26

Let me clarify. I struggle. It's not always rainbows and moon beams for me. Everybody struggles with something. And the things that others struggle with may not be a big deal to you. How many times have you said "Wow, I can't believe so and so is getting all worked about..." and then you pushed that person away? A small issue to you can mean life and death to someone else. Maybe that person is overreacting. It doesn't matter. You could be that one person to say "I'm sorry you're struggling. I hope it gets better for you" and that could be the thing that gives them hope. Or maybe that person is the one who you've reached out to several times and they keep falling in the same hole... do them a favor. Stop reaching out, let them stand on their own.

Recently, Ann Curry, news anchor for one of the major news shows, posted on twitter asking people to get involved in 26 random acts of kindness in honour of the victims of the Sandy Hook ordeal in Newtown. She got a huge response. Many people shared their random acts on twitter, hashtag #26acts. I believe in random acts of kindness and have posted on the subject before. I've been the recipient of such an act and let me tell you, when you're a single mom with two hungry boys to feed and your paycheck barely pays the bills a random act is a blessing you'll never forget. It was an instant attitude adjustment. 

But isn't it, random acts, something that we should be doing already? I mean, I am saddened by the shooting in Newtown. I feel for the families left behind and I believe we need to keep them in mind when helping a random stranger. At the same time, we should be doing things out of the blue any day of the week for no reason at all just to prove that their are still good people who don't need a reason other than compassion.

Smile at a stranger. Hold the door open for someone and smile while you do it. A smile is the most powerful thing sometimes and the best part is, it's free. I can't pay for other people's groceries and I know that a lot of people think a random act involves handing out hundred dollar bills but not everyone can do that. So smile more. 

Zombie Christmas Card

Tomorrow I'm going to start my holiday shopping. I haven't started. Not one gift under the tree or hidden in the closet. I'm begging for trouble, I know. I will go into that store though and I will smile when someone hits me with their cart. I will smile when someone takes too long choosing something, blocking my way to the next thing on my list. I will keep my mood positive and hope that my cheery grin won't scare people who know me and never see a smile on my face. In the process, I might just turn someones day around. Or not.     

Hammer Time

If you're reading this, congratulations. You made it through the end of the world. I think it's time to question a few experts, find out why they would spread such idiocies and cause people to freak out. Sure, it's fun but really? It's the holidays. Shopping alone is enough to get people in an uproar. Advertise $20 iphones at Walmart and then only carry two per store. That's how you get people freaked out and angry! Save the end of the world shenanigans.

Anyway, My daughter started preschool this year. Kids don't always share but when they do it's always germs and sickness. In this household we've been sick for a while. One person gets it and spreads it. The plague, that's what I've named it and just when you start to feel better... Wham! Like a hammer, it hits you again. Ugh! I'm so sick of being sick. Fed up!! This is the worst the plague has hit in a very long time. Even when my oldest son got the swine flu after having surgery, the rest of us stayed healthy.

So, I was complaining to my good friend, Stripper. She's a good listener. Hardly ever has input and in the end I usually talk myself into a solution to my problem. Gotta love her. Recently when I called to rant about the plague and how sick I am of being sick she did something that made me arch an eyebrow and say "I'm sorry, did you say something?" She said "Uh yeah! You quit using antibacterial dish soap!"

I did.

I most certainly did stop using antibacterial dish soap. See, I do dishes by hand. I'm old school like that. When did I stop using it? When school started. Why did I stop using it? Because I had a coupon. I got sucked into that coupon madness and bought a bottle of fancy Dawn dish soap that boasts "Overnight soaking power" and it's not lying. Fill your sink with hot water, add a dash of Dawn Power Clean, and your dirtiest caked- on dishes. While you put away the clean dishes, let the dirty ones soak for about five minutes. The crap practically falls off of the dishes. It makes my job do much easier. Now, normally I use the orange Dawn Antibacterial dish soap. It smells good and cuts the grease. Works good but doesn't do what the Power Clean does. Buying this new stuff felt a lot like cheating. I'm sorry Dawn Antibacterial. I still love you.

So, did I rush out and buy a bottle of the trusty old faithful? No. I put bleach in my dishwater and then I proceeded to wash everything and anything that my kids have touched; doorknobs, light switches, fridge handle, microwave buttons. I even cleaned the remotes and game controllers. I normally only bleach the bathrooms on a regular basis. I use Clorox wipes on things in the rest of the house when I have them but apparently I haven't had a coupon for that so we are without. I'm sure motivated housewives do this sort of thing every other day, adding bleach to their dishwater and washing everything in sight but I'm busy writing books. I'll have to make more of an effort if I want to kill the plague.

The point of this post is to bring awareness, to tell you... my TV remotes are clean. That is all.

Last Blog Post EVER.

Well, folks.
 
If the Mayans are right the world will end on Friday and this will most likely be my last blog post ever. I know. Not cool. At all. I like gathering here, despite the fact that you are all kind of quiet. I know you're there.
 
Here's my thought though. What if the Mayans couldn't count past...wait, never mind. Clearly they could count past twelve. Dang. There goes my big epiphany. That sucks.
 
Anyway, so it's that time of the year. The Christmas tree is up, decorated and still missing a star or other tree topper. There are no gifts under the tree, mainly because there aren't any and even if there were... kids cannot be trusted. With that being said, it can be stressful but no matter what is happening, whether the dishes are over flowing or the kids are at each others throats... you woke up this morning. You're alive. Don't be mad at that. Maybe you woke up next to the love of your life or got an email or text from the one person you can count on to put a smile on your face. It's more than some people get.
 

Insert Inspirational Quote here.

There are 26 families, maybe the count is 27 now, that won't have a Merry Christmas because some psycho walked into a school and made this the worst year of their lives. It breaks my heart and really pisses me off.
 
If you follow me on facebook you might've read that someone complained about my sky photos. Ugh. Get over it. I take those pictures to remind myself that there is something beautiful in each and every day. The clouds can be grey and to me they are still beautiful. I stop, each and every day and take a photo to remind myself that life is good, life is beautiful and I am alive. I'm a survivor. It keeps me sane.
 
So, whether this is our last week on this earth or the end is nowhere in sight, stop and be thankful that you are alive. Be thankful that you'll get another email, be thankful that you had to endure snores while you tried to sleep. Before you complain about something, stop to be thankful. And sing if you know the words, dance if the words move you. If it embarrasses someone, well you're doing something right! :)