Happy Halloween!

I love Halloween! When my boys were little, I was just an anxious as they were to head out for trick-or-treating. I think that is because when I was a child, my parents never took us out trick-or-treating. How I envied my friends who would have the opportunity of being driven into town and would come home with a pillow case full of candy. When I became a little older, I always made sure I stayed at a friend's house that night and I would tag along with her family and get my share of treats. In the past, I have decorated my yard with white ghosts made out of sheets. I would then position a blue light to shine on them. How spooky they looked when there was a breeze swaying them back and forth. One year, I created several "spooky people" standing on our front lawn, including Freddy Kruger, a vampire and a witch. The next morning, Freddy's clothes were gone! I guess someone needed a last minute Halloween costume. Another year, I created a witch sitting on a chair on our front deck. My nephew was quite terrified of her. I decided to remove my witch's mask to show him that her face was created by placing a milk jug upside down into her shirt. However, ripping her face off did not have the desired effect on my nephew! I think he still has nightmares about it! I enjoy opening my door to excited little faces in cute costumes, with proud parents standing guard a few feet away, and placing treats in each bag. Enjoying Halloween . . . it's a good thing!

Fight Bac! (Bacteria, that is)

If you don't want to totally ruin your life and if you want to continue enjoying going out for meals, then don't do what I did last week! Do not take a food-safety class! My hands are chapped and sore from washing them so often and so long because the instructors are cruel people who think that everyone absolutely must be terrified of germs. I have also gone through an entire box of latex gloves this week because no amount of washing will ever thoroughly clean your hands. The instructors insisted on showing pictures of restaurants kitchens that are filthy and are home to bugs, bacteria and rodents. They also cruelly showed video from hidden cameras brought into restaurant kitchens by health inspection staff which showed restaurant employees doing things I would have preferred not to know about. They told us that you can't wipe your clean hands with the same towel you are drying clean dish with! Why not, if everything is clean? On the bright side, they also said that you should never dry dishes (which I have detested since I was a child - I was always the dishwasher), but should let the dishes air dry - after you have properly washed, rinsed and sanitized, of course! These people have taken all the fun out of using slow cookers, leaving pizza out overnight and just "guessing" when food is cooked enough. We were barely an hour into our class when we were given our first exam! We were still reeling from the shock of having survived our own childhoods and of not having killed our children with our filthy habits and they expected us to answer a quiz! By the end of the day, we had convinced ourselves that our bodies - and those of our families - have learned to fight off whatever bacteria we inadvertently ingest, and that we were all going to be OK. Knowing the rules, but not necessarily blindly following them . . . it's a good thing!

My Cheeks Hurt!

Don’t you love it when you laugh so hard, your cheeks hurt? It is like a work-out for your emotions, but you don’t need any gym equipment. All you need is a funny friend or a comedy on TV. I think funny friends are better than TV, but that works too. Have you ever noticed how everyone gravitates toward the “funny” person? Everyone loves to laugh, and everyone loves the person who makes them laugh! I have a few friends who always make me laugh. They are so funny that you find yourself not only laughing, but doing that deep, can-hardly-catch-my breath, belly type of laugh. That is the type of laughing that makes your cheeks hurt. You just feel so much better after that kind of laughter. You feel better emotionally and physically. I believe it is true that laughter is the best medicine. Laughing so hard, your cheeks hurt . . . it’s a good thing

Friends

Sometimes you just have to take a moment to appreciate how fortunate you are to have a great circle of friends. On Monday, I and several friends worked all day preparing a meal for a fund-raiser. It was a lot of work and we stressed and wondered if we would have enough food, but we also had a lot of fun. There was plenty of laughter coming out of the kitchen as we peeled, chopped and cooked. Because of my extensive cooking knowledge, I was “kicked out” of the kitchen several times and told to tend to putting the tablecloths on the tables and getting the banquet room set up. I did have the opportunity for revenge when one of the cooks tried to help in the banquet room and I was able to send her back to the kitchen. We are a group of friends spanning decades, who have formed what is probably unlikely friendships. The twenty-somethings are just starting their careers and are just beginning to think about life-partners; the thirty-somethings are settled in their careers and are busy raising tweenies and teen-agers, and the forty-somethings-and-up are beginning their lives as empty-nesters. Yet, we all have a lot in common, have causes we strongly believe in, and we truly enjoy being together, which is why we find ourselves together time and time again. Over the day, spouses and partners joined us as they got off of work, and they completed the circle. As we all sat together to eat, I looked around at our table and watched the interaction, I realized that friendship is not based on age, on income or on life-experiences, it is nothing more than simply liking each other and enjoying each other’s company and – most importantly – being able to laugh together. The banquet was a success, the food was delicious (and we did not run out) and our friendships remained intact and strong. Having good friends you can count on . . . it’s a good thing!

Just Like A Sister

The other day I was shopping for a greeting card. As I was searching through the rows of cards, I noticed a card that said “To Someone Who Is Just Like A Sister”. That got me to thinking about what it takes to be “just like a sister”. The bond between sisters is very powerful and unique. It is based on love, on memories of a shared childhood and a similar belief system learned from the years of growing up in the same household. As adults, sisters lean on each other for support. Sisters can truly be themselves with each other – how can you fool someone who has seen you in diapers, has seen you with front teeth missing, knew you for years before you wore make-up, and has seen the hair style failures you experimented with? So, if this is truly what creates that bond between sisters, I wondered how does one become “just like” a sister? As I pondered that thought, I had a “duh” moment: I have a wonderful “just like sister” in my life! My sister-in-law couldn’t be more of sister to me if we were biological sisters. She married my oldest brother when I was two years old. I have known – and loved - her almost as long as I have my brother. I was fortunate that they lived close to us and were within easy walking distance. She was there to witness most of my “firsts”, she told me about the tooth fairy, provided a safe haven for me to escape to every once in a while, and she was the first person to tell me that women could do anything they set their mind to. She would make birthday cakes with coins baked into the cake – and we would get to keep whatever coin we found in our piece of cake! I loved going places with her – she was a cool big sister I loved to tag along with. When she and my brother started their family, I loved her babies. She was there for my first communion, my high school graduation, my wedding, when my Dad died, and when my own babies were born. She was there when I needed help and support the most. If that is not a “just like sister”, what is? Having wonderful sisters and “just like sisters” . . . . it’s a good thing!

Mothers and Daughters

In previous blogs, I have talked about my multi-talented friend, Barb. I have blogged about her scrapbooking, her creativity and about her community volunteerism. Barb is a talented photographer with an eye for unique poses and situations. For today's blog, I decided to write about the love and bond between mothers and daughters. This picture is of our friend Angela with her mother. I stole it from Barb's facebook site. (Please don't sue me, Barb). This picture, more than words, demonstrates the strong tie and love shared by Angela and her Mom. Everyone has that special bond with their mother, but for some people, it goes beyond the mother-daughter bond. Sometimes, mothers and daughters are each other's best friends. Who would want a more perfect friend than your mother? I love going out to events or shopping, and seeing mothers and daughters out having fun together. I think it is wonderful when I hear someone say they call their Mom two or three times a day, because they have so much to say to each other. Those fortunate women who develop a friendship with their mothers have the best of all worlds - they have a mother with her unconditional love and support and a friend who is fun to be with and shares the same interests, all in one person. Having the good fortune of being friends with your mom . . . it's a good thing!

Spiritual Confetti!

“Encouragement is like Spiritual Confetti!” That is wonderful quote from Nicole Johnson in “Fresh-Brewed Life”. What a refreshing way to describe encouragement! Johnson says that confetti is used as a way of lavishing our love on people – whether it is at a wedding or New Year’s Eve. She describes confetti as being “a tangible expression of intangible emotions”. She has nailed it! What a perfect way to explain why we throw confetti to the people we love when they are celebrating a special occasion and to encourage them to be happy. By taking the time to encourage our loved ones every day, not only on special, confetti-throwing occasions, we offer them hope, love, grace and strength. This act, Johnson calls “spiritual confetti”. I think we could all use – and give out – spiritual confetti. I’ve commented before how a friendly word can make a sad day much brighter. I love how Johnson sums up spiritual confetti: “Encouragement is to friendship what confetti is to a party. It’s light, refreshing, and fun, and you always end up finding little pieces of it stuck on you later.” Throwing out spiritual confetti, and maybe even finding little pieces of it stuck on you . . . it’s a good thing!