August 2012 Blog Posts (407)

It was THAT day today, the day hubs has been prepping for with a liquid diet and all. Hubby finished the second half of the Gallon 'o Doom that one has to drink to empty the insides. Dividing into 20 oz beverage bottles makes it a lot less intimidating. I continued making sure he was doing all right and getting enough liquid, and when it was time, took him off to the hospital for his tests. It was my job to stay there for the time the procedure took and to bring the car around when it was…

This morning, I took muffins and scones to the soup kitchen. Then - precisely because money has felt scarce lately - I went through a pile of pennies and nickels and found two quarters. Not much, but I decided I was going to send them out to the universe.

I soon walked by a busker. Not a very good busker, but that wasn't the point... I placed the quarters in his otherwise-empty case and kept walking (I would have smiled at him, but he was caught up in his…

someone send me a mail today. It was written by a friend, for whom friends and I had been doing a 24-hour-prayer in order to support her in her struggle to heal from breast cancer. She was still so happy and thankful for it. She still has to undergo a few cycles of chemotherapy. So my present today was saying another healing prayer for her.

I have breakfast in a local cafe and have gotten to know the waitresses.  One of them recently lost her significat other unexpectedly due to a heart attack.  He was only 45!  I gave her a card I'd made with a monetary gift today when I went in for breakfast.

The blue moon has arrived and my month long giving challenge has finally come to an end. But rest assured, the giving does not stop here. I can honestly say that I have learned lessons in this experience that will stay with me for the rest of my life and that I hope, I pray, I never cease being a giver.

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My friend has home spa business in her home and she just took a sugaring course for waxing and she did my legs yesterday so I wrote a card and am mailing it her and made a funny poem in it too.

Thank you for today.

I enjoyed a good laugh

you inspired me to clean, we set some goals

and did a stretching routine

We got kinda sticky

But the lesson was worth…

Day Eleven (Thurs 8/30/12):

*  Today's gift was a joke for a coworker to build our relationship a little bit. 

Last week I had a small laugh with a coworker who I don't find that friendly over the fact that she had not one, or two, or three, or four, five, but *six* different cups or water bottles on her desk.  "Choices!" she laughed.  "I like to have choices!". 

So for fun--not sure she'd find it that funny, but I would at least--I went to the Dollar Store & bought…

It's prep day for hubby, for THAT procedure at the gastroenterologist. Polyps are a bad thing, of course, and it's wise to take measures against them -- but if only the preparations were easier. Except for taking a kitty to the vet for her check-up, I've been home today to look after hubby, make sure he's getting his liquids, fixing warm broth for him when he wants a change from sweet Jell-O, and generally providing comfort. Also did his Thursday task of rounding up the household trash and…

Today I rode my bike thorugh town and a young man walked across the street in front of me.  He sneezed a couple times and I yelled, "bless you!"  He turned, looked at me and said, " thank you."  It was a small thing, but sometimes something small like that can make a difference in my day.

yesterday, i helped a friend make decisions about tools for her metals studio.  such fun!  love her enthusiasm, and it's nice to pass on some good advise that i've received.  and i do love to shop for tools!  today, i listened to someone who needed to vent and process a difficult situation at work.  and there's a blue moon this month!  that's a gift.

Today I went on a bike ride to get some cardio in.  I was riding on a Rails to Trails path (old railway turned to bike path) which goes out into the country.  Sometimes I am so focused on pushing myself or getting done, that I forget to look around, so I did and gave myself a gift.  Being present in the moment and enjoying beautiful Ohio farmland, barns, a blue sky, leaves, fallen apples from an apple tree and imagining a train following this path.

My little brother came over last night to spend the night at our house. He often comes and helps me clean the house (I have some pretty awesome brothers). On the way home from work this morning I stopped by McDonalds and got him some breakfast. I figured it was the least I could do since he was gonna help me clean up a messy house that he didnt mess up.

This afternoon, I was out walking (big surprise there!), and I wondered what to give today. I'm at that point of feeling so tight on cash that I didn't feel comfortable giving money - even though I know it all comes back, my head was stuck in that anxiety space. I came across a group of people taking photos of each other, in various configurations, and I knew I'd found my 'give' for the day (a group photo).

One of the men I've given money to before - the one with one eye, who…

Today I joined a gym! After working at a gym for the past 12 years and then being out of work for the past 6 months I was feeling so sluggish! The gym in the complex where I work gives a major discount for my company so I joined this afternoon! I can't wait till Monday so I can start working out again!

When I went in to talk to some…

Today I drove my kids to school and went for a run on the school track and this song came to mind. It reminds me of my girlfriend's son who committed suicide on Mother's Day . If I had have know he was hurting this is the message I would have wanted to give him. I felt lead to posted the link to the song on his memorial page better late then never. Maybe it will touch someone who needs this message too.…

Hi all and welcome to Blog mess 2.  Hopefully it will make much more sense then 1 did.  I have been giving and having fun with it.  I gave my new minister 2 of my Jesus Rocks for her and her husband.  We have a woman minister at this time.  I live in a small community and some men still have trouble with that, but for the most part it is good.  I really like her.  Better then any we have had since the…

My friend called me today and said she wanted to start exercising again now that the kids are back at school. She is really good at cleaning and fitness is more my thing. We made a pack to encourage, and help each other with both. We hung up the phone and cleaned for the morning and then I went over and we did a exercise video and had a good tea. So our commitment is to do this 3x's a week together or at the same time but in our own spaces. I brought two videos over that I picked up garage…

My gift today: I helped my roommate to communicate with a future host about the details of her potential stay in her house. She didn't feel too secure about her English, so I helped her translating her request (they were communicating via internet) and during the conversation.

She is going to Spain (my roommate) for two weeks, so I also lend her my little Spanish dictionary, which did me good service while I was there years ago.

Well, and the dishes again. It was my turn after…

I am about three-quarters of the way through Cami's book, 29 Gifts, How a Month of Giving Can Change Your Life, and I started my giving while I was on the first page and finished at least a month ago. Since then some really amazing things have happened to me.

I'm a freelance writer and editor and, after I finished my giving, two separate clients that I hadn't heard from in two years because of the down economy both called out of the blue and gave me assignments, and…

I had a super busy day today and didn't get much time to look around. However I made sure I was kind and caring to all I dealt with today. But I couldn't give anything special (donations, gifts etc) to anyone :(

However I did give myself a gift. I watched a video on Oprah by Martha Beck yesterday and one of her life lessons got stuck in my head. She said one of her life lessons she has learned is to do something she fears everyday. I loved the concept and the challenge. So I…