Suspended

I've already posted once about facebook this week.  That was this week, right?  Either way, it's not going to be my habit to talk about FB on here, but I read something on there this morning, and it touched my heart.  I just had to share it with you.

Two words: Suspended Coffee.

There's an article on it here, which is different from what I read on facebook, but it explains the premise.  In case you don't like clicking on links, I'll also explain the premise.  You go to your coffee shop.  You say "I'd like 3 coffees.  One for me, two suspended."  You pay for 3.  You get 1.  You leave.  You've not been ripped off.  You've donated two coffees, so that if someone comes by later who is cold, or tired, or worn down, and they would like a coffee but cannot pay, they can still have one.  

It doesn't have to be coffee, y'all.  Think about where this could go.  Suspended sandwiches.  Suspended pancakes.  Suspended Prius.  Okay, maybe I'm getting ahead of myself.  But I love this.  Some would call it "paying it forward".  I call it love.  Loving those around you, even though you don't know who they are.  

Another bonus?  The person who gets the suspended __(whatever)__ doesn't have to ask for a handout.  They don't have to say "can I have some free food because I'm poor and needy."  They just ask "Do you have any suspended __(whatevers)__?"  It might not be much different, but its different enough.  And, for the skeptics/concerned citizens/my husband, you know that your money has gone towards what you meant for it to go towards, and not booze or baseball tickets.

Wanna know what else?  I thought to myself, "I shouldn't write about this today.  It has nothing to do with Easter.  I should write about something Easter-y."  REALLY SELF?  Really?  Someone else, paying for me before they even met me, taking the cost upon themselves so that I may have a gift?  That has nothing to do with Easter?  Really????"  Apparently, I need my theology checked.  Because thinking about it now, I'm 100% sure that suspended coffee has everything to do with Easter.  

Easter is about Jesus.  (Sorry, Bunny.)  It's about how Jesus, the Son of God, came to this earth, lived a blameless life, and yet was willing to allow Himself to be crucified for our sake, and then beat the pants off of death by rising again.  It's as though He said to God, "I'll take everyone ever's hope for eternity.  Suspended."  and then He paid for them.  So that later, when I realized I was wretched and in need, I could go to God and say "Do you have any suspended eternities?" God could say, "Why yes, yes I do.  Here, have eternal life and a side of Peace now, on Jesus."

Happy Easter, all.  Remember that someone else has already paid for you.  Be aware of ways you can "suspend" things for others.  Much love.

<3 M.

Picking Up Mail: My Neighbors Might Be Dead

Here's my question: When do you file a missing person's report on someone who you barely know?  I'm sure there's a protocol for this, but I don't know it.  I do know that I'm seriously worried moderately concerned about my neighbors.

Remember Mary & Harold?  The one's with the beautiful yard?  The giggly old man and his super-hero wife?

Well, back in APRIL, about mid-way through, Mary came over to the house.  It was unusual, but I was happy to have her.  She sat at my table in the weird walk-through-maybe-a-dining-area-but-definitely-not-a-room place, and we chatted.  She scraped at the dried-up-something that was on my table with her fingernail.  I was embarrassed, but tried to ignore it.  After all, there wasn't anything I could do about it now.  Plus, at least it gave her something to do with her hands.

When our visit was nearly over, she told me about her grandson - great baseball player.  Her & the mister were going to be traveling up to Illinois here in the next couple of days.  Gonna be gone for 6 weeks.  And don't you know, the post office will only hold your mail for a month; after that, it gets returned to sender.  She asked if I would mind picking up her mail for her.  Said she'd bring me back some cheese, if I liked cheese.  

I love cheese, almost as much as I love getting mail.  It was a great proposition.  I wish people propositioned me like that all the time.  But as I said, this was in April.  It is now mid-August.  April to May, 1 month.  May to June, 2 months.  June to July, 3 months.  July to August, 4 months.  FOUR MONTHS.  Instead of the stated 6 weeks.  Like, three times as long.  

My objection to this delay has nothing to do with getting their mail.  Although I have become a little more lax, picking it up only every 2 or 3 days, I don't mind doing it.  It's the fact that they said six weeks and it's been four months, combined with the fact that I watch too much Law & Order.  Handsome says that since their lawn keeps getting mowed (by a company) and their electric still turns on, they must be alive to be paying the bills.  However, I think I've gotten to him.  I told him it could be a direct draft situation.  So next time they come, he's going to ask them if they've actually talked to Mary & Harold.  

Do you have any other suggestions for us?  We don't have a phone number, or even know the names of the family they went to visit.  For the record, if I'm ever gone for 3x as long as I said, please come looking for me.

Wanting to be a good citizen,

TFW

Mary Contrary

I've got these neighbors.  They're pretty much the best ever.  Mary & Harold.  Makes me smile just to think about them.  Mary & Haraldo are probably in their 70's.  Their grandson is my age, whatever age that makes them.  Those two, they are always in their yard.  Mostly Mary does the work, although Haraldo gets into it sometimes.  Mostly he just laughs.  More of a chuckle, really.  It goes like this:

Me: Hey Harold!

Harold: He he he... hi!

 or

Me: How you doing?

Harold: He he he aha ha... Oh good.

 or

Me: Hey, sorry about that spaceship that landed on your house

Harold: He he ha ha aha he... Oh, no trouble. 

Really, I can't explain all the ways that he's a gem.  He just is.

Their yard shows how much time they spend in it.  It really is beautiful.  Being as this is my first spring in this house (which Handsome keeps forgetting and makes comments like "It's been over a year and we still haven't _____ with this house..."), I'm especially taken aback by their yard this spring.  I mean, wow.  So, while I sat inside today and smelled the beautiful smells and saw the beautiful sights, I thought it'd be nice if I shared it with you.

Unfortunately, smell-i-vision hasn't been invented yet.  Honestly, I'm not so sure about the whole concept.  There's a lot of things that a person just doesn't want to smell.  I would not have nearly so much fun watching The Farm Channel, for instance, if I had to smell manure all the time... I just don't think the world is ready for it.

But you will be able to get the picture(s).  Since you can't come tour Mary & Harold's place (although I'm sure they'd let you), I'm taking you on a virtual tour.  Just pretend like it smells like fresh rain, flowers, and wonderfulness, and you'll have the whole experience!

The Dog Whisperer... Me.

Oh, what a day is today.

I've had a total of six... wait, no, seven dogs at and in my house today.  You know, the house that normally holds myself and Dukas?  I've given a bath to a dog who showed up at my door, led a parade of them around my neighborhood for over an hour, and met 5 or 6 of my neighbors.  But wait... let me start at the beginning.

Around 2 PM today, Dukey started whining at the window.  Now, barking and growling generally mean that the neighbors are checking their mailboxes or raking their leaves; but whining at the window means we have a visitor of the canine variety.  And so we did.  2 of them.  A boxer with a collar, and a little yellow mutt without.  

Once they were found friendly, I tied the boxer up outside, and called the vet's # on his tag.  The emergency answering service could not help me, and I would have to wait until Monday to find out who the dog belonged to.  Say WHA?!