Having a rough Monday so far? Well, I’m about to change all of that. This is from a blog that I follow… “The Kindness Blog”. I guarantee a change in your day once you read through all of these. Promise. I was going to try and list my favorites; but it was just too hard. Do be sure to read the one the one of the gentleman in a dark blue jacket holding a Starbucks coffee. Then get out there and “Do some kindness”… xo
Kindness counts. live happy…
Category Archives: love
joyful scribblings
About a year ago, I stumbled across the blog of a gal named Dawn. “Joyful Scribblings“. I like it. She made a nice comment on one of my blogposts, so I went to her blog to “check her out”. (No. I’m not a creeper. That’s what bloggers do with other bloggers!) In the process, I stumbled across a “few” similarities… Married with a son and a daughter, an SUV and a brown 2 story house “in the suburbs”. A dog person with a sweet tooth and a frequent shopper at Ann Taylor Loft, Trader Joe’s and Target. OK. Nothing earth shattering so far. But then it went a little deeper. Self described as “a dreamer, a list maker, a person who is passionate about collecting ideas. All with a touch of sarcasm…“?? Oh my. She was describing ME! She went on to list two things that are on my “bucket list” that most people don’t even know about me… I would love to play the drums (yes. really.) and I dream of publishing a book of my writings someday. OK, Dawn. Whoever and wherever you are; You had me at “Hello”.
I immediately called my mom to inquire about the day of my birth. Is it possible that I might actually have a twin sister somewhere out there that someone just forgot to mention…? I told my mom that somehow, somewhere; I would meet this obviously “wonderful, amazing, All-American” blogger… named Dawn.
Several weeks later, I got an email request to participate in a group blogpost “Lazy Days and BBQ’s” from another blogger that I had never met. I was invited to come in as the resident “expert” (teehee!) on entertaining/table settings. That bloggers name? Yep. It was Dawn. Don’t believe in fate? Fair enough. Read on.
In the world of blogging, one of the really fun things is getting to “meet” people online that live hundreds (or even thousands) of miles away. I was excited to know where I was headed if I wanted to meet this new friend of mine at some point. As it ends up, this get together wasn’t going to cost much in the way of travel miles. Dawn lives less than five miles from my house…!! Ha! But wait! There’s more. Our daughters share the same first name. Our sons share the same middle name. And her son’s first name is what we were going to name our daughter when we thought she was a boy! Ha! And it just continues on and on from there. Some of our extended family similarities would blow your mind…
So we eventually met at a Starbucks to discuss the details of our “group blog”. Soon after, we decided to go to a “Blogging Conference” together in Chicago. The conference took place in July, and although we had only known each other for a couple of months, everyone thought we had been friends forever. Many even thought we were related! Too funny! One year later; we are great friends! We have lunch, we go on “double dates” with the hubbies, we share stories and problems and challenges, and we talk and text more than we probably should. We both love photography, food, crafting, the beach and have wonderful hubbies. We are a lot alike, but at the same time very different. Almost like the “yin and the yang” of the same person!
So off we go... Heading to Salt Lake City this week for another blogging conference. SNAP! (Talked about this conference in a recent blog called “creative thinking“) Both Dawn and I are really looking forward to going. It looks like a GREAT group of bloggers that will be there!! Our “peeps”!! Last year we (somehow) ended up taking matching Martha Stewart turquoise leather notebooks. Not kidding. This year?? I’m thinking maybe matching “Hello Kitty” lunch boxes…
So without further adieu; my friend, Dawn… “Although I consider myself ordinary, I’ve always believed I was meant to do and experience great things. We all are because we were created. I sometimes overlook the simple abundance and possibilities which surround me because I get caught up in the treadmill of life. My intention for creating this blog is to find the joy in the everyday. Joy is something you feel from within and makes your heart smile. Outward circumstances can’t affect it unlike happiness. I hope you find joy from within and follow your passions.”
Please hop over and check her out at Joyful Scribblings…
children are like kites
Morning came early today. And it’s Monday. Not just any Monday, though. It’s the first Monday of (yet another) brand new chapter in my life. I’m not even sure what to call this chapter just yet. And I’m not really sure how I feel about it either. Love it? Hate it? At the end of the day, probably a mixture of both.
My daughter left this morning on an early flight to the east coast. For business. After four weeks of training, this is her first official business trip. Of many! Wow. My arm felt like lead as I tried to wave goodbye. Her tail lights burned through the darkness, and then disappeared. Turning to come back inside, I saw “it”. THE poem. It has been on our refrigerator for a hundred years (give or take). I have shared this poem with many over the years. Mostly requested by other moms. When we got a new refrigerator we moved the old refrigerator out to the garage. The poem stayed intact. It’s funny though. I am in and out of the garage a million times a day, but never really “see” the poem. It’s just there as part of the refrigerator, I guess. But not this morning. No. This morning it was different. It was as if “THE poem” was covered in flashing neon lights, bells a’ringin… I stopped dead in my tracks to read it.
The garage door slammed shut. I felt the darkness all around me. It was quiet. So very, very quiet. The hum of the refrigerator seemed almost deafening. She is officially all grown up. Out the door and off to new adventures, challenges, experiences. It’s a solo flight for her; realistically and figuratively. Flights, rental cars, hotels… The real world; the unknown. Is she ready for everything? Definitely. She is a strong, smart, confident young woman who can handle anything. To say that I am proud – Well, that barely even scratches the surface of how I feel. Yes. I am VERY, VERY PROUD…!! But I am also a little sad. For me, not her. I am just not very good at this whole “letting go” thing. At all.
But… her time has come. “Time to soar, as she was meant to soar, free and ALONE. My job is done.”
“I see children as kites. You spend a lifetime trying to get them off the ground.
You run with them until you’re both breathless.
They crash.
They hit the rooftop.
You patch and comfort. You adjust and teach. You watch them lifted by the wind and assure them that someday they will fly.
Finally they are airborne…
They need more string and you keep letting it out.
But with each twist of the ball of twine,
there is a sadness that goes with the joy.
The kite becomes more distant,
and you know it won’t be long before that string will snap and the lifeline that holds you two together will no longer be the same.
A child, as a kite, must be prepared to soar, as they were meant to soar, free and alone, to the greatest extent possible.
And only then can we collectively say that we have done our job.”
– Author unknown
quiet time
Every Good Friday when we were growing up, my mom had a rule. Between the hours of 12:00-3:00, we were required to have “quiet time”, alone in our rooms. A time of quiet reflection during those hours when Jesus would die on the cross. As a mom of two adult children, I now have a new perspective.
First of all, you have to know my mom. She is funny. She has been known, at times, to maybe “stretch the truth” a little (?)… but it’s always funnier when she tells the story. She pulls her grandkids to the side and tells them outright, “Grandma lies.” They laugh. One of my brothers will roll his eyes (usually the dad of the one listening to Grandma’s story), and we move on. OK – So back to the subject… our “time of reflection on Good Fridays“.
Some of you may remember from earlier posts that I am the oldest of seven kids. When I was 10 years old, my mom was 29 and had five kids; me being the oldest. (Good news! Found a family pic from our church directory to capture just that moment in time… That’s me to the right of my mom – Ha!) So when Good Friday rolled around, off to our rooms we went. At 12:00. Until 3:00. To be really honest with you, I can’t really remember much of what we did during that time. My mom told us that it would rain at some time during that three hour stretch, so my sister and I (shared a room) would spend some of the time lifting the heavy shade on our window to peer out and search for those ominous, rain producing, clouds… One thing I DO remember (unfortunately), because she did it all the time. My sister always had more money than me; and she liked to count it. Out loud. Coin, by coin, by coin… She had me as an unwilling, yet captive, audience for three hours. Lucky her. Looking back, I have to laugh. I realized as an adult, that as kids, we actually had “quiet time” a lot!! Not just on “Good Friday”. You see, my mom was also very smart. And resourceful. She was merely attempting to maintain her sanity. That was why she would slip off to the bathroom with her coffee and a weeks worth of magazines. We would hear the “click” as the door locked behind her. The rule…? Don’t knock unless someone is bleeding. Bad.
I was (doubly) blessed with twins when I was almost 30, and they were, and still are, such a joy in my life!! In raising our kids, my husband and I made a conscious decision to pick and choose the pieces of our individual childhoods that we wanted to take forward with our own children. Kind of like combining really dark chocolate with… well; just about anything! It’s all about the mixture. “This” worked; “that” – Ummm… not so much. So guess what made the cut from my childhood? Yep. “Good Friday quiet time”. 12:00-3:00. They could read, work on puzzles, quietly listen to music (pre-appoved; by me!). There was no TV, radio, computer, phone or friends during that time. And they were fine with it really. The older they got, the more they understood why there were being asked to do it. It was a way for them to, hopefully, prepare their hearts for Easter Sunday.
So, Mom – if you’re reading this – you will be glad to know that I still, to this day, honor that quiet time every Good Friday. I usually plan a quiet “project”; something that I can do by myself, at home, without really thinking. Today is no exception. It is a beautiful day and the birds are chirping like crazy. Not a rain cloud in sight… I have selected a “project” (more on that later) and I am ready to put on some beautiful music and spend the time reflecting. Quietly. 12:00 until 3:00…
the “infamous” Easter cookies…
So yesterday I talked about my nostalgic Easter memories, and mentioned our yummy Easter sugar cookies that we were, well… not to brag, but we were kinda known for…
Went searching for a good pic of them today, but was only able to get a so-so picture. That’s ok with me though. Considering the state of complete and utter chaos “slight disorganization” my photos are in… finding ANY picture with a cookie in it was nothing short of an Easter miracle. So enjoy it. Please. It did NOT come easy. Here’s the good news though. Actually, TWO parts to the whole good news thingie. First of all, I’m sharing our recipe with you; or should I say – Betty Crocker is sharing her recipe with you. It is actually from her “Cooky Book” (1963 – Page 18)! Ya – Vintage stuff!!
Mary’s Sugar Cookies
- 1 1/2 cups sifted confectioners sugar
- 1 cup butter
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
Cream sugar and butter together. Add egg and flavorings, mix thoroughly. Stir dry ingredients together and mix in. Refrigerate 2-3 hours. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Divide dough in half and roll 3/16″ thick on lightly floured board. Cut with cookie cutter and bake on parchment paper on baking sheet for 6-8 minutes or until delicately golden. (Makes 4 dozen 3″ cookies) ** After cooling, we liked to frost with a buttercream icing before heavily decorating with sprinkles!!
The second bit of good news? It’s Throwback Thursday & as I was frantically searching for the elusive “Easter sugar cookie pic” – I came across these treasures. Awww… So cute!! My kids are gonna love me for this one (wink, wink…) xo
a nostalgic Easter
Easter. Gotta say that I’m feeling a bit teary nostalgic about Easter this year. OK… a LOT nostalgic. Here’s the deal. My son in away at school finishing his Masters in Accountancy and studying for his CPA Exam. He gets up in the morning, studies all day, goes to bed. Next day… get’s up in the morning, studies all day, goes to bed. Basically it’s “Groundhog Day” (hated that movie!) with a gym workout thrown in here and there for sanity measures. And a couple beers on the weekend. He has taken Exam #1 (of 4) and #2 is May 1. Needless to say, he will not be home for Easter. My daughter recently started a new job, and is possibly scheduled to leave town for work. Soon. Like maybe Easter Sunday… morning?
OK. So back to the ole “nostalgic part“. I was lying there in bed last night, unable to fall asleep because my brain was in overdrive (been there, done that; right??) I remembered back to all of the funny little Easter memories that just tickle my heart to remember…
Making our easter sugar cookies (they were bee-you-tee-ful…gotta say!), the coordinated family Easter outfits, dyeing Easter eggs, chocolate nests for the Easter table, “the bunny corsage”. Sigh…! Makes me so happy inside just remembering everything. You know what else makes me happy inside at this time of year? Decorating the house for Easter and spring! Are you a “springtime decorator”? It’s a definite mood lifter for me!! It’s like chasing away the winter blahs, and making everything seem fresh and alive again!! So today I am sharing with you a few little snipits of springtime at the Toth house. Welcome…
kindness (really) counts
So I took yesterday’s post to heart. Yes. I’m talking about MY post from yesterday. About being kind; about making a difference. This is a really big deal to me. It has been for a long, long time. I feel that, as individuals, we sometimes feel that we are just a tiny little speck in a great big world. After all; what could WE possibly do that could REALLY make a difference? That’s the part that gets me. OK. As much as I would like to, I am, more than likely, NOT going to discover a cure for cancer. I am NOT going to eliminate world hunger or childhood obesity. But if I CAN do something small, that will make someone smile – even just for a moment – YAY! That’s what I’m talkin’ about!!
So after I posted yesterday (“love; not hate”) I got dinner started and had to make a run to Trader Joes. (LOVE Trader Joes. But that’s SO another post…) I gathered my goodies, and as I was waiting in line, I saw the little $1.00 bags of (dark… YUM!) chocolate covered almonds. “I need to pick up a bag of those to stick in the mailbox for Bob (our mailman).”
As I dropped them in my basket, the thought crossed my mind. I need to perform five acts of kindness today. Sounds good! The next thought to pop into my brain was, but it’s already 5:00! Alrighty. Already crossed off #1!! After loading the groceries into my car, I started walking back towards Trader Joes to return my cart. I saw a gal getting ready to walk her cart back up to the entrance, and recognized her as the mom in front of me with four little kids. I zigzagged over and offered to return her cart up to the front. So appreciative for such a small gesture.(#2)
As I returned to my car, another thought popped. I looked in my wallet. One dollar. So I attached a little note and took it back into the store where they have the little shopping carts for the kiddos! Left it in the perfect spot for the next little nugget to come along! That was SO fun! (#3)
As I pulled in to the driveway (after dropping off Bob’s chocolate covered almonds in the mailbox!), I was thinking about the dogs going out to potty (normally in the front yard). We have a mama and baby bird (nest on front porch) at our front door, and the little baby is learning to fly. I was just so worried about scaring mama and baby!! But… I couldn’t take them in the backyard either because we have baby bunnies and baby ducks (under the deck?). So I took the dogs for a walk. Oh my – SO happy! (#4) And all the little birdies, bunnies and ducklings were quite appreciative as well! (#5)
On my drive home earlier, I realized that my acts of kindness had started early in the day without even thinking… My hubbie had been craving a pot roast; and he loves his brussel sprouts… so guess what we had for dinner!?! (#6) As we were discussing “acts of kindness” at dinner, my daughter was sweet enough to remind me that I had made her a special breakfast that morning (she had a huge presentation at work!) on our “special family plate” and I had also packed her a lunch when she was running late! (#7 and #8). So, all in all, not a bad day on the ole “kindness meter“. At the end of the day, striving for five is actually quite attainable!!
As for today, you ask?? Well… I packed a magazine in my husband’s suitcase before he left out of town as a little surprise.(#1) “Talked out” some things with a friend who needed someone to listen.(#2) Let a gal go in front of me in the checkout line at Target.(#3) Purchased some little treats for a little “cheer me up goodie bag” to give a friend who is going through some hard times.(#4) Finally – I also did a little something special but can’t actually say… That person will probably be reading this and it would ruin my little surprise!! (#5) So check, check, check, check, check…
How about you???
love; not hate
When my kids were little, I always told them that they were not allowed to “hate” people. You could hate an inanimate object; a “thing”, but never a person. You might hate what they said or what they did, but you could not hate them. My beliefs have not changed.
Yesterday presented a real challenge to upholding those beliefs, however. About a mile from where I was standing yesterday afternoon, three completely innocent people were shot and killed for one reason. The shooter thought they were Jewish. That’s it. He didn’t know them. He didn’t know their families. He didn’t care. Tragically, he was just that full of hate. Kansas City suffered a tremendous loss yesterday. A young man (HS freshman) an Eagle Scout, with a love for theater and a beautiful singing voice; his whole life ahead of him. His loving grandfather, “a devoted family man”, married 49 years, who moved here to be closer to his grandchildren. A wife and mother, described as a “deeply caring individual”, who was an occupational therapist at the Children’s Center for the Visually Impaired. So much pain. Please join me in prayer for these hurting families…
We live in a world of differences that are meant to be CELEBRATED, not stereotyped. Our uniqueness makes us special. As for my husband and I; our extended family of siblings, their spouses, nieces and nephews, provides it’s very own “special blend of uniqueness“… We are Christian; we are Jewish; we are Mormon. We are African-American; we are Caucasian. We are Filipino; we are Panamanian. We are gay; we are straight. We are able-bodied; we have Down Syndrome. We. Are. FAMILY.
In the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, a man who understood hate, but instead chose love. And peace. “Let no man pull you so low as to hate him.” I absolutely hate what this shooter did. I hate that he took the life of three beautiful, innocent people. I have zero tolerance for ANYONE who thinks they are superior to anyone else. But to hate him will just perpetuate this evil cycle of hate. I do not want to spend time and energy dwelling on this evil man. Let us, instead, go forward – with the words of Dr. King in our hearts… “Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”
So get out there and LOVE . Spread kindness far and wide. You CAN make a difference. We ALL can. But will you? Every loving gesture to someone in need, every kind word to a friend, every act of kindness to a stranger… It. All. Matters.
So what will YOU do to leave your (kindness) mark TODAY…?
creative thinking
Creative thinking. That’s what I was thinking about today. Ya – Pretty much all day. Now I should have been thinking about dusting. My house really needs it. But there is always time to dust. Later. Back to the creative thinking… This is a subject that I think I could go on and on and on about… but I am really gonna try and make this a quick post. No really… Don’t worry though, we will revisit this subject again. And again. So my friend, Dawn (@ Joyful Scribblings – check out her blog!), and I are going to another blogging conference (SNAP!) in two weeks. This particular conference is geared towards more creative thinkers; people who blog about the things that I am passionate about. Photography, Food & Entertaining, DIY (Do It Yourself)/Crafting… love, Love, LOVE! So we are participating in some of the fun & creative “extras” at the conference – One of them being a “decorate your door” contest! That brings me to the task at hand for today… finding some of the goodies for our door, as well as other supplies for the conference. OK. So I try to go into crafting places like Michael’s, JoAnn’s, Hobby Lobby, with a plan. Maybe even a list. But I seem to subconsciously check all of that at the door somehow. My soul is suddenly filled with the hope and promise of possibility thinking. Ideas flow through my veins at an almost overwhelming pace. “I could do this. Or that. Or this and that and…”. Right. You get my point.
Truth is, creativity is a huge part of my life. Not just in what I do, but in who I am. It affects my actions, thoughts, decisions. It permeates my photography, my cooking, my decorating. It is why my dining room chairs are mismatched (on purpose) and I hate to iron. Or dust. It is deeply woven into my relationships, how I make friends, how I raised my kids. It is why I have trouble focusing; why my “to do” list never shrinks. It is me. Or, a (very big) part of me, anyway.
So I stumbled across an article tonight, from The Huffington Post, entitled “18 Things Highly Creative People Do Differently“. Here were a few of the things they listed:
- They view all of life as an opportunity for self-expression.
- They surround themselves with beauty.
- They get out of their own heads.
- They follow their true passions
- They lose track of the time.
- They constantly shake things up.
Found the article to be quite interesting, really. Kinda, sorta made me feel validated, in a way. Like something on paper; in print. Something they have officially “studied“… Nice. We’re always looking for answers, explanations, excuses (?) aren’t we. I’m a Taurus, so I’m stubborn. I’m the oldest child, so I’m bossy responsible. Yadda, yadda, yadda. So tonight my brain is absolutely exhausted from all this creative thinking. Doggonit. No time to dust. It will simply have to wait until tomorrow.
“And then she remembered something very important… She was not bothered by dust. She was, after all, creative.” the end
fountain day
It’s the second Tuesday in April, or “Fountain Day“, as they say here in Kansas City. OK. Confession. I have lived in Kansas City since 1983… and I had no idea there was such a thing as “fountain day“. Kansas City, lovingly nicknamed “The City of Fountains”, boasts more than 200 fountains registered here in the metro area.
And today was “the day” for those dozens and dozens of Kansas City fountains to come alive! Rain snow or shine… when the second Tuesday of April arrives – It’s time!! Luckily it was a good day for this daunting task; mostly sun and clouds with only morning rain.
So here’s another little “factoid” for ya… Did you know that our beautiful city has more fountains than any other city in the world, except perhaps Rome? Yep. In the WORLD!! Wow. Pretty impressive, huh?!
So with a happy heart, I bid a sweet goodnight to this wonderful city that I call “home”. Kansas City. “The (beautiful) City of Fountains…”
I did know that A very busy day in a very beautiful city!!