YiaYia

Another post I'm not sure how to title.

My grandmother, Yiayia, was not big on taking medicine.  She would go to the doctor if she was sick.  The doctor would prescribe medication.  Yiayia would have the prescription filled and bring it home.

And that's where it ends.

Yiayia wouldn't take the medicine.  Well..... maybe a pill or two.  She definitely wouldn't take all of it, though, because she was afraid she might have been given the wrong medicine.

You see, it all goes back to a story she would tell us from her childhood.  Apparently, there was a little boy who got sick and they gave him some medicine.  Turns out the boy died because they gave him the wrong medicine.  I'm not 100% positive this is a true story, but, it's the story Yiayia heard about when she was growing up and it stuck with her for the rest of her life.

My grandmother wasn't weak or sickly.  In fact, she lived to be 100.

Maybe that fear of getting the wrong medicine kept her from getting sick?

Coffee

Thanks for all of your prayers.

RT has purchased a coffeemaker and things are back to normal.

Coffee

Day 5 for RT without coffee.

Our coffeemaker kicked the bucket last week and RT has been handling life without coffee.  Well, for a couple of those days, he has been at work (so who knows how he has behaved there) and over the weekend, I made myself scarce for most of the morning.  It seems like he is able to function uncaffeinated.

Our last coffeemaker lasted 19 years.  We our on the lookout for a new one.

Not sure why I'm typing "our" coffeemaker.  I really haven't had any use for it.  Except to keep RT well caffeinated.

Hopefully we will have a new coffeemaker up and running real soon.

If that doesn't happen, I will need to find some new hangouts....

Vegan Diaries - Red Lentil Tomato Soup

Haven't done a Vegan Diaries in awhile.

Bella wasn't feeling well the other day and I thought I would break this recipe out.  It's been awhile since I last made this soup and was hoping it was as good as I remembered.

Tomato + some beans (for protein) = a great bowl of soup!

Try it and let me know what you think!

Here's the recipe:

Red Lentil Tomato Soup

ingredients:
2 TBSP Olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp cumin
1/2 cup red lentils
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 28oz can crushed tomato
Cilantro, chopped (garnish)

directions:
Heat oil and cook onion and garlic.
Add cumin and red lentils.
Pour in broth and bring to a boil.  Simmer for 15 minutes or until lentils are soft.
Add crushed tomato and bring to a boil.  Turn heat down and simmer, covered for 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Have you ever taken an item and, well, hid it from someone/everyone?  Maybe the item is supposed to be a surprise?  Or maybe you don't want anyone else to use the item.

I guess I have to come clean on this post.  I have hidden a lot  millions  too many to count  many items over the years.  Some were gifts.  Some items I wanted to spare from being wasted.  You know, bring out only what is needed (like the paper towels).  And, then there are times you hide stuff just for yourself (RT and his chocolate, the nail clippers).  I don't think I have to elaborate on that last point, do I?

I was looking through the kitchen cabinets the other day, you know, a possible Marie Kondo sorting session was about to break out.  I looked in one of the lower cabinets (great hiding place when you live with REAL TALL people) and I found a big box of food storage bags.  I was shocked (that I forgot about them) but, I recall "someone" was using more than his share, which led to them being put into the witness protection program  hidden.

Do you hide things from family members/loved ones?

Do you have any items that are currently in the winters protection program?

Dishes

A study was done.

The result?

Washing dishes is a stress reliever.

Based on the amount of dishes I wash in a day, I should be stress free.

Thanks, kids!

Random Acts of Kindness Week 2019 - Community Day

Make a Valentine for a local Senior in the community (or make several and drop them off at a local Senior Living Facility.  They will love it!

Write a Thank You card to your postal carrier, fire fighter, police officer, etc.

Bring in canned goods to a local food pantry

Bring clothing, blankets to a homeless shelter

Donate some items (food, toys, old towels or bed sheets) to a local animal shelter

Pick up trash in your neighborhood

Leave a generous tip

Leave a surprise in a library book

Help a neighbor with yard work

Let someone go ahead of you in line today

Ask a senior what life was like when they were growing up

Feed a strangers parking meter

Bring reusable bags to stores

Tutor someone

Compliment people today




Have you been spreading kindness everywhere you go?

The week is almost over!

How many Random Acts of Kindness have you performed this week?

What good deeds have you done?

Random Acts of Kindness Week 2019 - Work or School

Send an encouraging email
Gift an inspirational book
Write a Thank You letter to your teacher
Find out something new about a co-worker (or friend at school)
Be a good listener
Bring a co-worker or friend a coffee
Tutor someone
Compliment people today

Need more ideas?  Check out Sunday's post for more fun!

Random Acts of Kindness Week 2019 - Neighbor Day

Wheel out (or in) your neighbor's trash and recycling bins
Put a surprise (cookies?  Candy? flowers?) in your neighbor's mailbox
Bring a meal to a neighbor
Bake cookies for a neighbor
Shovel the driveway for one of your elderly neighbors
Visit with one of your elderly neighbors

How many RAOK's have you done so far this week?

Random Acts of Kindness Week 2019 - Thank You Day

When was the last time you sent a handwritten Thank You note to someone?  It's probably been awhile, I bet.

Write a note to someone, thanking them for a gift they sent to you...or kind words that they said to you.  Maybe something reminded you of them and you wanted to Thank them for being your friend.

Get out your pen and paper and start writing!

Don't worry if you just have plain paper or if you have bad handrwriting.  People love to get handwritten notes!

Here are some other ideas for today.

Write a handwritten letter
Send an encouraging email
Mail a thoughtful note to a friend/family member/co-worker
Write a positive review of a local business
Thank someone
Compliment people
Give someone flowers
Give someone a valentine card
Write a letter to your mail carrier thanking them

Random Acts of Kindness Week 2019 - Family and Friends

Be extra kind to those you love the most today.  Your family.  Bring your parent a cup of coffee (or juice), write a short kindness note to your parents, sibling(s) and spouse.  Offer to do an extra chore today.  Compliment your family members and catch them doing something great.

Here are some ideas for today:

Mail a thoughtful note to a friend or family member
Bake some treats for someone special
Send a text message just to say hello or I Love you
Be a good listener
Surprise someone with flowers


Need more ideas?  Check out Sunday's post!

How many kind deeds have you performed this week?

Random Acts of Kindness Week 2019 - Be The Sunshine

Wear a bright colored shirt today and bring in the sunshine!  Be sure to smile at someone new today.  Oh, and remember to be kind to yourself today as well.

Here are some ideas for today:

Send a text to someone just to say hello
Bake cookies for someone
Bring someone a souvenir
Smile
Compliment people today
Send a care package to a friend or family member

Have a great day!

Random Acts of Kindness Week 2019

It's Random Acts of Kindness week!

This is one week out of the year that is dedicated to performing as many Random Acts of Kindness as possible.

If you haven't made a New Year's Resolution, maybe this is it?  This would be an awesome challenge for your Girl Scout Troop!  I'm sure there is a fun patch that the girls can earn, or they can make their own patch!

Are you up for the challenge?

Well, here we go!

Here are some ideas of kind deeds that you can perform this week.

The Challenges:
Smile at 25 people
Slip a nice note in your friend's backpack (child's lunch or spouse's briefcase/purse)
Compliment 5 people
Pick up 10 pieces of garbage on a walk
Make a new friend
Tell a joke and make someone laugh
Be kind to yourself and eat a healthy snack
Learn something new about your friend, co-worker, spouse
Draw a picture and give it to someone
Recycle your trash
Hug your friend
Cut out 10 hearts and give them to friends
Entertain someone with a happy dance
Make a kind poster for cafeteria helpers
Say "Good Morning" to 5 people
Make a wish for a child in another country
Say "Thank you" to a crossing guard
Invite a new friend to hang out with you
Send a Thank You to your Superintendent
Offer to help your custodian
Sit with a new Group of people at lunch
Read a book to a younger child
Give an Apple or note to your Teacher
Step up for someone in need
Make and display a "Kindness Matters" sign
Make a bookmark for a friend
Hold the door open for someone
Thank a bus driver or car pool driver
Write a "Thank you" on a band aid for a Nurse
Whisper "Thank you" to the Librarian
Help someone up if they fall down
Learn to say "Hello" in a different language
Bring a flower to the office staff
Say "Thank you" to a volunteer
Make a friendship gift for someone new to you
Thank a Mail Carrier, Police Officer, Fire Fighter


Add some kind deeds of your own.

I challenge you to perform as many kind deeds as you can this week.  Check off your kind acts as you go.

What a great way to start the week!

How many kind deeds will you do this week?

Girl Scouts - Valentine's For Seniors

Next week is National Random Acts of Kindness Week.

Our Girl Scout Troop has been making and delivering Valentine cards for Seniors since they were in Kindergarten.  They are now in 7th grade and this is the one field trip that they look forward to every year.

Once again, we delivered Valentine's Day Cards to two different Senior Living Communities.

Our girls are working towards their Silver Award.  They have chosen working with and helping Seniors. This is one of the activities that will go toward earning that award.

Parents

Not sure how to title this post.

Our house has always been a hang out house for my kids and their friends.  I like when friends visit.  I can meet these new friends and get to know them.  The majority of these kids feel so welcome at our house and enjoy talking and joking with us (I'm surprised they haven't moved in!).

Bella has made some new friends this year.  I encourage her to invite her friends over.  I have met a couple of the parents.  I have noticed that these (few) parents are the only ones who are active in their child's life.  I realize that they have been through all of this before with their older children.  But, don't you want to know who is hanging out with your child?

My children are my life.  I love hanging out with them.  Sure.  They can drive me crazy.  They know which buttons to push or just what to say or do to bother me.  But, I know they feel the same way (like to hang out with us).  < Well, obviously not for long periods of time.

I guess I'm surprised when I hear kids say they don't hang out with their parents.  And, this is when they are at our house, chit chatting with RT and/or myself.

I guess I should feel honored that these kids like to hang out at our house.  At least I know who is hanging out with my children.   I'm glad that these friends feel comfortable at our house and enjoy talking with us.  I hope that we are providing a good example for them.

My Weird Dog

We had a slight chill in the air recently.  Temperatures went below 0F (-26F, but felt like -50F).  There were stories about remembering to not leave pets outside in the cold.  

I had the opposite problem with my dog.

Pippen did not want to venture out into the cold.  I would let him out and he would turn around and stare at me through the sliding door until I let him back inside the house.  It took several attempts to get him to go outside.  It took a half dozen times until he (finally) decided to do his business.

Pippen will be starting his own GoFundMe page so he can purchase some boots and a sweater.  

Valentine's Day Craft Ideas

Thought I would put up some links to Valentine's Day crafts to get you in the Valentine's Love mood. Some of these crafts would be great to do with your Girl Scout troop!

Valentine's Placemat (children't craft)
Valentine's Day Bookmarks
Pallet (he)art
Homemade Valentine's Day cards
Felt Heart Pin or Barrette
Valentine Photo Book
Valentine Love Picture
Valentine Love Frame