Search Results for 'popular' (3617 matches)

A Lesson For A Desperate Housewife

Recently, I read a blog from a "desperate housewife". She was struggling to embrace the Laws of Attraction and felt overwhelmed by the energy that surrounded her personal life, between the challanges in her marraige and expectation she had for herself to care for others! Something about her circumstances touched me, as if she was a mirror of myself just a few short months ago. Before I really knew what my life purpose was, I felt much like she did, trapped in a prison of my own creation. I knew I wanted more. I knew more was expected of me, but I had no idea how to begin to find my path. Somehow, through inspiration, I took a risk and went back to school (looking back, it seems absurd to think that going back to school can be considered ever a risk). That was when my life took the turn it ... Read Full Story >>

Stuck in Line, Stuck with a Smile

Today, I stopped at the store to return a couple of things.   Sure enough, I ended up in line behind an older woman who was questioning all the pricing on her purchases and moving rather slowly. I made up my mind to think compassionately; to be patient and wait with a smile on my face. The older woman glanced at me and acknowledged that it must be heavy to keep holding all my items while waiting for her to finish checking out. I told her I was young enough to hold them all, and that I needed the exercise anyway. She commented that she was too old for exercise, but needed it. Then she turned to me and said, "I just lost my husband on the 20th." He had died of cancer, just two weeks after the doctor had told him he had about six weeks to live. She explained that they were both diagnosed ... Read Full Story >>

A Random Act of Recycling

Last Saturday when I was in the car with my children, I realized that I hadn't made time to do out usual recycling, and our water bottles had been piling up (in our car actually!).  We were going to be driving past the recycling station at the corner grocery store and as we approached it, I took in the long line of people, bags in hand, waiting their turn to cash in for a few bucks and some change.  I thought about the times I've waited in that line, not always just for a little extra cash or purely to help the environment - but sometimes simply because I actually needed to buy milk or bread didn't have the money. I made a last minute decision and pulled into the parking lot.  I jumped out of the car and grabbed the few bags of plastic bottles that I had in the back of the car.  ... Read Full Story >>

The Challenges of Travelling with Children

For my birthday, Julie booked a coach trip to Liverpool. It's where I went to college thirty years ago and I hadn't been back since. We had a great time!   Watching the passengers embark on the coach as we got ready to head to Liverpool, I was a little dismayed to see a couple get on with two boys, both under five. We were gonna be on the coach for four hours. Would they act up? Or be sick? Or would it just be too boring for them?  It turned out they were great!  No doubt about it. Travelling like that with two lively little boys would take both parents full attention. And they did seem to work well together. In the hotel (a hotel that was once the pride of the city, now a bit dowdy, but still spectacular!) the parents got through the meals by working as a tag-team and never leaving ... Read Full Story >>

Making Someone Happy

Today I donated a large bag of clothing and other assorted items . I placed money with a smiley face attached to the bill wishing someone a very Blessed Day! It made me feel really good as I watched the driver carrying the bag to his truck.

May all the care and kindness you give so freely to others come back to warm your heart.

Collecting Toys And Treats For The Dog Pound

I've collected a few bags of dog treats and dog toys when I've seen them on sale. Some I've left at the park with a note for someone with a dog to pick up as a RAOK, and the others I've been storing away to take to the local animal shelter as soon as I've got enough to fill a bag.

I was at the pet shop and bought some more hard rubber balls, the cashier commented that my dog must go through a lot of balls, and I told him my plan to take a bag of toys and treats to the pound. He said I had a good heart and added two more balls to the bag - free! and gave me a suggestion to email the head office and ask for their toy returns. If I can deliver them to the pound myself, then he was sure that could happen.

Here's giving it a go!

The Gift of a Special Dinner Together

My wife and I went out to dinner this weekend since we have had crazy schedules and have not had much time to just sit and relax. We went to a nice restaurant and were having a good time. We saw a very young high school age couple who looked like they were on one of their first dates. We smiled and talked about how scary that is when you are young. My wife noticed that the couple only ordered a chicken breast and water, which was a little unusual for this steakhouse. We guessed the young man wanted to take his date to a nice place but might have had some sticker shock once he saw the menu so they ordered what they could and skipped the side dishes. We had a gift card we were going to use for our dinner, but decided they could use it more. When our ... Read Full Story >>

Just 1 Card To Say Happy Birthday...

I have a Aunt who is deaf and lives alone. To communicate with her when we visit we write in her notebook. Her birthday is in March. Last year she was 96 years old. I thought about things I could get her but aside from food there isn't much she needs. So, I decided to I send emails out to a few friends. I told everyone  about my Aunt and asked them if they could please take a few minutes and help celebrate her birthday by sending a card to her.  Little did I know how this one request would impact so many, especially my Aunt! My friends asked their own friends to join in. The cards started arriving every day for a month!! My Aunt was so excited! She couldn't believe so many people were thinking about her.  She recieved over 50 cards! Something so little, that takes just a few minutes ... Read Full Story >>

Finding the Courage to Smile

I was at a coffee shop last night where there was a wonderful folk music performance. I was busy tapping my feet and singing along to the soothing beats! As I got up to get a cup of coffee and a cookie, I noticed this middle-aged woman near me. She had obviously been caught in a fire of some sort. Her face was severely burned that it looked very tight.  She barely had a nose and her eyes were extremely tiny.  I took a deep breath and went back to my seat. I thought about how brave she was to come out and appear in public. I also felt ashamed of myself for mildly shuddering and looking down while I headed back to my seat, unable to send even a feeble smile her way. As I sipped my coffee and ate my cookie, I just kept thinking endlessly about whether I should ignore this ... Read Full Story >>

Stop and Hug

My nine year old daughter has walked to school almost every day of her school life and each morning the same crossing guard, Ms. Leslie is there to help us safely cross the street. She and my daughter have a special ritual of hugging. My daughter runs to her, they hug, lock eyes and Ms. Leslie twirls her around once with the "stop" sign in one hand. Once, a neighbor driving her 3 children to school told me they feel lucky when they get the chance to witness this. Any fighting in the car that is going on, stops and they all share the joy between these two. This morning after watching them and having crossed the street to the other side, I said "That looked like so much fun can I have a hug too?" Ms. Leslie smiled and we embraced a full 5 seconds. I could feel our skin touching neck to neck and ... Read Full Story >>

Love Goes Round, Round, Round

About a year ago I learned to knit on a loom, which is a circular device that lets you knit without needles. The yarn goes around and around just like love we give to others. I love making baby hats using the loom and giving them away as gifts. In my free time, I volunteer at a non-profit that assists children and families in need, and I noticed that many of the clients we served were mothers-to-be or mothers with newborn babies. Most of the families we serve need a great deal of help just to get through each day. As I worked with more and more these mothers and families, it struck me: Wouldn't it be nice to share my newfound skill and make hats for these precious little babies? I have since then been donating my hats, and I always attach a small note on the bag that reads "This handcrafted keepsake is ... Read Full Story >>

Scarves For The Homeless

😊From Baby Blankets to Scarves.....

I have, for now, switched my crochet "give-always", from blankets for babies, to scarves for the homeless. The switch was motivated by mindyjourney's post about providing scarves for the homeless population in South Dakota. Another KindSpring inspired RAK.

Love & light in every stitch is my crochet mantra. Blessed to serve.❤️

A Pocketful Of Peanuts And A Heart Full Of Smiles

As I write it’s 11.00 a.m. in the morning with a winter weather forecast of possibly minus 35 degrees wind chill temperature. I’m staying cosy inside and keeping busy by baking experimental vegan items to take to my daughter-in-law when we visit. I’m also making a variety of craft kindnesses to share as we journey. I venture out only to replenish my bird feeding stations with extra seeds and suet, and refill the heated bird bath by lugging buckets of water from inside. Every scrap of food that isn’t eaten, even those saved toast crusts from breakfast at a local diner, goes on the platform feeder for the crows and squirrels, or in the compost, which all the creatures root through for something edible. A few seeds, and sometimes a sliced carrot or apple, may fall to the ground for hungry deer or wild turkey.  Bundled in layers of long underwear and clothes, fleece hood ... Read Full Story >>

Dreaming of Plastic-Free Days in the Ocean

Here is a little something that I like to do, and I thought I'd share it as my act of today...

I love swimming in the ocean, and when I do, if I see plastic in the water, I remove it.  Then, when I'm done swimming, I pick up as many plastic bottles that I can carry and dump them in the bin.

While this is not random to human beings, it is kind to the precious ocean that I love so much.  I look forward to plastic-free days somewhere in the future...

May this inspire you to be kind to our beloved oceans and to Mother Nature so those plastic-free days that I dream about will become a reality!

Her Leg Was Crushed But Her Spirit Soared to Newer Heights

True Story: I was on my way to work on a two wheeler one day when a truck rammed into me and completely crushed my leg. It wasn’t the driver’s fault - there was a pillar which hindered his vision. People around immediately took me to the hospital and even though it happened around 9:30 am I was only operated upon at 5:30 pm. The doctors tried to save my leg but after a few days it got infected and I had to be amputated. When the doctor told me, I asked him ‘why did you take so long? I knew for a while that this would happen.’ What got me through this whole ordeal is acceptance - that this is my fate, now I can either choose to cry about it or take it with a pinch of salt and push myself. I picked the latter. In fact, when people used to ... Read Full Story >>

What I Am Grateful For

I learned to count my blessings a long the time ago. I believe that if any one stops for a minute he/she will find something to be grateful for.   I am grateful for a great number of things but I am especially grateful for NOW, for this moment in time.   I am grateful for the lovely town where I live.  In this town the number of charity shops almost equals the number of “normal” shops.  There are charities for almost everything you can imagine. Even the primary schools are charity orientated, with the Parents and Teachers Association taking responsibility for raising money through parties, discos, fairs and other events in order to be able to buy things like interactive white boards or sports gear for the school football team.  I think my town is very kind and it is very easy to live here.  People smile at you a lot, ... Read Full Story >>

Arcade Smiles and a Big Sigh of Relief

I work for a nonprofit organization that serves children with developmental disabilities. I love every minute of it and a particular experience today made me appreciate it even more. We often go on an outing with the kids, and last Friday we brought them to an arcade. I was working with three young ladies who all had Down Syndrome, among other disabilities. I should note that they are the most loveable girls in the entire world. We were running around from game to game, and the girls were having a great time, regardless of the stares and looks from people around us. We were on a simulated rollercoaster ride when the moment that I will remember for the rest of my life happened. The girls were laughing at each other, screaming in excitement on the ride, when a young woman tapped me on the shoulder. I turned around. She politely told me that ... Read Full Story >>

Nightshift at the Marriott

It had been a long, hot August day. We'd driven over six hundred miles and it was nearing 11 pm as we entered Kingman, Arizona. We pulled off and picked a motel. Much to my surprise, it being mid-week, the deskman informed me they were full. Next place, same story. This time, I asked the clerk for suggestions.      "Try the Hampton Inn."      At the Hampton we were greeted with, "We're booked. Sorry."     "What's going on?" I asked. "Is there some kind of convention in town?"     "A tour bus just pulled in with 60 people," he said. "Plus lots of people are heading up to the Grand Canyon. It's an unusual evening. You might try the Best Western. I think they had one room left about an hour ago."      We tried the Best Western. No luck.      By that time, we'd traveled to the west end of ... Read Full Story >>

My dad, the 'Mystery Kindness Man'

Heres a lovely story I read on Reddit tonight -"My dad used to do this kind of thing every year. He'd go to our school and ask the people at the front desk if there were any families who were struggling and wouldn't be able to have a nice Christmas (small-ish town, so the school people knew him and were willing to give him some names and information). There were three of us kids, so he'd pick three families. Then we'd go shopping for them. New toys, new clothes, some little things for the parents, and lots of food for Christmas dinner. We'd sneak over to their houses when they were out and leave all the packages in front of the door. Dad would leave a card with a little bit of cash in it and sign it --Santa"

Love Is Like A Car Battery

I was parking at a hiking trail that I frequent when a man in the car next to mine leaned out and started to ask me for help. It turned out that his battery was low and no one would help jump start his car! I asked him if he had cables, which he did, and in less than 5 minutes I gave him a jump start and his car started with no problem. He thanked me and asked "how much do I owe you" and I looked at him in disbelief and said "not a thing!" He said "You won't believe it but I've been sitting here for so long and I asked at least three people to help me and no one would do it". That made me really sad. I was thinking that perhaps because of how he looks, his ethnicity, or whatever, people might think he was going ... Read Full Story >>