Ebb and Flow…

Be forewarned….this may sound a bit flakey but I think that I was able to get the gist across…

The thought started when I brought home an empty Ortega salsa jar from TGP’s. The full jar already had made me happy - part of a sale and with coupon cost me about 50 cents. I rinsed it out and it is sitting there waiting to be put in the recycle bin. My mom was finishing up making marinated roasted red peppers as part of my dad’s birthday gift…..now she needed a jar. How odd/cosmic/interesting that I happen to arrive home with the jar that she needed about 5 minutes before she needed it.

I believe that the Universe has a lovely ebb and flow of stuff – for actual physical stuff.

I joined Freecycle a few years ago and have benefited from both aspects of it – getting rid of things as well as receiving things that could be of use.

The extra coffee table that I did not have room for went to a woman who was starting out on her own after getting out of an abusive marriage and had nothing to her name.

My street hockey stick went to a kid whose mom was trying to get him to exercise more and this was the only sport where kids did not make fun of him and he wanted to keep on doing it.

I was able to pass on a Bumbo seat to a co-worker that could not afford one to have at her home for her niece that she babysat.

I was able to get about 60 egg cartons for the woman who sells farm fresh eggs - I have been the lucky recipient of free eggs before I got these cartons for her and I saw it as a way to say thank you since she will not take money for the eggs from us (family friend).

I was able to get a bunch of adult diapers for our family’s use.

There are more …..

Put it out there folks, things that you need will come to you and you will be passing your unwanted items to people that can use them…

Whoah, Whoah.....What?!?!?

Whoah, Whoah....Stop the presses!!! Where have I been? Dooney & Bourke makes Disney handbags!?!?!?


http://www.disneystore.com/dooney-bourke/mn/1000812/

Everyone’s Favorite F Word…

I attended an event at Panera a while ago – an invite only sneak preview of new menu items. They really rolled out the red carpet – free beverages, two different salads, two different smoothies, chicken salad sandwiches, chicken orzo soup and cinnamon crunch bagels. And they asked us to “check out” before leaving and we were handed a coffee cup and a cookie (a flower shaped shortbread cookie that retails for $2!) to take home.

There is something to be said for the “Hey, howya doin, let’s get you checked in, here’s some free stuff” aspect of marketing – I love doing it. I have witnessed so many goodybag giveaways – ranging from contact solution to razors to coffee…. Everyone’s favorite F word is FREE! In my experience, regardless of who they are and how much money they make, free makes them giddy.

Makes me miss that world a bit……

But I was happy to take my cookie and coffee and head home….I did not have clean up, do the data entry of those that attended, send out follow up surveys, send out survey reminders, compile the survey data, etc.

So...

So what have I been up to?

Paddle, paddle, paddle, hike, watch a movie, grandma duty, paddle, commandeering someone's Iphone so I can play Words with Friends, hike, zzzzz, date night, freaking people out with my Five Finger shoes, debating what to blog about…

Gingers...

see more Lol Celebs

Schnitzelbank!

Did you know that this is banned from Facebook??? What is wrong with singing about Otto's butt or Otto's gut?

Four Paws in Heaven...

The loss of a pet is always hard – I still have my moments when I tear up about my dog who passed away over ten years ago. We love them love even though they have their moments of being a colossal pain in the butt - how can you stay mad at something that gives unconditional love? I will gripe about my cats and their hairballs or nudging me awake in the morning but I will miss them trying to lick my eyeball when they are gone.

My brother and sister in law just lost one of their furbabies over the weekend – she was a wonderful cat and both of them are devastated because she left this world way too soon and in a way that noone would have wanted for their pet.

I came across this on LOLCats completely by accident and I had to share it for all my friends that have recently lost pets. (just sub in "purr" for "woof" for the pups)



And just because I do believe that we are greeted by our pets when we pass away…..

The Rainbow Bridge

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

- Author unknown

Shush…

My coworker is going through the beginning stages with her mother.

Two weeks ago, I interacted with another grandmother who is a couple of years away from where my grandma is.

The families have no idea the hell that they are in for…it only gets worse....

But honestly, I don’t want to hear it - I don't want to talk about it.

I don’t want to live along with them and their old person issues. I have my own and a second one waiting in the wings.

I have enough, thank you.

I need things to look forward to.

I need those things to actually happen.

I cling to the happy (no matter how big or small) so I can avoid circling the whirlpool of old.

Remember This?

I came across this up in CT - remember this?? Complete childhood flashback!

Long Weekend...

I dragged TGP up to a family friend’s property on Memorial Day weekend. He bought the property about 25 years ago and has developed it over the years into a wonderful retreat. The property was bare and the first thing he added was an outhouse and 200 pine saplings. It now has a pond, garage, two story house, indoor plumbing and is shielded form the road thanks to the pine trees!

We took the scenic route and enjoyed a two hour ride with a great view and tons of people camping along the banks of the Delaware. After introductions, we were handed an adult beverage and told to relax. Unpack the car? Nah!!

And so began TGP’s immersion not only into Latvian culture, but the mix of Eastern European nationalities that are part of that group. Turns out that I have been remiss in teaching him certain phrases….”Kam Ir, Tas Dzer!” being the main one!! (Rough translation-If you have one, drink!)

The traditional bonfire impressed as always – complete with S’mores made by a Lithuanian Girl Scout. And once she was done feeding us, the BTU’s were dumped on the fire. There is no way that I can come up with a word to describe the sound when you pour used motor oil on a bonfire…..just wear sunglasses!

And folks, I went camping! In a tent! Outside!! It was the morning after that I realized how many spiders actually live in the grasses on the property – eek!!

TGP subscribes to the theory of “Sun Up, Me Up” - even though we all went to bed at 3 am, he was wide awake and ready to go. I resisted his efforts to wake me up until about 6:30 am but resistance was futile. So, off on a mini hike we went! The pond has some raccoon size bullfrogs….well, they sound raccoon sized – the largest we found was the size of a softball.

We had a second hike after the rest of the household woke up and we found out that the same pond has raccoon size snapping turtles!! (seriously, they were freakin’ huge!!) Our 8 year old tour guide/my “make a flower out of pipe cleaners” teacher also led us down to the creek. The water was so crisp and refreshing! So, when the opportunity arose to go tubing, I took it. (TGP stayed and napped in his hammock) We floated down the river ….no paddling skill needed…..no real effort involved….just me, my tube and my adult beverage staying cool at my side in the water….a nice lazy two hours to clear my mind and do nothing….

I am getting old though….Sunday night we drove back late to avoid traffic and it ended with – shower, glass of wine, bed, clunk, zzzzz…..

Monday we hung out with M-O-M and gave her a chance to sit and do nothing. Plus TGP fixed her trunk latch in 10 seconds so she was ecstatic.

A great long weekend!!