Acknowledgement is not Accusation (Yes, it's a political post)

So many days have passed since I last wrote and I've wanted to hop on here and write but I'm full of angsty emotions that are pinging around my brain.  So we all know that I didn't want the president we now have in office.  But, as I told my kids, it doesn't always work out how you want and yet America continues on as great with potential as always.   It's an amazing country and we are beyond blessed to call it home. Our history is built on pendulum swings.  History is not a smooth line, it's a mash up of moments, people, ideas, success, failure, belief, change, love, hate, kindness, but never stillness.  
And, no, I don't think we are doomed as a nation.  But I am worried.  I worry when after the march we saw yesterday, I see white women saying "What do you mean we don't have equal rights? Of course we have equal rights, we all live in America where all you have to do is work hard and you will succeed..."  To quote our current president: "Wrong."  While that is exactly how it should be, and while that is exactly how we would have it, it just isn't true for everyone in our wonderful, and still evolving, nation.  Women have made incredible progress in this nation, but remember it was only my grandma's generation of women that got the right to vote. Only my mother's generation that could finally get their own credit card without a man signing for it, and only my generation that a woman could not be fired for pregnancy.  Progress is measured in centuries.  Our still relatively young nation has only begun to advance in equality for all when you take the long view of history.  
I am not dumb, I am not naive, and I am not out of touch for recognizing that we have more progress to achieve in many areas, not the least of which is women's rights.  And for people of color the progress is even harder.  Again, to those white women who I hear dismissing the fight for rights they feel we have already achieved, I respectfully disagree that all American women are treated equally everywhere and I know that those of color have even more challenge.  I worry that these women who make this statement about everyone having equal rights then feel that my acknowledgement of this inequity is somehow me trying to say they are racist, sexist, or at a disadvantage themselves. That's not what I am saying. 
Acknowledging that inequity exists, especially for people of color is just that; an acknowledgement. It is not an accusation.  It is not a judgement or a holier than thou chastising.  It is an acknowledgment that we can do better.  We must do better.  We will do better.  That is America.  We change. We grow. We continue to strive to fulfill the promises of the past and future. 

Kindness. But First, Coffee.

Kindness.  Today I was thinking about kindness and what a simple but amazing weapon it can be.  I was going to talk about how we can all be more kind and how we can start our days out right with being kind.  But then I realized that Tom would bust me for being a total hypocrite. To quote my daughter Katie "It's not that you're unkind in the morning it's more that the morning is unkind to you." 
Before I dramatically describe my aversion to mornings I will state that overall I'm a happy and friendly person.  I pride myself on being able to communicate positively and build great friendships. I smile often. I love making people happy and was even once voted "Most likely to be happy" by my high school peers.  So, maybe after reading this you will just know that you might not want to hang out with me as I'm waking up!
I wake up and feel like I haven't gotten enough sleep and then I have to summon up the maturity to not be a complete and total jerk to my family.  I often fail.  I really do suck at the whole morning thing. I swear it feels like the covers are about 50 pounds, the air temperature in the room outside my covers must be cold enough to allow snow to fall at any minute, and my eyes have suffered a malady that doesn't allow them to open, alternatively, more than a centimeter before they forcefully slam shut again.  
How can it be morning already?  I have a shirt that says "But first, coffee."  And it's true.  I need that cup of coffee. The coffee isn't even the really important part but I think it is just knowing that I can have a moment, just a moment,  to pause all of the needs/wants/expectations that are surrounding me.  
I sort of have this mental image of waking up being the same as wandering into a forbidden area of a forest and looking up to see the local residents surrounding me in a circle, hands on pitchforks. "What are you doing here?" their suspicious eyes ask me. Some even have spears pointing at me - and it's just me, in the middle of the circle, warily looking back at them while I clutch my cup of joe. But with every little sip of that warm java fortification, a morning menace disappears from the circle.  A few more sips and circle is gone and I settle into the morning around me.  Now I can actually talk to my children without making a face like their words are Hollywood style spot lights shining into my eyes.  Now I can actually sign that forgotten permission slip, write a random note to a teacher. Now I can discuss storm troopers and light sabers in the serious tone they deserve.  
It's all a little silly, this morning aversion, I will admit.  But I'm pushing 43 years old and I've sucked at morning as an activity for truly as long as I remember.  I don't think it's going to change.  My poor best friend from high school used to come pick me up sometimes before school and she would march into my room and drill sergeant me out of bed.  She would lecture me and yell at me in a continuous verbal barrage until I dragged my sloth-like self out of bed with what I can only imagine was a very evil eye pointed at her.  
Why does the world have to start so early?!  What's wrong with you people who like to wake up, go to they gym, run errands,...all before 8 am?  That's just not right...;)  I've tried.  There is a benefit to exercising early in the day and, yes, it is nice to have errands taken care of early on. But you know what I love to do the most early in the morning?  Sleep. And then coffee. 
So yes, I will wake up in the morning and do as proper humans do. I will (usually) stifle my urge to whine about being tired, the cruelty of the morning, and the injustice of alarm clocks.  I will help the kids get their stuff together, make sure they have food in their bellies before setting off, and make a game plan for the day with Tom.  I will even get myself showered, dressed and off to a productive day of work.  But first, coffee! 

And here's your happy news for today:

Science says Coffee Is Good for you!  
So drink up and enjoy 13 benefits! Yay for science!
https://authoritynutrition.com/top-13-evidence-based-health-benefits-of-coffee/

Coffee Love Story
A cute little vimeo movie project.  Coffee, love, adorableness ensues.  2+minutes of cuteness.
https://vimeo.com/64948626

Losing and Finding Hope (The Miracle of Mary)

Hope can be a scary thing; a vulnerability or an opportunity to open your heart to a potential devastation.  But hope, nonetheless to me will always be my default.  I believe I was raised to expect that eventually things do work out the right way. Now, the right way that eventually happens vs the right way we expect when we initially hope can be two extremely different things!  I look back at different points in my life and if I were to visit the "me of then" vs now I would see that they didn't work out how I hoped at that time but they did work out in a way that I wouldn't change.

When Tom and I were newlyweds, we wanted nothing more than to be parents. Married at 25 we wanted kids immediately.  At about age 27 we were told by an expert that we were never going to have kids naturally.  We decided on adoption because to us the important factor was being parents, not being pregnant.  We started the slow and confusing process of adoption; social workers, paper work, and wondering literally where in the world our son or daughter was or might be.  We sold our condo and bought a house knowing that it would be important to have a house for a social worker to visit and approve of.  We filed paperwork and tried to be patient.  This would take years they told us. Then, suddenly we got the unexpected news that I was somehow miraculously pregnant! We were thrilled. But the social worker said we had to cancel the adoption process which was surprisingly hard for me to do. We hadn't been matched with a child yet so we had to stop the process in light of the pregnancy.  I felt like I was letting go of the child I started conjuring in my mind.  But we stopped the process, said so long to the money invested, and re-adjusted our mind set to the baby on the way.  We felt so lucky to be pregnant, against the odds.  Proud to prove the experts wrong. Those few weeks were joyous and exciting but it didn't turn out how we expected.   On December 23rd of that year, I miscarried.  The baby of our dreams was no longer with us.  I no longer had a baby inside and no longer had an adoption in process.  I was lost because suddenly I didn't have hope.  I just felt like the rug had been pulled out from under me and didn't know what to feel except for sadness.  We mourned the loss of the baby and more so the loss of hope because we felt this was a once in a life time chance we had been given.  But then, through time, quiet moments, love from family, support of friends and reflection, we began to hope again little by little.  We began to hope more.  Hope that maybe if we were successful once, we could be successful again.
Back to the doctors we went. Medication, charts, calculations, and hope. Month after month.  And then one day...the little stick had a plus sign!  We did it.  We were pregnant again.  My grandma had just passed away the month before and we asked her to send us a baby from heaven and here it was.  I knew this was our gift from her and I knew it was going to be ok.  Hope exploded in my heart.

Pushing 30 years old, 5 years of trying and it was finally going to work out. I was confident and calm that this pregnancy would be perfect.  But nothing is ever truly perfect, right?  Imagine my shock when  I rushed to the ER bleeding, hemorrhaging.  A physical exam was done, tests were taken  and I was told I had lost the baby.  This time I wasn't sad.  I wasn't angry. I wasn't terrified.  I was nothing. Because my mind could not accept that this baby, the gift, would be taken from me.  I spent weeks trying to figure out how to mourn, how to cry, how to start the grieving process.  Honestly, I don't even remember much because I just stopped feeling because I could not accept it.  Frozen. How could I ever find hope again?
Nearly two months went by and emotionally I was still on vacation but physically I just wasn't feeling well so I called my doctor and talked to the nurse about my symptoms. She had an odd tone in her voice and said she wanted to have me do some tests. I agreed to a blood test.  I thought I had an infection related to the miscarriage.  She called me the next day to say that my test had high HCG levels.  I asked her what that meant and she said it is a sign of pregnancy.  I told her it was wrong, we hadn't tried for a baby, there must be something wrong with my body. I had heard of miscarriages that weren't complete and left tissue behind in the uterus and I thought this was what was happening. She insisted I have an exam.
Tom took me to the ultrasound and I was so upset when the tech happily asked me how far along I was because I had to tell her I miscarried.  I thought she was so insensitive.  We headed in to the ultrasound and the tech hooked up the machine, inserted the ultrasound wand and gasped as something gray and blobby flashed onto the screen.  She yanked the wand fiercely out of me, causing me to flinch.  I said "what's going on?!"  I really thought there was some kind of mass inside of me. She said "There's a baby in there!  A BIG baby!"  It was like she was speaking another language because her words made no sense. Finally I started stacking her words in order and comprehending them.  "A baby? Is it? Is it like, alive?" I asked in confused voice.  And she gave me a weird look and said "It's moving all over. And it's big. Too big for me to do an ultrasound like that safely. Sorry to have yanked like that but I have to do an ultrasound on your belly."  I looked at Tom because I was so confused.  I truly couldn't understand what was happening.  He was crying.  The kind of tears I hadn't seen in a long time.  Tears of joy and tears of hope.  And I was still just trying to understand what was happening.  I didn't understand his tears.  I wasn't pregnant, I thought.  I lost the baby, I thought.  The tech was just confused, I thought.
It probably only took 5 minutes for her to set up the machine but I truly felt like it took 20 minutes, like she was stuck in slow motion.  I wanted to know what was inside of me, what was wrong because I couldn't, I wouldn't dare hope that there was actually a baby.  She finally applied a big glob of gel to by abdomen and pressed the paddle down and the screen came to light with different shades of grey.  "There's the baby!" she said " You definitely have a baby in there!" Grin grin goes the tech's face.  More tears from Tom as he stares in wonder at the screen and squeezes my hand.  All I can think is wait - wait for her to tell you what's wrong.  Wait for the bad news.  Wait.  But the tech happily continues to point at the screen.  A head, an arm, look, a foot.  She says "How far along were you when you were told you lost your baby?"  10 weeks I tell her.  "How long ago was that?" She asks.  I estimate about 7-8 weeks ago.   She explains "this baby is measuring near 20 weeks. You didn't miscarry this baby. Maybe a twin. Maybe a complication.  But this baby is healthy. You did not lose this baby."
I was half way through the pregnancy that I thought I had lost. It turns out that the E.R. doctor got it wrong and the tests that would prove it were lost and not delivered to my OBGYN so we didn't know the truth for 7 weeks when my nurse was smart enough to order the blood test and ultrasound.  And in that moment, gel drying on my tummy, lights dimmed, and the sound of a baby's hearbeat echoing through the room, every bit of hope I thought I lost came rushing right back into me, into my smiles, into my tears, into my iron grip on Tom's hand.  Hope wasn't gone, I'd been hiding it right behind my heart.   This is the story of Mary. The story of hope.

Never lose hope. Don't be afraid to hope again. Sometimes you might need to put hope on hold for a while, stick it on the shelf for a bit to let the other feeling take their turn but never lose it forever.  In our darkest moments, whether they be personal, political, familial, social, we have to remember that with time and patience, it will work out.  Hope will get us there.  Time and hope.

To Dog Or Not To Dog?

To dog or not to dog?  That is the question.  Or really I think the question is when to dog.  Everyone in our family loves the idea of a dog.  A companion, a playmate, someone who will finally clean up the food that falls on the floor...
But is now really the time?  Probably not.  Dogs are a lot of responsibility and we are already a bit nuts and overwhelmed in this family.  But is that going to change anytime soon? Probably not.  And from a therapeutic perspective, a dog would be awesome for Katie. And Mary has so much love to give that she would snuggle that furry friend at a level 10.  And Ryan would play and play and play with a dog. But I just don't know if I really want another being to take care of...

But then I wonder if the universe is trying to tell me something.  2 days ago Ryan was playing and singing and he stopped and looked up at me and said "Oh!  I really want a dog!"  and then went back to playing.  Last night I had a dream that we adopted an abandoned dog.  Then today when I was out with Mary, my sister texted me saying she found a dog for us on a rescue site... I didn't ask her to.  I told Mary the picture of the dog she sent was really cute but maybe I would like a dog like a golden doodle because I heard they are gentler and would be a good therapy type dog.  Then, when we got home we were talking to Katie and mentioned something about a dog and she said "I had a dream last night that I went geocaching with dad and we found a lost dog and we adopted it. But if we got a dog I think I would like a golden doodle..."   

Am I crazy or are we supposed to get a dog?! 

Ok, enough Dog talk - Let's see what went right in the world:

Firefighters and Cake!
Monroe WI firefighters responded to a call at a house where they discovered the source of a burning electrical smell was coming from an oven.  While a fire luckily did not break out, they learned that the malfunctioning oven was supposed to be cooking a birthday cake for a 4 year old girl.  So, after making sure all were safe, the firefighters took the extra step of delivering a new cake to the little girl so she could still celebrate!
http://www.channel3000.com/news/firefighters-make-sure-4-year-old-gets-birthday-cake-after-responding-to-stove-fire/236100946

Taylor Swift Surpirses 96 Year Old Swifty!
Taylor Swift recently surprised a 96 year old WWII veteran at his family holiday celebration this week.  This self proclaimed "Swifty" has been to two of her concerts and is a huge fan.  Swift  shocked everyone when she just suddenly showed up at the party, sang "Shake it Off" and hung out with the man and his family, including 20 grandchildren! No one knew she was coming.  Can you imagine??  The video is awesome to watch. 
http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/27/entertainment/taylor-swift-sings-veteran-christmas/index.html

No Exploding Rolls!

Merry Christmas Eve Eve!  As of last posting we were struggling a bit in the Young house but we are having happier days now.  Katie is back up on her feet which relieves us all.  We are glad to be back to the normal we no longer take for granted.  No time was wasted taking advantage of having the team back to full strength.  We turbo cleaned the house today in anticipation of the party tomorrow and then tonight we messed it back up again making gluten free cinnamon rolls! 
This baking was an experiment since in the past we've just baked those kind of rolls that come from the hella-scary tubes that make that freaky popping sound as you slowly peel the paper from the tube. Man, do I hate that. I always behave like a complete freak sort of bending my ear down to my shoulder to cover it, plugging my other ear with my free hand, squinting my eyes and gingerly tugging the paper away from that cruel tube, at arms length, as if it's a live grenade, ready to blow.  Am I the only one with an unnatural fear of rolls from exploding tubes?
Due to their gluten-mania, those dastardly rolls are no longer an option.  So, Katie and I decided that we must continue our cinnamon roll on Christmas morning tradition by making them from scratch this year.  Mary lucked out by accepting a last minute sleep over invitation at a friend's house and missed what I can only describe as Thing 1 and Thing 2 take a cooking lesson in the kitchen. The first batch was a total disaster!  Instead of rolls, they were more like weird little cinnamon blobs without enough sweet stuff mixed into where there were supposed to be folds.  Maybe Ryan will like them....  The second batch was much more successful and came out looking and tasting like sweet, gooey, cinnamon goodness.  Phew! There is something to be said for learning as you go.  Cooking and every day life have that in common: you have to be willing to try something new, learn from your mistakes and keep going.  Turns out that if you don't give up, you might end up with something sweet! Wishing you the best this holiday weekend.  

Oh, and here's what went right in the world today! 

Little Dude Busts a Move!
7 year old Tristan recently had successful surgery at American Family Children's Hospital in Madison, WI.  He was feeling so good that he shook his groove thing for the camera to celebrate.  His facial expressions are priceless.  He's hoping to go viral and be "internet famous" by Christmas.  Please watch and click share to help Tristan keep his spirits up!  https://www.facebook.com/viralhog/videos/1806079079661422/

Delivering The Mail...ON FIRE?!!
Take a look outside of the window and you will see that delivering the mail can be fierce.  Despite snow storms, pounding rain, intense heat, frigid snow, and the extremes of the weather, the mail always gets delivered.  But what about fire?!  In this story you will read about how a mail carrier rescued almost all of the Christmas packages in her truck despite the growing fire that was engulfing the vehicle.  She remained calm and with the additional help of a good Samaritan nearly every package was spared the flames.  
http://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/postal-worker-rescues-christmas-gifts-fire-watch/

Seeing the Best When You See the Worst

It’s been a hard few days in the Young house.  Katie has had so much pain arising from her Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS).  EDS is so frustrating and cruel because while she unfortunately has pain every day, sometimes it just “attacks” and she is so severely affected.  She had a weekend with so much pain that walking was not an option, nor was moving anything on her body in general.  So, we did a lot of carrying her and using the wheelchair.  It’s hard on everyone who loves her to watch her suffer.  She missed out on a girl scout event, dinner with grandparents and school yesterday.  But you know what?  She still smiles and finds ways to be happy despite pain and loss of function.  She has really gotten into coding and developing games lately.  And she has a crazy fun sense of humor and a wicked smart mind.  And she is surrounded by love. Big sister Mary watches out for her like a warrior protector and steps up to help her and fills in on Katie’s chores during these frequent pain spells.  Mary is an amazingly kind person with a quiet confidence and wisdom that serves her and others well.

I wish more than anything in the world I could take the EDS away but I can’t.  And while I hate it and spend so much energy on worry and anger and anxiety over it, this stupid condition has also shown me the best sides of my children.  Katie is a tireless fighter who overcomes monumental challenges daily with a ninja spirit and a grin. She has figured out how to live around EDS, how to be in charge.  Mary’s kindness and selflessness has been displayed not just occasionally, or even daily, but multiple times every single day. It’s a lot to put on a big sister and she handles it with grace.  And Ryan has become a cheerleader for both of his sisters but is especially attuned to and proud and encouraging of Katie when he sees her back up and walking after days in a wheelchair.  They all amaze me every day.   So on those days when I feel like giving up and just sinking into anger over my child’s condition, I see them and I see so much more than just the struggle.

I’m skipping the news links today and reporting on my kids because that’s what went right in the world today!

Slaying the Dining Room Dragon

Snowy Saturday salutations!  Today it snowed and then snowed some more and the Young 5 gratefully stayed inside all day long.  There was plenty of playing and goofing to go around but also a major project!  As some of you who have seen our house (oh messy house) know, our "dining room" has come to resemble a small Amazon distribution center. Perhaps more appropriately referenced to as a box jungle,a cardboard kingdom, the storage platform formally known as a table! Amazon Prime, along with their subscribe and save program present fantastic savings opportunities as well as super convenience but there is one teensey weensey, complicating factor.  It turns out that when you get a giant box (or 3) of your monthly goods, you have to actually put them somewhere. Who knew?  And slowly, over about the last year, that somewhere became the dining room table.  From cereal, to crackers and gluten free oatmeal to an overabundance of paper towels, we've had an ever growing warehouse of dry goods.  Like a walk in closet of snacks...in our formal dining room! Today we conquered Mount Saint Amazon (A.K.A Fort Box Land and The Great Wall of Snacks) and returned the room to a place where people can actually sit and eat!  Ryan was so amazed.  He honestly didn't realize there was a table there. Oy! He was genuinely giddy to discover a table and announced it was a super beautiful table.  He then realized that the chairs were there for a reason and sat down, just taking it all in. He returned many times just to sit.   I sat there too for a while.  We washed, dried and placed the red Christmas table cloth on the table along with green candles in anticipation of next week's party.  I'm thinking a cribbage game at the recently rediscovered table is due later tonight  - look out Tom, I'm coming for you!  Perhaps a family game of Tripoly at the party next week?  Not that the news of our defeat over disarray, our conquest to clear clutter, our mastery over miscellany isn't great news in and of itself but here is some of what else went right in the world today:

Waiting 80 Years for "Mr. Right"
Get an ice pack because this will make your heart melt!
Maria, age 80, had never been married and assumed she never would be... until the dashing 96 year old Carlos came into her life...as the man in the room down the hall in the nursing home!  As soon as Carlos moved in and saw Maria he was hot on her trail and they quickly fell in love.  The nursing home soon hosted a wedding at which all of the residence rejoiced at and Maria and Carlos danced and toasted with non-alcoholic cider.  No longer neighbors, they now share a room as a married couple. Maria said while it took a long time to find her soul mate, Carlos was worth the wait!
http://www.today.com/news/80-first-time-bride-weds-widower-95-worth-waiting-t105120


Scrooge the Ticket!
A town in Ontario Canada is turning parking tickets into an opportunity to give to charity.  During the month of December, folks are allowed to "pay" their parking tickets with donations to others in need.  In lieu of paying cash, tickets can be payed in the form of donated toys, food, or gift cards.  You have to admit that if you're going to get a ticket, this would be a nice way to "pay" for it.  
http://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/town-allows-residents-donate-food-toys-instead-paying-parking-tickets/ 

Snow, snuggles, time

Well the snow is falling at an ever-increasing rate as we prepare to tuck in for another Wisconsin winter weekend.  Due to the winter storm, we have not made any weekend plans which is an unusual gift for our family.  As I let my mind drift (not like that annoying snow drift gathering across my sidewalk) I stop to think what we might be able to do this weekend!  A living room covered in blankets draped haphazardly over furniture with books weighing down corners suddenly is conjured to mind with the sounds of Ryan and his sisters embarking on a sneaky mission in their "castle."  The smells of popcorn and cocoa meander through my psyche as I picture the family snuggled onto the couch to watch The Polar Express.  Oooh! Maybe a glass of wine for me instead of cocoa ;)  Hopes of cleaning the place up ahead of next week's party for my nephew (how can he be 16???) on Christmas Eve makes a significant exclamation in my mind.  Most of all I suddenly realize that time is a real gift. Time is an opportunity to explore the unknown and create adventures and experiences that you never expected but will be grateful to recall years down the line.  Time is that chance to love and breathe.  Time is moments that we sometimes have the unique opportunity to build into something greater. I can't wait to tell you what moments developed and what cherished memories occurred between now and the next entry.  May your weekend be full of warmth, safety, and memorable moments!  Here's your good news to give you a lift :


I'll Have My Burger With A Side Of Life Saving!
In Clemmons,  North Carolina a firefighter decided to have dinner at a local restaurant. What started out as dinner turned into a life saving mission!  The firefighter quickly began to notice that the patrons around him were exhibiting symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning.  He was right in his assessment and called ambulances to take care of 32 people before they succumbed to the gas leak. 
http://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/quick-thinking-firefighter-saves-entire-restaurant-gas-no-one-can-smell/

Grandpa is a Knitting Maniac

A grandpa in Georgia found out that people at his assisted living community were knitting tiny hats for premature babies at the local hospital.  He was inspired to join in.  This 86 year old had never knitted in his life but he was so moved to help these little babies and their families that he took on the challenge of learning.  Once he got going he just couldn't stop and inspired even more people to join i the efforts.  So many cute hats...
http://www.today.com/parents/grandpa-learned-knit-86-make-caps-preemies-t105278

Six years, Six apple slices

I was thinking the other day.  I mean I was actually quietly sitting, hot tea in hand, thinking.   And let me say that I don't feel like I spend a whole lot of time dedicated to just thinking these days. I'm in reactive mode the great majority of the time. Considering what to do next, what has to get done now, where who needs to be when...etc.  It seems my mind is sort of like that apple I just cut for Katie's lunch. You see, we have this cool tool that is round, has 6 segmented parts, like a pie, and a hollow ring in the center so when you place it directly over the apple with the stem sticking through the hollow ring and then press down: Voila! 6 lovely apple slices are created and the core with the seeds is sectioned out in a nice cylindrical shape to discard.  And that's pretty much how I feel my brain is these days. Segmented.  Segmented into what 3 kiddos need at any given moment for school, hobbies, doctors... and then there is professional slices of my brain always looking for the next cool opportunity, and slices dealing with home and projects and obligations and...Anyway, you feel me, right?  So many things to do and not enough slices to get through.  So, I was actually thinking for a few minutes about hobbies - what would I want to do if I were able to dedicate some time to what I want to do versus the line up of what I have to or should do.  Then I remembered how much I love writing. Just letting words flow from my brain, into my fingers and out of the pen/keyboard.  I love it.  And I don't do it anymore.  Then, yesterday, someone mentioned their blog.  And suddenly it was like a small lightning bolt zapped my brain!  I had a blog somewhere...and  I remember I liked it!  I went on a hunt to find it.  And six years later, here it is :)  Welcome back my dear blog.  I have missed you more than I knew I would! Who knows how often I'll get to it but I feel charged up just writing at this moment.  It's funny how you can get so caught up in the daily demands of life that you can forget what it is you really love to do.  So!  Here's to writing and smiling.  If my mind is an apple, I'm not tossing away the core anymore.  That's where my seeds of thought are :)
I will be honoring my original purpose of this blog which is to take a bit of time to really search and see the good in the world around us from simple gestures to monumental successes.  In this time, more than ever, we need to remember that while we hear so much about the bad things, there really are more good things out there and I will be honored to find and share those things with you.    Stand by and look out...because I'm back!



Ring Ring! Lucky Lotto Ticket In The Bucket!
I love the stories of the awesome donations that show up in the Salvation Army buckets this time of year.  In Pennsylvania, someone wrapped a winning $1000 lottery ticket up in dollars and slyly slipped it into the bucket.  Can you imagine the delight that must have ensued when it was discovered? Also, imagine how many people that generous, anonymous gift will help :)  My favorite "bucket list" is the list of all the generous donations found in the red kettles.  Merry Christmas!
http://www.channel3000.com/news/winning-lotto-ticket-dropped-in-salvation-army-bucket/42794354


Kids Are Naturally Generous and Love to Help!
Last weekend when we were all inundated with never ending snow most of us were not having our best days.  But that day brought out the best in two young boys in Wisconsin.  As they were riding down the road, their father reported that his sons, ages 10 and 6, spotted a man in his wheelchair shoveling his sidewalks.  The boys asked their dad to stop so they could help shovel.  The picture really show these boys digging in to snow and working hard to help a stranger.  I hope all of us can find time and ways to tap into our simply kind inner child more often!
http://www.sunnyskyz.com/good-news/1955/Proud-Dad-Pulls-Over-After-Sons-Ask-If-They-Can-Help-A-Handicapped-Man-Shovel-Snow

Justin Bieber, Plumes of Ash and Odd Words (Oh My!)

And I’m back, at least for tonight. Why, after so long, am I back to my blog? Honestly? It is for totally self-serving purposes. Frankly I am just so desperate to hear some good news that I am going to find it for myself. And it will make me happy if it makes other people smile too.

You see, Madison WI is not the most relaxing place to live right now; at least not if you are politically inclined or aware. I am both. I am passionate about what’s going on. I am angry about what’s going on. I am worried about what’s going on. I am dumbfounded by what’s going on. And tonight, I am just plain tired of what’s going on. So, when I open Facebook and just about every post is about the ongoing fights, protests and political posturing I sigh and click out. I open the local news page: all about the fights. I open the national news page: all about the fights. I turn on the TV: more news and now commercials all about …well you get the picture.

So, let’s take a break and look beyond the Capitol dome. Let’s see find some things to smile about.

Justin Bieber Saves a Beaver?

Ok, well not exactly but something like that. This story does involve animals but I don’t know if the tree stump gnawing type is included. Justin Bieber fulfilled one of Ellen DeGeneres’ birthday “wishes” by presenting her with a lock of his recently cut (thank goodness, right?!) famous hair. Ellen put the lock of hair up for auction to benefit a local animal shelter that takes care of neglected animals. That little lock of tween-mania-inducing hair fetched $40,000 for the shelter!

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/justin-bieber-auctions-his-hair-for-animals.html#

Every Cloud, Even One That Is Made Up Of Oxygen Sucking Ash, Has a Silver Lining...

Remember that Volcano in Iceland that was such a nightmare for international travelers because planes can’t fly through giant plumes of ash? While the world watched mobs of people sleeping in airports, cursing the nation of Iceland and giggled as newscasters tried, unsuccessfully, to pronounce “Eyjafjallojokull”, environmental scientists were watching for a different reason. It turns out that the grounding of all those flights resulted in a significant reduction of greenhouse gasses those days. So while folks were huffing and puffing over missed flights, at least the air they were sucking was a little cleaner…

http://www.globalgoodnews.com/health-news-a.html?art=127186210871178842

Hey Baby, Wanna Play a Little “Night Baseball?” (wink wink, nudge nudge)

Great googely moogelies! Crazy words can be fun. A new “dictionary” has been published that documents over one hundred years of slang from numerous English-speaking countries. Ranging from referring to sex as “bumping refrigerators” to expressing your surprise by yelling “Holy creeping Jesus,” Green’s Dictionary of Slang has just been published as the most robust compilation of slang to date. So get off your arse, hop into your 4 banger, zoom to the store and spend your cashola on this amusing read.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/LIVING/03/03/good.greens.dictionary.slang/index.html?hpt=Sbin

Finding The Balance

What a busy week I have had! A visit from family and a wild work load have distracted me from this project. Yet, I found my mind drifting to it many times throughout the week and I found myself anxious to discover what’s going right in the world today. It gets addicting, you see, to hear good news. It is still way too easy to hear the bad news, local, national and international. It is so easy to just want to sigh, shake my head and “check out” because it is so much easier to just block it out and pretend it doesn’t exist. But I won’t give in. I have instead made myself the deal that for all of these sad, tragic and enraging stories I find each day, I will also continue to search for the good, inspiring and triumphant stories. It’s about finding a balance. It’s the same reason I make myself drink a glass of water between all those cups of coffee I chug at work. It’s a small but purposeful attempt to maintain health. I think the same can be said for the soul. I need to balance the input of negative by infusing positive. And it is my delight to share the positive with you. Here’s what’s been going right in the world:

Kupang, Indonesia – 47 kids? Budi Soehardi and his wife Peggy,who are from Singapore have found themselves adding love and hope to the life of 47 orphans in Indonesia. Over a decade ago, as they watched TV at home in Singapore they were struck by the story they saw documenting the upheaval and despair of the refugees of the conflict in East Timore. They made the snap decision to cancel their vacation, raise money, collect food and medical supplies and go West Timore to help however they could. Their new found mission grew from just distributing aid to the building of an orphanage that now houses 47 orphans whom each Budi and Peggy know and have a relationship with. This orphanage offers shelter and education and hope. Their mission continues to grow. The links below are for a CNN article for 2009 and a link to the website about the orphanage. http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/09/03/cnnheroes.budi.soehardi/index.html

http://www.roslinorphanage.org/

St. Loius/Chicago – Facebook family! A father and his son were reunited through a simple friend request on face book. Joe Dus was put in foster care when he was 7 years old after he was taken away from his mother. He was adopted when he was 9. His father, who was only a teenager when Joe was born had been denied custody and visitation of his son and then fell out of contact. When his father tried to find him, Joe had been adopted and his file sealed not allowing his father to search any further. After the death of Joe’s adoptive parent he set out to find his birth father. Just before father’s day, ironically enough, he found the man he thought was his dad and made a friend request. They started chatting online and recently met in person, filling a void they both had carried with them all their lives. Ok, so maybe facebook isn’t that rotten… ;)

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/ct-met-schmich-0721--20100721,0,5153049.column?page=1

Flipping The Happy Switch

Is happiness a state of mind? Or is it perhaps a side effect of a fortunate situation?

Do you choose happiness or does happiness choose you? Is it a fleeting moment that catches you by surprise in an otherwise mundane day or do we have the ability to tap into a stash hidden within? For example, have you ever had just an awesome night out with a friend, more fun than you had expected to have? Perhaps you stayed out too late, maybe even had a bit too much to drink (Who me? Never!). The next day you find yourself really worn out from not getting enough sleep and perhaps that last glass of wine has made that overhead office light just a bit too bright and yet… you have a permagrin stuck on your face anyway. It’s not that you have the most perfect job ever, or that some insane driver didn’t cut you off on the highway this morning, or that a bunch of voicemails and emails hadn’t developed overnight and jumped on to the already teetering work load that was left behind with a wary eye yesterday. No, it’s just that the time you spent having such fun the night before not only filled up your “satisfaction tank”, it over filled it, leaving you with a reservoir of happiness to tap in to. So even on a day that may normally send you into a tailspin of frustration or an office-door-shut-to-protect-the-innocent mode, you instead find yourself able to draw upon the well of satisfaction within; to supplement your mood; to fend off the impending negativity that you would so easily be able to accept on another day. Awesome. But I wonder, how much of this happiness is really because you spent time out doing something great last night? What I mean is, isn’t this really just a frame of mind. It’s like we only conditionally allow ourselves to be in that great, happy mood on occasion; like we are need an excuse. But really, I would argue that the dinner, the drinks, the dancing from 10pm last didn’t really flip our joy switch at 6am this morning. That was you. And you have that power every day. So here’s to flipping the switch more often and here are some stories about what went right in the world today to help you get that finger closer to the switch.

Atlanta: No more needles?! Researchers at Emory University and The Georgia Institute of Technology are working together to develop vaccine patches. The patches will have tiny, itty bitty, eensy weensy “microneedles” that only penetrate the top layer of skin. The idea is that people will be able to apply the patch themselves without the pain of an injection! Can you imagine? The researchers envision people being able to apply the patch at home: no more missing work or school, no more bribing and dragging hysterical kids into the doctors office…somebody pinch me -but don’t poke me with a darn needle! Another nice side effect – not so many left over needles to dispose of. Now that’s sharp (oh forgive me).

Gateshead, England: The Twitchhiker. Paul Smith realized one day, as he shopped at the grocery store, he would rather be traveling the world. And he was really into Twitter. Why not combine the two? That’s right, he became the self-dubbed “Twitchhiker” and traveled the globe relying on the kindness of fellow tweeters to help him along the way. He mapped out a basic itenierary with a start point in Europe and an enpoint taking him around to New Zealand. From there he sent out a message to his many twitter contacts asking if they could him complete the journey which would require him to never spend money or plot his exact next steps. It worked! Starting in Amsterdam, he traversed through European cities like Frankfurt, Saarbucken, and Paris. Then he hit the U.S. in places like New York, DC, Chicago, Witchta, Austin, San Fransisco, L.A. and then on to New Zealand. All of this as a guest in homes, cars and planes that provided by fellow tweeters with no cost to Paul and in completed in less than 30 days.

Soweto, South Africa: Soccer Balls for All! Just recovering from the World Cup, the country of South Africa as well as the 52 other countries in Africa are still in a Soccer craze. In recognition of the fervor and in recognition of the poverty afflicting so many African children FIFA (Federation Internationale de Football Association) has launched the “One Million Dream Balls for Africa” project. FIFA will provide the one million balls to NGO’s to distribute throughout all 53 countries over the next six months. The mission is to teach confidence, team work and life skills to children in great need.

Another day, another story found

Aha! In my ongoing quest to find more needles of happiness in the grim haystack of news today, I happened upon some more good stories to share. I have to admit that it is an interesting, and almost disheartening challenge at times to sift through a mass of headlines hurtling sadness toward me to catch glimpse of that one possibly positive story. But when I find it, wow does it feel great! Kind of like when I wake up in the morning preparing myself for yet another day of work but then I suddenly remember it is Saturday. Finding these stories offers me a happy little thrill because I know that I am about to discover something to celebrate. So, here are the smiles that visited me today:

Omaha Nebraska: Three people, two of whom have battled to overcome serious obstacles have joined together to help make a dream come true at the Special Olympics. Brian Bader cannot hear nor can he speak but he is an athlete in the area of power lifting (Very strong!). His coach Ed Reindardt, a special olympics coach for 2 decades, struggles to communicate with him but obviously is dedicated to seeing Brian succeed. Enter Amy Eidenmiller, a volunteer at the Special Olympics. Amy, who is blind, knows sign language and her ability to sign Ed's communication to Brian has made a world of difference in Ed's ability to coach Brian to success. He competes tomorrow! Talk about a dream team.

Gulf Coast: Kevin Costner takes on the oil spill! It turns out that 20 years ago actor Kevin Costner developed a concern about the environmental danger an oil spill from off shore rigs could pose to the coast. He was concerned enough to start his own company to develop technology to clean up oil infested water. His company developed a centrifuge that can actually separate oil from water and then return the clean water back to the ocean. Strangely enough, the centrifuge was developed to the required standards for actual usage (as determined by the Environmental Protection Agency) only days before the BP oil spill. BP has purchase 32 so far and the Federal Government is poised to purchase them as well. Look out oil, here comes Kevin and his magic machines.

La Gloria, Columbia: El Biblioburro - "The Donkey Library" is the invention of a man named Luis Soriano. He is a primary school teacher who believes that children's success is tied to their ability to read. So for the last 10 years he has set out with a mobile library, bags of books loaded onto the backs of two donkeys , headed into the rural parts of the region. Many children do not have access to schools or books but he brings the access to them. His collection continues to grow, the children and the adults in these remote areas love the program and he hasn't had a problem with people not returning the books to the donkeys. He is also currently working on building an actual library.


Hmm...after jotting these notes down I find myself rather chipper! Hope this infused a little happy into your day too!

What Went Right In The World Today?

I don't know about you but I find myself more and more frustrated with how every time I turn on the news, listen to the radio or click on a web page I just hear an ongoing chase and race to report the worst possible news. Somehow, like a wreck on the side of the highway, the worse it is the more attention it gets. It gets old.

Listen, I'm not saying that I don't need or want to know about developing news, natural disasters, what our soldiers are dealing with in their day to day battles, political turmoil in developing countries, how people are struggling to find and maintain jobs and how far and wide the oil spill has spread. I do need to know this. These topics do deserve the attention and mindfulness of my conscious. But hour after hour, day after day, I find myself wondering what went right in the world today? Am I selfish or simply naive to wish that just a bit of time was purposely dedicated to recognizing "good" things?

So, I decided that instead of wishing someone would do this, I should do it myself. Forgive for the format and the randomness but here are some of the things that I found out went right in the world today:

Israel: It was announced today that Sandra Samuel will have the process of becoming an Israeli Citizen expedited. You may not recognize her name but she is the nanny who saved little Moshe Holtzberg in 2008 during the 3 day terror attack in Mumbai that left both of Moshe's parents dead. When she heard him crying for her, she came out of hiding, grabbed him and ran through the terror and saved his life. She returned to Israel with him, pledging to stay with him for as long as she needed him but at first she has had trouble with getting a visa to allow her to stay. Today the news broke that she has been given temporary residential status and is on her way to citizenship.

Colorado: Chris Wuebben, a veteran who had just recently returned home from serving two tours as an EMT in Iraq, was delivering a pizza to a home in Lakewood Colorado. Inside, just moments before Chris rang the doorbell, one of the homeowners collapsed. Chris answered the call of help from the family as they opened the door. He dropped the 'za and immediately started performing CPR. He is credited with saving the homeowners life by being there just moments after the collapse.

South Africa: A new contraceptive gel for women has been developed that reports to cut a woman's chance of being infected with HIV by 50%. While not licensed everywhere around the world yet, this is an exciting development for women everywhere - especially in Africa where the HIV epidemic rages on.

Ok, so this is just a snippet of what went right in the world today. I would love it if you would post what went right in your world today, from the local school sports team to good news in a far off land. Here's hoping!