Random Acts of Kindness

I was getting gas last week and was surprised to find two ladies performing acts of kindness. They gave me 5 dollars towards my gas and washed my windows. They looked really happy doing it. I was in shock really. We do live in a kind society compared to others I won't mention. It still impresses me when people are kind for no personal gain. I think we don't teach our children this enough perhaps. Life isn't about personal gain, but our relationships with others is what gives us joy, we are human after all. I learned this early on in my life. I'm proud to say I have an Aunt and Uncle who have always been keen givers. I always thought it was cool when I would receive a little note at Christmas that I helped to feed a family. It made me become a volunteer and probably decided my career path. I have become discouraged with the human race lately with their seemingly lack of concern for their neighbors and endless greed, but little things like the two ladies last week give me hope. I'm saving my 5 dollars to pass on, keep the kindness going. Cheers!

I always try to remember...

"People may not remember exactly what you did, or what you said, but they will always remember how you made them feel" Unknown

Thinking Roads

There are some roads in this beautiful valley I live in that I like to call my thinking roads. You know the routes that are familiar, scenic, and allow for a little thinking. These are the roads I drove today. My day of lunches and visiting, was great. The day was filled with beautiful gardens, soul food, and walks on the beach hunting for rocks with my mom, sister, and little neices. The old road to visit my mother always gets me thinking. Memories of previous visits and summer vacations, flood my mind. Happy times spent traveling in the car. Peaceful and quiet. Today, alone with just the radio, I felt like I could solves all the worlds problems, not only my own. It was a grand day! Thanks everyone!

Onward and upward

Well, I survived. I'm moving on. Onward and upward, as they say. The past few days were filled with "goodbyes", "nice working with you" and a bunch of "you'll be back"'s. My agenda for today was a little skewed, in between piano and guitar lessons (yes I'm crazy), and laundry. My husband enlisted my help as a carpenters helper on our patio reno. My plan to knit tiny bears for my nieces are being put off. I'll be up later frantically making bears ears and tails. They are tiny so it shouldn't be too bad. I'm off galavanting tomorrow to lunch with two of my favorite gals and my mom and sister with my nieces in tow will be meeting me for supper farther down the way. I hope it's fine but my garden needs the rain. Until next time...

Countdown

So in 8 days I start my new job. Countdown is on. It's early Sunday morning, too early. This time of morning before the birds get up it feels wrong to be awake. My mind is working overtime, my grandmother would get up and bake cookies. I never could understand that. Maybe this morning I do. When your mind is in overdrive you need distraction. Yesterday I was in recovery mode, recovering from friday at work. I watched mindless TV and knit. Knitting is therapy for me. Seeing the pattern develop into form is pretty cool. It's creative and meditative all at the same time. I'm such a multi-tasker! I'm up now because my fog has finally lifted and my brain is functioning at full capacity. Just in time for another mind-numbing three days. I feel I need a cheering squad behind me the next three days, I should have told my co-workers to bring their pompoms.

Listen

You can hear people when they aren't there you just have to listen.

Reflections

Funny how just one cup of commitment can cause a avalanche of reflection. So it's story time... I met an extraordinary women once through the work that I do, she was living with the big C but death was always lurking.  She had an wonderful attitude.  Something that I admire, strong and brave.  That pick up and carry on attitude you don't encounter that often.  She explained to me once that she had always wanted a tattoo but never got around to it until she was  diagnosed in her 50's. So she had angel wings tattooed on her back.  Life size and beautiful.  For the world to see.  Very appropriate.  It effected me,  I've always been fascinated by tattoos and did brand myself at age 19.  So decided this time it had to mean something more than just a youthful rite of passage.   On my travels to Europe when I was in my 20's I toured Amsterdam and Anne Frank's annex.  Had an epiphany while walking through,  things became clearer to me after that.  My world view changed just a little.  I loved the quote from her book.  "Where there is hope there is life"... Hope is an essential theme in my life and work.  The quote also makes me think of being exiled, trapped in a life beyond your control but making a life inspite of it all.  So that's what I did I tattooed myself with that quote and a butterfly to signify freedom and growth.  It lives with me now, a constant reminder of those women who are strong and brave, fighting for life until the end.

Saying goodbye

So today I'm saying goodbye to people I've worked with for 12 years. We've shared laughs, frustrations, and fears. Losses, loves, and tears. It's just time to move on. Pick up and carry on. Open a new chapter...Goodbye everyone. Thanks!

Things you learn by by just sitting and knitting

It's hard to believe that just sitting and knitting can become a profound experience. I guess it's because the act of knitting kind of creates a zen-like, meditative, focus. I know sounds a little like crazy, but it is what it is. So, I was sitting in another coffee shop, that place where people go to hmmmmm, drink coffee... Anyway I'm reading my horoscope, which I don't normally do, but the topic was courage and I needed it. It was a simple quote, by Fernand Pouillon, he said, "Courage lies in being oneself, in showing complete independence, in loving what one loves, in discovering the deep roots of one's feelings." at that moment I needed to read those words. So I knit and sipped my vanilla steamer:) and the words ruminated in my head. The words created a bit of peace in there.