First of all, I want to say a big thank you for all of your thoughts,
comments, emails and great discussion on my last post about
random acts of kindness. Wow, when I say "I'm serving coffee,
stay and chat" you guys really can take it to heart! ha.
I appreciate each thought and suggestion. So great!
You know, when I first became aware of the uncertainty of some
people sharing how they spread kindness, I had an evening of
soul searching. I almost ended the whole adventure!
I didn't want to be misunderstood and was wondering if
the whole thing was worth it. I was sadly puttering around
in my studio and came across this sheet of stickers....
Yeah, who wouldn't smile through their tears at that?
Kind of like an answer thrown right in my lap, don't you think?
And look...she isn't wearing a disguise but spreading sunshine
right out where people can see her! Love that.
I also thought it was interesting that without any effort of my
own, the 2nd link up day for this adventure fell on Valentine's
Day...and my preparations for that seemed to be pink! And hearts
were popping up everywhere.... like on that sticker!
Even on the spatula I grabbed from the bunch!
And on my muffin pan!
So why fight it? ha.
Pink frosting and heart shaped sprinkles ended up on
vanilla almond cupcakes. They were a nice contrast to
the chocolate and peanut butter!
The cupcakes went to work with The Mister.
I thought it would be fun for the boys to take some
treats in to their 'school' for their classmates.
There isn't any organized card trading going on and
I doubt if they get many treats from each other,
so I hope this makes them all feel special!
The pink theme continued with some chocolates for
my sweet little candy dish....a little kindness to myself.
Although, The Mr. keeps snitching them...
Although, The Mr. keeps snitching them...
...even the sunset joined in!
Happy Valentine's Day to my sweet blog friends!
And if you want to link up and share how you spread some
sunshine this week, please link up below
so we can be inspired by you!
The link will be open until Saturday the 15th
7:00 PM EST.
♥
The link will be open until Saturday the 15th
7:00 PM EST.
♥
Another fun week, for sure! -- silver fox
ReplyDeleteAhh, first again!
DeleteI'm not sure I would call it fun, but it was a learning experience for sure!
DeleteMy favorite part of this story is how that sticker came across your sight just when you needed it! A sure sign to keep doing what you're doing, Sunshine. And you know I love to call you Sunshine because the name does become you. (smiling)
ReplyDeleteHow fun that hearts and shades of pink kept coming into the picture. I especially love your photography with the frosting on the spoon. Brilliant! I am sure the coworkers and the students enjoyed their treats! Now, no more tears, beautiful. Sunshine becomes you so much more!
Vincent. xo
Yeah, I liked how that sticker happened to be there at that exact moment! :)
DeleteThis week I took another brilliant idea from your original list. I have so many extra brollies about and knew it was a good thing to give a few away. One particularly rainy day I carries four with me! One for myself and three to give to people getting drenched. The first one was readily accepted with profuse gratitude! The second refused by two people who must have thought accepting a free brolly was in poor taste, even though they were soaked to the bone! Finally I found a taker and the last one to give away was gratefully accepted as easily as the first. At least nobody snapped rudely at me as they did our poor Amy here. And let me point out that both of my kindness adventures have been on rain sogged days as I slog about looking for a poor soul upon whom I can bestow some kindness. (smiling) Of course, soggy days are the normal here as of late. Oh, and I also walked the old chaps dog again and was invited in for tea and biccies. Good all the way around I think and was so pleased to participate again. Small things, really but fun to do!
Deleteoh, and you do know what a brolly is, I presume?
DeleteOK..confession time. I did NOT know what brollies were. But as I continued reading I figured it out. ha.
DeleteI love that you were persistent even though you had some rejection a couple of times. :) What a great idea, Vince...and you did a little de-cluttering of your home at the same time. Brilliant, as you would say!
I love that you've found a new friend in the old man with the dog.
And I love that your British names for things go so well together. Brollies and Wellies. See what I mean? So much more fun to say than Umbrellas and Boots! hahaha.....
And...I do hope you have a sunshiney day for your random acts of kindness next week! You, more than all of us, deserve that!
Hi Vince. Just popped in to read your 'biccie' story and the old man and his dog sequel.
DeleteGreat!
And glad you found a taker for a brollie and surprised you had a couple of refusals of a free one and they thought accepting it was in poor taste. Never mind . . . . . you offered.
If you two get an umbrella like this one, you could just share it and not give it away! ....
Deletehttp://myfivemen.blogspot.com/search?q=umbrella
Just visited it, Betsy, and left a comment!! lol
DeleteOh dear! What a huge brollie!
Much too large for Vince and I.
That lady would be most welcome to accompany us lol
. . . . .and you could come too if you played your card right! ROFL
If worst came to worst, you could just turn that thing upside down and make it a gondola. haha...
DeleteBut we are not in Venice!!
DeleteHa! And aren't we sorry about that! :)
DeleteDo you have row boats there or do you call them something else?
We have a much more civilized term for Row Boats
DeleteWe call them
Rowing Boats
Slightly different.
We propel them using a pair of Oars
Not sure whether you call them that, maybe you use the term Paddles, but doubt it.
And if the oarsman (rower) makes a mistake resulting in the oars getting completely out of control then we call the
Catching a Crab
haha...no we call the oars. Yes, rowing boats sounds so much more sophisticated. Especially with a British accent, too! ha.
DeleteSo, do you know what a flashlight is? I think you call it something different.
We call that
DeleteA Torch
What about a
Sou'westa
Um. Is that a female sibling? hahahahahahaaaaa.....omg...
DeleteOh! Lawdie Bless My Sanity!!
DeleteI'm splitting my sides here!!
A female sibling indeed!!
No it is a hat to keep out the rain short for Soweresta:
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=soweresta&oq=soweresta&aqs=chrome..69i57j0l3.8677j0j8&sourceid=chrome&espv=210&es_sm=93&ie=UTF-8#q=sou'wester+hat
It would go very well with a Macintosh !!!! ]
Now if you can master that little lot you are well on the way to being an honourably Brit,
provided you use a lot more u's in your words like in colour and armour and honour LOL
Can you speak in a Brit accent?
I know you all like to hear us Brits talk! I think anyway.
HA! Oh, I'm laughing here too.
DeleteThat, my dear man is just a plain old rain hat. No fancy shmancey names for it here. Well, maybe a fisherman's hat.
Yes, you guys and your U's! They are in every word. Or is that wourd? lol...
Love the accent. No, I'm afraid if I tried to mimic you, you really would be rolling on the floor with splitting sides!
Rain Hat is a MUCH better term.
DeleteSoweresta is very old hat! here . . . . joke . . . . . get it! lol
I'm going to record something and send you an MP3 so you can hear my Brit voice lol
Maybe a monologue or a funny poem.
How about that?
Funny how in all the epic films like El Cid where the straight laced Roman Generals are evident the actors are all British like Jack Hawkins and people like El Cid are played by American like Charlton Heston. This formula always happens.
We sometimes try to talk in American Accents, even differentiating between North and South but it is difficult. My daughter, Selina, played Sarah Brown in Guys and Dolls on two ocassions
Oh, that would be fun! Yes, do that some time and send it!
DeleteWill do - give me a while to get something together.
DeleteI sent one to a bloggy pal in Laffeyette last year and she was really amused. I am trying to do another one in a Southern accent pretending to be her, based on Scarlet O'Hara but whenever I try to do it I start laughing.
Well signing off - have a great weekend - oh! and Macintosh is a raincoat to go with a Soweresta and Wellies. lol.
You start laughing? Oh come on, I can't imagine that ever happening. lol... Sounds like a lot of fun!
Deletea raincoat? I would have never guessed! What a name!
have a lovely night, Ed...talk to you soon.
Hi Betsy!
ReplyDeleteWill comment tomorrow because I need to turn in and I'd like to read your post again before I reply.
Thanks for popping over and yes, it is a pity I have to slow things down by introducing comment approval. I have had to do this because I receive so many spam and junk comments selling me this, that and everything that I have to filter them out.
Speak soon and great what you have written.
btw Do you remember your 17 times table? ROFL
sweet dreams...talk to you tomorrow!
Delete17 times tables? um...no. haha.
Look at you go
ReplyDeleteGiving treats at your show
Sure all will enjoy them too
And enjoy them more at your zoo
And valentines day
Pfft to that at my bay
I bet you'll say Happy Valentine's Day
Deleteto one person in a special way.
Can't always mock the love
if you have a special little dove!
ha.
Oh I will mock
DeleteAnd rant away at my dock
Ignore that one day
And make up for it the other 364 I say
I think you're silly
Deleteand your thought process nilly.
You celebrate birthdays, don't you
or just say you're glad they are alive the whole year through?
ha.
Birthdays celebrate something of worth
DeleteNot a day that Hallmark gave birth
A guy in a diaper is magical in every way
And difference between alive and love at ones bay
Alive you just are or your not
The other takes effort or things go to pot
No magic day
Will save it at ones bay
Well, I don't celebrate with that ugly cupid
Deleteyou display not looking lucid.
Did Hallmark really give it birth?
I bet not, if you did a search.
Blaming it on Hallmark is far more tame
DeleteThen the origin that is truly to blame
Romans, dead dogs, and whipping
Sure no cards they were tipping lol
Sigh.
DeleteCan't I just say I love you to my 5 guys?
Linking up tomorrow and loving that so many are encouraging you to continue.
ReplyDeleteHebrews 13:16 showed up on Veggie Tales tonight (Lyle the Kindly Viking) and I thought of you.
But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
nice....I like that one a lot!
Deletepretty sunset....
ReplyDeleteand cool you are getting the family in on it now
my act of kindness this week was toward a little boy
his mother teaches at school...he has no dad...i took a bit of time
just to talk with him after school and play just a bit
because he has no men in his life
to do that with.
Perfect! Love that...and thanks for sharing. :)
DeleteSuch a little thing but I'm sure it meant a lot to him!
You do this stuff all the time, I know...it's great!
That's great Brian. I love those kinds of acts of kindness.
DeleteAll these look lovely Betsy and cool things you made!
ReplyDeleteyesterday we go with Esperanza to groceries (my mom need some things and my Dad too) I appreciate she went with me, yesterday I was so tired.
In a store was a cashier-in-training and she was so nice and I thanks her oiuand smile (well normally I smile) lol
I smile some people in the super, many people was a Little angry but I coninue omy!
I sent messages to some of my friends that need prayers especially one that live in England and is with quimio now, so sad.
Thanks betsy for all, I make things always but not always think about it!
blessings:)
I always try to tell the cashiers in training that they are good a great job. They are so nervous! ha.
DeleteYour friend in England is having chemo? Aw..I'm sorry. I'm sure they appreciated your note. :) Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Betsy, and yes she is really Young!
DeleteThat's too bad! I hope her treatments work!
DeleteLovely post....
ReplyDeleteFelt sad that you were crying,Betsy.....don't let ignorant people upset you.....or try and change you♥️
I must find something Valentiney to post tomorrow!
Whatever will I do?!
Cheers!
Linda :o)
Oh, I wasn't bawling my eyes out...just a little misty. ha. Maybe you could find a heart shaped
Deletesea shell or a couple of lovey dovey seagulls to photograph..or a heart drawn in the sand!
OK...that's all I got! ha.
Did the sand thing a few years ago.....
DeleteActually did the lovey dovey pigeons......
A heart shaped sea shell......now.....there's a challenge! I'm on it! Ha!
Didn't mean you were bawling...just sad that it even made you sad. ♥️
Enjoy your evening......
you did those things? haha..great minds.
DeleteJust show us your flip flop tan lines and we'll NOT love you. haha. we'll be jealous!
I love the stickers you found - perfect timing - God's timing!
ReplyDeleteI know the boys classmates will enjoy those cupcakes.
I know...it was so cool that happened! I see your link up there! yay. Mine was getting lonely. ha.
DeleteI'm glad the stickers lifted your spirits. You're doing a wonderful thing. :)
ReplyDeleteIt's really fun if you bake to give away....because you get to eat the leftovers! ha.
DeleteSpreading sunshine in for form of hearts. I wanted to so something personal for Valentine's Day so I posted it tonight that is not a RAK. But have one ready and will post it and add my link tomorrow sometime.
ReplyDeleteHow fun for the boys to get into the act. It just keeps spreading.. Was talking to Julie today and she has been doing all kinds RAK. It is happening all over. Praise Jesus...it's bring HIM glory...Love it.
I was typing so fast, I have tons of errors. Hope you can read through my mistakes. I meant to tell you I wanted to lick your spatula. That frosting looks SO Good.
DeleteOh, I can read it just fine! ;) Looking forward to your post...the link will be up clear through Saturday, so you're fine. How fun that Julie is doing RAK, too! yay!
DeleteLove the sticker! It fits you perfectly ❤️ The almond cupcakes with pink icing love so yummy. And I really like your candy holder with the little bird on top. Happy Valentines Day, Betsy!
ReplyDeleteWasn't that cool about the sticker? :) The candy holder was a happy accident....thrift store glass bottom and a lid I already had! Happy V day...hope Unks treats you well today! :)
DeleteHey! She has red, curly hair like me! So cute. I love all the pink, and it comes at a good time of year, doesn’t it? I want to lick that spatula. Sweet little candy jar. Reminds me of one you had in your shop with, I think it was three geese(?) perched on the rim. I wish now that I had snapped it up. It was so pretty.
ReplyDeleteI think I remember a post about Spencer enjoying a whole bunch of suckers all at once. Do you think these will make it into the hands of their schoolmates? Ha! Peanut butter and chocolate have to be one of my favourite combinations so I could do some serious damage to those cupcakes. I bet the minute the Mister puts it down they will be devoured.
And that sunset – amazing. You wouldn’t believe the colours were real unless you photographed it.
A Sweet and Happy Valentine’s Day to you dear Betsy! Hope you feel in the pink!
She does!! Did you model for that drawing? ha. It's a Susan Branch creation. Love her stuff.
DeleteYeah, Spencer rarely eats his suckers as singletons. haha.... I do hope he stayed out of the treat bag and let the suckers go to his classmates. He might have shown up at school with a bag of wrappers!!!
Love this, Betsy. You do spread sun shine and you do spread your kind heart, I can tell, and I am so pleased you are continuing this theme.
ReplyDeleteAs for me I have done nothing specific this week but I always try to be as kind as possible, coupled of course with joking and teasing which always makes people laugh. I drove the bus today, as I do every Friday, and I drove and collected an elderly lady to a local supermarket and as normal carrying her shopping to the door, in fact to the kitchen, in fact on the worktop, like we always do.
I was rather touched when she handed me a small bunch of daffodils, remarking she wanted to thank me for my kindness. I remarked I did not do much to earn them and she said that she appreciated me talking to her, being interested in her, and being good company to her. I realised then that being reasonable to people and without going over the top in the kindness department IS appreciated and helps to make their lives happier.
So I say QED. You idea WORKS and this is the proof.
Oh, and Happy Valentine's Day
DeleteOh, and I wonder with all our visiting, have you run out of coffee?
DeleteI love that she gave you flowers for being kind to her. You're right...it doesn't seem like much and to many of us it's just being our normal selves, but to some it means SO much and may be the only kindness they experience in their day or week.
DeleteHaven't run out of coffee yet...but if I do, we'll just break out the tea. haha....
Do you drink English tea in the States?
DeleteHey guess what? I'm tucking into some sinfully delicious Dairy Milk chocolate! Are you jealous? ROFL
Yes, we do.. PJ Tipps, Twinings, etc...they are here. You may have to share that chocolate, though! :)
DeleteToo late, darling! . . . . . It's gone!! . . . . .sorry! . . . . . I'll get some more lol
DeleteGee Whiz! You certainly didn't let that melt in your pocket, did you!? haha...
DeleteNever do, Betsy. I seem to be an all or nothing man!
DeleteIf it's there to eat - EAT IT!! . . . .and blow the consequences! lol
And that's in fact how I view life in general.
If I want something I go for it!
If I don't, I don't bother!
Perhaps I should have been named CALEB.
It means whole hearted
ROFL
Well, I like your attitude! :)
DeleteJust read Vince's story
DeleteWas amused that you had not heard of Brollies and Wellies lol
We do have different names for things over here . . . . . . examples for a car or auto-mobile I think you call it:
Under the hood in Brit language is Under the bonnet
The Trunk we call The Boot
And of course you lot drive on the wrong side of the road lol
There is an unmentionable difference which I won't mention lol
Strange how different cultures have different names even thought culturally we are very close.
I actually knew all the car ones....and yes, we drive on the wrong side! haha.
Deleteunmentionable...hmmm....I have no idea, but yes, you better not mention it. lol....
The wellies yes, I knew..but have never even heard the word brolly before! Is that short for umbrella? umbrolla? hee hee.
Here's one for you! Along with my wellies and brolly, I also had my macintosh.
DeleteV.
Oh, you have me stumped on that one. Is it a hat?
DeleteNope!
Deletelol
I'll let Vince tell you!
The only macintoshes we have here is a variety of apple!
DeleteOk, I'm guess they are goggles to go with my wellies, brolly and soweresta. ;)
DeleteWell, my chap, looks like it turned out well for both of us! You received daffodils and I received biccies. I guess the blessing comes back immediately and in a tangible way on some acts of kindnesses! Brilliant!
ReplyDeleteVince
crumbs...did not hit the reply button correctly! This is for you Eddie!
Deletehaha...you two men are getting the nicest thank yous! Love it!
DeleteIt's the charm, Vince, isn't it? LOL
DeleteBut of course! (and the grey hair!)
DeleteOh, they don't mind a little thing like grey hair!!
DeleteOh you guys...both grey haired charmers! :) Who could resist?
DeleteIf these few weeks of spreading kindness lightens the heart of just one person...Who cares what others think or say. To me the whole thing would be worth it for the one person. But! Good to know that spreading the kindness/love and goodwill is going to touch many hearts. That is all that matters!
ReplyDeleteAnd to share that with others just may give them the idea to help someone in a new and different way. There is no boastfulness going on here. It's just a lovely way to spread a beautiful act of kindness and share the love in hopes the ones you share with will in turn Pay it Forward.
Not long ago I was shopping a Costco. A mother and daughter was standing in front of the freezer section where I needed to pick up a box of frozen mini quiche. *for my sister...I have a thing about eggs.* Anyway the little girl *maybe 13* was asking her mom for a package of said quiche. The Mom said, Maybe next time. I missed work a couple days last week and it's just not in the budget.
I said excuse me and reached in an picked up 2-boxes. Stepped away and then retrieved the money for the extra box from my purse.
I stepped back and ask the Mom if it was ok to give the little girl the quiche and money. She said she didn't think it would be right.
I told her to please let me and that when she could she could pass on the kindness to someone else. The mom let me give the little girl the quiche and money. The mom hugged me and said thank you...The biggest tears came when the little girl wrapped her arms around me with the biggest hug. Oh my! Am I being boastful ... No dang way. I told hubby as soon as we were in the car and now I'm telling you guys that to give is the greatest gift we can do. To share helps and reminds people of the things we should be doing anyway.
Thank You Miss Betsy for reminding us of what we are here for. To reach out and help in simple acts of kindness that just may make a big difference in someone's life and make them feel that someone does care.
Jake's a Girl
Ooh, Miss Jake! :) I do love your random act! Love the response you got...hugs and tears in the middle of the grocery. Sweet! yes, we all need a reminder of why we are here...such small little deeds but they mean SO much. Thanks so much for joining and sharing that story...it's perfect. Boasting? No...just inspiring!
DeleteOh goodness...I forgot to say, Happy Valentine's Day to you and your five sweet men. It was on my mind when I posted and then poof! off it went. ha.
DeleteEnjoy the sweetness of the day. JaG
Aw, thanks Jake. :) We had a nice day! Looking forward to a quiet weekend...we're getting buried in another layer of snow...the beautiful, slow falling big flake kind.
DeleteWe ended up with about 9" of beautiful snow with this last round of Pax. Hubby and I enjoyed every minute it was on the ground. Still bits and pieces up in the wooded part. We sit in the middle of 10-acres so the trees have kept it all from melting too quick. And only lost power for about 5-hours. Not bad at all. We were out walking and taking pictures as 3am. the last nite. The moon made it almost daylight outside and it was magical.
DeleteWell, how cool is that?! I love that you got enough inches to actually get the feel of a real snow...especially since it's a rare occurrence there. I'm sure it was beautiful on your spread of land...I especially love how it looks on trees. I'm still mesmerized and not weary at all of it this year. We had the most gorgeous snow fall yesterday...huge flakes falling very slowly. It was magical, too!
DeleteNot much to report on the RAK front this week I am afraid, however, I can confirm that I have been in receipt of wonderful RAK's from all of you over here at Betsy's in the form of your lovely comments which have cheered me up greatly, so I thank you all, and I thank you Betsy for letting us all come over and chat!
ReplyDeleteNow, in addition to the sou'wester question, I have another for you.
What is a biscuit?
What is a crisp?
What is a chip?
Any guesses!!
xx
We certainly have been chatty here lately, haven't we? So much fun!
Deletebiscuit = cookie
crisp = cracker?
chip = french fry
How'd I do? :)
Couldn't resist popping back to see what's going on!!
DeleteThat's it, Amy, ask Betsy some more Brit questions - she loves 'em.
Between us we'll make an honorary Brit out of her yet, even getting her to talk like a Brit. lol
Should I have spelled those differently?
Deletecoukie
crackur
freunch freuy.
ha.
Amy was born in Australia, you know, so her accent is probably a mix!
My accent is pretty much English, but it is the words that I use, bench = worktop in England, countertop in US, I say bench, just as an example! You did pretty well on the quiz, but a crisp is a chip!!! A cracker is either a cracker, or...... at Christmas it is a thing that you pull with another person that makes a loud bang and has a naff gift inside - the naffer the better (naff = rubbishy). Your right though Eddie, we will make an honorary Brit of Betsy in the end, we just have to keep working on her!! Now Eddie is probably one with a good accent, as people from his part of the country often have a distinctive accent! xx
DeleteYou know, now that you say chip, I remember! ha. Yes, crips! My boys favorites.
Deletenaff? that's a new one. lol....
bench...now that is a funny one. We sit on those. lol....
I have a Midwestern accent...not like new england and not like the south. ha.
There you go, lots of new words for you tonight!! xx
DeleteOh Betsy....that Martha...I was also the recipient of a surprise RAK. Isn't she a doll. I was reading her blog when the mail lady arrived with my "Valentine Surprise". What a blessing this is turning into for everyone. And that God would put it into Martha's heart before she even read the blog....God is good all the time, and then some!!
ReplyDeleteThat sure was fun, wasn't it? Now we know what it feels like to be on the receiving end...makes you want to do more RAK, doesn't it? And yes..mine was perfect timing. It's humbling, really. :)
DeleteHey Betsy....
ReplyDeleteThanks for doing this blog and giving us little challenges.
I just got caught up on reading it today.
Sorry you get some negative comments.
Don't let them get you down.
Brush them off, and remember that the sun(Son) is shining above the clouds.
Love you and keep up the good work in brightening other people's day.
Thank you :)
Hi Betsy,
ReplyDeleteBeen meaning to ask.
Do you ever come across any Brits living near you?
I love that you are doing this, Betsy! Amanda and the Little Men have been spreading random goodies all over Roanoke, too. My DIL and I had a conversation about randomly saying nice things to people... and how it can change your whole day. For me, even seeing someone SMILING in their car at a stop light can brighten my day! I LOVE random goodness... Trying to spread a little in Texas. blessings ~ tanna
ReplyDelete