Because Kindness Matters!

"Well done is better than well said" Benjamin Franklin

"The best portion of a good man's life: His little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and love." William Wordsworth

This man reminds me by his actions rather than his words exactly why I married him in the first place!

My dear, sweet husband is a great provider to each family member. He lovingly takes his parents breakfast every morning and makes sure they have dinner every night. He takes great care to see that his (terminally ill) Father is gently tucked in each night. He comforts his Mother and fills the bird feeders for her enjoyment. This gentle giant (his heart) of a man is the man in line at the grocery store giving the woman in front of him money because she doesn't have enough. He is the man buying breakfast for the military personnel he encounters giving thanks for their sacrifices. He is the businessman worried about an elderly couple's electrical fire, checking in to make sure they are okay on a Friday night and insures that electricity will be restored on Saturday morning (a non working day for our company) and brings them Egg McMuffins for breakfast.

It is the quiet, thoughtful acts of kindness that melt my heart.

I...Am...a very Lucky Woman!!!

(dear husband and youngest child with soon to be 10th grandchild...we are entirely toooooo young to have that many granddarlings)

About that Candlestick

In a previous post, I mentioned a candle stick from the Holy Land. Bear with me whilst I elaborate...my friend, Laresa moved into a new home and wanted some decorating help from another friend and me. As we moved things about and made suggestions...we decided to arrange the items on the fireplace mantle in a more TeLene and Connie like manner...I carefully removed a sweet wooden candlestick to be placed atop a stack of books...very pleasing to the eye...however the candlestick had other plans slipping out of my hands onto...yep, the brick hearth. Yes, dear readers, it cracked in half. I picked up the pieces and just stood there holding them as if they would magically fuse together again. The look on my face had my friend, TeLene looking at me in alarm. I reluctantly opened my hands to show TeLene and Laresa the broken candle stick. Laresa told me this was a candle stick her mother brought her from Jerusalem, the HOLY LAND made from the wood of the olive tree. Imagine my horror, not only did I break something...I broke something that was sentimental and would be impossible to replace!

Laresa, the mother of five boys at the time (she now has six) was very nonchalant about the candle stick saying that it was only a matter of time before one of her boys broke it anyway. I am pretty sure she forgave me right then and there. I still felt ill...better one of her boys than me...I was just a friend...the boys were her flesh and blood!

For those few moments that I held the broken candlestick I felt like the six year old girl child playing with a beloved paper doll of a friend only to have the head come off in my hand. I was so upset I could not even look up at anyone for the longest time. I do not know if my six year old brain thought I would be severly punished for the accident but I can remember the burning shame of it as if it were happening right this very moment.

The candle stick comes up in many conversations and it is always hilarious, however a teeny, tiny part of me still remembers that horrible feeling of breaking something special. I always suggest to those wanting decorating assistance that I will be happy to help as long as they don't have candlesticks from the Holy Land that require me moving them.

I might mention that Laresa is quite an awesome person as this was not the only time she forgave my follies. I made marshmallow guns with the youth of our church one evening. Her son due to go on a trip to Utah by airplane was stopped by security for having the marshmallow gun in his backpack...yikes what a mess! By the way the marshmallow gun really does not look like a gun at all and Alex in no way resembles a terrorist...I believe he was 12 or 13 (somewhere around that age) at the time. He gets teased about it all the time and I think he has forgiven me as well.

The candlestick was mended with glue and Laresa promises that you can't tell it was ever broken...the marshmallow gun was dis-assembled and left behind...being my friend is always an adventure and not for the squeamish! Usually...a great time is had by all!

(the candlestick in the above photo was borrowed from a site selling them and somewhat resembles the one with the permanent crack in it thanks to me)

(my face really did feel as if it were on fire when the head of the paper doll came off in my hand)
1960's Ft. Sumter, South Carolina probably taken by my Dad.

Ode to Monday

Dear Monday,

I appear to have lost the weekend...can you assist in locating it? I know that I left the work week behind at approximately noon on Friday and I am already at my desk again! It is you, Monday in all your glory...songs have been written about you mostly the blues! I thought I would like to have Mondays off, however then your pal Tuesday would become "Monday" I seem to anxiously await your arrival on Sunday afternoons...a change of heart is needed...what if one looks at you as a new start to a new week...every day is fresh with possibilities even you poor maligned Monday...maybe you can be magical Monday, miraculous Monday or marvelous Monday!

So what about you dear readers, are you wishing your life away Monday through Friday...living for the weekends? My mom always says she doesn't have time to work. Everyone works...whether from their home, within the walls of their home or employment away from home. I "lose" my weekends because I generally over extend myself and my time. One of my "new" improved plans is to enjoy each day fully...why wait for two days of a "weekend" when there are five other days FULL of possibility!!! Join me in Monday Appreciation!!! How 'bout we use the good china today...

Mostly Wordless Wednesday Again!

Because sometimes it is better to just listen...

what could be better on a hot Summer day than an ice cream cone and a quick jump in a pool to cool off...

or pure happy laughter...silly birds!

the feel of sand on your toes, wind in your hair, the sound of waves...running with no destination

and just because you are never too old to goof off...

(all images are straight out of my pitiful broken camera...soon to be daughter in law's nephew...granddarlings and last but not least...my mom)

Mostly Wordless Wednesday

Because you can never have too much cuteness!!! Duncan has been growing like crazy and the vet expects he will at the very least double or triple in size. He is a lot of lab and whatever else was running around at the time. He has started digging holes in the yard(sigh)...he gets so excited...he wouldn't be still for photos! He was fascinated by my long skirt and wanted to eat it.

My brain is still on vacation and my body misses my 1:30 nap with Anna! Have a happy day!