good will for all

I saw a huge billboard yesterday "GOOD WILL ... Do not forget to give."  Or something like that. I've read that giving to Good Will has dropped dramatically during these tough economic times, while at the same time, people are shopping there like never before. The other day I went to our local Good Will and had to wait to find a parking spot.

All that is happening right now in our country ... and around the world ... might be causing a hunkering down, staying around the house ... did I hear, "Mending socks?" It would be a welcome change, maybe helping us focus on the really important things in life, not the externals, or "keeping up with the Joneses (whoever they are.)

When I was young I made everything I could ... our bread, granola, cookies ... cooked from scratch, gave home made gifts and cards ... it took a lot of energy, which I surely had back then. One of my favorite reads was The Tightwad Gazette.  I was surprised to notice a new book about the subject of thrift the other day, which I gather discusses pros and cons (for if we are too thrifty, bottom line, people lose jobs), but not necessarily ideas for how to be thrifty. You can see a nod to this book in World Magazine's current issue.

It's good to always keep on our toes about how we live ... I don't want any complacency or living  a particular way just because it's how it's always been. I desire to be constantly evaluating and discerning about how best to live in this ever-changing world (a good topic to discuss with your children if  you have them). 

And for me, having been recently gifted with some new, gently used clothes, I'm taking another look in my closet and around the house to see what I can drop by Good Will later today.  A small way to make a difference in the lives of others.

G.E. photo: a very young friend showing off my home-made gift.

seeing further

"God is too wise not to know all about us, and what is really best for us to be, and to have. And He is too good, not to desire our highest good; and too powerful, desiring, not to effect it. If then, what He has appointed for us does not seem to us the best, or even to be good, our true course is to remember that He sees further than we do, and that we shall understand Him in time, when His plans have unfolded themselves, meanwhile casting all our care upon Him since He cares for us."            ~~H.P. Liddon

It's been ...

A new mom I know recently got a humorous "congratulations new baby" card with her baby gift that said why women over 50 don't have babies. Number one reason: they may forget where they left their babies. Or, forget to feed them, etc., etc.

So therefore it was totally intriguing to see this new gizmo for moms (in the "what will they think of next?" department).  At first I thought it was a cell phone, or mini walkie talkie.  No, it is an "Itzbeen." It tells you (look for yourself) when the baby was last changed, last fed, when the last nap was taken, and an extra slot for whatever else you may want to remember. (Since hormones do affect new moms' memories, maybe the inventor has something here.) It also tells the time, is a flashlight, lights up the screen for nighttime viewing, and tells you which side you need to start breastfeeding on next time. 

OK, I guess that takes care of most things. Now if it could tell you where you left your baby, I think we over 50 moms could start all over again!

Addiction

It has come to my attention that I am addicted to my camera. I've always loved taking photos and looking at pictures (you know, a "picture is worth a thousand words," etc.), but now with a digital camera, there is a whole new world of freedom and the ability to work on my photography skills, amateur-ish as they are.

The Gardener and I have been on a study retreat at the chilly beach the past few days, and I forgot to bring my camera. In a sense, it is a relief, as I tend to take too many photos (why not, I can always toss them I say) and sometimes I think I miss some of life by trying to "capture" it. 

But I realize here, more than ever, that I do look at life as art, in a sense. I view things with a frame around them, and think of what a good picture that would make, and all could be done to alter or improve what is inside the frame in my photo-shop computer program.  Also, as a blogger, I confess that I sometimes look at things happening as "bloggable." The Gardener loves to say, "Oh no! I feel a blog coming!"

I guess there could be worse addictions. At least this costs nothing, helps to record history, and brings me and a few others some enjoyment. 

I thought it would be better if I left this post without a photo, but that has become hard to do. Since I have no image of here at the beach, I decided to post what we will be coming home to later today. Color!

Distribution Central

Clothes and more clothes! Shoes, toys, an occasional book ... can it be Christmas? It seems so. When seasons change, my dining room becomes a distribution center for a few days.

I have a dear friend who generously gives her kids' clothes (and some of  her own) away as the prepares for a new season. She gives them to me to organize and distribute. Some go to my nieces, and some go to other kids I know. I wear some of the clothes, and others go to other friends, to a mission resale shop, or a local charity shop. I love that she gives me the privilege of sorting through and figuring out just who to bless with these garments ... most of them only gently worn and of wonderful quality. It gives me the thrill (yes, thrill) of giving, even though it's her things.

Cristiana and I worked together for many years at the hospital. Even though she is more than a decade younger than me, we have always hit it off well and share a lot of the same ideas and beliefs. She is beautiful inside and out, and not only are her looks striking with her long, dark, curly hair, but her generosity is striking as well. She has the gift of giving.

mum's the word

Do you think these were fed with steroids? I did a double take the other night arriving home from work when I saw this magnificent mum plant simply glimmering in my back yard! Someone came by while I was gone and placed it in our yard. (How did it fit into your car, friend?) You know who you are, and a big thank you!

Bath Time: Then and Now

Grandmother and grandson, 1980; Grandmother and granddaughter, 2008. Wow, look at the arms: same sagging sun damaged skin! Some baby resemblance too!

in use

Here you go, momvdh! (can you guess from this photo what song I sang to her?)

Direct Re-ply

God doesn't always answer our prayers right away, or even the way we'd like. Sometimes He has a far better idea for us. But the other day ....  

 

I learned Little One is coming for the weekend. I usually borrow a friend's "pac n play" (what we used to call "portacribs") when a little one needing a crib visits our house. But now Little One with capital letters is visiting. I began to think about how nice it would be to have our own crib available for her visits. I checked  on Craig's list and a few other places. Our finances would not allow a new one, and nothing else either looked good or was affordable.

So on this particular morning, I decided to ask God if He'd help me find one we could afford. I put it out of my mind as, an hour later, I met a friend taking me out for lunch.  As we walked towards the eating place, I noticed a child's consignment shop right next door. "How long has this store been here?" I queried. 

"Oh at least five years," was the answer. I hadn't noticed it before, even though I'd been in neighboring stores many times! (Oh dear, that's a little embarrassing--guess I didn't have the eye for it before Little One arrived).  

My friend suggested we go have a look. Well, right inside the door ... can you guess?  A gently used pac n play in wonderful condition––at an affordable price!  Right inside the door, I repeat.  

And was this cake iced? Yes!  The color is ... pink! What an answer, a provision, a love poured forth.

It's been disinfected, scrubbed, aired, and now awaits its little occupant! Sweet dreams, Little One!

now (left) and then (right)

Just about 27 years, new contraptions,  and several thousand miles apart. Son with daughter; and mother with son.  Three generations.

Photo on left by ebc

(Wow ... this is my 400th post. Where did I come with all that to say?)

The weather outside is changing

What a refreshingly cool morning! Summer is finished, we hope. There are some color changes finally starting on our leaves, and its time to go get the cold weather clothes out of hiding. Not my favorite chore, but I will try to address it with some sort of thankfulness. Just the fact that I have clothes to switch out is something to be grateful for. 

It's amazing how a little chill to the air can put a "spring in your step!"

Happy Birthday Kayla!

Kayla is five today.  I was at her party last year, but would have loved to have been at her tea party this year...all girly and pink.  Seeing it on her blog will have to do. But this Tuesday I'll go to a different tea party--to celebrate the coming arrival of a baby girl...and I think I'll wear pink!

My Old Friend

Quite a few years ago, a family of boys moved away from the house nearly next door to us, and a new family of boys moved in. From then on our kids and the new kids were close--doing those things boys love to do as they grow up--bikes, hikes, playing with trucks, building forts, etc. Since the new neighbors were from Asia, our family was enriched by their friendship and opportunities to learn about and participate in some of their cultural events---especially weddings! When Youngest was able to spend time in India at the age of 16, he was just a bit familiar with the culture.  

Eventually our boys grew up and each of us moved to different neighborhoods, but B and I continued to keep in touch.  B was called back to India for various reasons and for an extended time in the past couple of years, so we lost touch. Whenever I passed her neighborhood, I would think of her and wonder what was up. 

Thankfully we connected again and got together last week. When I walked into her wonderful house, I breathed deeply of her culture, the aroma from her stove, and the richness of her hospitality. There is nothing quite like sitting at B's table and eating her food. What a wonderful time we had catching up on our children and our own lives.  We parted, but not for long. She will return to her country soon, but hopefully be back again before too much time has passed.

Soup Serenade

It's always good to find a special reason to get together with friends. This time it was Robin's birthday (a.k.a. "Jean") and also the "debut" of her new (and first) grandson. What a cuddly, adorable little package this young man is. We 

decided to gift Robin with things to help her with grandmothering--from tiny washcloths for tiny fingers, to books begging to be read, Peter Rabbit china, and teething or squeaky toys--as well as tea for "decompressing" after the "grands" go home or go to bed. (smile).

Our menu included a soup serenade. Three different soups, three different bowls, one after the other. Delicious flavors and aromas to entice the palate. Followed by a spectacular salad, breads, and for dessert, finger-licking cupcakes. 

Some of us go back years in our friendships. We may not see each other frequently but make keeping in touch a priority, even if only by email (or, if you can believe it, 

"Facebook.")  But keep in touch we do, it's important to all of us. And we all love a festive occasion now and then, to ice the cake, so to speak.

Everybody Shines

Sometimes it pays to do this blogging stuff.  Not long ago I wrote about my quest for yeast in bulk. Lydia Grace, a local and frequent reader of this blog, found some at a large warehouse the other day. I happened to be at another very large store related to the warehouse.  My door-bell chime cell phone rang and rang as I furiously dug into the recesses of my purse to find it. It was Lydia Grace asking if I wanted her to buy yeast for me. 

Our connection was bad and we both moved about our separate stores for a good patch. I noticed a man looking twice at me. I'm sure it wasn't my looks he was eyeballing, but rather my rather loud voice as LG and I tried to communicate. Oh my! I was doing just what I complain about other people doing. Did I think I was in my own kitchen or something? How embarrassing. I took my cart and headed down an aisle of stuffy winter jackets, hoping my conversation would be muffled.

And now I have a good stock of yeast in the freezer. Let the baking begin, and thank you, Lydia Grace! I love that you read my blog and act!

true confessions

The Gardener and I are "political junkies" I guess you could say. It's sort of embarrassing to say a good political debate is like a "super bowl" for us. The Gardener has always been this way, and over time, I have come alongside his interests, making them my own as well. It now is something we enjoy together, if you could use that particular word at this particular time in this particular political season.

Our big splurge is cable in order to have some fair and balanced news sources. It's also an important asset for the Gardener's life-long calling to think, analyze, write, and advise. 

There was a time that I did not understand or care much about politics. That began to change when the pro-life movement came to life. A point in time I remember well was  when the boys and I helped a judge get re-elected. The great controversy in his courtroom was the fact that he opened his court sessions in prayer, and found the court ran much better because of that.  What a stew pot that all was, and a good time of learning for our kids. Then when Bush Sr. was running for a second term, both vice-presidential candidates came to our fair city. As part of our home school studies, I took our boys to see both men. (Youngest even shook the hand of then Vice-President Quayle.)  Then we studied the media reports, clipping news articles from local papers, and watching reports on television. We made a notebook, and even noticed the difference in photos of each man. There was a decided bias, even back then.

I appreciated something I heard a commentator say the other day. No matter what the results of this election, life will go on. We will still get out of bed each day to work, to love our families, and to serve and love others, helping this country continue to be the great country that it is.

The End

Historic places were high on the list of my childhood "adventures." Our family vacations consisted of driving across four states to spend one week at one grandparents' house, and a second week at the other. My father always made sure there were visits to places of history, and through that we learned about our past, and developed our love of and appreciation for history. 

So it was enjoyable to visit another place this past weekend, though it made us miss my father and all the insight he would have shared.  We were at Appomattox, where Lee surrendered to Grant just 143 years ago. Looking across the magnificent rolling hills, I could imagine tired troops hunkered down as the their leaders deliberated the surrender and the end of a grueling war.

And it was one of those beautiful fall days. Family was with us. What more could one ask for? Nourishing for the soul.

Rocky Mountain High

We were definitely high in the Rocky Mountains last month when we visited friends there prior to The Gardener's business in that area. I don't remember altitude sickness every bothering me quite so much.  We live not all that much above sea level here, so we were really up there at 10,000 feet above sea level. The cool air was really refreshing just at a time when we were reaching our limit with the humidity and heat here in our place of living. 

We started out staying with our friends in Denver where they treated us to an unusual breakfast casserole of rice and sausage and something else--I must get the recipe--and throughout our time there, Jeannie played records for us. 

Her collection is amazing and it was just so much fun to see her put them on the turntable and set the needle on ... and the music would start!  Whenever she hears of someone getting rid of their old records, she takes them off their hands

The Pink House

Have you seen all the pink stuff around this month? It's national breast cancer awareness month, of course. By now we all have more than one friend who has received this diagnosis. 1.2 million people (not just women) are diagnosed each year with breast cancer (per W.H.O.) To help with awareness of this month, our first lady lit up her house with pink spotlights. She has been an advocate for breast cancer research for a long time in both private and public sectors. I'd say this was a pretty cool way to close out her days in that big  house. After making a speech as dusk settled over her city, she gave the signal, and the house lit up pink.

I am dedicating this post to the memory of Verdell, my friend who died of breast cancer at age 45  (I have many more who are survivors and doing well). We've come a long way since then, both in treatment and cure. We know  much more now, and there are many new treatments ... it makes me thankful for all the research that is being done. Be sure to get a mammogram, by the way!

--Not my photo of course, though I would have loved being there.