29 Gifts ~ Day 6 ~ Almost more than words can say: Love Bugs and Hacky Sacks :-)

This one was so easy it could almost be called cheating. But giving is giving and I'm going to do it anyway. Back in the summer when I saw these two little cuties, I immediately thought of my nieces, Carissa and Rachelle. You may have guessed by now that I procrastinated in sending them.

Lady Bug and Patriotic Hackie Sack

Every time I see a lady bug I think of Carissa. She's my 22 year old niece who works as a Veterinary Assistant in Carlsbad, CA. For as long as I can remember she has loved animals. When she was just a tot, she and her mom, my sister, Barb, would create these miniature bug farms in their back yard. Barb knew Carissa's tender heart and would go to great lengths to nurture it.

Carissa and one of her patients :-)

Whenever I see anything with a stars and stripes theme I think of Rachelle. She lost her husband nearly three years ago in the Iraq war. She was six weeks pregnant and he had only been there for a month when he was killed. She was devastated, we all were. Now, she's got a beautiful 2 year old son who keeps her going. He is an amazing child.

Rachelle and Richard

I've shared before about losing Barb twelve years ago to a fatal heart attack. It's been a rough go for these precious girls. They're doing pretty well now though. They have an amazing family that loves, lives, and plays together and I couldn't be happier for them.

Anyway, back to giving. You know how much fun it is to get a little surprise in the mail; Something different than junk mail and bills? I just thought I'd pop these in the mail for them and let them know I'm thinking of them...Just because I love them :-) ~ Blessings, Janet

Today I'm grateful for:

1) Time
2) My new whipping cream dispenser (I know, it's stupid, but I love it!)
3) Fresh lettuce from my garden

Here's a link to the 29 Gifts Website in case you want to check it out.

29 Gifts: Days 4 & 5 ~ Reviving Date Night and Helping Others Help Others

Day 4 ~ Well, I'm going to get boring here, but this one was for hubby again. I picked him up from work a bit early and revived our date night. We started at our favorite little neighborhood Greek place for happy hour and dinner. We planned on going to a movie, but skipped it in favor of a movie at home cozied up with Bailey's and Coffee in front of the fire place. What makes this a gift to hubby is that our lives have been sort of out of balance during the last few months and I know that he appreciates me making the effort to regain our balance. He's working on a huge new project at work that has its inherent stress so providing that "safe place to fall" back at home helps him manage it easier.

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Day 5 ~ One of my favorite charities is Big Brothers~Big Sisters because I really believe that every child needs and deserves a stable adult in their lives who care about their well-being. I so admire the men and women who make time in their lives for child in need and I love supporting their efforts. So today, I gathered up a car load of goodies, including a computer and monitor to take to Savers, which is their affiliated thrift store. I only dropped the things off today, but I also shop there a few times a year (when I need a certain jean size :-) and am not willing to pay good money for new jeans...and when I've got an interesting party I'm putting together because they sometimes have really unique serving pieces. Then I donate them back at another time.

Today I am grateful for:

1) A beautiful crisp day
2) My mom
3) New Photo Organizing Cart (yes, I need a cart :-)

29 Gifts: Day 3 ~ Making sure he knows it's real :-)

When we give, we receive; it's a Universal Law. So I have to share this story about my Day 2 gift of "Dinner waiting" for my husband. I roasted the chicken, prepared the vegetables (broccoli), arranged the salad on individual plates. (I usually put them in individual bowls, but they were in the dishwasher). So hubby sits down and enjoys a nice relaxing dinner, pre-chaos style, and at the end of the meal, I commented on how delicious the salad was. (Some days, they just are; especially if I've been filling myself with holiday sweets and carbs.) Then he says, "It is good, and nice arrangement." :-))) Seriously :-) What a gift for him to notice that. I admit, it was nicely arranged {Spring mix, topped with shredded purple cabbage, shredded orange carrots. I arranged sliced cucumber and tomato around the perimeter and sprinkled shredded cheese over the top} It was pretty...and he noticed it...and appreciated it. Like I said, a gift.

Dinner for 2

Day 3 ~  Stability -You may recall I was pretty stoked about my plans for Day 3. Unfortunately, my intended recipient fell ill and we did not get to connect yesterday so I was stuck for a Day 3 gift. I'll save it for her and for another day, but I came up with an alternative recipient, once again, the hubby. I had mentioned that our peaceful evenings had gone awry as of late and so I decided that I would continue the dinner trend...help us regain that aspect of our "life by design." When Rick walked in from work, the aroma of Barbecued Pulled Pork filled the air...and he knew what was for dinner. The table was set, the salads (in our salad bowls this time :-) were ready and he could just unwind with a nice glass of wine. It was perfect.

Today I am grateful for:

1) My hubby
2) Sweet oranges from dad's tree
3) Flexibility in my work

29 Gifts ~ Days 1 and 2 ~ Learning Universal Laws and Celebrating Friendship

Several years ago, after participating in Cursillo (a church retreat) I had the opportunity to serve other attendants. During the retreat in which I was a participant, we were lavished with love and attention. The sense of community was palpable and comforting. I came away from that retreat a changed person...more loving, more compassionate and certainly my faith had grown. I felt so blessed...and I jumped at the opportunity to serve as a volunteer and prayer partner in the next retreat. I had no idea the amount of work that had gone into preparing and carrying out such a lovely event. We worked for months prior to the retreat and day and night throughout the long weekend of the retreat. It was the hardest I had ever worked. We cleaned, cooked, prayed with, and attended to every need of the participants. We contacted family members to ensure that their loved ones were supported. And during the last evening, we prepared the most lovely candlelit dinner.

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I'm telling you this, because during the time that I served, I came to know, really know...that it was while I was in the service of others that I really received the greater gift. I was witness to so many beautiful moments and gained cherished friendships and I was truly overwhelmed with the idea that I could feel even more gratitude in serving than I had in receiving (which was overwhelming in itself).

That was more than a decade ago and many changes have taken place that have brought me to this point in my life. My giving has largely consisted of donating clothing and household items and sending checks to our heart felt causes as well as supporting family members in crisis. All of this is good...and needed and I feel blessed to be able to do it, however, it has felt more rote and obligatory than joyful...and giving should be joyful. So when I read this post from Angie of Living Aloha about the 29 Gifts Challenge, it touched my heart, it sparked a renewed desire, and an awareness that giving back can be a way of life. I recalled those precious moments on the Cook Team for Cursillo and realized that it was a gift...that keeps giving back.

So, after reading Angie's post, I clicked over to the 29 Gifts website and joined the challenge. I knew right away what I wanted to give as my first gift.

Day 1 ~ I drove over to Lowe's and purchased 2 boxes of outdoor lights that mimic lightning bugs. They were a huge hit with my parents at Christmas and I know that they will be with my good friend Candace. I bought 2 boxes so that she can give one to her grandson, Vince who is a precocious, life-loving 4 year old who lives in the LA area, about a six hour drive away from Nana. Anyway, Candace loves spending time with this little guy and she has a beautiful backyard with lots of fun spaces and I thought this would be a nice addition to her magical space.

Day 2 ~ This one is for my husband. I am so blessed to be able to work with a very flexible schedule and in the normal course of our lives, if I am home at dinner time, when Rick walks in, the aroma of something cooking is usually in the air. However, lately...not so much. In fact, yesterday was the first time that I can remember in several weeks that I actually cooked dinner. So today, I'm setting the table, and roasting a chicken so that when he walks in, the aroma will hit him, and he won't have to say, "Where are we going for dinner?" There will be a little glimmer of hope that the life we've designed, our peaceful evenings have not been lost. :-).

Thank you Angie, for inspiring me to get back to the heart of giving. I am so excited and I already have the gift ready and waiting for tomorrow.

There is plenty of room at the 29 Gifts site for more friends, so if you are feeling the urge, take a minute and check it out. Look at Eileen Bradley's beautiful Mandala's as well. They are absolutely gorgeous!

I am also taking Angie's lead and posting a gratitude list as I feel it is so important to acknowledge those bits of grace that are so abundant in our lives.

Today's Gratitude List

1) Angie ~ You are amazing!
2) Michael and Minnie (all the giggles they inspire every day)
3) New Keurig Coffee Maker (it is helping me cut down to one cup a day :-)

Wish List or Resolutions

Spontaneity

If you've been reading my blog for any time at all, you'll know already that I'm a planner. That I live by routine, order, structure, etc. Most of the time anyway. Sometimes though, I am able to seize an opportunity, throw caution to the wind and just take a day and go play in the snow. That is what we did today.

We live in the Valley of the Sun :-) and yet we are only about an hour and a half away from "Snow Country." It's been unusually chilly down here so we thought we would take the opportunity, get out of town and show the puppies snow for the first time.

Staying Present