Have I Got A Deal For You....

Memorial Day Weekend Sale!  Hurry, hurry, you don't want to miss the savings...

According to the Department of Defense there are approximately 3 million Military Service Members both Active Duty and Reserve serving today.  According to the Census Bureau web site there are approximately 310 million people living in the United States.  Which, if you calculate the percentages, approximately 1% of the population protects the rest of us on a daily basis.

Memorial Day was created for those who have died in our nation's service. A small remembrance of respect and appreciation for the very freedom of the ground we stand upon.  Remembrance to honor those who gave their all.  I just thought I would educate the 80% of the American population as to the real reason you get a three day weekend at this time of the year.  I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt that you truly did not know what was going on around you today and why.  And might I also suggest that you educate yourself on how to conduct yourselves when the American Flag passes by.  Maybe learn the pledge of allegiance and what it meant to Americans at one time in history.  And just for extra credit, Google 'taps' so the next time it plays you'll know what what it sounds like... and hopefully will know what to do.

Today, to honor our great nation's dead, I leave you with a letter that I learned in my history class way back in high school, long before a movie called 'Saving Private Ryan' made it popular...

Executive Mansion, Washington, November 21, 1864.

Mrs. Bixby, Boston, Massachusetts:

Dear Madam: I have been shown in the files of the War Department a statement of the Adjutant-General of Massachusetts that you are the mother of five sons who have died gloriously on the field of battle. I feel how weak and fruitless must be any words of mine which should attempt to beguile you from the grief of a loss so overwhelming. But I cannot refrain from tendering to you the consolation that may be found in the thanks of the Republic they died to save. I pray that our Heavenly Father may assuage the anguish of your bereavement, and leave you only the cherished memory of the loved and lost, and the solemn pride that must be yours to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of freedom.

Yours very sincerely and respectfully,

Abraham Lincoln.

Elvis Has Left The Building...

It is official...  Elvis has left the building.  Senior Prom is [finally] over.  I now have ONE week to clean my house from top to bottom.  Help organize the Graduation Party because not only are Danielle and Nina graduating but so is one of their cousins.  So the three girls are combining it all in to a Grand Affair.  [Actually, my sister-in-law and I need to get together to make it all come together...]

I know I need to get pictures up of the girls all dressed up posted here... and I will.   UPDATE: SEEEEEEEE......  Nicole made Danielle's beautiful green dress and helped Nina find  this cream one.  I'm so proud of all of them. 

I will even get pictures of our maple tree that was uprooted during the lightening storm night before last.  It narrowly missed the fence and truck.  We  happily have electricity again (finally) and so I am doing the Happy Snoopy Dance now that we can flush the toilet (we have an electric pump on our water well), take showers and wash clothes.  The kids, however, are only doing their own Happy Snoopy Dance because they have internet back.  (They think I have my priorities backward)  ::roll of eyes::  UPDATE:  Still working on the last two but will be trying again to fix it soon!

If you have ever had or been around kids near graduation time, you will know the chaotic miasma my life is in at the moment.  The kids and I are counting down the days til graduation but like the above Happy Snoopy Dance, it is for totally different reasons.  

So as soon as I get can spare a moment in my 'copious amounts of free time', I will add pictures to the post.

Oh.  And tell you about an incredible new story about a few ordinary people who win the 'You Make A Difference Award'...

Oh.  And our spanking new bathroom biological weapons warning alarm...

Darn it.  I don't have time to even look up a quote of the day...  So here is my mantra... from Alice in Wonderland...

QOTD:  "I'm late.  I'm late.  I'm late for an important date.  No time to say 'Hello', 'Goodbye', I'm late, I'm late, I'M LATE!!!!"

Paying It Forward…

I don't often pay as much attention to this concept as I should.  Today I remembered it because of an anonymous person who did something incredibly nice for me.  Because I could not thank them I came home and looked up Paying it Forward and Random Acts of Kindness.

I have made some amazing discoveries I wanted to share but first a definition.  One of the best ones could find on the internet came from WiseGeek:

"One of the most important things to remember about paying it forward is that it should be done with a selfless spirit. This means you help another person without hoping for repayment or good deeds in return. In fact, there are some organizations that allow people to pay it forward anonymously, donating money or performing good deeds without hoping for recognition. As far as the receiver of the money, gift, or good deed is concerned, he or she is told only to pay it forward." "Paying it forward doesn't have to mean giving a large some of money or expending a lot of effort. It could be as simple as holding the door for someone laden with bags or giving up your place in line to someone who appears in a rush. It could even mean spending a little cash on coffee for the person behind you in line at a coffee house. For those who have money they can afford to give, there are always people in need, but even the smallest, free gestures can make a difference."

Paying it forward is a concept that is older than you might think.  In a letter Benjamin Franklin (1706–1790) wrote to Benjamin Webb on 22 Apr 1784, he requested the following…

“I do not pretend to give such a Sum; I only lend it to you. When you [...] meet with another honest Man in similar Distress, you must pay me by lending this Sum to him; enjoining him to discharge the Debt by a like operation, when he shall be able, and shall meet with another opportunity. I hope it may thus go thro' many hands, before it meets with a Knave that will stop its Progress. This is a trick of mine for doing a deal of good with a little money.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882) in his essay "Compensation", wrote: 

"In the order of nature we cannot render benefits to those from whom we receive them, or only seldom. But the benefit we receive must be rendered again, line for line, deed for deed, cent for cent, to somebody."

Wayne Woodrow “Woody” Hayes (1913–1987) was an Ohio State University football coach won five national titles and 13 Big Ten championships in 28 years. He misquoted Emerson as having said:

"You can pay back only seldom. You can always pay forward, and you must pay line for line, deed for deed, and cent for cent." 

He also shortened the (mis)quotation into "You can never pay back; but you can always pay forward" and variants.

Robert Anson Heinlein (1907–1988), an American science fiction writer, used the term “pay it forward”'Between Planets'. in his 1951 book,

Paul Erdős (1913-1996), a brilliant Hungarian mathematician who published more papers than any other mathematician in history, working with hundreds of collaborators. In one of his visits to Harvard University, met a promising young math student on the verge of expulsion for inability to pay his tuition. Erdős paid the young man's tuition in full. Years later, the man offered to return the entire amount to Erdős, but Erdős insisted that the man rather find another student in his situation, and give the tuition to him.

Catherine Ryan Hyde wrote the book, 'Pay It Forward', published in 2000.  It was made into a movie of the same name.  Her book differs from the original philosophy by describing an obligation to do three good deeds in repayment of one good deed that a person receives. These deeds should be things that the other person can not do on their own.  This philosophy would then spread exponentially throughout mankind with an end goal of making the world we live in a better place for everyone.

In April 2009 Pay it Forward even made its way to Craigslist and Youtube.  A simple craigslist posting said: 

"I can help you with groceries, give you a ride if you need one..."  

Gretchen Rubin of The Happiness Project has a different spin on this in her post "Happiness Myth No. 7: Doing “Random Acts of Kindness” Brings Happiness" and surprisingly, I don't agree with her that this is just a myth.  It's a very thought provoking and interesting read, especially the comments.  I particularly like this one commenter who said:

Just a week or so ago in Phoenix, someone at a fast food drive through paid for the order of the vehicle behind in line. Believe it or not, this continued throughout the day. It made the evening news. Not only did the original driver achieve some degree of happiness, but also the employees of the restaurant, the following customers, the news crew, and those who saw the broadcast as I did. This would seem to demonstrate that some modicum of happiness, however fleeting, can indeed be achieved through random acts of kindness. In addition, it can also multiply far beyond the original intent.~ Posted by Rich

Exercise Can Kill Ya...

It was just another day yesterday of playing chauffeur for the kids.  I had picked up the middle three kids from the High School and were taking them home when Nina asked if we could get memberships to Planet Fitness.  Now I'm all for being fit and healthy, in fact I am seriously thinking of taking up kickboxing.  Rachel, however, had another idea for getting fit.  (I swear that girl could give Stephen King a run for his money if she ever decided to become an author!)  

Her suggestion was to start the workout regimen of a serial killer.  Her reasoning was that they must get quite a workout.  Rachel, "Dig that hole!  That's right, put your back into it!"

Danielle, "Hey, that idea has promise.  20 lunging stabs.  20 neck twists watching for the police.  Hey, lift those bodies with your  knees, not your back!"

(And yes Rachel was also the child who came up with the idea that Santa Clause should be arrested for breaking and entering, stalking and animal abuse...)  Believe me the conversation got a lot more detailed with Rachel, Danielle and Nina all helping to fine tune the workout.  I'm kind of embarrassed to say that it was hysterical in a sick, morbid kind of way.  Kind of like gallows humor only with the Lemon Stand's family brand of wit.  Personally, I'm just glad it wasn't initially a conversation for the dinner table. (I don't know why the kids are suddenly taking such an interest in working out.  You'd think they'd get enough exercise with all the running off of their mouths and with all the luck they push...)

I suppose it shouldn't come as any surprise though considering that my family (minus yours truly) used dead bodies as a unit of measure when observing the trunk space of my new car.  Some days I truly wonder if I am the only sane person in my family.  I feel like I am reliving 'The Munsters' television reruns of my youth.  In most families, it's the kids who need therapy from growing up with their parents... not the other way around.  I guess I am just blessed with a family that thinks 'outside the box'.  (Or maybe I should make that 'inside the box'?)  Still... I can't say there is ever a dull moment around my house.  I should know because I'm always looking for a dull moment in which to rest.  I believe the Chinese had a curse that went something like, "May you live in interesting times."

QOTD: "It is remarkable how one's wits are sharpened by exercise." ~ Pliny, the Younger [It's obvious that good ole Pliny never met my kids]

So, What Kind Of Day Are You Having?

I just had a friend of mine ask me why I was whining.  Why wasn't I looking at my day more positively?  Ahem.  Probably because I feel like almost everyone I have come in contact with so far today needs to be gagged, hogtied and taken out behind the proverbial barn.  What ever happened to plain common courtesy?  And by the way... my name is NOT Dude!  Nor is it Sweetie or Babe to anyone but my husband and even he doesn't call me Babe all that often and Sweetie never has and never will pass his lips!  Normally, I try to just let this all go but when more than a few people, on the same day, are being deliberately rude and mean, it just plain makes me spitting mad and kick starts my stubborn gene..

I'm working on it.... truly I am, but it's just like a reflexive action and it sometimes takes me a while to realize what I have done.  I let them win.  I let them get my goat.  (and I happen to really like my goat, I'll have you know!)

OK.  My friend is right.  I need to get my zen back.  Even if what I really want to do is go back and rip the head off my goat stealer and shove it right up his or her .... er... um... well, where the sun doesn't shine... (Believe me, you really don't want to know what my real description was.  I've discovered late in my life that I should have been born a sailor although I'm sure I could even make them blush!  But my kids sometimes read my blog so I'll just keep it PG because their father has taught them enough bad words)

So as much as I want to dismember my fellow man, I will try to take my own advice.  Advice that I have shared before (I think?  Huh, maybe not...) but it bares repeating (if I have) since it seems as though I am not the only one having a rough time today.  Perhaps the aforesaid people I mentioned?  Hey, they might be suffering from having a brainectomy?  (You never know.  It could happen.)  So here we go...

Repeat after me, "Today is a GREAT day! The three best things that have happened to me, I have seen, heard, read or that I did for someone else just to see them smile are [fill in the blank]." (No matter how long it takes to come up with three positive things today, I am determined to make my day and the day of the people who will come in contact with me, a better one!)

To turn the day around, all the experts on this kind of thing say that all I (and you) need to do is the above exercise and not give anyone permission to get you down, make you angry or upset. Accept what they are saying/doing. Try to analyze the TRUE reason for their action/words. (perhaps they are Professor Umbridge in disguise? no, no, no... I'm not suppose to go there...) Let's see, I'm suppose to try and walk in their shoes because everyone has a story and set of problems. You may find out the family pet just died.... in a most horrific manner.

If this doesn't work and all else fails, then imagine them wearing your grandmother's under-drawers.  (and if you're really desperate you can imagine them wearing such attire... just before wash day!) :o) Does everyone understand this? Nod your head. OoooooKaaaaayyy! So, what kind of day are you having?

(PS Just so you know... I went all the way to my Grandmother's under-drawers on this one...)

QOTD: "A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort." ~ Herm Albright (1876 - 1944)