One small thing

Last week we were searching for something good to watch on Netflix.  Now there's a mind-numbing activity!  We have found a few TV series that we’ve really enjoyed (Call the Midwife - my favorite, Foyle’s War, Poirot, The Murdoch Mysteries) but many many more that we tried watching but quickly decided weren’t for us. I really just stumbled onto the movie I want to tell you about here.

Sometimes those turn out to be the very best!

A Small Act is an Emmy award-winning documentary.  It’s the story of how one woman’s $15/month changed the life of one boy in Kenya and, eventually, a growing group of school children who are getting the opportunity for an education that would have otherwise been an impossibility. 

What I loved about this story was the humble little woman who thought she ought to do something - even if she was only able to do a small something - to help children across the world. 

I loved the young man’s gratitude that led him to pay it forward to other children in his same shoes.

I loved the way we got to share in the lives of these desperate families.  The weight of responsibility that the children carry is unimaginable.

I loved the friendship that has developed between two unlikely people - a Jewish holocaust survivor living in Sweden and a Harvard-educated Kenyan man working at the United Nations.

See this movie.  I think you'll love it too.  Then find your small act.

Found some treasures

I am slowly going through our basement, gathering stuff that belonged to my parents to donate to S. Army/sell/keep.  Guess which piles are the biggest?

This will probably be a long process because
1) I don’t have a deadline to get it done
2) it’s overwhelming
3) there is so much stuff
4) it’s overwhelming

When we moved here, we had recently moved my dad into a retirement apartment, leaving most everything my parents owned still in the house.  60 years worth of everything.  I’ve thought of my mom so often as I’ve gone through cupboards and boxes… she wasn’t a saver but my dad insisted they keep everything because “it was perfectly good”.  So now I am sorting through things like this:

Do you remember watching for the water in the percolator to change from clear to dark?  No filters, though, so you usually had some grounds at the bottom of your cup.  Love this burnt orange model from the early 70’s!

I texted this photo to my brother because he’s the only other person who would remember the camping trips we took this on, dispensing watery lemonade from the edge of the picnic table.

Along with the hair dryer with the blow-up cap, we had this beauty – one of the first hand-held models… with Jet Design! 

There were boxes and boxes of old appliances, toys and my mom’s significant basket collection (including one shaped like a crab that I didn’t take a picture of). 

An antique shop vac with attachments, old fan covers, Christmas decorations (don’t worry – I kept the good ones) and lots of books.

Then I found a box I hadn’t known was in the cupboard. It was full of sheet music – some of mine, some of my mom’s and some of my mom’s mom. 

I took piano lessons for about four years and this was one of my favorite movies so I had to have the sheet music (along with Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head and Tie A Yellow Ribbon).  I doubt I could actually play this with anything but one or two fingers but this full of such teenaged angst - it was a tear-jerker of a movie.

These were just a few of the ones my mom had.  I never heard her play these but I wish I had!

    


Have you heard this song? 

She's got freckles on her but she is nice
And when she's in my arms it's paradise
All the sailors give her a chase
'Cause they love her navel base
She's got freckles on her but she is nice

Most of the sheet music was purchased by my mom during her 20’s and was from the popular radio hits of the late 40’s.

But some of it was from her childhood when she took lessons.  Here is one of those, from 1939.  Mom was 12.

Then comes the reeeeeally old stuff that my grandmother used.

Cecelia Fitzpatrick – Sept. 28, 1918. 

Gramma was 15 years old then.  I still recognize her handwriting!

I know some of you who know about my unsentimental ways are assuming that I gave away everything but I did keep all of the sheet music and quite a few personal items than mean a lot to me.  I am a purger but I’m not completely heartless. 

We had the S. Army come to the house to pick up a huge load and we are making trips to the local drop site with additional things we’re finding.  It’s humbling to have the guy who unloads your car of a whole pile of old stuff that I am just glad to be rid of say, “Thank you… and God bless you!”  

This cost me nothing.  And I can’t picture anyone actually using most of it.  But then again, maybe someone with very muscular arms needs a working hairdryer!

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Call me GaGa

Surely one of life’s happiest moments is when you find out you’re going to be a grandparent for the first time.   

Yep, it’s true.  Ray and Lisa are expecting a baby.  The due date is Sept. 4th. 

“Shock and awe” wouldn’t be too strong a descriptor.  Shock because after all, they are just children themselves!  Awe because it is mind-blowing to imagine holding my own grandbaby!

We’ve known for a while but I am suddenly noticing women my age in Costco who are obviously taking care of their grandbabies.  Their goofy baby talk and smitten expressions make complete sense!  Yesterday, a grandma and grandpa had a toddler in the cart and had come to a dead stop in the middle of the freeway aisle to ooh and aah over the fact that little Bella had eaten all of the Cheerios in her snack cup.  A few months ago this might have bugged me - “Really?  Don’t you see the hold-up you’re causing?”  But now… adorable!  I wanted to give them all a hug!

So I may be spending time looking at baby items online and I may have a board on Pinterest dedicated to baby stuff and I may have even peeked at the list of top nicknames for grandparents.  Did you know that on that list (with categories including ‘international’, ‘fun’ and ‘trendy’ nicknames for grandma) I can choose from MoMo, Mamey and MeMom? 

Anyway, I wanted to share my wonderful news and let you know I’m open to any and all advice on grandparenting.

BeBop and I couldn’t be more excited!

To do at home

First, thanks to everybody who left a comment on this post the other day – I trust the problem is fixed!  ‘Unknown’ received a lot of money to post his comments.  Not really.  But he should have.

I am almost completely recovered from a really ugly head cold.  I told you how Zicam has been a miracle-worker for me but I’m afraid I thought my early symptoms were allergy-related so I didn’t take my zinc.  Bad decision. 

Anyway, after three days of sneezing, gushing nose, itching eyes and sinus pressure I think I’m on the other side.  I still feel like I’m in a hollow container but I know my ears will eventually unplug.

I have a nice, long list of things to do at work including helping my husband get ready to go back to Ethiopia with Mark.  Jeff only goes for 3 or 4 weeks at a time but Mark will be gone 4 whole months!  I cannot imagine not having my husband at home for that long.  I know Liane is grateful for family at home with her but it’s not easy!  I’m already trying to imagine a whole month without my best friend.

On my list of things to do at home are:

• Make a map of our yard so I remember where things are planted.  We moved a rhododendron early this year and now I see that I have peonies popping up right next to the shrub.  This wouldn’t have happened if I had kept track of where I planted what.  I can see now where I’d like to plant some tulips for next year but in the fall, I won’t remember unless I make a map.
  
• Plant perennials instead of so many annuals this spring. Try to avoid the annual sale of geranium starts at Freddies – 60¢ each.  Wish me luck because I will be drawn to the garden center like a magnet this week.
  
• Make a video record of everything in the house (can you tell I know someone who lost their home and everything in it in a devastating house fire?).  Doing this will seem incredibly materialistic – filming my wood, hay and stubble.  But I don’t think I’ll regret doing it.
  
• Scan all our family photos (same reason as above).  This item has been on the list so long it’s turning yellow, just like some of the pictures.  It’s overwhelming to me so I just need to start.
  
• Spend some time to slowly read Richard Foster’s book ‘Prayer: Finding the Heart’s True Home’.  It is not a book to fly through – after all, he quotes people like Julian of Norwich and Thomas à Kempis.  I’d like to try to apply what I’m reading (what a novel idea!).

Hope you have a great Wednesday!

He's never late

No Comment

I just read something about blogging that made me hang my head in shame:

“A post without comments is like that abandoned house down the end of your street… creepy and not to be tusted.” 

Well. 

Most all of my posts don’t have comments.  I don’t know why that is – it could be lack of anything to comment about.  It could be my blog readers are like me and read lots of blogs but comment on very few.  (People like us are called ‘lurkers’ in blog jargon.)   Or it might be they can’t leave a comment and I didn’t realize it.

This morning one of my old buddies and faithful blog readers (thanks Nancy!) sent me an email to tell me she’s tried to leave a comment here but can’t. 

So frustrating!  I could be hearing back from all six of you but for some reason Blogger isn’t cooperating.  So I did a little research and found a change I can make in my settings (changing my comment form option from ‘pop-up window’ to the ‘full page’ option).  I don’t know if this will solve it but it’s worth a try!

Several people also suggested that often the problem lies with the comment user’s computer: 
1) using an old version of their browser 
2) using security software that’s blocking/deleting cookies needed to store their login 
3) user has disabled the use of 3rd party cookies or
4) things like pop-up and other blockers are installed.

I don’t think it should be up to the person who wants to leave a comment to have to delve into their settings to do that but perhaps at least being sure you have the latest version of your internet browser will help you in lots of others ways as you use the internet.  I recommend Google Chrome because it’s the fastest and most secure browser out there right now - much better than Internet Explorer in my experience.  Even Mac users like it!

But let’s see if my settings adjustment solves this.  Would you help me out by leaving a comment?  Pretty please? 

Maybe, just maybe, 'Have A Cup' doesn't have to be an old, abandoned house after all!

On my nightstand

Sparkly Green Earrings
by Melanie Shankle
I’ve read Melanie’s blog (Big Mama) for several years so of course I had to read her first book as soon as it came out.  It’s a very funny look at parenthood.  Now I’m waiting for Sophie’s book (BooMama) to come out!

Mrs. Mike
by Benedict and Nancy Freedman
This is a novel set in the Canadian wilderness.  It’s a love story about an Irish girl from Boston who goes to live with her uncle and falls in love with a Canadian Mounted policeman.  Not my kind of story.  I’m trying to stick with it but may not make it through.

Crossing to Safety
by Wallace Stegner
This is a novel chronicling the friendship of two couples, from early marriage through careers, children, illness and aging.  An interesting story – it was a bit sad to me.

My Galaxy SIII
by Steve Schwartz
How’s that for a nerdy selection?  But I hate the thought of my phone being able to do tons of things that I have no idea about.  So now I know how to take a screen shot by swiping the side of my hand across the screen or how to sync my calendars.  I still don’t know how to share something with my husband by clicking our phones together though.  I need to look that up.

I think I’ve said before that I start reading quite a lot of books (checking them out at the library) but don’t finish most of them. I’ve learned that so many books that others like I just don’t. Plus I am trying to be more selective. Reading is something I can get lost in and I‘ve been convicted about ‘Whatever is good, lovely, admirable…’ in this area of my life. For some it might be movies or music.  For me, it’s books.  It’s a little victory for me to say ‘no’ and put a book down when I know it’s not a good one for me to read. 

That said, I absolutely LOVE a well-written story to get caught up in.  I'm always on the hunt!

On my reserve list at the library:
When God Doesn’t Answer Your Prayer
The Light Between Oceans
Damascus Countdown
Trusting God in a Twisted World

How about you?  Read any good books lately?  Please share in a comment!