???  We have a little conversation with ourselves in situations such as these, and more often than not, self rears its ugly head...we think  my list, my stuff, my life.

There's a lot I want to take away from this month, but I'll keep it brief and share just three things-

1.  Kindness, like almost everything else we feel, is a choice. We can be kind and patient with the people we encounter throughout the day, or we can let them get under our skin. One thing that really helped me was to think about the other person's story. People have stories that we just can't know in a casual encounter in the supermarket line. There are also people in this world who are nasty for no good reason, but still, I guess that's their story, and probably if we dug deep there would indeed be a reason for why they are the way they are. Regardless,  I have a choice and I decided that my small act of kindness was not going to be dependent on whether or not I thought someone deserved it.  In fact, the people who rile me up, frustrate me, and try my patience are often the very ones in desperate need of a little kindness in their world.

2.  While opportunities spontaneously present themselves in the course of a day, a little planning doesn't hurt either.  At the beginning of the month I thought about some tangible things I could do, and I had a lot of fun doing them. I enjoy baking so I went to town making peppermint popcorn for the clerks in the post office and dry cleaners, home-baked goodies for hubs office and also for the girl who cuts my hair and for hubs barber too, and caramel corn bagged up with a tip for the guys who collect our trash and the lady who delivers our mail.

Besides the edible stuff, I've dropped money in every Salvation Army tin I've come across, wrote two overdue personal notes to folks I wanted to thank for something intangible, and we outrageously over tipped our server one Saturday morning along with a parking valet at a party we attended earlier this month.  We're going in to the city while the girls are home and will take a couple of nice coats we no longer wear to give to someone sitting on the cold New York sidewalk.

I looked for opportunities to be kinder as I went about my day and they were everywhere. For starters, I greeted the people I passed. I made it a point to ask clerks and servers how their day was going, and you know what?  People want to talk and they want someone to listen.  I held doors and packages, let cars out in traffic at difficult intersections, and let the anxious looking businessman, fidgeting in line behind me at the market step in front of me.

Sometimes kindness means letting the little things go. Our supermarket has about six self check out registers all in a row, three down one side and three down the other. They don't have a clearly designated queue but people more or less form one line and go to the first available register. As I stood waiting my turn (next in line) a woman marched right up and went ahead of me. She saw me. She acted like she assumed there were two queues, one for the left side and one for the right side, but she knew better.  So did I, but I let it go.  A small thing I know, but sometimes those small things accumulate during the day and ruin not only our mood, but also our sense of good will with which our day began.

3.  Lastly, I want to be more present when I go about my daily errands and life. One thing I especially noticed is that everyone is on their phone everywhere you go. Nobody is actually completely present in the place they are standing.  The sales clerk is asking for a credit card, but the  customer isn't paying attention so the whole check-out process takes 5x longer than it should. The guy in front of me entering the shop lets the door drop in my face because he's engrossed in conversation with someone miles away. We're not noticing that person who needs a hand or a smile or a dollar because we're all doing something other than the one task we need to accomplish in the place we're in.

I don't want to be that person in 2013.

I'm sharing some of what I did, not to be congratulated, but rather as a way to remember how doing something so very small made me feel.  I want to remember a smile given returned with a smile back.  I want to remember the sight of someone's tense shoulders relaxing at the offer of a helping hand in whatever form that needs to be.  I want to remember the little stories people shared with me, sparked by home made food and treats and the simple question, 'How are you doing today?"

This world is harsh. If there's anything we've been witness to this month it's that people want to be noticed. Acknowledged. Validated. Supported. Encouraged.  In this new year I want to not be so caught up in my own story that I miss yours.

So how about we change the name?
Let's make this The Twelve Months of Christmas Kindness.

"Remember there's no such thing as a small act of kindness.  Every act creates a ripple with no logical end."  Scott Adams

Froehliche Weinachten

 Weekends in December are extra full, or at least ours seem to be.

We spent Saturday and Sunday tweaking our holiday decor and by that I mean hubs hung garland across the railings and down the stairs, and wondered aloud why in the world we don't own the pre-lit variety?  I untangled the mass of cords that is my Snow Village, and seriously, that job made me sweat. It's a bit of a challenge to hang on to your Christmas spirit when dealing with light strands and extension cords in hard to reach places.

I still need to add some bits and pieces, like the trees and the skaters and such, but I got the basic houses up,  and that was enough for one weekend. Our main tree is still waiting for its topper, a job I just couldn't face after wrestling with cords for an hour, so that's on my list for one day this week. We always do our Christmas decorating in phases. Mr. and Mrs. Claus are happier that way.

I do love having a Christmas tree in the house. One of my favorite things to do in December is to get up early,  and while it's still dark outside sit in front of the lit Christmas tree. There is something about the quiet soft glow of the tree that begs for sitting still, thinking deeply, and praying earnestly.

Friday night hubs and I popped into town to see the annual Christmas Tree Lighting. Conveniently there is a ginormous evergreen just beside the the lake and every year Santa drops by to do the honors.  Here's a shot of the tree in daylight....

and all lit up for Christmas...

My nighttime photography skills are unrivaled, don't you think?

Our little town holds their own version of a German Christmas Market every December and its lots of fun.

Hubs and I spent a couple of hours there on Saturday browsing the vendor stalls, sipping traditional Gluhwien, and eating brats topped with sauerkraut for a lakeside lunch.  I took this picture of the Stroopwafels for my Daughter1-they're her favorite-

And this one for Daughter2 because fudge is her love language. 

So are German Christmas Markets.
She and I have seen more than a few.
Sigh.  

I love the sign by these decadent dipped apples.

Oh, and guess what?
Santa was there.

Pretty sure this was not a copycat.  Look at that face!

Afterwards we went to see the movie Lincoln.  We both really liked it and Daniel Day Lewis is completely believable in the title role.

Sunday afternoon we were invited to a fundraiser that hubs former boss and her family host every year. Monies raised benefit a food pantry on Long Island and this year the need is greater than ever.  The pantry is run thru a Catholic church there and the priest spoke to the party-goers describing the very difficult circumstances they face in Sandy's aftermath.  Many in their area are still without heat and power, and a large number of people are also without jobs.  The recovery is slow going and some of those jobs will be permanently lost.  He closed by saying that in the middle of something horrible he has witnessed so much good.  Help has come from ordinary people and nothing is too small not to be appreciated.

Our friends go all out when they host this party.  They invite several hundred people, have inflatables for the kids, a petting zoo, and oh yeah, guess who else was there?

I know.
I spoke to him and he is definitely not a copycat.   Look at that face!

Okay, my to-do list is as long as my arm so I need to get busy.  Just a reminder that I'm hosting a little 'thing' here during the month of December.  My daughter1 made the cutest little button ever,  which you'll find on my sidebar.  If you're participating in  The 12 Days of Christmas Kindness you'll want to add this cuteness to your sidebar too...just copy and paste the link you see under the button.  If you have no idea what I'm talking about go here for details.

Happy Monday!

I Have an Idea

And since it's Friday I also have some Fragments, but first- my idea.  

The world, including and maybe especially the grand ole USA, feels like not a very nice place lately, don't you think?  So much anger and sorrow.  So much impatience and hate.  People weighed down, not just by their circumstances, but by the vague notion that we've lost the ability to treat one another with kindness.  In our part of the country so many have lost so much and in all parts of this world there are people whose hope in the goodness of humankind is chipped away a little bit more everyday.  

But...Christmas is coming!  So many people sigh when they read that, but let's not think about our undone to-dos for a minute.  Let's instead think about the fact that Christmas is coming!  The gift of Christmas is hope.  Not in a government, or an agency, or a family member, or an insurance company.  It's hope in a baby who is The Light of the World and that hope is offered to every single person on this planet we call home.  That's the thought I want to carry into the new year.   

I want to be nice this December. I actually want to be nice year round, but I've decided to do something deliberate this month and you're invited to join me. I'm going to host something we'll call  The Twelve Days of Christmas Kindness this month.  I want to invite and challenge you to perform twelve acts of deliberate kindness during the month of December.  While I'd like to think I show kindness everyday I want to make a point of looking for ways to brighten someone's day...hour...minute. Twelve acts of kindness in 25 days. That doesn't sound so hard, does it?  

I'll have my daughter make a button you can add to your blog, hopefully on Monday (Daughter1???) if you decide to participate. Beginning Thursday, December 20th there will also be a linky list posted here on This Side of the Pond.  You're invited on that day (and all the way up til Christmas) to link a blog post sharing your thoughts on your own Twelve Days of Christmas Kindness.  

So who's in?

In other news I have a few fragments to share. I'm pretty sure fragments are blogese for camera dump which is kind of what I have today.  Miscellaneous pictures from the past week that I need to show someone.  You're that lucky someone.  

Remember my girls were home for four and 3/4 whole entire days?  Here's daughter2 going for a spin in the little red car.  Here's hubs asking me why it still takes so long for me to snap a photo?  I fear I lack the photography gene.  

It was warm-ish on Thanksgiving Day, warm for November anyway, but when you're in the little car with the top down you need a ski band round your ears and a blanket across your lap and the sunshine on your face.  So fun!

Remember our landscaping project?  The one we were frantically wrapping up even while the hurricane winds were gaining speed with New Jersey in her sights? Well it's done. Miraculously every new little bit of ground cover and every barely in the ground evergreen stayed put. 

Getting those evergreens up and onto that deceptively steep hillside took the entire team plus one bulldozer operator.  I bought them donuts.  They deserved it.  

We are so happy with the end result. Essentially there is a hill that runs along one side of our driveway and we had plants removed, trees trimmed, ground cover added, pine trees planted on the steepest part of the curve, a ginormous and beautiful boulder de-dirted, cleaned, and power washed.  Yes they power washed our rock. Thanksgiving day was just gorgeous and the girls hung out on that rock. 

 Ha-Daughter1 looks like she is not entirely believing whatever Daughter2 is saying. 

They told me I could sunbathe here in the summertime which I'm certain the neighbors would love.  Right. Maybe if I looked like these two little miniature people?  

One of my favorite parts of the project is our new pillars. They went from this-

to this-

Well, there are lights on top but I took this picture before the electrician had come. He was delayed by someone named Sandy.  

Hubs added the lovely reflectors last weekend and you may be asking yourself why. If you live where it snows a lot you don't have to wonder. At some point this winter it is quite likely you will not be able to see the pillars because they'll be buried under feet of snow. The reflectors help the snow plow operator know where to plow and where not to ding brand new pillars with his machine.  ahem.  

Hubs got those reflectors in just in time because on Tuesday our new landscaping looked like this-  

It was a beautiful snowfall, the big fluffy flake kind.

 

A bright blue sky makes me ridiculously happy.

It was also good hubs got the outside lights up over the bright, sunny, warm-ish Thanksgiving weekend.  It meant that on Tuesday this little pine tree by the front porch could look like an actual Christmas tree.

We did get our trees up inside too. Sorta kinda. They need zhuzzing and one needs a topper, but they're mostly done.  I'll leave you (finally!) with this picture of my two favorite girls-

I love everything about this photo.  They're holding up the ornaments they each made in kindergarten, one in 1993 and one in 1995.  

Sigh. 

I loved those little 5-year old faces.

Love their 20-something selves too.  

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