Day Three Good Deed and some Cookies

Remember yesterday-how I told you about the kitchen sink?  Well, the plumbers did come today-and I offered that glass of water (Good Deed!)...but not to the first round of plumbers that showed up.  Curious?  Ok, here's how it went...

A couple of nights ago, we ran the disposal, which worked just fine until we shut it off.  At that point, it regurgitated everything back up the drain in both sinks, pretty gross.  So, my husband did his best to figure it out but eventually had to admit defeat and call our property managers.  When they finally called us back this morning, it was after 11:00 am and I had a box of irreplaceable things packed in case our house burned down.  See, when I walked in the door after dropping Hubby off at work, all I could smell was hot, melted plastic coming from the kitchen.  I was a little freaked out.  I discovered that the source of the smell was coming from the cupboard under the sink, so I immediately unplugged the garbage disposal and made a call to my husband who called the property managers yet again.  Our response (the 11am one) came two hours later with the promise of someone coming to our rescue on Monday-IN THREE DAYS.  That would be three days without using our sink or dishwasher with the smell of melted plastic hovering about the sink.  I was slightly panicking, which is why I packed the box.  Anyway, the manager called me directly and I was able to explain the situation.  She responded with " Well, I'll see if I can call someone to come help, but I don't think it'll happen until late this afternoon." Great.  How comforting.  My house is melting around me and you don't care.  Fine, I can handle this.  When the plumbers called me, they also told me that they could come out on Monday.  Did no one understand?  What was going on here?  Where was the communication?  Once again I had to explain the potential melting pipe situation and finally...FINALLY someone understood!  Forty-five minutes later, there were two plumbers standing on my doorstep.  Two butt-crack angels of hope with the capability to save my home from certain doom.  I was so relieved.

Once again, I explained the goings-on and then went back to the business of my Scrappy Trip Along quilt.  Five minutes later, Butt Crack 1 and Butt Crack 2 informed me that my disposal was fine, the melting smell was being caused by a continuously running disposal motor (keep in mind that this thing was unplugged and that it had been turned off already for at least 36 hours.) and that the problem is that the pipe outside was clogged.  Oh, and they couldn't smell anything...probably because I had just baked cookies and that was the prominent smell in the house.

I thanked the Butt Crack Twins and sent a text to my husband with this puzzling development in the Sink Saga.  We weren't very pleased at all.  

Twenty-five minutes later there was another knock on the door.  It seemed the Butt Crack Duo had an additional member to their party.  He was late to the party and, surprisingly, without information from either the plumbing company or the property management.  I found myself yet again explaining the situation.  I expected him to say "Oh, ok, one of our guys was already here and they couldn't fix it?  I guess that's it then, see you!"  But instead, he asked if he could come in and take a look at it.  Ten minutes later, the sink was fixed.  FIXED.  I was so grateful that I skipped right past that offer of a glass of water and gave him a bagful of cookies.  He tried to refuse but I gleefully insisted and I think he was secretly happy to take them.  (I imagine that he scarfed them down before he even got out of my driveway.)

I have since ran the dishwasher and noticed that the melty smell is completely gone.  I am so thankful that there was a miscommunication going on.  I wouldn't have a working disposal and peace of mind otherwise.  I loved that I had something to show my gratitude to the guy who came in despite the fact that his co-workers couldn't fix it.  I loved even more that he took the cookies, he had a big smile on his face and that small gesture of thanks opened him up to a small conversation about our weekend plans: he has to work, I'm going to sew.  Those cookies bridged the gap of being a customer and serviceman to two real humans.  I wasn't just a clogged sink and he wasn't just a butt crack in my cupboard.  Isn't it funny how something so very simple can bring us back to humanity?  I think all the world's problems could potentially be solved with cookies.  The banana is wrong, cookies are the world's most perfect food.

So, how about a recipe?  My friend Tammy passed this one on to me a few Christmases ago.  It's pretty easy and is pretty unbelievably delicious.  I'd be willing to bet that you have all the ingredients on hand already.

Tammy's Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

preheat oven to 350*

Ingredients:

1 cup peanut butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup chocolate chips

Mix peanut butter, sugar, egg, vanilla and baking soda until creamy and well-blended; stir in chocolate chips.  Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls on a cooking spray coated baking sheet.  Bake for 10-12 minutes; allow to cool on cookie sheet for 1-2 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool.

Happy Baking!

-Kristi-

PS Tomorrow's good deed will be: Tuck Your Sweetheart In.  Get ready!

One Good Deed: Pick Up the Tab.

Last night our garbage disposal quit working.  It pretends that it's grinding up the offal and swallowing it like it's supposed to, but as soon as it's turned off, it regurgitates everything back into the sink.  It's really gross.  My husband decided to try and fix it himself.  He took everything out from under the sink and discovered that the u-shaped pipe wasn't even sealed to the connecting pipes.  What's that all about?  So, he sealed it properly, wiggled and jiggled the garbage disposal components and then finally taped a plastic bag over the faucet with strict instructions that we couldn't use the sink for 24 hours while the sealant was setting.  Fine.  I can make coffee in the bathroom, no problem.  AND!  We can go out to dinner!  Yay!  (I'll take any excuse...)  

We went to one of our favorite Mexican restaurants, not because the food is extremely fabulous or anything, but because they have the most incredible homemade flour tortillas that we affectionately call "fluffy pillows".  Seriously, these things are like 1/4" thick, chewy, warm and so darn fluffy.  I would happily weigh three times my weight just to eat them every day.  Yum, yum, yum.  When our server dropped off our check, I pulled out my wallet and paid the tab.  I didn't even think twice about it or all of the fabric I could've bought with the money.  Instead, I sat back satisfied that I was able to treat my family to a dinner out for once...take some of the responsibility from my husband, who usually pays.  It was nice to be able to do that for him.  He works so hard for us and I never really get the opportunity to pay our restaurant bill. 

I've been glancing through the book, and I'm trying to decide on an easy Good Deed for tomorrow.  One suggestion was to offer a glass of water to the meter maid, electrician or other service person that I come in contact with.  I have a feeling that will be the plumber...

Until tomorrow!

-Kristi-

One Good Deed A Day: Day One

Available here!

A few weeks before this past Christmas, I met a friend for coffee in Seattle.  We decided to do a little shopping on our way back from visiting our mutual friend, Keli, at Dry Goods Design. (Absolutely adorable shop, by the way, check it out if you're around!)  Now, I can't remember the name of the shop that I picked up this journal, but it was such a great little place; full of gifts and treasures and gorgeous, well-made, inexpensive furniture.  The kind of place that I could spend hours in, perusing all of the wares and dreaming up interior decorating schemes for my house.  I made only one small purchase: the One Good Deed A Day Journal.  The purchase was only small in stature.  The gesture in itself, if completed, is huge.  I generally try to live in a way that is kind-hearted and thoughtful, but occasionally I find myself being cynical, sarcastic and sometimes just plain bitter.  I don't like this about me because I find that it reflects a certain type of negativity that I don't want my daughter to pick up.  She is a very happy, observant and thoughtful child and I'd love if those traits carried on into her older childhood and beyond.  Why not continue to nurture such endearing characteristics so that she can continue to be a person who is much admired and respected?  The kind of person that brings joy and light to the world, the kind that everyone wants to be friends with?  She inspires me on a regular basis to be a better person, to enrich my life with happy thoughts, positive feelings and good deeds.  So, when I saw this little book lying on a table top, it sort of reached out to me and asked me to buy it.  I decided that if I could turn this small purchase into a journey and share it with all of you, then perhaps we could all benefit from it.  Are you interested?  Would you like to join me?

There are 365 suggestions in this journal.  Every page has a few blank lines to fill in so that the writer can reflect on their done deed.  I am taking to my blog for these reflections and I offer you to do the same in your own blog, if you like.  Or, I would absolutely love to hear about your experiences right here.  Just leave a comment with your thoughts and/or feelings about your Good Deed.

Today's Good Deed (chosen at random) was: Register to Become an Organ Donor.  I wasn't sure how to do this, so I googled "organ donor registry" and chose the one that seemed the most straight-forward.  It took me maybe eight minutes, but I am now registered to donate my eyes (corneas and "full globe") heart, pancreas, liver, kidneys and lungs.  I'm not really sure why, but I declined the donation for "Upper body bone", veins and skin.  I would like to learn a little more about those three donations before committing to them.  I don't know, if they take my skin, can I still be buried in an open casket or not?  What happens to my body if they harvest my ribs?  Will I be lying in my coffin looking like a deflated balloon with legs attached?  These are some of the hopelessly ridiculous thoughts that were running through my head, but I have to find out those answers before I can say yes.  I like the thought that I might still be able to help someone after I am gone.  It was a bit unnerving to be alive and well, but still planning for my eventual death.  At the same time, I am satisfied that I signed up.  Maybe one day I'll be the perfect match for someone in need of a transplant.  It might be some comfort to my family that even after death, I have the potential to live on through organ donation.  

In the meantime, I'm off to research answers for my questions.

Happy Day!

-Kristi-

Boo & A Heart of Gold

This is Boo.  Boo is a nightwatch dog.  Boo has also just recently become the happy companion of one very generous soul all the way across the country in Newport, Rhode Island.  He was sent off with thousands of hugs and lots of little kisses from The Roo who saw me make him and then bravely watched me pack him in a box to send to his new home.  I included a note to the buyer saying that he was coming to her with lots of love already attached because my little girl was going to miss him and wanted to make sure he was going to be happy where he was going.  I, however, had no doubts about Boo being happy because I'd already had several Etsy conversations with this very sweet lady about his creation process and other little conversational bits about life.  I already knew she was an especially kind person just by the emails she sent.  I remember thinking after reading every "convo" that everyone on this earth needs a person like her in their lives, that's how wonderful she was to converse with.  She was truly delightful!  Boo was going to be safe with her, for sure.

After receiving him, she wrote me the nicest message, saying that she was so touched by my my note that she wanted to know if it would be ok if she sent a gift for Roo.  I was pretty sure that she was worried that I might think her request was strange.  I didn't think it was odd.  In fact, I knew that she was a very generous soul, and her only wish was to give my child a gift of love in return.  How could I turn down such an amazing request?  I understand the need to give, my mother and I belong to The Toy Society because we really enjoy making toys just to give them away. 

Yesterday, a package arrived with my little girl's name on it (she was a little excited):

There were two tissue wrapped gifts inside:

and:

You could say that she was one happy little girl!



She loves her new little sweater buddies and I am in awe of my new Etsy friend.  People never cease to amaze me, and to Julie I would like to say thank you, so much, from the very bottom of my heart.  Only every once in awhile does someone come along who restores your faith in humanity.  By bestowing this unbelievable act of generosity, you have given my sweet girl a priceless gift and have shown her early in life that people don't have too be your enemy, like so many others believe.  I am grateful to you for being an assistant in this life lesson.  I know that the world can be a scary place, but I am also trying to teach her that it can be a wonderful place, too.  It's all in how you live your life and how you deal with the obstacles in your path.  Life can either be an inspiring journey or it can be a miserable existence.  We choose our own path with the guidance of the people around us to help pave the way.  I have a feeling that The Roo's path is going to be a beautiful one.  Thank you for being a part of it, Julie!  I am so honored to have met you and I am grateful for your generosity and kind spirit.  My daughter will always know that there is a friendship worth discovering in every opportunity.  These two little sweater buddies will be a happy reminder. 

I hope you are able to find many blessings throughout your days!

-Kristi

"We loved because he first loved us."

John 4:19



Ugly Face Goodbyes

My daughter started her very first day of preschool this past Tuesday. This was a "HOOGE" (as she says it) day for us since we have never been separated a day in her life. We thought we were all well-prepared.  We took her with us to the first interview at the school a month ago.  The day we received her acceptance notice is the day that we immediately started The Big Countdown. We were trucking along with the positive comments, "You get to go to school in 18 days!!" or "How exciting! You're going to make so many friends to invite to your birthday party!"  "Only 10 more days!"  Every day we talked about it, every day we updated the countdown.  And everyday she would say to me "Mommy is really going to miss me when I go to school, but that otay, Mommy!  I be back!  That otay!" She is so cute and so sweet.  I love her!

The first day of school finally came. She was so excited when she got up that morning exclaiming "I get to go to school!".  She ate breakfast, brushed her hair, put on her favorite "Taylor Swift" dress, decided against the fuzzy pink boots in favor of the black patent Mary Jane's (because that's what Taylor Swift would wear, don't you know), said goodbye to all of her puppies and grabbed her little backpack.  Since it was my husband's day off, he and I both took her to school.  All the way there, we talked about how fun and exciting it was going to be to meet new people, learn new things, and play with some new toys. She was ready!

We pulled up in the parking lot, found an up-front space to park and got out. She was so cute in her yellow jacket and her tiny pink back pack, all shy but totally thrilled to FINALLY be going to school. More children arrived, she bravely smiled and introduced herself to each one and their parents. Then the Directress came to collect the children and lead them to their classroom. That's pretty much where it kind of went down hill. That's the moment that reality sunk in and she realized that she was about to be separated from her parents and this was not, in fact, fun or exciting. "No thank you," she said, "I want to go have coffee with you, mommy!" Oh, how my heart started to break into a thousand teeny tiny pieces for one teeny tiny heart broken little girl. How the heck was I supposed to survive this?  How the heck was she going to survive this? I could feel the tears start welling up in my eyes and I knew I was about to lose it. I told myself that it wasn't going to do her any good to start crying myself, so I just held her and told her to be my big brave girl (a phrase she knows and is very proud of) and that we would be back in an hour. My husband took his turn to console her and then The Directress took her, still desperately trying to cling to him, and said firmly and meaningfully, "OK, bye Daddy, bye Mommy! We'll be fine, see you in an hour!". At this point all we could do was turn around and walk away.

This is where the Ugly Face comes in. I lost it. My face crumpled, my mouth turned down and went all crooked, the tears exploded out of my eyes and the mascara ran like a flooded river after a hurricane. It was not pretty. I was so embarrassed that I was crying so hard that I couldn't make eye contact with the other parents who were saying "comforting" things like "First day, huh?" or "Don't worry, it gets easier!" etc. My voice warbled out a half-hearted, hiccupy thanks and I got into the car. There was about a hundred and twelve thoughts of how The Roo must be thinking that we've just abandoned her, or that we're such a horrible parents for putting her through such a traumatic experience.  But there was the voice of reason too, telling me that we were doing the right thing and we're giving her the very best head start on her education and that it will get easier.

We drove to a nearby French bakery where we had just enough time for croissants and cappuccinos. The hour passed like a second and before we knew it, we were on our way back to pick her up. 

We relaxed quite a bit when we saw her calmly meandering through the other children and observing their activities.  At one point we saw her reach up and take the directress' hand for comfort.  When the directress turned to look down at her with such genuine affection, we knew that we had found a place where she would be happy, comfortable and have lots of support from everyone.  This was a place that would nurture her curiosity and encourage her capabilities.  The first week schedule is set so that the new students make a gradual adjustment to the separation.  Everyday the time increased until Friday when they are there for just an hour short of their normal release.  So, when I picked her up yesterday, it was her fourth day and she had spent almost two and a half hours playing with her new friends.  When it was time to go, she was the last of the new students to leave.  It turns out that the other kids didn't want her to go, they had her in the middle of a preschool huddle, giving her hugs and kisses and telling her that they love her and will miss her.  That was a pretty special moment for me.  Every parent wants their child to be loved and accepted and I am so lucky to have such a sweet little girl with such a beautiful, genuine soul.  I know that this first year of Montessori school is just the very beginning of a whole new set of firsts and let-go's, and I am really looking forward to the joys and new experiences that we're going to share. 

All of the sudden I find myself with just over three hours to myself every day and I have to figure out the best way to organize my time.  I have so many things on the agenda for 2012, I think it's going to take a few weeks to settle in to my new routine.  Well, to even figure out what that new routine is going to be!  So, here's to hoping that you'll get a few more blog posts a week, hopefully some tutorials and a few biographies on some of my very favorite people.  Stay tuned, there's lots of good stuff coming our way! 

-Kristi-

Holy Cow My Legs Are Tired!

For the past couple of weeks I've been trying to convince myself that I really do love runnning and that I really want to go for a jog with my husband sometime very soon.  Problem is, not only are our schedules comepletely booked and finding the time to go when it's not pitch black out is difficult, but also he used to be a soccer player (he even played for Team USA when he was younger) which means that he's used to running around for 90 minutes at a time.  Me?  I can barely go 9 minutes without wanting to barf up my lungs.  Nonetheless, we finally made the time and-thank you so much, Nike-just did it.  We went for a run in our neighborhood yesterday. I gotta say, it was pretty nice.  The running part sucked, of course, and the whole I'm-not-dizzy-I'm-just-vertically-challenged-is-this-normal-holy-cow-I'm-dying part was pretty awful but the walking part sure was nice!!  We found a woodsy trail in our neighborhood and even The Roo enjoyed herself!  She got to go "real shasht" (Roo speak for 'fast') in her stroller. 

I'll tell you what, I'm not usually one to set any expectations on a situation, any situation, so all of the dreaded thoughts and feelings of anticipation of how much it was going to suck made it just a little bit easier.  I made it through, Hubby didn't run like an athletic maniac and he was very encouraging.  As soon as we got home, I downed about a gallon of water while he made us a healthy lunch.  We plotted our next jaunt as we ate.  These are the kinds of things I need to be doing with him.  Small little bits of time where it's just us, making an effort to better ourselves with each other as encouragement. 

I am already looking forward to the next time we go.  I am hoping I will be able to push myself to go just a little further.  I am also hoping that it won't happen again until tomorrow (or the next day or the next day!) because OH MY WORD my legs are sore!  But, that's because I went for a two and a half mile power walk, up and down steep hills while pushing the wee one in the stroller.  We went to the library and picked up a stack of a thousand pounds.  Books!  I meant books.  I had about twenty on hold that went straight to the bottom of the Mutsy and away we went!  Back up and down those darn hills where my poor shins screamed in agony every step of the way.  Feel the burn, Shins, feel the burn!  They don't call this area Lake Hills for nothing!  I wonder if I can take a flatter route next time?  Who am I kidding...

Anyway, I am feeling pretty good today.  I even bought a book on blogging.  I'd like to make this something worthwhile.  The Roo starts preschool in less than a month (eep!) and I will need to use my time wisely.  I have a few goals for 2012, blogging is just one of them.  How about you?  What are your biggest, proudest recent accomplishments?  What are your goals for 2012?

-Kristi-