Tag: friends

Today’s Flighty Friday

~ Lenore Diane ~ Leave a comment

:: A Bounty of Bottles
“This is our 7th bottle.” The Mom says, as I arrive at my overnight gig.

The parents of my nighttime responsibility are in the process of testing bottles for daycare. Mom goes back to work soon, and they want to make sure Baby is doing well with her bottle. As it stands now, Baby gets more ‘boob’ than anything else. But, with Mom heading to work, Baby will have to settle for a plastic boob. My first child was mainly a boob drinker, but when a bottle was used – he wasn’t picky. My second child? He wanted a boob and nothing else, and he was not open to discussion.

The 7th bottle? Craziness. Yet, the different styles and types of bottles are endless. Add to the mix the countless types of nipples for said bottles, and well – one can easily become overwhelmed with the choices. So, I should not be surprised that Mom and Dad are trying several different bottles to find the one that is ‘just right’. And a note to parents, Dr. Browns bottles work well, but honestly – with all the parts and pieces … spare yourself, your ‘to do’ list is long enough already.

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A perfect bottle is the quest.
Until it’s found, no one will rest.

So many choices, each a different type.
What is practical and what is hype?

Next comes the nipple, another choice to make.
There are six different types for goodness sake!

Overly complicated? You think? Maybe?
Then again, nothing is too good for baby.

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:: What’s in your Dryer?
Top 10 Items Found in Our Dryer
10. Rocks
9. Pens
8. Coins
7. More rocks
6. Plastic Army guy
5. Always Thin Maxi Pad (still neat (though swollen) in wrapper)
4. Kleenex
3. Pampers diaper (did not fare as well as the maxi pad)
2. More Kleenex
1. Raisins (the raisin box is still MIA)

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It eats socks,
and spits out rocks.

It handles pads with care,
leaving diapers worse for wear.

Regardless of the setting, whether normal or fluff,
it is truly dependable, and it is truly tough.

Though it can create static cling,
the dryer is a wonderful thing.

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:: Distracted
Today I am spending the day in bed. My husband has taken today and Monday as a vacation days, so he can watch our youngest, since our daycare provider also took those days as vacation days. Anyway, I’ve been battling a cold for the past three weeks, and I am finally forcing myself to do nothing. Well, do nothing except write. (Thank you to my kind husband and my kind boss for allowing me this down time.)

I am struggling to finish this post, in part because my head is clogged to the point that I am having a hard time hearing real voices, as well as my inner voices. In addition, I am struggling to finish this post, because I am distracted by what is going in the lives of those around me. I prefer my Friday posts be funny and lighthearted, yet life doesn’t always cooperate. Forrest Gump was right. Life is like a box of chocolates; you don’t know what you are going to get. Furthermore, while you are enjoying your caramel chew, someone else is stuck with the vanilla cream. Eeew.

My friend’s Mom continues her cancer battle, as her radiation treatments resumed earlier this week. And my friend feels her Mom’s last visit to their house was the last time she’d be able to make the trip. Rob’s cousin was told by his oncologist to start looking for hospice care, because he (the doctor) did not have any other treatments to offer him and his battle with cancer: renal, liver, lymph and spine. (Though Rob’s cousin is not giving up, and he is currently seeking treatment elsewhere.) Another friend of mine is in the process of getting her daughter tested for a chromosomal disorder, which would mean a lifetime of health challenges. And yesterday, out of the blue, my son asked me, “When are you going to die, Mommy? Will I still be a kid and have to watch Charlie?” He was afraid he would have to watch Charlie on his own (at the age of 5), and he didn’t think he could do it.

Haiti, still trying to recover from the earthquake, is getting hit by a hurricane. Indonesia is battling the after effects of an earthquake, tsunami and volcano. Mosque bombing in Pakistan. Plane crash in Cuba. The depressing news surrounds us. And, because I am forcing myself to stop today, the sad news is harder to ignore.

Thank God for the complications in finding the perfect baby bottle, and thank God for the miscellaneous items that find their way into the dryer. We need those ‘crazy’ moments as comic relief (though, one may not be laughing as s/he pick up each and every tiny piece of Kleenex scattered through the laundry). And my cold? Please. My cold will go away. And, my cold is not even a blip on the radar of life. Plus, I have a 4yr old coming in my room hourly, asking me if I need anything.

My life is good. And, while I enjoy my bed rest, I will keep those around me in my thoughts and prayers. And, I will do what I can to provide a little bit of sunshine and hope to those around me. After all, everyone is battling something. Hopefully, you’ll find a better chocolate soon.

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The roller coaster of life,
Filled with joys and strife.

We’re all aboard this crazy train.
And, we all need help in staying sane.

So, keep the chocolate at your side.
You’ll need it for this bumpy ride.

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Take care of yourself, and be kind to others.

It Starts with Me – It Starts with You

~ Lenore Diane ~ Leave a comment

Someone asked me the question, “Where did you get this idea from?” The response was simple, “Me.”

However, it is rare I provide one word responses, so I went on to say, “I am literally sick of all the negative crap. Rather than complain, I’ll do something. I’m on a mission. And, I am just barely 1/2 way through.”

What’s my mission? I am posting a positive thought or a kind remark to each and every one of my Facebook friends, via my status. I average three people per status update. I have over 170 friends, and I started this project 5 days ago. I still have about half of my Facebook friends left to mention. And, you know what? I am getting some nice feedback.

Please understand, I did not start this project to get positive feedback. I started this project, because I want to make a conscious effort to make a change, even if it is a small change. I wanted to try to make folks smile on a daily basis. Perhaps, if I send them a smile, their day will go a little better. Better yet, perhaps they will pass their smile along to someone else. At the risk of sounding corny (too late?), perhaps the receivers of my positive posts will ‘pay it forward’. (Though, if you’ve seen the movie Pay It Forward, please avoid scuffles on school grounds. Really. What a horrible ending for an otherwise uplifting movie. I digress…)

Oh, you know what else? I am having a great deal of fun posting positive things; I am. And, I am having a bit of a challenge. I don’t truly know all of my Facebook friends. I accepted their friend request and/or sent out a friend request for various reasons, including the fact that s/he were friends of friends. So, though I may not share a personal note with my FB acquaintances, saying a kind word about anyone and everyone is really not a hard task. Plus, you never know what kind of day a person is having. Your kind words could potentially uplift an otherwise sad spirit.

Sometimes, like on days when you pick up your child from school and the teacher tells you that your child did not have a good day, and he unscrewed the spicket on the faucet creating a watery mess, and he said ‘Never’ every time he was asked to do something … yeah, sometimes on days like today – er those days – a random kind word is appreciated.

George MacDonald, an author, poet and minister, said “Instead of a gem, or even a flower, cast the gift of a lovely thought into the heart of a friend.” I suggest you take it one step further, and cast a gift of kind thoughts to a non-friend, a stranger, etc. Going back to my post yesterday, Just Another Opinion, as negativity and browbeating are seeds that grow into ugly trees, creating an ugly forest, positive thoughts and kindness are seeds that grow into beautiful trees, creating a beautiful forest. So, will you join me? Help me plant a beautiful forest.

Frazzled This Friday

~ Lenore Diane ~ Leave a comment

I must tell you, I am frazzled today. Completely frazzled. Too much to do in too little time. Busy, busy, busy. Did I mentioned I am frazzled? How about busy? Anyway … as I walked down the driveway to put a letter in the mailbox, I realized something. Of course, now that I am back inside the house and typing – I forgot what it was I realized. No doubt, the something was earth shattering and life changing.

The letter I put in the mailbox is to one of my sisters from my 5yr. This past weekend, he drew her a picture and sent the picture to her in the mail. She received the picture, and she sent him an email. I printed the email, stuck it in an envelope and put it in the mailbox after the mail had already been dropped. When I brought him home from school, I stopped at the mailbox and pulled out the mail. “Look!” I said to him. “You received a letter!” A smile appeared on his face.

After reading the letter, he immediately went to his work table and started to write another letter to my sister (on the very same letter I printed). With my help, he folded the ‘updated’ letter and got it ready for a new envelope and stamp. The letter is in the mailbox, waiting for the mailman to pick it up and take it to my sister. And, I am certain, when my sister receives her latest letter from my 5yr old, a smile will appear on her face. There is power in cards and letters . . .

:: I interrupt this post to say, “Forgive me please, if you’ve already heard this stuff from me.” As my thoughts fill my head, I am wondering if this is a repeat. I blame my frazzle day for any repetitiveness. I blame feeling frazzled for any redundancy. I blame – well, you get my point. Please, continue …

Last week, a friend of mine went to visit her Mom and Dad. Her Mom is battling cancer. I have been sending my friend a card every single week, letting her know she is in my thoughts and prayers. Knowing she was going out of town for a week, I decided I would send her Mom some cards, too. Then, I decided I would reach out to some “Facebook” friends, and see if I could get them to send my friend and my friend’s Mom some cards. A well-wishes writing campaign, so to speak.

Though I can’t tell you how many people participated, I can tell you my friend and her Mom were overwhelmed with the number of cards they received. My friend and her Mom were quite touched with the outreach. In fact, my friend wrote “My Mom was in awe of your friends and all the cards we received. It was fun … Thank you!”

For me, the best part of that writing campaign was the fact that my Facebook friends participated. Many of the gals I included in my outreach were mainly Facebook friends. What I mean by ‘mainly Facebook friends’ is that I don’t see or talk to these gals on a regular basis. Some of the gals I do not truly know, we simply share some sort of connection – either by school, work or other Facebook friends. Still, many took part in my request to share some positive thoughts with two people who mean so much to me. How cool is that?!

Today’s world is a different world. And, every single generation will say the exact same thing. The world changes and will continue to change. Many changes are for the better, though some changes are for the worse. With each and every change comes responsibility. And perhaps, with the internet, comes a time for greater responsibility. We can use the internet to reach out, lend a hand and show support; or, we can use the internet to spread ridiculous rumors, vicious videos and hurtful hate-speech.

Last week, Facebook served me (and my friends) well, and I am grateful. Maybe you could start a small writing campaign of your own. Regardless of a person’s health, personal cards and personal letters are sure-fire ways to bring a smile to the face of the receiver. A telephone company used to have the slogan, “Reach out and touch someone.” Well, I think it is high time to reach out and touch someone the old fashioned way … snail mail.

A special note of thanks to my Facebook friends for participating in the writing campaign. Mission accomplished.