Fun Friday – A lunch break adventure

 

Do you believe in miracles? I’ve heard that when a person is faced with a life-threatening situation, they can gain superhuman strength. You may have seen it in a movie – a person is trapped underneath something heavy. Someone else comes along, struggles a moment, seeing no other options, he uses all his might and frees the trapped person. Visualize that as you read this story.

One snowy day at work, I decided not to leave the building at lunch time: Everyone else left. My homemade grilled turkey sandwich with lettuce, swiss cheese, and honey mustard, on toasted bread, awaited me. As I removed the diagonally cut sandwich from foil wrapping, a thought hit me, a side of chips would go nicely with this.

I scrounged around in my purse for money and pulled out the dollar I could find. Off I went to the vending machine for a bag of crunchy chips. I slid my bill into the slot that sucks it in, then pressed A-5. The metal spiral began to spin slowly to release the chips, just as the bag was about to drop, the spinning stopped.

My chips were suspended, on the top row, by the corner of the bag. I stood there a few seconds with my mouth open in awe. That was my last dollar, anyone I could borrow from was gone to lunch. At this point, not only was I hungry, I was hangry…hungry and angry. I did what any hungry, ready to eat woman would do, I used my resources.

I put one hand on each side of the vending machine, and I slammed my large hip against it – 1-2-3 times. My chips were freed. I was not letting that machine get the best of me. As I sat down to enjoy my lunch, an old commercial jingle popped into my head – what would you do for a Klondike Bar?

What adventure stories have you experienced that caused you to chuckle?

Wordless Wednesday - Inspirational Christian Music on the Saxophone

 

YouTube Video Credit: No Stress Life

Motivational Monday – Random Acts of Kindness

 

One afternoon I was at the grocery store with a friend, we wanted to grab a few items and get out of there. The less contact with people, the better. Customers were being mindful of remaining six feet apart yet shopping during a pandemic can still be uncomfortable.

My friend and I made it to the checkout line just in time to…stand in a long line. My friend and I chatted, through face masks and all, to pass the time. Suddenly a song played over the stores’ speaker system, I burst into song, singing off key and muffled. The woman behind me chuckled, then joined in.

Shoulder swaying began, along with bobs of the head. The woman behind me was an encourager, she fueled my antics with her laughter. Our time in line seemed to progress quickly. As I neared the cashier, I leaned in and whispered, “add her item to my bill.”

The woman behind me tried to stop her saying, “no, no, that’s mine.”

I tried to smile at her, but my mask blocked that. Instead, I said, “let me get that for you.”

The woman expressed her gratitude and told me that her husband passed away a few months ago. She enjoyed the laughs and my gesture of paying for her items. I learned that her husband was a pastor, and how she had been lately to find comfort.

My new friend said, “I wish I could hug you. You’re going to make me cry.”

I felt my eyes becoming glassy as I said, “Let me get out of here before we’re both crying.”

We share one last laugh and went our separate ways. As I walked to my car a thought occurred to me, I never asked her name. Sometimes that’s just the way things happen.

That day at the grocery story was a random act of kindness that was not planned.

February 17^th is celebrated as Random Act of Kindness Day. Do something kind for someone. It doesn’t have to cost money -  post positive messages on a friend’s social media, help a neighbor shovel snow, or write a list of things you love about a friend or family member and give it to them.

Wishing you a day filled with kindness.

 

Feel Good Friday - Black History Month - The Birth of Jazz

 

YouTube Video Credit: Black History in Two Minutes

Wordless Wednesday - National Umbrella Day

 

Photo Credit: KLVOS Large Canvas painting - Amazon

It’s National Umbrella Day - celebrated each year on February 10^th.

Just for fun, here are 3 ways to celebrate National Umbrella Day:

1.      Make a fruity drink (with fresh fruit) and add a paper umbrella.

2.      Dance around the house with an umbrella as a prop.

3.      Watch a famous movie that has an umbrella scene.

In case you need movie ideas, below are movies from long ago, and your trivia challenge. See if you can name each movie (before checking the answers).

#1

Photo Credit: Insider

Hint: This movie was made in 1964, starring Julie Andrews

#2

Photo Credit: Mental Floss

Hint: This movie was made in 1952 starring Gene Kelly

#3

Photo Credit: Digital Spy

Hint: This movie starred Danny Devito

#4

Photo Credit: Park Circus

Hint: This movie was made in 1982. One of the stars in this movie is Harison Ford.

Answers to photos above:

1.  Mary Poppins

2.  Singing in The Rain

3.  Batman Returns

4.  Blade Runner

What "umbrella" trivia do you have to share?

Motivational Monday – Super Bowl Sunday - You Are a Winner

 

You Are a Winner 

A dash to the store on Sunday afternoon turned out to be a marathon. The parking lot didn’t look super busy. However, inside the store, the checkout lines wrapped around a section of women’s t-shirts, then weaved through men’s pants. Darn pandemic, I mumbled to myself… has everyone rushing out to shop again.

After a few moments I realized, this Sunday wasn’t about the pandemic; it was Super Bowl Sunday. Shoppers were grabbing one more pack of wings, snacks, and other goodies. In addition to watching the game, there is another tradition that draws fans in…watching the commercials.

Do you have a favorite commercial from the Super Bowl? Some are funny and entertaining, and others are thought provoking. There is one commercial that stands out for me is said, “Are you happy because you win, or do you win because you are happy?” How would you respond to this question?

Now, I’m not talking about the Kansas City Chiefs or the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but real life – Happiness vs. Winner, how does it play out?

Let me plant this seed for you – You are a winner. You can choose happiness. When you choose happiness, everything else falls into place. You behave like a winner, you walk like a winner, and you speak like a winner. Be bold but be humble. Your attitude most certainly determines your altitude.

The game is at the two-minute warning, it’s 4^th down and goal…what is your outlook on your life? Do you believe you are a winner?

Fun Friday – The Cinnamon Challenge

 

Photo Credit:  Food Hacks

I didn’t ask to play; I was thrown into the game. It happened by accident. My day was filled with meetings at work, one in person and two virtual. The light was dull in my workspace. My morning coffee cup held the brown stains of a warm beverage long gone. My body was beginning to crash.

My desk was filled with sticky notes. I moved them out of the way and pressed the button on my fancy desk, raising it until I was standing and staring directly at the screen. I was in a fight to stay awake, at 2pm in the afternoon, and I was losing the battle. No, I didn’t say awake late the night before. It must be that thing they call aging.

An idea hit me. I called my adult son, “Can you bring me a cup of coffee? You don’t have to go to the store, just make a cup at home and bring it to me.” I told him the way I like my coffee – a teaspoon of coffee, 2 sweetener packets, lots of cream. Oh, and a dash of cinnamon.

Somewhere along the way my son missed the part where I said a dash of cinnamon. He arrived at my job in less than 15 minutes with a large metal coffee mug in tow. The mug was cold to the touch, but when I slid the mouth of the lid open, the scent of cinnamon drifted to my nostrils. I thanked him and scurried off to my next meeting.

As I sipped in delight, my co-worker said, “Your coffee smells good.”

I was grateful to my son for going the extra mile to deliver the coffee, I said, “Yes, my son brought it to me.”

My meeting was productive, I was alert, my coffee was delicious, until…I got to the bottom of the cup. As I tilted the cup on my lips, I gagged, and coughed. It was similar to that cinnamon challenge going around where people were choking on dry cinnamon, for fun. I swirled the cup around in my hand to loosen the cinnamon then took a sip. Same results.

Finally, I gave up on drinking the coffee to the last sip and attempted to pour the remainder down the drain. Except it sat there in a clump. I filled the cup with water, several times to wash away the mound of cinnamon.

I called my son, “Um, how much cinnamon did you put in my coffee?”

“I opened the container and scooped out a teaspoon.”

Can you hear the scream in my voice?

I said, “I only needed a dash.”

“Oh, well it wasn’t a full teaspoon.”

And that was my cinnamon challenge.

The lesson I learned was that I must speak clearly, be specific, and double check that I am understood.

What is a funny challenge that you have faced recently?

Wordless Wednesday - What's on Your Black History Month Reading List?

Photo Credit: Sisters from AARP

 How do you celebrate Black History Month? There are a number of ways to celebrate, here are just a few:

Support a black owned business

Visit a Black History Museum (virtual visits available)

Read a book by a black author

Today's focus is on books. An article at Sisters from AARP gives us a glimsp at 8 Historical Reads Guaranteed to Keep You Turning Pages.

What book would you suggest for Black History Month?