Drops of Kindness

I haven't seen anyone else blog about this, so I'm taking it on.

In celebration/commemoration of the organization of the Relief Society, the Brighton Ward had a family day where we ran around the community sharing

"Drops of Kindness".

I believe it was the Brainchild of The ever-so-fabulous (and often-so-humble) Wesley Casper and Polly Mallory. Here's how it went:

Calling all families: Meet at the church at 9:00.

(Be sure to bring your rakes, shovels, gloves and smiles.) Get fueled-up with a yummy pancake breakfast.

Get your assignment. (Calls were made earlier to find out where help was needed.) Assignments were based on the need of the "dropee" and the ages and number of people in the family.
Go-Go-Go. Be kind!!!

J-man and I were asked in advance to be the photographers, to follow everybody around and photograph what was going on. I got to use Wesley's really fancy camera. (The pix posted are from my not-so-fancy one tho.)

Care kits were assembled for the children at the shelter. There was some sort of project for everyone to work on, outside, inside, with other people, solo. Just to show that anyone, everyone can drop kindness around them. I think of the Primary song: I want to be kind to everyone, for that is right, you see. So I say to myself, remember this, "kindness begins with me."

Pam and Kent Aeschliman are heading down to Pinckney to spread their kindness.

Potted flowers were dropped off at random locations.

Wes also gave us a boat-load of change to spend. Woo-Hoo!!! Taco Bell here we come!!! Oops, not a good idea.

BUT:
Pre-paying in the vending machines in the hospital waiting room, coins in the laundramat, pre-pay the car wash. (Ya know, the quarter car washes require 7 quarters now!!!) I wanted to buy some instant winner lotto tickets, but J-man shot that idea down.

Challenger Elementary:
There were families with kids. Parents worked, kids worked. This job was to shovel pea gravel onto the playground. Much had spilled off into the parking lot. Good thing there were lots of folks, 'cause that's a lots-a pea gravel.

Opera House: They got a scrubbing, sweeping, spit shine thru and thru. I think they must have been singing as they worked, 'cause they sure did look happy.

Gleaner's Food Bank:

Sorting bags, packing eggs. They were very thankful for the help. Another group from a local church were there also. Nice to have brotherhood in "kindness".

A house on the lake: The homeowner wasn't there, so work got started and carried on. The neighbors came out to see what was going on and expressed their delight.

A house on Spencer Road:

This homeowner was out with her gloves on. She was thrilled to have help. She wasn't looking for a free ride, just a bunch of happy families to help get the job done. There was a lot of work to do, and do, they did. They took a moment to do a little rockin' after their rakin' O-style. Bags were donated by the City of Brighton. It was made known in the community that kindness was being dropped on Livingston County.

A new friend found: This sweet lady is a 2 time cancer survivor. Hmmmm, how did Wesley know to have Theresa Rowe go to her house to help? (Theresa is a 2 time survivor too.)

By noon we stopped for lunch, and hoped everyone else had a great time too.

Now, go be kind today.

The Last of the 25

23: I'm "Urgency Addicted" That means I work best under a deadline. For example: no force, seen or unseen "makes" me update my blog. In running my business, my clients are my force.

24: I like white. Underwear, kitchen, dining and bathroom linens and toilet paper must be WHITE.

25: hmmm... shux I thought I had this one figgered out. Gimme another 2 days. Oh, yes, I remember!!! Mabeline is my mascara, always, for years. I've tried others, Revlon, Mary Kay (every time they have a "new" formula), Estee Lauder. No thanks: Mabeline is the one for me!!

Endurence

Ok, maybe I'm a tuff old broad, well, ok, I AM, but actually, I don't think I've changed so much in the past 30 years.

Are you above grief? Do you feel like you don't "deserve" trials? Do you get "mad at God" when crap happens in your life? Mad at GOD? What the heck is that all about?????

OK, a discussion at church today was about enduring. We all need to endure. What we endure depends on what we're given. When crap happens, do you say "Why me?" Buck-up girls. Why NOT you? Why not Me? Because we pray daily for strength, peace and happy children? Because we welcome new neighbors with fresh-baked cookies? Because we have killer hand-outs for a Sunday school lesson?

I came to know in my late teens that I was given trials to prepare me for more to come. In my 20's I figured "this is the tragedy I've been groomed for." and I pulled myself up and sparkled-up the life I was in. In my 30's it was "oh, I guess that last trial helped prepare me for this one. Did I really agree to this?" Go figure. Then another tragedy. I remember J-man and I walking the halls of a hospital KNOWING that something good would come from this, that there was something to learn. DONE. Heckey-naw!! Ok, would you rather have a brick house fall on you? You never see it coming, BAM! OR, would you want see the mountain crack and the avalanche start rolling your way? We can't even chose that. What we can chose is, when crap happens, do we kneel to plead for help, comfort and understanding? OR do we get mad at God? I want to be on HIS side!!

I'll just say "thanks for knowing me, loving me, sending your Son to bear the burden; thanks for comforting me when I am able to be still enough to feel it, thanks for strong lungs that can breath in and out when day to day seems too far away; thanks for gently guiding me when I cannot know which way to go. Thanks for the trials? Hmmm, not really, but "thanks" for the ability to grow closer through the trials, and for having confidence in me, after all, I AM one of the ninety and nine.

Easter.

Is it different from other Sundays? Is the Lord present in my life every day? Do I daily have an awareness of His atonement and resurrection? Is Good Friday more sacred? Is Easter Sunday more reverenced than any other of the 51 Sabbath days in the year? I guess that is a personal decision. Maybe it is sometimes a new beginning for people who would not usually attend services for any reason, and whatever it takes to bring someone to Christ for regular gospel living? That's a good thing. There was some fuss about the Tiger's home opening game being on Good Friday? Hey, wait, don't they play ball on Sundays? Hmmm.

Each Sunday during our Sacrament, I read and re-read the words to the hymns; hymns of atonement, resurrection, forgiveness, redemption, and resurrection. "I Stand All Amazed" is my all-time favorite. I can still hear my grandma Matt singing it, and it tickles my heart. For that reason, I have read those words probably more than any other sacrament hymn. "...That He should extent His great love unto such as I, sufficient to own, to redeem and to justify" those are the words I have had ringing in my brain today. He love me. How much? "sufficiently". That's a lotta love; enough to redeem ME, enough to own ME, enough to justify ME. am more than just one of the sands of the sea, I am one of the ninety and nine.

Cinnamon Anyone?

I'm always working on my home storage. Ya know, with all that wheat and honey, we're gonna need some flavoring. Recently I was in the Mexican area of Detroit. There are some great eateries there and little markets. I always like going to little markets in out of the way places. Recently when Jerome and I were in Chicago we went to Devon street. Any Indian who has ever lived in or visited the US knows about Devon Street. We did some fun shopping while there, but this isn't about Devon Street. It's about cinnamon. Well, while in the shadow of the Ambassador Bridge, I bought 5 pounds of cinnamon. That's a LOT of cinnamon. I think I have enough for the entire community for a very long time. I like the sticks. Not the tough little ones that Durkee put in a little bottle and sell for $4.oo. The long thin, multi layered ones that usually are cut down into 4-6 inch sticks and sold in 4 oz packages. But I wanted them uncut. That's about 25 inches long. How do you say "I want the cinnamon, uncut.... about 5 lbs" in Spanish? Well, we got it figured out. I got a bundle and spent about $30.00 for a lifetime supply of cinnamon for ..... like I said, a LOT of people.

Then to process it. Not all of it, just some, but then to store the rest of it. Can't get wet or dusty. Vacuum sealed. Some ground.. by hand, (can you say Micro plane? A MUST HAVE. Robbi Schneider told me to get one, and I think of her every time I use mine.) and some by electric coffee grinder. Yes, this non-coffee drinker has a coffee grinder for.. grinding cinnamon!!!

It is nice, also to take a piece and just suck or chew on it. I'm not sure where this stuff was grown, but I love it. I'll make an attempt to post picture of it. If it doesn't work now, I'll have my "blogsupport staff" help out in the next day or two."

Cinnamon anyone?

Now I only need 3 more Random Things

This is not as easy as I thought it would be:

10) Jerome is not my first husband. He's the longest, so I guess It's easy to forget the first.



11) I eat plain low-fat yogurt every morning for breakfast.



12) I'm not going to eat a single puncze today.



13) I danced Bollywood style in my hotel room alone in India. They had 2 American TV show stations and a g'zillion MTV type stations.



14) Last time I wore my saree I put it on backwards, and didn't know it. A darling teenaged hostess at the restaurant told me as i was leaving the restaurant. She asked who put on my "drapes". I was so proud to day I did it myself. She smiled and said "next time, put it on this shoulder".



15) I don't watch R rated movies. It makes rentals and theater much easier to decide, and not seeing several award-winning movies is... ok with me.



16) I didn't cry when my dad died. (I'll post more on that later, in March)



17) I lived with my oldest brother and his family for 7 months in Germany when I was a teenager. I met some great people, some I still am in contact with, many others I think of and wonder about often.



18) I spent a weekend in Paris alone when I was 14. (I was with a tour group, but once I got there I was on my own til we got on the bus to go back to Ludwigsburg.)



19) My mother gave me my middle name from Scarlett O'Hara (Vivian LEIGH).



20) The first name came from some sickeningly Sweet cologne mom wore for several years. Tabu by DANA.



21) I used to think I would be just like Dawn (my favorite sister) and said I was 5'3" and even bought size 7 shoes. I figured I would be just like her. I was nearly 20 before I admitted I'm NOT Dawn, I'm DANA.



22) My favorite birthday party was when I turned 17. It was the night of the Bloomfield Hills Stake Valentine Ball. Mom planned a Pre-Ball Ball, invited all my friends from around the stake, didn't mention it was my birthday. She copied a beautiful dress for me that Marie Osmond wore on her TV show and had butlered dors devours. The cake was a huge heart. It was a fabulous way to start off a great dance. It was a real grown up party and I LOVED IT.

Picture-Picture

Ok, so I'm not so fond of any pictures of myself. Goofy expression, frizzy hair, freckles, wrong view, nose looks too sharp, cheecks look too full, you get the idea. Ya know, when we look at the babes in advertisements, the one picture we see is probably one of a g'zillion taken of them that day. I hesitate to put pictures of myself on the blog. I know, I know. It is what it is. But let me tell you about how I got the one that is there. We were having a Womens' retreat and the ever- so-fab photographer Laurel Hogge was in charge of getting pictures of each sister. So for a few weeks she was showing up at church with one of her cameras. I'm sure she has a truck load of equipment, but this was just a point and shoot camera. We were in the hallway, yukkin' it up and giggling, she knew I was uncomfortable with a lense pointed at me, but she made it fun and I was flipping my hair around and just being goofey. By golly, it's pretty dang good!!! Oh, I see my face is a little shiny, but.. it is what it is. Laurel did a great job.

I hesitate to give too much info online, ya know anybody can read it, but Laurel has a website, I did say she's a professional, didn't I? Enjoy her website. She has a great shoot from a Ford Mansion. She's not from around here, she's from Alaska, so I had to call and tell her what a big deal it is that she got that Ford job.

She's a doll and I wouldn't have been this happy in front of a lense with anybody else behind it.