Gifts

I am lucky enough to have a friend who is both talented and generous. When she gets behind a sewing machine, there is no telling what beautiful creation will emerge. Her quilts are works of art and, if you are one of the delighted recipients of one, it will be a treasure for years to come. Being born on Flag Dag, my red white and blue quilt for my 50th, complete with photos and quotes from all my friends, is one of my favorite things.
Last night she brought over this darling Valentine decoration that you see in the picture. The detail on each heart is stunning. When you complement her work, she shrugs it off. None of us are very good at taking in kind words and yet, the criticism flung at us, sticks like glue! Being the eternal sales and marketing person, I am always after her to make things for money. They would be hot sellers at the boutiques, I tell her. She says that takes the joy out of it and she refuses to do it.
Be jealous of my darling Valentine decoration. Be even more jealous of my friendship with this beautiful woman!

Too Soon?

We went to Pretend City in Irvine yesterday. It is the coolest place where they have kid sized everything ~ a grocery store complete with cash registers, food to buy in shopping baskets, a firehouse, a construction site, a bank, a pizza parlor, a post office, a beach, and on and on. They also had a doctor's office complete with xrays, exam table, etc. Jack couldn't wait to try on the boot and crutches "just like mom had". This brings up the question, when does something awful that happens in your life finally become something you can laugh about in memory? This is my favorite picture of the day, but did Amber see it and still cringe at its memory? It was probably one of the longest two months of her life and it was less than a year ago.
We have all been knee deep in an unpleasant situation and said, "We'll probably laugh about this years from now." Truth is, much of our worst, trying times DO become a distant memory that we can laugh about, or, at the very least, smile at later. It is difficult to remember this fact when we are facing the tough situation at the moment. What was once a mountain eventually becomes a mole hill. The trick is to keep putting one foot in front of the other, every day.

Scatter Joy

I read this sentence in a book this morning. "Scatter joy." Only two words but they hit me hard. Not spread joy, but scatter. It sounds so much more powerful to say scatter. It's a haphazard, not really caring where it lands kind of verb. I love the thought of scattering joy. It speaks to putting it out there all day and seeing where it lands. Maybe, in some cases, you don't see where it lands, but you have faith that you still scattered it out in the universe. Smile at everyone you meet today. Open a door for someone. Look at someone when they speak to you and really listen. Baby steps to a better world ~ theirs and yours.
SCATTER JOY!

My New Friend

Awhile back, I had a friend who would go to the movies with me almost every Tuesday night. She moved away and I really miss not going. I have tried to talk other friends and my husband into going regularly, but it has not worked out with any consistency. Each week when I go to the market, I see people standing in line to rent videos from Red Box for only $1.00. I finally looked into it online this week and I love it!!! I pick the movie while in front of my computer, it charges my credit card, I go down and pick it up and return it when we are finishing watching it. In the last three nights, we have rented three movies: "The Social Network", "The Kids Are Alright" & "The Town". That's a ton of entertainment for only $3.00!!! My husband has actually enjoyed watching them with me and I have enjoyed him not channel surfing for a couple of hours. Everybody wins and it's only a dollar!!
Anybody have any suggestions for a rental? Nothing scary or too disturbing. I want to be entertained, not see if it makes me almost pee my pants!

Late to the Party

OK, so I am very late to this party. I have been seeing TOMS shoes everywhere and reading about the company and how they give a free pair of shoes to needy kids for every pair they sell. I finally ordered myself a pair and here they are. They just might be the most comfortable pair of shoes I have even owned and, if you know me, that says a lot. At any given time, there are probably over 100 pairs of shoes in my closet! Cinderella was right..."The right pair of shoes can change your life!" ~ even if just for a while.
My friend said it perfectly when she deemed the TOMS style as an updated espadrille from long ago. As I get older, I find less and less heels in the closet and more and more ballet flats. Just because they are low doesn't mean they can't be stylish!
I love these tan burlap ones and think they will come in handy a lot during the spring. A word of advice if you decide to buy some - they run a little big and they stretch. I have been wearing a 9.5 lately (maybe the all the running) and ordered that size. When they arrived, I couldn't wait to try them on and was terribly disappointed that I could practically walk right out of them. I sent them back and had a replacement pair of nines in less than a week! The company is not only philanthropic, but also extremely efficient.
Can't wait to order my next pair!

Pa & Jack

"No man is greater than one who stoops to help a child."
This may not be the exact quote, but you get the idea. Jack has been watching Pa build the guest house out back for months and each day he asks to help. We gave him a real toolbox for Christmas, complete with gloves, suspenders and tools. He loves all of it and is very proprietary about the tools. The girls are not allowed to touch them. Finally, Pa found some time to help Jack build a wooden bank. It came complete with nails to hammer and he was so happy to make it. Brave the man who keeps his thumb close to a four year old with a hammer!

Which Are You?

They say the world is divided up by groups ~ savers versus spenders, morning people versus night people, quiet versus loud, etc. I say there is another distinct category that can tell you a lot about someone and that is, which are you ~ a Del Taco person or a Taco Bell person? Silly as it sounds, people have VERY strong opinions as to which is best. I, for one, am a Del Taco person. Their Del Meat burrito is my all time favorite. I am also partial to "The Del" because they actually brew their iced tea rather than dispense it from the soda machine. Nothing tastes worse than the tin-flavored tea that comes from a soda fountain. Yuck! This, by the way, is how Taco Bell serves their tea.
Del Taco was founded in Yermo, CA in 1964. The first day of business they sold $169 worth of food. Funny to think of such a big presence in our society today with such a humble beginning. All this food talk is making me hungry. Is it too early for a Del Meat?
So, which are you ~ Del Taco or Taco Bell?