National Rescue Dog Day

  Over 3 million dogs enter shelters every year.  (THREE MILLION!)  Each dog is in search of a loving fur ever home.  

Most rescue dogs overcome extreme obstacles.  Some are abused or raised in poor conditions.  Most are abandoned and left to the streets.  With training, these dogs can provide comfort to people as emotional support pets, help people with disabilities and provide comfort to elderly.  People with autism enjoy the therapeutic benefits of comfort dogs while military personnel with PTSD get relief from anxiety and depression.

How to celebrate today:

Volunteer at a shelter.  

Shelters are always looking for donations.  Old towels and blankets.  Some even have an Amazon list of needs.

Consider adopting from a shelter for your next pet.

You can use #NationalRescueDogDay on social media.

I will be spending the day (like every other day) spoiling my weird dog rescue dog, Pippen.  

Retail Problems

 More customer antics for you.

I had a customer returning a couple of candy bars.  She didn't have a receipt for them, so I had to look them up on her credit card.  It's funny because she didn't remember when she purchased them, and she was acting a little strange during this process.  I glanced down at the backs of the bars and notice the expiration dates on the bars.  They expired three years ago (no wonder she couldn't remember when she purchased them!). I mention this to her and she tries to act cool about it and doesn't respond.  I told her, "We take returns up to ninety days and I can't take the candy bars back because they expired over three years ago."  

The customer grabbed the bars and said she would be right back.  I noticed that she left her strawberries on the counter.  I wasn't sure if it was bring an expired food from your pantry day at the store (yea, I made that holiday up).  It also worried me that this woman has three year old food in her pantry.

Oh, yea.  She never returned to buy the strawberries.

Χριστός Ανέστη

 Happy Easter!  Καλό Πάσχα!

We are celebrating Greek Orthodox Easter at our house.   

Xristos anesti

ek nekron,

thanato thanaton patisas,

ke tis en tis mnimasin zoin xarisamenos

Christ is risen

from the dead,

having beaten Death by [his own] death

and having given the gift of life to those in the graves.

Christos Anesti. (Χριστός Ανέστη)  (Christ has Risen)

Alithos Anesti.  ( Aληθώς ανέστη!)  (He has risen indeed)

My Weird Dog - Moving

 I can't talk about moving and not give an update on the effects it has on my weird dog Pippen.  I mean, how can anything make him weirder than he already is?

We have been prepping for photos and showings of our house.  One of those preps was removing throw rugs, something that my princess Pippen and his long nails need so he doesn't slip on the wood floor.  We also picked up his bed/pillow and cleaned the carpet in that room.  Some furniture was moved around while other furniture disappeared.  

With all of the hustle and bustle in our house "someone" has not been too happy during this process.  He is enjoying his time during the day lounging on the back deck but is not happy when he returns inside and finds the place redecorated.

For a dog who does not like change, boy is he in for a surprise when he realizes we are going to move.

Maybe we can leave him with the new owners?

Hot Cross Buns

 I realized I should have posted this a couple of Fridays ago or wait a couple more weeks for Orthodox Good Friday.

Well, here we go.

While cleaning, one child found his recorder and decides to give it a whirl.  What song does he play?

Hot Cross Buns.

If you have kids, you know that, "Hot Cross Buns," is one of the songs they teach you when you start playing the recorder. 

Each child went through the recorder phase.  Learning how to play, "Hot Cross Buns."  I can't tell you how many times I heard that song played on a recorder in my lifetime.  I heard that song so much that I found myself humming the tune.  Sometimes I couldn't fall asleep at night because I had the song playing over and over in my head.  I couldn't wait until the recorder unit was over.

While this child was playing, the youngest child found her recorder and joined the concert.

They have now formed a band and will be touring.  It's a one song set.  Check your local venues.  Definitely something you won't want to miss!

National Card and Letter Writing Month

  April is National Card and Letter Writing Month.  I talked about this at the beginning of the month and wanted to tell you that you still have time to join in on the fun. 

Why not take a few minutes and write some letters to friends and or family members and drop them in the mail?  People love getting happy mail!  I love handwritten letters!  That's the first thing I read when I get the mail!

Don't know what to write?  How about:

an uplifting message
a funny (happy) memory that you share with this person
Maybe a thank you for something

How about just saying hello?

Maybe forward some old pictures along with a little note

This would be a great idea for your Girl Scouts.  Our Girl Scout Troop is making some cards for Seniors.  We have done this in the past and the Seniors love receiving cards and letters!  I have contacted the homes that we normally visit and have organized our card drop off with them.  This might be something you can have your troop work on at home.  If you want to take this a step further, maybe your troop would like to be pen pals with some seniors?  Check out this article on Becoming a Pen Pal to Seniors.  You can contact your local retirement community and see if they would be interested in having Girl Scout Pen Pals.  

So, grab some paper and a pen and start writing!

Count The Money

 Took a trip out east a few weeks ago.  While out sightseeing, I stopped in a little shop and purchased an item.  It wasn't very expensive, and I thought I would just pay for it in cash. I had quite a bit of change and thought I would use it for this purchase. I counted out the change, separating each dollar out so it was easy for the cashier to count.  The cashier, a guy in his early twenties, starts counting the change.  He is counting quarters as thirty-five cents.  Nickels are sometimes worth five cents and sometimes twenty-five cents.  At this point I realize that he has no idea how to count money.  After struggling to count out two dollars in change, I had to step in and help the guy out.  He finally gave up and put all of the money in the drawer.   Normally the cashier counts the money prior to placing in the drawer.  I think he was just frustrated and possibly embarrassed.   

When we left the store, I must have talked about this moment for a LONG time (sorry, RT).  But isn't that sad, that this generation has no idea how to count change?   I realize that as a society we might eliminate currency (paper and coin) but, to not be able to count, add and identify American currency?  And you live here?

I find that very disturbing.

Thoughts?