Category Archives: love

trash day

Today is Tuesday, and Tuesday is “trash day” at our house.  In our home, this is a day of scheduled acts of kindness… vs. “random”.  I have a story to share, but I have to admit that I was torn about whether to “put it out there”… or not.  I am a HUGE believer in “Acts of Kindness” that come from the heart in a spirit of love and generosity.  Not attention or recognition.  When I came across this quote (below), I knew that sharing my story was the way to go.  I realized that in the sharing of these “good deeds” – we are really sharing the “spirit” of these deeds, therefore making them contagious.

“A single act of kindness throws out roots in all directions, and the roots spring up and make new trees. The greatest work that kindness does to others is that it makes them kind themselves.”

~Amelia Earhart

It all started about 20 years ago.  My twins were very young and absolutely fascinated with watching the trashmen in their big trucks. They would wait for trash day every single week, and then they would pull up their “Little Tikes” chairs to their second story bedroom window and wait… and wait… and wait… for the trashmen to arrive.  I cannot honestly tell you how the conversation originally began, but suffice it to say that we decided that the trashmen were probably quite thirsty in the middle of their long, hard day.  So we started taking cold sodas out to them when they would arrive.  Every week.  The problem would arise, however, if we were not there at the moment that they arrived.  So we started a new plan.  We bought a little cooler that was big enough to hold a few sodas and an ice pack.  If we were not going to be there, they knew that the cooler was for them.  This soon stretched into winter, and we knew how cold the trashmen must be on their long winter days.  So we started making hot chocolate and got a big thermos that we could fill in the morning.  The kids would make little “goodie bags” for them at Christmas time with snacks, McDonald’s gift certificates and homemade cookies.  This whole idea blossomed into taking sodas on a hot summer day to anyone who looked thirsty… even if it was roofers working on a house three doors down!  They had internalized this spirit of kindness and were thinking kind thoughts – independent of their mom – with their own little hearts.  Wow.

Fast forward twenty years.  Our kids are away at college, and their hearts will always be kind.  Tuesday is still trash day… a scheduled act of kindness day that has been so richly rewarded through the years in hugs and smiles and gratitude.  WE are blessed.  Pass it on…

live happy… laugh, love, dream, create

plain ice-cream, please

This is a sweet little story that has made it’s way through the world of internet emails.  Perhaps you, too, have been the recipient at some point.  Regardless, it is a simple story that bears repeating.  It continues my reflection on living our lives to make a difference… even when that difference is just a tiny footprint on the world.

Many years ago, a 10 year old boy walked up to the counter of a soda shop and climbed onto a stool.  He caught the eye of the waitress and asked “How much is an ice-cream sundae?”  “Fifty cents,” replied the waitress.  The boy reached into his pockets, pulled out a handful of change and began counting.  The waitress tapped her feet impatiently.  After all, she had other customers to wait on.  The boy squinted up at the waitress and asked “How much is a dish of plain ice-cream?”  The waitress sighed, and rolled her eyes.  “Thirty five cents,” she said with a note of irritation.  Again, the boy counted his coins.  At last, he said, “I’ll have the plain ice-cream, please.”  He then put a quarter and two nickels on the counter.  The waitress scooped up the money, brought him the ice-cream, and quickly walked away.

About 15 minutes later, she returned and found the ice-cream bowl empty. The boy was gone.  As she picked up the empty dish, she stared and swallowed hard. There on the counter, underneath where the bowl had been, were two nickels and five pennies.  Even though that sweet little boy had enough money for a sundae, he chose to order plain ice-cream so that he had enough to leave her a tip.

And one final piece of inspiration for your tiny footprint… “That’s Why I Pray”.

one tiny footprint…

Who would have ever guessed that three little numbers would forever change the lives of a nation.  Our nation.  9/11.

We all remember where we were on that fateful morning.  It’s etched in our memories forever.  The horrors of the day; the names, the faces, the stories…. They will all be relived today.  We mourn as a nation.  We pray for the lives of those whose hearts still ache for loved ones, lost forever.

Yes.  There is evil in the world.  But there is also good.  And lots of it.  I have this outlook on life that is kind of a “rock, paper, scissors” kind of thing.  The way I see it, besides kind and evil, we also have the obstacle of indifference.  As a nation, our problems are too overwhelming.  It’s just too much.  After all, we are just one person… Right?  So what to do.  Well, for me, it’s really all about me… You see, I feel that in this “rock, paper, scissors” game of life… good always wins over evil AND indifference.  The problem is, it’s two against one!  I can’t control the thoughts or actions of another human being – but I can control what I give to this world.  I choose kindness.  Honesty.  Respect.  Love.  I vow to make a difference within this tiny little footprint that I have in this world, because it’s all that I have.  And even though I cannot “control” other people; I most certainly can influence them through my own actions.  After choosing the quote (above) to include in this post, I had to smile.  It’s from Nike; a company that truly is all about “the game”.  And in this particular quote it is “the game of life“, as well.  As a nation, we will never be able to eliminate evil; nor indifference.  But we do have that tiny footprint, and we can choose good.  Every day.  Kindness is contagious… Just do it!

a sprinkle of lemon sunshine

(This is actually a re-post from my old blog.  Just decided to share it with you today…)

Yellow is “the color of happiness” – which really comes as no surprise to me.  No color in the world makes me happier than bright, warm, sunshine yellow.  It is also “the color of  forgiveness, peace and joy”.  I like that. Yellow is perky.   Today was a rainy, gloomy day – but these beautiful yellow mums were just smiling at me from my kitchen table, begging to have their picture taken.  Naturally, I obliged.

They say to use yellow to suggest freshness and citrus fruitiness.  Perhaps this explains, in part, my recent obsession with lemons.  If you have been following me on Facebook or Twitter, then you know that I have had a case of “Lemonade-itis” lately!  Two recent posts were recipes for Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes and Cherry Lemonade with vodka!!  OK – I’m sorry, but they just sound delish!  And guess what.  I found yet another recipe for Lemon Cupcakes (just wait until you see how cute they are)!!  Oh my – Someone please stop me!  Did I mention that yellow is also “the color of… insanity“?!  Seriously. ( Oh well.  Sanity is SO overrated!!)  OK – No more lemon “food”.    Let’s think “SPA”.  How about a wonderful lemon scrub to exfoliate and smooth away dead skin???  Ahhh…  There we go.  And since we’re at the spa now; how about some refreshing lemon water… Simply slice several lemons and add in your choice of other goodies.  Some of my favorites are lemon and fresh mint, lemon and cucumber or a combo of lemons, limes and oranges.  Fill your pitcher with fresh cold water and ice and you’re ready to be refreshed.  Calorie free!!!

Yellow, by any other name ( banana, cadmium yellow, chiffon, cream, golden, goldenrod, lemon, mellow yellow, saffron, chartreuse,  topaz, yellow ocher) is still yellow.  So maybe yellow isn’t your favorite color (Hmmm… trying to process) – but perhaps you are redecorating a room or planning a dinner party, and you would like a few tips when it comes to mixing yellow into your color palette…  Well look no further.  Here we go:

  • Use yellow to perk up a more subdued cool palette of blues and grays.  Perhaps an end of summer “pool party”?  No pool?  Me neither.  Just call it a “Beach Party”.  I live in Kansas.  Enough said.
  • Use lemon yellow with oranges to carry out a healthy, summery, citrus theme.  Nothing is simpler than a bowl of fresh lemons, limes and oranges!
  • Very pale yellows can work as neutrals alongside darker or richer colors.
  • Yellow and blue are a high contrast, eye-popping combination.  My choice of colors for our guest room.   A classic combo and “gender neutral”.  It just works.
  • Mix yellow with neutral gray and a dash of black for a high-tech look.  Suddenly I’m thinking about New Year’s Eve.  And champagne.
  • Try a hot, exciting mix of red and yellow.  Anyone for a Mexican Fiesta?? Ole’
  • For an earthy palette, especially for fall, mix yellow, olive green, and brown.  Thanksgiving at your house this year??
  • While yellows and bright or light greens can be part of a natural, fruity color palette, be careful not to use colors too close in value or they will appear washed out.
 Alrighty – Let’s check our “party prep” list.  We have a delicious Cherry Lemonade, with or without vodka, and two different kinds of lemon cupcakes.  Yum. We used our lemon scrub while we sipped on our lemon water – so we will be a bee-u-tee-ful hostess.   Our “color palette of choice” has been embellished with a little happy splash of yellow.  All that’s left is to leave that fresh scent of lemon behind as we spritz those kitchen counters down one more time.  This little recipe might help.

All natural “General Cleaner Upper Spray”

  • 1 tsp Liquid Dish Soap
  • 1 tsp Borax
  • 1 tsp Lemon Juice
  • 1 tsp Vinegar
  • 1 Spray Bottle
  • Essential oil; like lemon (optional)

Add dish soap, borax, lemon juice and vinegar to bottle.  Fill bottle with 1 quart hot water.  Place the spray nozzle on the bottle and shake until all ingredients are well mixed.   A few drops of your favorite essential oil will make it smell yummy.  You could  use lemon, lavender or tea tree oil (All three are antiseptic and antibacterial).  If you have a problem with hard water stains, use 2 tsp lemon juice and 2 tsp vinegar.

Well –  I think you’re pretty much ready for the party.   Just one more thing before I go.  Do you believe in serendipity?  I was in the middle of writing this blog when the phone rang.  It was my neighbor, Deb, and she needed a missing ingredient for her dinner.  Any guesses?  Yep.  A lemon.  Make that two lemons.  I quickly took a pic of the three lemons on the plate for this blog, so that I could share them with her.  When she walked down to get the lemons, she told me that she had a little gift for me.  Something she saw and thought of me.  It is the tea towel in the pic.   She had no idea that I was writing a blog about lemons or that I would post a recipe for Cherry Lemonade – with vodka on Facebook and Twitter.  That’s just how friends are sometimes.  True friends.  They just know.

Oh – and one last thing that I forgot to mention.

Yellow is also “the color of  friendship”…  but, then again,  I already knew that.

mama quotes

So today is for all of the mamas out there…  Motherhood is, by far, the greatest gift that I was EVER given.  Even though my babies are now 22,  they will always be “my babies“.

It’s been a rough month for me, as you know if you have been following this blog.  Today, though, is different…  My baby girl is coming home for the holiday weekend – and I am so excited to see her!!  We didn’t get to see her much this summer, and I SO missed her…

Yep.  Today is a GOOD day! 

if heaven wasn’t so far away

So the funeral was today.  I watched, in pain, as my friend said goodbye to her husband; the father of her beautiful children.  Oh my gosh – How does this happen?  In an instant, your life is completely upside down.  Inside out.  Changed forever.  Just. Like. That.

At times like these, we are called to pause and reflect on our own lives.  What, or who, have we been taking for granted??  We all get busy.  Busy, busy, busy.  So much to do; so little time. Right?  So what would change if we really knew what “so little time” really meant?

We complain that our husbands leave the toilet seat up, snore so loud that the walls vibrate and never buy us flowers.  So go out and buy yourself a bunch of flowers – and a pair of earplugs while you’re at it.  And please note that it takes less than five seconds to put a toilet seat down.  Seriously.  Husbands complain that their wives never stop talking.  Talking while they are watching sports. Talking while they are (trying to) read the paper. Talking, talking, talking.   But what if that talking was truly silenced.  Forever.

“If Heaven Wasn’t So Far Away”, a song chosen by his kids to accompany the video…. a picture diary of a life well lived, but cut way too short. Click on the link.  Watch the video.  The words remind us how fragile and fleeting life can be.  We can’t go back.  Once our loved ones are gone, they are gone forever.  Today is a gift from God…. so love with all your heart.

cleaning sinks; making muffins

Some things in life are straight forward, clear cut, black and white.  You know what to do, maybe you’ve even been there before.  Everything just seems to make sense.

Some things don’t.

Last Friday morning my friend’s husband passed away very suddenly.  He was only 58.  We are a group of friends and neighbors, all in our 50’s, kids close in ages.  We “girls” get together regularly for “coffee”… which is really just codeword for “therapy”.  We have been there for each other through thick and thin, laughter and tears… We are a diverse group.  Very diverse.  And that really works for us. Never, however, have we had to be there for each other like this.

So what to do…?  Your mind fills with a laundry list of things you can’t do.  You can’t bring him back.  You can’t turn back time.  You can’t take away her pain.  So you do what you can.  Whatever “that” is.  For me, it was helping to clean her house for the onslaught of people who would converge on her in the coming days.  Then I made muffins… and casseroles… and phone calls… and trips to Target.  In my state of “helplessness”; I found great strength in the “doing”.

So our little group has suffered a terrible blow. Times two. The devastating loss of a treasured husband and father last Friday, and then our friend, Mary, left on Monday to follow her heart, and her dreams, to Maine. (See previous post; the “Maine” goodbye)  We will, obviously, never be the same – but we will survive.  This is definitely unchartered territory, so we will just have to “wing it” I guess.  We will be there to help in any way that we can in the days, weeks, months to come…  Though we are all very different, we will do whatever we can; what we do best… whatever “that” is.

Banana Nut Muffins

2 c. flour

1 T. baking powder

½ t. salt

½ c. butter

3/4 c. sugar

2 eggs

1 1/3 c. ripe banana, mashed

1 c. chopped toasted pecans

Sift together dry ingredients and set aside.  Cream butter and sugar.  Beat in eggs, one at a time.  Stir in mashed bananas.  Add dry ingredients all at once, stirring just enough to moisten.  Gently stir in nuts.  Spoon into greased muffin tins, filling about 2/3 full. (about 15-18 muffins)  Bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown.