Jumping for Joy - School's Out!

Yay -- Maddie finished her first year of college the other day. She's had a busy couple of semesters and has been taking required courses and some Health Sciences courses. She's learned a lot and has worked so hard. We're so proud of her and her efforts!!

She's going to be taking three courses in summer school too. And volunteering at one of our hospitals with the activity cart. Only one of the hospitals is allowing volunteers currently and they must have a LOT of volunteers! While she offered to be there 2-3 days a week, they are only allowing one day a week for 2 hours. She'll be driving the cart with toys, games, magazines around to patients.

And I may recruit to help out in the office getting rid of old files, etc. Add in some pool time and it should be a busy summer!

Update and Goals/Resolutions for 2015

A quick update on my 2014 goals  --
if you don't remember, they included
(besides the usual exercise more, eat less) these in particular
that I did not accomplish . . . yet:

Learn to knit;
Become a volunteer;
and
Eat less chocolate (now that one is really impossible)!

Eating less chocolate is not a realistic goal for me!

Sooooo, I am renewing those for 2015
and maybe adding
a little sewing to the knitting  --
a girl can dream, right!!

Daydreaming - Photo from 2013

I actually have made progress on the volunteering.
This year, I am helping out at a medical clinic for those in
need on a monthly basis.  Since I have no real
medical skills (though I can put on a mean band-aid),
I'm stationed at the reception desk welcoming
 clients and handing out the sign-in forms.
I've only been there a couple times, but  my heart is
warmed each time.
Every client is welcomed and provided excellent medical care.
The volunteers are friendly and amazing -- calm and helpful
to those in our community who need medical help and don't have
access to doctors or nurses or eyeglasses, meds, etc. that most of
us take for granted.
And, there have been a number of college-age students who helped out at
every single clinic while school was on break
 and other times during the school year.
Seeing others in our community care does a person good.
You know what else?
I know my Mom would be proud of me.

The knitting -- I kept meaning to check on the knitting classes,
but unfortunately
didn't get that accomplished.
Currently, homework help or review calls my name most evenings
and that along with the ever-present laundry (who's wearing all
these clothes anyway? ) keep me a bit busy.

And you know, decluttering is on my list every year and is still high on my agenda.
My sister is working on her house and I'd like to follow her lead!
I have tossed some old holiday decorations and spent part of the
warmish day today taking down the lights outside our house
and scooping up leaves and mud from the curb.
Not exactly goals - but great to get accomplished!

I'm really going to try hard this year to meet those goals!
I love an odd-numbered year, don't you?
This is the year to get it done and live my best life, right!?! :)
Happy 2015 Y'all!

It's a Husker Thing!

Every year in the fall on a football Saturday,

one of our local organizations, the Matt Talbot Kitchen & Outreach,

looks for volunteers and collects donations for the

working poor and homeless in our city.

Maddy and I volunteered a few years ago, and I had it on 

my list to sign up again this year.

So, we did.  

This year they expanded the locations and collected

at various large box stores, malls and downtown, both

before and after the big football game.

Our assignment was on Friday night at a nearby mall and 

we were doubting how well we might do 

when we first arrived as it was pretty quiet.

However, we soon got into a groove and did fairly well.

A few things we noted.

It's getting to be a debit card world.

Loads of people said they only had debit

cards, no cash or change, so

didn't have anything to donate.

Guess having a little "mad money" has gone the

way of the rotary dial telephone!

My Mother told me to always have

some mad money in my purse or pocket.

Also and this one surprised us.

More young people (jr. high or high school age) and young families

donated than older adults.

Of course, we tried to  make our plea

personal instead of chanting the refrain,

"Huskers for the Homeless."

We looked at shoppers directly and asked, 

"Can you help us feed the homeless in Lincoln?"

Maddy and I think that really helped and made our request more personal.

Side note -- the first time we used that plea, I actually

said, "Can you help us feed the homely in Lincoln?"  

The older guy and I both about fell over laughing,

 and he said yes, here's some $ for the

homely AND the homeless!

We missed the high school homecoming game,

but it was such a great cause and

worthwhile way to spend a Friday evening.

We hope to have more time to devote 

to volunteer work in the future.

A Few Things!

Hello friends!

Yippee -- it's almost Friday again!

Hope you had a good week!

We're drifting back into warm and humid weather again after
 a very cool front blew through last weekend.

Happy news --my hydrangeas

are finally starting to get more flower buds!
I've been watching and waiting all summer --
only 3 blooms to date.

But, there are at least 6 heading toward blooming.

When we had frost warnings last weekend,

I camped out to keep the plants warm and toasty!
It worked!  Am hoping to see some beautiful flowers very soon!


Have you seen or heard about this app?

Evidently Tom Hanks loves the old clickety-clack sound

typewriters made in the good old days!

Seriously -- who doesn't love that sound!

Sooooo, being Tom Hanks and all, 

he (or someone he knows) made an app for iPads

called the Hanx Writer. 

It is super cool
and available at the app store.



In other techy-type news -- which is kind of beyond
my skill set -- have you heard of Instapaper?
I think my son told me about it. I signed up for a weekly email
with links to the most popular articles/music of the week.
  It comes with little blurbs
so I don't have to read the whole thing if I don't want to.
Some really great articles that I totally would have missed otherwise!

Soooo, what's up for your weekend?
We plan on doing some volunteering for a local
homeless shelter, some shopping (baby needs new shoes) and
maybe hit the Applejack Festival!
Hope some apple crisp or cobbler is
in my future.
Have a fun weekend y'all!
xoxo