Something Small Today
This is a blog about our journey to simplify. It was inspired by the birth of our son - an event that simultaneously complicated and clarified our purpose in life. This blog is about how to “get to living” one footstep at a time so that he grows up spirited but centered. We are looking for ways to simplify, big or small, and incorporating them into our life as a family.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
SCORE!!!
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
BACK ON THE LINE
Old phone, and new phone. |
Monday, March 7, 2011
WE NEED A PLAN (PART 2)
"could u pick me up a flat screen if ur still @ target?"
Ha ha ha! Nice try.
The message was from a friend in response to a text message I sent to a few friends who are fellow Target customers. When I sent my message I was at the entrance to our local store, list in hand. It felt good to be out of the house and about to cross another thing off my to-do list. The same big cloud was over my head once again though. GAS!!!!!!
(GROSS! Not that kind of cloud.)
Anyhow...I was thinking about the sign at the gas station I'd passed on my way to Target advertising $3.50 per gallon. Angry as I was, it became my inspiration at that moment and I had my big idea of the day: a shopping club.
If we all start consolidating shopping trips, either by car-pooling or by grabbing a few things needed for friends and family, we will all save a little time and money. I'm open to ideas about how to make this work. We'll figure it out. We HAVE to.
By the way, one friend took me up on the offer and, no, I did not buy her a flat screen t.v. (That was another very funny friend who was very out of luck.) No, I purchased something for a someone I'll see later today who has extended the same offer to me time and again.
That's what friends are for…passing gas!
Friday, March 4, 2011
EMBARRASSMENT OF RICHES
There was a special fundraiser held at the Robertson Elementary School in Warwick, R.I. for Mitch Levin and his family. Levin, whom we have never met, happens to be a patrolman on the police force at the University of Rhode Island, where I work.
Levin, who lives in Warwick, has been in the hospital since the day after Christmas with endocarditis. During his recovery, he suffered an aneurysm. Obviously, it's a tough time for the family.
A couple nights ago, the Wife mentioned going to the fundraiser, which a friend of ours - Pam - helped organize. Rhode Island being the way it is, I knew of the fundraiser because of work, so we decided to make a night of it.
Here's where the embarrassment kicked in. As part of the fundraiser, you bought raffle tickets, 20 for $10. There were about 30 prizes up for grabs, and you could choose to put your tickets in the drawings for the specific prizes you wanted to win.
Of the roughly 30 prizes, we won six.
It started with four tickets to a live show for Barney. Before they announced the winner, I turned to the Wife and our friend Alissa and said, "I'm going to win." We laughed a moment later when my prediction came true.
Then we won a $25 gift card to the Remington House, a local eatery. Next was a bucket of craft prizes donated by a Girl Scout troop. Then it was a gift certificate for two large pizzas from Dominos with a blanket. After that was another gift certificate for pizza place, with another blanket. Finally, we won a huge tray of cookies.
It got to the point where we were saying to ourselves, "Please don't win again. Please don't win again."
We didn't go to the fundraiser with the intent of winning a stash. With everything the Levin family is going through, it just seemed a little wrong for us to benefit so much.
So we paid it forward. We asked Pam, the organizer, to give the gift certificates for the Remington House and the pizza places to the Levins. Maybe a few nights of not thinking about food can help a little.
The bucket of crafts went home with Alissa, who in turn is going to give it to her friend, who has a young daughter. I think the Barney tickets will go to my brother and his girlfriend so they can take their boys.
Our goal in going out last night was to do a little bit to help someone else. Hopefully by sharing what we won, we are doing just that.
(By the way, International Pay It Forward Day is April 28, 2011. Check out this Website to learn more.)
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
SOMETHING SIMPLE TODAY
Sometimes inspiration comes in the most unexpected places. Sometimes beauty sneaks up on us. Sometimes just listening makes all the difference.
Yesterday was one of those blah days we all get from time to time. It was the kind of day you just try to get through. By the end of the night I really needed something out-of-the-ordinary to turn it around.
Then, as I sat on the couch about to doze off, I saw a yogurt commercial that changed everything. Yes, a yogurt commercial did it. Greek yogurt. I could go on and on about the words I heard, but I don't think I'd do it justice. Instead, take a listen and see if this something small lifts you too.
Enjoy!
WHEN LIFE STINKS, GO AHEAD AND LAUGH
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
SIX-MONTH BOOGIES ARE FUNNY
A major training session went on in our house recently and the Little One was not happy. Well, not at first anyway.