A Day Of Ordinary Miracles

I received this message from a friend today and it touched my heart. I couldn’t help but think that if I would only give myself permission at the beginning of each day to enjoy the ordinary miracles that I experience, I might just realize how blessed I really am.

So — I’m sharing this sweet message with the hope that you’ll take the time to notice and appreciate the “ordinary miracles” happening in your life today. And remember, there is always, always, ALWAYS something to be thankful for.

I wish you a day of ordinary miracles –

A fresh pot of coffee you didn’t have to make yourself.
An unexpected phone call from an old friend.
Green stoplights on your way to work or shop.

I wish you a day of little things to rejoice in –

The fastest line at the grocery store.
A good sing along song on the radio.
Your keys right where you look.

I wish you a day of happiness and perfection –
little bite-size pieces of perfection that give you
the funny feeling that the Lord is smiling on you,
holding you so gently because you are someone special and rare.

I wish you a day of peace, happiness, and joy.

What It Takes To Make My Day

I love it when some one or some thing makes my day. And when I say “makes my day” I’m not referring to a momentary bright spot or burst of happiness that is quickly forgotten — I mean that whatever it is that I’ve heard or witnessed stays with me throughout the day as its images or words keep popping into my head, encouraging me, inspiring me … giving me that warm happy feeling that makes me feel that life is worth living.

Yesterday I happened to be at just the right place at just the right time to take in a Makes My Day (MMD) moment. It’s one I’d like to remember for a long time because it just touched my heart in such an unexpected way. Even now as I think and write about it my eyes are welling up and I’m getting goosebumps.

I witnessed a car accident.

Now for most of us, seeing two cars collide is NOT a MMD event. And I’m guessing that for the two drivers who locked front bumpers in the Wegmans parking lot last night (on Friday the 13th no less) it was certainly not the highlight of their day. They were just two people, probably stopping off on their way home from work to pick up a few things for dinner or maybe to drop mail off at the post office. I imagine that, just like me, they were relieved to finally be finished with their 9 – 5 routine and excited to have the weekend begin. 

As fate would have it, however, these two drivers ended up exchanging insurance information instead of simply passing each other at the stop sign. I felt so bad for them. In the moment that I saw their cars sitting there and  the damage to each, my heart sank. We’ve had our share of auto mishaps in the past couple of years and I know what a complete pain it is to deal with in the aftermath — calling the tow trucks, filling out police reports, the calls back and forth between insurance companies, dealing with the repair shop, being without a car or having the expense of a rental. I couldn’t help but feel sad knowing what these two people had in store for the next month or so.

The drivers had gotten out of their cars and were surveying the damage. For half a second I held my breath as I waited for the angry exchange that I felt was sure to follow. And then the woman started to cry. I felt her pain, knowing that if it were me, I’d be crying too. 

The man walked around the front of the cars and approached the woman. I thought to myself, “Okay, here we go …”

And then it happened.

Rather than shaking his fist and shouting angry words, he reached out and put his arms around her and held her, gently patting her back. My heart skipped a beat as I saw him talking to her. I knew he was telling her it was all going to be okay. No need to be angry or upset, it was just one of those things that happen. Not worth crying about. Cars can be fixed. Thank goodness we’re both all right …

And so it was that in the midst of what was surely an unhappy point in his life, that man unknowingly made my day.

I know God was watching. In the depths of my heart I could almost see God smiling as he chalked up a few more points on the man’s scorepad.

Yes, indeed Mr. IGiveHugsNoMatterWhat. Two points for you.

25 Random Things About Me …

If you’re on Facebook, and maybe even if you aren’t, you’ve no doubt seen the lists where people share 25 random things about themselves. It could be a little-known fact, an observation, a quote … whatever you’re willing to tell the world about yourself is fair game.

I’ve been tagged several times now and have already posted my list on my Facebook page for all to see. I could easily have listed another 25 things without any trouble at all but I resisted. A little of me goes a long way …

I thought it might be fun to post the list here for those who aren’t into Facebook. I’d love to tag anyone who wants to share their list too. Either post a link to your list in the comment section or just post the list itself there. Sound like fun? You betcha. (Oh, how so very Sarah Palin of me!)

Okay — here we go:

1. I always wanted to be a florist (but am glad I’m not because strong floral scents give me terrible headaches.)
2. Daisies are my favorite flower. Daffodils run a close second.
3. I find the smell of freshly cut wood to be heavenly and I’ve had a crush on Norm Abrams of The New Yankee Workshop fame (flannel shirt and all) for years.
4. It’s been 25 years since my father died and I still miss him every single day.
5. I’m a certified hypnotist.
6. My favorite comic strip is “For Better or For Worse” and I have an TWO original drawings wishing me a happy birthday by it’s creator Lynn Johnston. Thanks Mary — for BOTH of them!
7. My mother’s nickname for me when I was growing up was “the little worrywort.”
8. I was hit by a pickup truck 3 weeks before my graduation from Alfred State College and almost didn’t graduate because I missed a whole week of classes while recovering (I know, here come the “So that’s what happened!” jokes …)
9. I am totally and completely head over heels in love with my new grandson.
10. I am technically challenged when it comes to TVs, DVD players, and DVRs. Remotes scare  me and seem to know they have the upper hand.
11. I have studied handwriting analysis and dabbled in palm reading, face reading, and body language for fun. I am still amazed at how accurately our bodies can reveal externally what we’re all about internally.
12. I absolutely love Mounds bars — but I’m not a fan of Almond Joy bars because I don’t like almonds.
13. I think it would not take much for me to become an agoraphobic.
14. I’m a Pisces and absolutely love to be near the water, feel drawn to it, and am completely soothed by it, but I can barely swim and I’m terrified of drowning.
15. For both ethical and health reasons I would love to become a vegetarian but I’ve never been able to pull it off (at least not yet.)
16. After 5 years of my son Daniel living in Atlanta I’m still trying to get used to the idea that he lives so far away and that he probably won’t be moving back home.
17. My favorite song is “Over the Rainbow” performed by Don Potter. I was lucky enough to hear him perform it live when he was here performing with Wynonna and our philharmonic orchestra.
18. I had tomato soup for the first time in my life last week and loved it.
19. I consider myself a hot sauce connoisseur (read that “snob”.)
20. I’ve never had a speeding ticket and still have (and use) the same keyring that I got when I passed my driving test at age 16 (it’s a big letter B made from leather and has teeth marks all over it from my kids gnawing on it in the grocery store lines when they were little.)
21. I can’t whistle, wink, or stick my tongue out. Of the three, I really, really, really, wish I could wink. Oh, and I’ve never broken a bone.
22. I love being inside on rainy days — when it’s so dark outside that you need the lights on in the house. I also love being snowed in. That might stem from my childhood growing up in Wisconsin.
23. I absolutely hate bees (and I can’t think of any insect that I’m particularly fond of.)
24. I would love nothing more than to have a work-from-home job that would let me be on the computer all day. I think my perfect job would be a researcher for writers (I’m thinking the kind of job Robin Wright’s character had in “Message In A Bottle”.)
25. I knew I wanted to marry my husband within minutes of our first conversation and broke up with the guy I was dating at the time so I’d be “available” when he was. After 30 years of marriage – he’s still the one.

So there you have it — a little bit of inside info about what makes me tick. Now it’s your turn. What are 25 things about yourself that you are willing to tell the world?

Once Upon A Mattress …

There comes a time when you know you’ve got to buy a new mattress. I knew that time had come about two years ago when I started waking up feeling even more achey than when I went to bed. I’d try sleeping on the couch for a few nights and then, when that didn’t help much, I’d try flipping the mattress, somehow finding enough relief that my constant complaints about the lumpy old mattress would get set aside while I moved on to more pressing issues.

Eventually, as we added a second puppy to our family (meaning that we now had TWO dogs sleeping with us) our queen-sized bed got even smaller than it already seemed. I’d find myself waking with a start several times a night with the feeling that I was falling off a cliff, only to realize that I was dangerously close to falling out of bed. And waking up feeling well-rested and ready to face the world? Well, that was something I could only wish for.

Now it seems that all that wishing might finally pay off. Yesterday my hubby woke up so stiff he could hardly move. He’s starting to have just as much trouble getting a good night’s sleep as I have. And so it’s been decided that the time has come to get a new mattress.

Now you have to realize that we’ve only purchased two mattress sets in the entire time we’ve been married. Somewhere in our heads we got the idea that a 15-year warranty meant that the mattress was actually going to be comfortable for 15 years. And mind you, we still have the same bedroom furniture that we bought 30 years ago as newlyweds. So I feel totally justified in saying we are due. In fact, we are long OVERDUE and the bags under our eyes and the moaning sound that escapes our lips as we roll over during the night proves it.

To add to the excitement we’ve decided to not only buy a new mattress set, but we’re also going to buy new furniture. AND — here’s the part that has me jumping up and down – we’re going to splurge and buy a KING-size bed that should easily accommodate all four of us. I can already envision Rascal and Daisy’s wiggles of happiness when they realize how much extra room they’ll have to stretch out (insert sarcastic tone here.)

Now the big question is — what kind of mattress should we be looking for? I’m tempted to call the innkeepers at Chambery Cottage (a wonderful bed and breakfast where we’ve stayed in the past) to ask what kind of mattress they have in their Chambery Suite. I swear I’ve never had a more blissful night of sleep than I did there and if it’s at all possible, THAT’s the mattress I want!

Of course, I sense hubby is getting nervous because I’ve already started talking about redecorating the room, putting some fresh paint on the walls and having the carpets cleaned before anything new arrives (he knows these won’t be “we” jobs, they’ll be “he” jobs.) 

He also knows that buying new furniture isn’t going to be cheap so mentioning that I’ll need to pick out a new comforter and curtains (as well as sheets and blankets) might not have been exactly the kind of conversation to have over breakfast this morning. It has since dawned on me that in my excitement, I just might be scaring the poor guy (and subsequently his wallet) sending him into “freeze the credit cards” mode. I’m thinking I might need to slow down a bit (read that “shut up”) and secretly do all my preliminary shopping and number crunching before I drag him off to the furniture stores (where he’s sure to have a sticker shock attack.)

I’m also thinking I probably shouldn’t have suggested that he try sleeping in the guest room for a couple of nights (where there’s a new mattress that we bought because our son was coming home for the holidays.) I’m afraid he’ll find it all too comfy and I’ll not only lose a bedmate but I’ll find myself stuck with a worn out mattress and two dogs to keep me warm for the rest of the winter.

Ok, cancel that thought. Think positive. Deep breath. Forward march.

Yes, I’m just going to continue hoping for the best. In the meantime, however, I’m wondering if anyone has any great information about how to select the perfect mattress when you have a bad back. And since we’re going to be switching to king-size, is there anything I should know before picking one out? If my current track record is any indication, this is a once every 15 years purchase and I SO want to get it right!

My very sore back and aching joints thank you in advance.

On Being Rich …

The beginning of my blog. It’s kind of like holding a shiny new penny — I can’t help but wonder where it will take me. Will I record (as I intend) the adventures of my life, the little things that happen throughout my days, so I’ll have a way to look back and remember? Will my ramblings (as I intend) be a venue for offering perspective and insight into what would otherwise just be meaningless occurrences during the course of my life? Will I totally abandon the entire idea of blogging after only a few days, weeks, or perhaps even months (although it seems hard to imagine that it would take me that long to decide this just isn’t for me.)

Who knows. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see. All I know at this stage in the game (seeing as how it’s my first post) is that I feel like anything is possible. I feel like I’ve got something special to share. It’s like the way I felt as a little girl standing next to my daddy as he emptied his pockets of all his loose change at the end of the day. “I’ll keep the silver ones, but the pennies are for you.”

He’d hand over however many of those copper coins he’d collected that day and I would joyfully slip them into my pocket. And for the rest of the day, until it was time to empty my riches into the old glass mayonnaise jar that served as my piggy bank, my little hand would find its way down to the secret place that’s normally reserved for lint and candy wrappers.  There my fingers would start the jingling. Over and over I’d let the pennies fall from one finger to the next, jingling, making a sound that to this day I find soothing and reminiscent of childhood joy. Pennies in my pocket. It doesn’t take a lot to feel rich.

These days I find myself once again taking the time to notice (and be comforted by) the ”pennies” life offers.  It’s the little things I look forward to — pups that greet me at the door, jumping and spinning as they show how delighted they are to see me home again, email messages from friends and family telling me what’s happening in their lives, kisses from my hubby and his sweet smile telling me that after all these years I’m still the one — these are the pennies in my pocket. The crackers in my soup. The little extras that bring flavor and texture to a life that is already rich beyond measure.

It seems only right that I should occasionally empty the loose change that I’ve collected and share it with you, my family and friends. May you know the joy of  jingling pennies in your pocket and savor the crackers in your soup. It’s the little things that make life worth living.