Soap

Have you ever seen a bar of soap that had no center?    While on an overnight stay at a conference hotel  last week, I noticed a box with a soap bar in it, but it looked odd.  The soap box had an oval hole in the middle.   When I picked it up,  I saw  through the box as well as through the middle of the bar of soap inside. The note on the box explained that this innovation was a "waste reducing" soap that addressed the problem of  regular soap bars: the unused center.  Maybe this product was not made for people like me, because I use every last piece of a bar of soap.  When the centers are left, I mash them together and keep on lathering until all the soap is used.  I do this because  I was raised in the era of "Waste not, want not."
The soap with the hole in the center did smell great, though.
Smiles,
Sylvia

7 Days

Here is something to think about.  In the past seven days, our region has experienced an earthquake, a hurricane, a tornado sighting/warning, and  flooding.  What an awesome weather sequence!  These weather occurrences are not a regular happening in this area, and it is humbling to recognize that we can take precautions, but we do not control the weather.  By contrast, the last two days  have been sunny, with low humidity, comfortable and calm.  I am thankful for the calm...
Take care,
Sylvia

Clean Money

Long ago, when my mother taught me how to do the family laundry, she stressed the importance of checking the pockets of the clothes before they were placed into the washer.  This was important, because family members would sometimes leave items  that should not go into the washing machine in their pockets . Bubble gum was a problem with the children, as was candy.  Sometimes a family member would leave an ink pen in a clothing pocket- a disaster.  Some change, usually pennies, would surface.  Every now and then, paper money would get washed inside the pocket of  a piece of clothing.  It was a sad event when the paper money  became bleached or torn past the point of taping it back together.   Recently, I discovered a very clean half of a ten dollar bill in the dryer.  I didn't throw it away because  I keep hoping the other half of the ten dollar bill will turn up.  I have lots of tape.
Smiles,
Sylvia

Ice Cream Truck

My window is open, and I hear the music of the ice cream truck outside.  This brings back childhood memories.  We children would all play with gusto outside, because this was a time when our mothers told us to go outside and play.  We did not sit around in the house unless we were sick.  We played until the ice cream truck with its  magical song turned onto our street.  Then, we'd all start screaming at the top of our lungs, "Ice cream man!"  This was to implore our parents to give us money for the cold treat.  The fortunate children would  quickly receive a quarter or some other change from an adult and buy a treat.  The children who took a  longer time  to get money would  run after the truck while hollering, "Wait! wait, ice cream man!"  Most of the time, the ice cream man would stop. Bomb pops, butter pecan real ice cream scoops on sugar or waffle cones, popsicles, water ice, sundaes, and banana splits.  Those are some of the treats I remember from the ice cream truck.
Smiles,
Sylvia

Earthquake

Those of us in the eastern part of the country have earthquake stories today! For many, today's earthquake was their first, as they do not occur often here and are rare  to be of such magnitude in this region of the country.
I was in a dollar store talking with a friend.  She leaned slightly on a shelf in the paper goods section, and the shelf shifted.  I said, "Girl, stop leaning on that shelf, it might fall."  We chuckled; neither one of us had an idea of what was happening.  At the same time, I heard what I thought was an airplane flying over the store, and I also felt a little dizzy. I thought it was hunger, since I was overdue to eat my lunch.  We paid for our purchases and walked to the parking lot, still chatting.  There, a man asked us, "Did you ladies feel anything during the earthquake?  My car was shaking as I drove here!"  We replied that we knew nothing about an earthquake.  It was not until we got to our homes that we realized what we experienced  in the dollar store was an earthquake's tremor! Wow! I am so thankful it was not worse.
Do you have an earthquake story for today?
Take care,
Sylvia

Jeans

I heard a woman say that she paid $200 for a pair of jeans, but the cost did not bother her because the jeans came with a  5 year warranty.  I like jeans and wear them often, but I was not aware that jeans came with 5 year warranties.  I am partial to Dooney & Bourke  purses, they are one of my very few splurges.  I know they come with a one year warranty.  Some of my friends have the brand of purses that start with the letter C, and tell me that their warranties are for longer periods of time.   I guess it just depends on what you want.  I am too cheap to pay $200 for a pair of jeans.  I really like jeans, but even the $100 jeans are not for me.
Smiles,
Sylvia

Think Fast!

Have you ever seen someone do something wrong or act in a suspicious manner?  You may not think the behavior is life threatening, but it does look shady, or against the rules.  Did you keep watching?  Did you intercede?  Did you report it?  Did you try to talk the person out of it, maybe give the person a better option?
Examples:
You see a person eat the grapes at the supermarket, but not pay for the grapes.
You see a person switch the tags on  garments in a clothing store.
At a hotel, you see a person fill an entire, large personal cooler with ice from the machine, right under the sign that prohibits this practice.
You see a moving driver with his pet dog sitting between the driver and the steering wheel.
You see a driver who is texting or talking on the cell phone while driving.
One time at a grocery store,  I saw a person who looked like he was trying to put a roast chicken inside his jacket.   I only noticed because he kept handling the chicken, opening his jacket, putting the chicken back, looking around, and handling the chicken again.  I was so stunned that I did not know what to do at first.  Before I could think, a store security guard, who must have been  watching, moved in and handled the situation.  Unfortunately, I did not think fast.  What would you have done?
Take care,
Sylvia

Hurry

The best way for me to make sure  tasks go wrong is for me to be in a hurry when I do them.  The elders used to tell us, "Take your time and do it right."  They were correct, as usual.  The older I get, the more I understand their advice.
If I hurry to put on a pair of panty hose, I will make a  run or a hole in them.
If I hurry while I wash the dishes, I will break a glass or a plate.
If I hurry with my homework, I will make mistakes.
If I hurry while I read directions, I will  misunderstand them.
If I hurry when I polish my nails, I will polish my cuticles and the sides of my fingers as well as my fingernails.
I am sure there are some things I do well in a hurry, like get inside when I see lightning, but I do most tasks better if I take my time.
Smiles,
Sylvia

Save The Children

I may have heard this wrong on the news this morning, at least, I hope I did.  Someone allegedly listed a 13 year-old on a popular Internet merchandise/services site.  The teen was listed as a Free Item.  Also, the teen was described as one who does nothing (is lazy)  and who is mainly interested in receiving and using tech gadgets.  When did it become okay to give children away?  Maybe this was a joke by a parent to shake his/her child up.  There are better and safer ways to accomplish wake-up calls for children.  A lot of the time, the way a child behaves by age 13 has a lot to do with how that child from the beginning was shaped by the primary caregivers. 
Save the children.
Take care,
Sylvia

Old Home Remedies

There are several seniors whose company I enjoy.  They teach me some things.  They remind me of other things and earlier times.  Last week, I was in a conversation with some senior ladies and the topic turned to southern home remedies.  Some mainstay items in the medicine cabinets of  these early households  were  familiar to all of us.
Castor oil was for colds. It was taken by mouth, and it was hard to swallow.  Every time you belched, you could taste it.    You could taste it even if it had been mixed into orange juice before you drank it.
Rubbing Alcohol was for skin irritations, like bug bites.  It was also for disinfecting wounds.  It burned.
Petroleum Jelly was  used as a moisturizer and ash eraser.  It was also good for scalp dryness and to prevent chapped lips.
Vicks Rub was rubbed on the chest for colds and under the noses for stopped-up noses. Some people ate it for sore throats, but you were not supposed to do that.
Cod Liver Oil was used as a tonic to keep children strong.  A tablespoon was given every morning.  It smelled fishy and was hard to swallow.
Mercuricrome was used for minor cuts and scrapes.  It did not burn and it made an iridescent glow on the skin. I don't think you  can buy it these days because I think it has mercury in it.
You may not know about these remedies, but maybe your parents, older relatives, or older adults friends know about them.  Maybe they can tell you about other home remedies. Why not ask?
It could make for a lively and informative conversation!
Take care,
Sylvia

Is That You?

"I thought that was you!"
Have you ever said that to someone  after he/she approached you?   You saw this person, but you were not sure if it was who you thought it was.  Or you saw this person, but you did not feel  like speaking for some reason.  Maybe you were in a hurry.  Maybe the person is not one of your faves.  Maybe you think the person likes to have long, gossipy conversations.   Maybe you think the person has bad breath.
"I thought that was you!"  Have anyone ever said that to you after you first spoke to them?  What did you honestly think?
Once time, I said, "I thought that was you!"  to an elderly acquaintance who approached  me first.  She replied, "Well, if you thought it was me, why didn't you just walk over and speak to me? Why did I have to speak to you first?"
She had a good point.  I have since corrected this behavior.
Smiles,
Sylvia

Diaper Changes

 There are so many choices now for parents who have babies in diapers.  There are diapers for squirmy babies, pull up diapers, diapers with happy decorations on them, diapers that can carry heavy volumes of the stuff diapers hold.  There are diapers which keep the contents secure.  All of these diapers are disposable, too. Wow...
Back in the day, when I started changing babies' diapers, things were a lot different.  Then, diapers were made of cloth.  They came in one size and in one color: white.  They had to be fastened with plastic-topped diaper pins, or large safety pins, if we did not have diaper pins.  Once on the baby, the cloth diaper had to be covered by a plastic cover panty, which I cannot remember the name of right now.  It had openings for the baby's legs to go through. The hardest part is that the old diapers were not disposable.  You had to empty them out before laundering them.  Times were tight.  Most mothers knew how many diapers they had, so it was best not to attempt to secretly throw away a soiled  diaper because you did not want to clean and recycle it.  Today, those who change babies' diapers have it a lot easier!
Smiles, and enjoy your weekend!
Sylvia

Lessons Learned

Many years ago, I gave my third graders a writing assignment: What Lesson Have You Learned Lately?
After much discussion, my students began to write.  I remember some of the responses. Here are partial versions of some:
I learned not to jump on my mom's bed.  It is helpful to me because you will get your butt whipped and it won't be pretty.  Believe me, it won't be pretty. 

Do not look at tv when told not to.

I learned that it is not good to spin around the living room floor because I do not like to hit my head on the kitchen table.
Smiles,
Sylvia

Greeting Cards

Greeting cards have become so well written over the past several years.  There are some companies that create cards that say exactly what you want to express.  It's like the card text writers were in your head when the card was created.  Audio cards have become popular.  You can even record your voice message in a greeting card. Some of  the cards are so perfect that they are keepers, so you save them to read again and again.  I have a box of these cards; it is hard to part with them.  They are special because of the givers, the occasion, and the sentiment they express. 
Perhaps you also have some special keeper greeting cards.  Perhaps one of your loved ones has a card you have given to him/her that is a keeper.
Take care,
Sylvia

Spared

Sometimes we focus more on the bad things that happen to us more than the bad things from which we are spared.  Today, I backed my small car out of a parking lot space at the same time that a large truck was backing out of its parking space.  Of course, I checked before I put my car in reverse, but saw nothing.  I checked again while backing and stopped when  I saw the rear of a truck quickly heading for my driver side window.  If my window had been down, I could have touched the back of the truck without sticking my full forearm out.  I blew my horn and the truck stopped.  It was a close call.  I was spared from a bad circumstance, and I audibly gave thanks for being watched over.
You can probably think of a recent time when you were spared from a bad circumstance because you were being watched over and protected.
Giving thanks,
Sylvia

Congratulations

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of attending a celebration for a remarkable young lady.  She is a faithful Christian with a quiet, observant nature.   I watched her grow up in the church.  Long ago, she was a student in my teen Bible Class.  She has been awarded a Master's Program study opportunity in another country, and I believe this is a blessing.  We celebrated her because of her accomplishments and because of who she is and because of how much more she will grow.   It is great when you get to watch young people push forward and  use their talent to do what is right and what will help others.
Like her father stated at this event in her honor,  "I am hound dog happy and peacock proud!"   All of her well-wishers felt the same way!
Take care,
Sylvia

Ignore, Pray

Sometimes, an effective way to deal with  the negative behavior of others is to ignore the behavior so as not to reinforce it by giving it attention.  For example, a person makes teasing remarks to you because he/she  wants to get on your nerves. If you ignore this behavior, it may diminish, because the teaser does not get the desired reaction from you. 
Sometimes it is best to say a prayer for the person with the negative behavior, as well as for yourself.  For example,  drivers who nose their vehicles out of a parking lot just enough to be in a lane of  passing traffic,  and then  stop.  They cannot enter the lane because of traffic, but they can cause you to veer into the left lane if you can.  This is a problem if there is traffic in the lane to your left.  So, you end up trying to drive around the vehicle that is partially in the right lane and partially in the parking lot. Drive carefully around these motorists and say a prayer.  It is better to say a prayer  than to say something else.
Enjoy your weekend,
Sylvia

Pretty People

A party planner and his client meet to plan for a holiday party.  When they discuss the wait staff at the party, the planner informs the client that it costs more to have  attractive waiters and waitresses work the party.  Non-attractive staff were described as overweight and not pretty or handsome. I think the terms were roly poly,  bellies out, versus models and beautiful people.  Also referred to as more pricey were the wait staff who could speak English well.
Since this was a television program, I do not know if the party planner was joking or not.  I have been to parties with waiters and waitresses, but I can't say I have paid much attention to what they looked like.  I did treat them with respect, because that is the right thing to do.   It seems more important to hire competent party workers than to pay more if they are attractive.  However, I have never given a party where I employed wait staff.  The parties I have given were about good people and good food, and having a plain old good time.
Smiles,
Sylvia

Mom's Birthday

I just returned from a birthday lunch with my mom, my sister, two of my brothers and my sister-in-law.  It was a wonderful blessing to again celebrate our mom's birthday with  her.   She always wants to go to Red Lobster, so that is  where we took her.  She always gets the Admiral's Feast meal, so that's what we encouraged her to order.  She always gets full from the salad and biscuits, so she says she'll take the majority of the entree home for another meal later. We encouraged her to do that today, and she did.  There was lots of laughter and good will.  It was the same mother, the same restaurant, the same meal, several  of the same family members, but even deeper family love.
We all felt blessed.  If your mom is still here with you, send her some love today.  Perhaps you can plan to celebrate her next birthday with her. If your mom is no longer here with you, think of her and give thanks for the good memories you have of her.   If you are a mom, be the best mom you can be.
Take care,
Sylvia

Birthday Gifts

During the first week of August, five of my local loved ones mark their birthdays.  I make sure to get 5 birthday cards and 2 gifts.  I only get gifts for my mom and one friend.  My mom gets a gift because she is my wonderful  mother; no other explanation is needed.  My  one friend gets a gift because she and I have been sister friends since kindergarten, and we long ago established the practice of gifting each other on our birthdays.  The other 3 people are important to me also, but we established the birthday card-giving practice instead.  This is cool with me, because I tend to buy gifts that I like for me as gifts for others.  As a result, a gift for one female friend may become 2 gifts, one for the friend and one for me.  I  did well today, and only purchased gifts for the 2 birthday ladies.   However,  that  does not mean I won't return to the store later this week and buy that adorable  plastic, insulated water cup with the drinking straw attachment for me.  I will simply get the one with the pink trim, since I got my friend the one with the orange trim!
Smiles,
Sylvia

Stings

Tomorrow marks day 7 of my wasp sting.  It happened last Tuesday in the church parking lot.  I was minding my own business, chatting with some of the Noon Prayer service attendees.  I felt something land on my right forearm, so I lightly brushed away what appeared to be a big mosquito.  I thought nothing of it.  A couple of hours later, I felt a stinging soreness in the front of my right thigh.  I checked and saw a puffy reddish spot; it was about 3 inches in diameter.  Because I have been stung by yellow jacket wasps before,  I recognized the sensation.  What I thought had been a mosquito had been a smaller version of a yellow jacket wasp.  Also, it had stung me through my denim jeans!  The insect was small, but the sting was mighty!  I cleansed the spot and got out what I thought was a stinger.  For the next few days, I rubbed alcohol and ice on my thigh to ease the sting and the itch that came after it.  The spot grew to the size of a small saucer and was hard and warm to the touch.  Finally, on day 4, my skin began to look and feel normal.  I guess that wasp did not appreciate being waved off by me.
I know I appreciate the blessing of  healing.
Take care,
Sylvia