Friday Fun: Killer Commas

Maureen sent me this. I love Maureen.

Happy weekend!

Go out there and save a few lives. 

Friday Fun: Not so Random Acts of Kindness

My mother is 91 years old and nearly blind. For her, maneuvering in public restrooms is truly a challenge -- the only constant in these facilities is that they put the stall for the disabled as far away from the door as possible.

Because that makes sense. Make the people with walkers and wheelchairs go the distance, while the rest of us slackers get the shortcut.

But, I digress. Despite any difficulties mom faces when she's out on the town, she takes great delight in this simple, not-random act of kindness. After she dries her hands, mom makes sure there's a towel ready for the next person.

Please note: I typically do not
take photos in public restrooms.
Thank you.

My suggestion for the weekend? Don't be a drip.* Follow mom's lead. Wave your hand under the magic dispenser and leave a towel for the next gal.

**This is the danger of being a writer with a blog. No self control leads to bad, bad lines. Please forgive me.

Friday Fun: DIY Dog Bed

You know how sometimes things fall perfectly into place? The Yiddish term is b'sheret -- meant to be. Well, a couple of days after Kate got her new pup, Zoe, I opened Facebook and there was a post for a DIY dog bed.

B'sheret. And easy peasy, to make it even better. I'm not sure if the link to the DogTV page on Facebook will work for everyone, so here are the instructions:

You will need: an old sweatshirt, pillow, polyfill or other stuffing, and one lucky dog.

1. Stuff sleeves and shoulder/collar area of sweatshirt (The instructions say you might need to put in a few stitches to create a "pocket" in the body of the shirt, but I didn't do that. I also used an old throw pillow, rather than the bed pillow they suggested.)
2. Insert pillow through bottom of shirt.
3. Stitch end of sleeves together.
4. Attach pillow "ring" to bed bottom with a few stitches. Enjoy!

Zoe. Preciousness personified.
Dogified? Whatever. Damn cute.

For what it's worth, I didn't attach a ring at the bottom, and I made a number of stitches to tack the arms into more of a ring around the pillow and close up the bottom of the sweatshirt -- I figure the whole thing can go in the wash, so what the heck.

This project took less than an hour and demonstrates one of the things I like most about creativity -- taking different things and bringing them together, creating something that didn't exist before. Such fun. Makes me feel like I really accomplished something, whether I'm baking or writing or making dog beds.

Go have fun. Make something! Here's to a lovely weekend.

Creativity Tips: 5 Ways to Celebrate Labor Day

When I was 15, I got my first professional job. I wrapped silverware at Putsch's Cafeteria. Mom still says no one wraps silverware as good as I did*. Heck, she might be right. Regardless, after 42 years in the workforce, I appreciate a day off -- so here are five ways to celebrate today!

1. Start with the obvious: Don't labor.
   Of course, obvious isn't always as obvious as you think. What do you really consider to be work? For example, the writing I do for clients is fun, but it is work. Writing poetry is not work. Make a list of your top five labor-intensive items and avoid them. My list? Writing for clients; handling agency projects, such as invoicing and insurance; cleaning house; doing laundry; paying bills.
2. Read Working by Studs Terkel.
3. Observe this symbolic end of summer with a triple-play.
   Eat an ice cream cone or a popsicle. Enjoy a beach read. Sit outside and chat, with a cold drink at your side.
4. Think back on all the jobs you've had and all the experience gained.
   What was the most fun you ever had at work? What was the worst job ever? Who was your favorite co-worker? Just thinking is enough, but if you're in the mood, write a few paragraphs about any of those.
5. Thank someone who is laboring today -- at a grocery store, restaurant, whatever.
   While you're at it, send good thoughts toward all the people laboring away at jobs you wouldn't want to handle -- from the trauma center nurse to the plumber to the president.

*Yes. This explains a lot about why I am the way I am. Being loved that much was a lovely way to grow up.

Creativity Tips: Tell Me a Story

I love a good story. And I love a good blog post -- especially when it includes a good story. Check this out by Andrew Nemiccolo of Seven Story Learning.

Creativity Tips: Never Pass Up a Celebration

I love this face.

Mary is 19 today! Whoo hoo! In honor of my baby's birthday, here's a story I've told most of my friends, but may not have shared here ...

When Mary was just a little thing, maybe 3 years old, I was rushing to get her and Kate (probably 7 at the time) ready to go -- Mary to daycare and Kate to school. Mary was being pokey. I told her to hurry up. She told me to shut up.

Say what?

"Did you tell me to shut up?" I asked, pulling myself up to a towering 5-feet in full strict-mother mode.

Picture the panic, as the toddler tried to squirm her way out of this one.You could see the creative brain cells in action. Her eyes were literally spinning. Then, she stood up straight to declare her innocence.

"No, momma!" she insisted. "I said, 'Shit!'"

Well, I started laughing so hard I had to leave the room. At which point, poor little Kate came trailing after me to point out that first Mary told me to shut up, then she cursed, and she still didn't get in trouble.

My girls. I'll keep 'em both. Happy birthday, baby!

P.S. There is a definite creativity lesson here. With a little imagination, you can turn a bad situation around. Just ask Mary.

Food is Love: Nutella

I waffle. Should this be a Food is Love post? Or a Friday Fun post? I think it's both.

Nutella has been around since the 1940s, so I'm a little late to the table. I tried it for the first time a few weeks ago and discovered my new favorite snack: Nutella on a graham cracker. It's yum, it's fun and that makes it good for you.

Let's ignore the fact that the first ingredient is sugar. Better yet, don't ignore it. Because, as my grandmother used to say, "Everyone needs a little sweets."

Happy weekend!

(If you're ready to expand beyond Nutella on a graham cracker, check out this muffin recipe, one of many floating around Pinterest. AKA, the site currently known as a bottomless hole of time-sucking possibilities. I haven't tried the muffin recipe yet, so let me know if it's good.)