37 cents
Saw the strangest sign today on the way to work.
I was third in line behind a red light and to my right, sitting in the dirt was a homeless man (I’m assuming that, I do not know it to be true.)
He held a sign that captured my gaze and my imagination …
I wanted to take a photo, but the light had been red a while and I didn’t want to risk holding anyone up.
I’ve recreated his sign:
Clever or true?
I decided on clever since he’d penned it on cardboard.
I also thought ‘dang! I don’t have 37 cents to offer’ ( I really didn’t, and besides, the light was now green.)
Then I wondered the whole way to work, (even though I decided he was clever) what could he buy with that? Was he shy that amount for a cup of coffee?
Last thought I gave to the sign and the man was that I hoped he intrigued enough people to pass him some money at their red light.
Hope he’s warm tonight – and would love to have photographed him and asked him about his inspiration for the sign.
A message from Butters
I know Butters, I know. And I’m trying.
I’ve tried alerting the manager of the home. I’ve tried visiting the home – under the guise of passing off some old toys for the pup.
I try telling the pup “Good Boy!” when I get home.
Today – I was playing outside with Butters – and the neighbors dog ran for his tennis ball that we had given him. He wanted to play.
I couldn’t play with him.
And no one inside his ‘home’ will play with him.
So how long until he just ‘gives up’?
I noticed him outside earlier with the toys we’d given him, and am sharing here.
Before I played with Butters:
After playing with Butters, and the tennis ball retrieved in attempt to join in:
It gets cold here … freezing at night and to see this pup curled up into the tightest ball to stay warm. He hears someone in the house close to the door and digs and scratches at the door wanting to be inside.
It breaks my heart.
If the ‘owners’ ever respond to the notices that they are not allowed to have this dog – I hope I can count on you to help me find him a forever home.
Musings from the Laundromat – chatting about world affairs & putting too much in the machine
Barely had my eyes opened this morning before I leaped into action. This was after a brief ‘wait, it really is Sunday right?’ thought.
I did not want to miss my glaucoma man today.
I threw on some jeans and brushed my teeth – grabbed 3, yes 3 laundry baskets full of items and managed to juggle those, plus my purse, plus my keys PLUS my cup of coffee and get into my car.
I had a fleeting thought of wishing I could balance my laundry on my head.
I waddled in, weighted down with my bags and spotted glaucoma man.
Yay!
He gestured to my two washing machines and I shuffled over to him.
We spoke of his eyes (they’re getting better but he hates the drops he has to use … said they go down his throat (from his eye? eek.)
I shared with him a documentary I saw about a doctor who went to North Korea and performed the surgery on 1000 + N. Koreans. A lot of them young, they’d been blinded by poor nutrition.
Then we spoke of his time in South Korea. How we both think China is going to have a little chat with North Korea soon – about progress and bombs – Russia and how they’re getting so poor he thinks a war is imminent. We spoke of the DMZ and VA health care … and the weather.
I love talking to him. And then he left.
I crammed the washers to the brim today – I’m so hoping that means the items still got clean.
I was down to change again today – so two washing machines it needed to be! Of course, I chose today to wash my quilt and Butters blanket too. Logic is not my strong point … but tenacity is, and miraculously everything fit and now 3 dryers are spinning merrily away with my laundered contents inside.
I plan to de-Christmas my humble abode today. We’ll see how much energy I have left after lugging all that laundry back home and making my bed. lol.
Ooo! And I think I just found a new friend to chat with. I’ll start with brief eye contact and a smile – and we’ll see if she warms to me. Maybe by next week we’ll be exchanging stories.
‘Friends’ or ‘How I’m going to make it through ‘Amandapause’
I was emotional today (shocker).
I sat missing my boy and tears streamed down my cheeks. I’m having a rough time with this transition thing.
I snapped at Nic (in IM) when he reminded me he would be gone a week starting Monday. I won’t see him until the second week of 2015 – and every second is so precious.
I was on the heels of yesterday’s amazing day. The BEST part was just having that time with him you know?
My heart had grown three sizes and my love for my boy was at 11.
When I got home I told him, “I’m sorry I snapped at you – the thing is, you have a mess of a mother and you’re the best part of me.”
And he is. Or, he brought it out anyway.
I’m my own worst critic, which I’ve been reminded of by my nearest and dearest friends.
Anyway – rewind – after a weepy day – I drove home and thought to check the mail.
In my little cluster box was a key. A key! That meant a package. My first thought, “Nic will be glad something he ordered came.”
But it was addressed to me – a box from ‘Santa’s Elves’. I knew from the address who the elf was. I won’t name her because I don’t know if it’s ok.
Inside it:
SO many amazing treats.
My first thought – even after my attitude brightened and I had a smile on my face?
“WHY do I deserve this friendship???”
I’ve had this thought before – many times.
________________________
I used to be able to surprise my friends with fun tokens of appreciation – silly cards – meals, and would do so at every opportunity. Whether it be a balloon just because it was Thursday, or something I knew they’d just love! ^_^
A lot of the reason I don’t do that anymore is money related now – but if I’m being fair, and I’m being honest – it’s because I have been having this decade long pity party.
I’m so DONE!
I don’t reach out – I don’t go anywhere – I resist. I reached a point in my life where I just wanted to be in my nest and became very selfish.
Not in a ‘it’s all about me’ way – but in a ‘it’s about nothing and nobody’ way.
Does that make sense?
Here:
I built a wall. I climbed into my comfort zone and curled into a stupid little ball.
But:
Constantly. I seriously don’t know why they put up with me!!! And I don’t say that for someone to tell me why they do – I am not fishing. I’m being very serious.
I have a friend Lisa – (I’ve named her before, I don’t think she’ll mind) who has made every past Christmas amazing – with funny thoughtful gifts. Last Christmas she took me to the Eiffel Tower restaurant and showered me with gifts. All the while I was embarrassed, not being able to reciprocate – and the gift I made her? I had made with a fever. I was so sick. For what seemed like weeks. Even her mom mentioned on Facebook maybe we shouldn’t even be meeting up. She didn’t want Lisa getting sick. LOL!
Point is – I felt inadequate.
A combination of embarrassment of what I had to offer and a serious hard time receiving.
But I SO love when I’m thought of.
I’ve received little and big treats from other friends too – and never feel deserving, but always feel so uplifted by the gesture.
It’s never about the gift – (although they SO know me and the gifts are amazing) but mostly about the fact that they went out of their way – had me in mind and followed through!
So I have a New Years resolution – (which I usually try to stay away from) 2015 will be me, filling my address book and whenever I can, brightening a friends day with a little something.
Because it feels SO good.
(I try not to mention when I do a good deed, I feel like it sucks the ‘good’ out of it.
But I will share with my followers, that Christmas Eve I went to ‘The Neighbor’s’. I had an abundance of treats – so I took some banana nut bread and home-made toffee, plus two toys that Butters didn’t need anymore. I said Merry Christmas to the little ones and the poor dog next door got the toys. I didn’t have to do a covert op with Nic. LOL!)
Anyway – feeling like I need to appreciate the ones I love more. And I can say it and know they’re the kind of people that’s enough for – but I want them opening an unexpected envelope or small box and having the warm fuzzy feeling they gave me!
I’d name you all who gave me that feeling if I felt it was okay to do so.
I love you all. x
Thank you for loving me back.
‘Twas the day after Christmas … (AKA: Boxing Day)
Ah Christmas! It’s over. *sniff sniff* My favorite part of the day was spending it with those I love.
I’ll share some of those moments with you.
My comment regarding the Walking Dead figure on Facebook was: “Me and 10 inches of Rick Grimes!” Which was met with the expected ‘That’s what she said” comment from my fun friend Penny. LOL! I have to admit, I was eyeballing that ginormous box of candy when I was in the store selling it – but I don’t shop for me when I’m Christmas shopping – SO glad it caught the eye of my mom.
Here’s my future rock star son doing all manner of future rock star things – including snoozing after a meal.
I have to say – I do believe he actually tuned the damn thing!! He has an ear for music and I’m SO glad I got him the guitar. He brought it with us to my moms and found chords that actually sounded like chords etc!
The animals … it was REALLY hard to get a good photo of Butters in the morning (at 5:30, when Nic came into my room with our stockings, it’s hard to get a good photo of anything). She was so wiggly and excited – all I got were blurry shots. I did however love these two photos of some of my moms pets – and the last one is the best photo I managed to get of ‘Christmas Butters’.
Now – there’s a story behind that cat in a box.
When my mom asked me what I wanted for Christmas, I told her (in complete earnestness) ‘Paper towels, toilet paper and those laundry sprinkle things!’
You know how expensive those items can make a trip to the store!! There’s barely enough cash left for food when you have run out of the main staples of the household. So there was this big box for me – and ta-da! Sure enough. I got my wish.
The cat (Plucky) then did the typical ‘oh there’s a box and I’m a cat’ thing.
The second cat is one whom I call ‘FOO’. (His name is Curry.) I’m fond of him. So I started saying to my mom – “Where’s fond of one?” F.O.O. The birth of a new name.
The food.
Oh my goodness. It’s been so long since I’ve had red meat – and yesterday, when there was prime rib on the table, I could have wept with joy. AND Yorkshire Pudding! I was in heaven.
Now … that bottom right photo has a story too. It was the tiniest brussel sprout ever! I shared it on Facebook and my mom, who should know better considering my affinity for inanimate objects, proceeded to write ‘stuff’.
Yeah … I get my humor from her. And I passed it like a disease to my son. LOL!
Speaking of the both of them … here’s some people shots. Nic will always bust out the ‘majestic’ pose for giggles. That’s what he’s doing in the fireplace room.
Hope you all had a very Merry Christmas if you celebrated it.
And NO! Boxing Day has nothing to do with boxing – and I’ll celebrate it after work.
Let me tell you a little about Boxing Day.
The day after Christmas, we used to have a ‘open house’ of sorts for all friends and family – pretty much anyone who wanted to come. Lots of food, drink and merriment. There was usually a gift in the tree for all who came.
Boxing day in the UK was the day the house servants received their boxes – after all, they were busy Christmas Day attending to the household they worked for right? Also the day you would acknowledge workers like your milkman, postman … a general ‘thank you’ and fun fun fun!
I’ve also heard it’s called Boxing Day because it’s the day all the Christmas boxes are put away. I think that was just a ploy on my moms behalf to get us to clean up.
Just think of it as the day those who were of service to you all year got THEIR Christmas boxes. 🙂
Debauchery Soup 