My 100th Post

Funny how in a little over a year I have found 99 things to write about, something that would have seemed absurd to me 2 years ago. Over these last 99 posts I have shared my thoughts. I have beared my soul. I have ranted, and I have offered tributes to several things from Hardees Hand Breaded Chicken Tenders to All in the Family to Gypsy Rose Lee. I have thought in the past couple of days what my 100th post should be. I decided to write about STUFF. The inspiration for this? Over the last several months my sister and I and a host of friends and family have been cleaning out my mother's house. She moved to independent living last November after living in the house for over 30 years. 30 years worth of accumulation of STUFF! The late, great comedian, George Carlin, does a great stand-up routine about STUFF that is hilarious and all too true about we as a people and our obsession with things.

 I can't tell you the bags and bags of things that we threw out or gave away. Living in the same house myself, I went through many boxes of my own things. The things I saved, receipts and school papers, not special papers, just every day, generic, "I did my homework" papers. Why? I got to thinking, and not to sound morbid, but when I am gone, who would care about this Algebra II paper from 6th period with Ms. Ruben? More importantly, why did I care enough to save it? Now, I will say, things changed greatly with the invention and ever evolving technology of cyberspace. We store things in different ways now. The boxes and boxes of pictures I took then are stored on my computer now, and I can share them in an instant. Will this lead to future generations having less stuff? Less paper maybe. We had a service come in and price all of the STUFF and this weekend my family's stuff will be up for sale to the general public. Months and months to go through things and you would think I'd be glad to be rid of it. Some things, certainly, but today as I looked at photos all of our things posted on the internet to advertise the sale, I couldn't help but feel a little sad. Things from my childhood brought memories flooding back, and I got a little teary. I guess it's like saying good-bye to old friends. It's something from that part of my life that stayed the same, that didn't change, and somehow holding on to it lets me hold on to my past. I mean, come on, it's just STUFF, or is it?

QQQQQQQQQQ Very Much!

The title of this post may be confusing, but years ago I worked in a Hallmark store that my parents owned. At that time Hallmark put out a line of cards called lite. They were printed on this brown recycled paper, and I loved them because they were filled with puns and corny jokes. When we would get a new shipment, I would stand over in the aisle unpacking them and laughing as I read each one. This one card we had had this message: On the cover: QQQQQQQQQQ On the inside: Ten Q very much!
Well I want to send out my 10 Q's. Tomorrow, bright and early at 6AM, my two girls will depart for New York City. Neither one of them have ever been and they are VERY EXCITED, and I am excited for them. Mostly I am excited because when this trip was proposed at the beginning of the school year, and I realized that I would need to raise $1600.00 for both of them to go, I thought, I am never going to be able to make this happen, and I just can't tell them, "No!" They've heard it too many times in their lives, and I want this one to be a "YES!" A trip to New York, and singing at Lincoln Center? It had to happen, and so the fundraising began. We sold "Enjoy the City" coupon books. One of my dear friends from New York actually said he'd by one. He thought it was an actual novel. No, I didn't take his money. Then we sold fruit and cheesecakes, Virginia Diner products,  next came cookies, and in the middle of all of it, I baked my famous carrot cakes, and started a mini business called 24 Carrot Cakes for the sole purpose of fundraising for the trip and baked 26 carrot cakes over the holidays, 15 of them for the week of Thanksgiving alone. Donations also came in from some very caring people, some I hadn't seen in years that I had reconnected with on Facebook. And I have to reserve one of the Q's for Facebook because it was integral in getting the message out that we needed help to get these girls to NYC. My friends, YOU ARE AMAZING!!!, and I am so thankful for all you have done to make this trip happen for them. I truly could not have done it without you, and I know that I am truly blessed beyond measure. Thank you for loving me and my girls enough to help. You have made two girls and their mama very, very happy!

I'm a Fraud

For a long time now, I have had many friends talk to me about their problems, ask me for advice, insight, and sometimes to offer a word that brings HOPE. In all those instances, I have been there and listened and gave my honest analysis and advised when asked, and yes I have, when needed, tried to ignite HOPE. I am great in doing this for other people, but when it comes to following my own advice, I am an epic failure. I used to be really good at getting back up after I was knocked down, but somewhere along the way I have veered off the path of hope into despair and indignation because life has given me way too many lemons, and frankly I'm sick of lemonade. I mask this pity party with the claim that I am a realist, and I am just trying to see things the way they really are, no rose colored glasses for me! However, my realism has turned into obsession with the phrase "Why me?" Not my usual post, I know, but in the past few days I got some news that really had me not only attending the pity party, but claiming the role of guest of honor. My oldest daughter was accepted to her first choice college. It also happened to be a college that was on tuition exchange with my work. That means there is a possibility that the tuition is paid for, something very important to a single mom struggling to raise 2 kids. I found out a couple of days ago that money may not come through. I was so mad, mad at the University, life, even God. Yet, when I shared the news with my daughter, I got this amazing response. She had this fabulous attitude about it.She knows that things will work out the way they are supposed to. She trusts God and the plan He has for her life. I used to be that way. What happened? How did I stray so far? So...the advice giver now must humble herself and learn a lesson from her child. Things will work out the way they are supposed to. Once we have done all we can do, we need to let it go, and leave it in the hands of God. I had an occasion to be at a hospital today and the hall where I entered had a huge sign over it, and it was also facing me when I exited. It said "Hallway of Hope" I thought to myself as I walked out, "Okay, God, message received." For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper and not to harm you, plans to give you HOPE and a future. ~ Jeremiah 29:11