Knitpickity

Can I do anything to help?

We all sometimes have a friend or relative that is sick or injured or grieving or depressed.  Human nature is usually such that we want to make them feel better and make their life easier.

Hence the phrase - "Let me know if I can do anything to help?"

Problem with that phrase - it is vague and open and leaves the person who is sick,  injured, grieving or even depressed overwhelmed holding the bag . . . Also most people value their independence and it is never easy to ask for help.  Help is a big vague category that means different things to different people

So here are some ideas for things you can do to help if you really want to help

First be specific with what you are offering:

If you are going to a store offer to pick up a specific item (pet food/paper goods/milk)

If you are a neighbor offer to roll down the trash dumpster on trash day or bring in the mail

drop off a care package outside the door - movies/books/magazines/sodas

bring food in small disposable containers with paper goods for serving

if the person has computer access and a laptop send a $5 or $10 itunes card or a gc for a game they can download

send an email or a funny joke - tell them something normal about yourself

make phone calls brief and normal

buy them a lottery ticket and tell them the numbers - gives them something fun to think about

come by and walk the dog or water the plants

do research for them - call a cleaning service that u have a coupon for or if you have a maid and give them specifics - hey xyz company will come out and clean ur house for you on Tue for $xxx if you need them to or my maid or neighbor's maid says she will do it for $xx

offer to run to the post office for them or to take kids to school or something that is on your way

none of these things are time consuming or expensive but they are all appreciated - everything little becomes an effort and anything that keeps life semi-normal helps.

So next time someone needs help take time to do one small real thing than lots of big offers - it really makes a difference

car wrecks to cake wrecks

Well you can see from the pictures that Catherine and I were in a car wreck on Friday. Amazingly no one was seriously injured - one slight cut and lots of aches and bruises amongst the 7 people involved

Morning commute - hear a bang and then feel a crash.  A teenager on his way to school plowed into the mustang behind me which then proceeded to remove the hatch of my Prius . . .

No seriously - the tail lights are against the back seat of the car - the spoiler is not normally that high and there was room for things like luggage, backpacks etc

Speaking of which, kudos to Dell - my laptop which was originally in the hatch ended up on the top of the back seat . . . and still works

Catherine's back and neck are still sore and so I am taking her to the doctor tomorrow just in case.

My back is killing me so I guess I will go to the doctor too - ugh

So for almost the whole weekend I plopped my sorry self down on the sofa and have tried to amuse myself

OK so I wanted to catch up on my favorite website www.cakewrecks.com

I cannot read past the watermelon post - it hurts too much to laugh.

And I need a laugh.  I know it is just a car.  I am very grateful and thankful that Catherine was not seriously injured.  However if they total it out then it is not like I can run down to the dealer or check on Autotrader.com and get another one.  I do not think Prius will always be a hot item but right now they are pretty darn scarce.  I saw two on a trailer today heading to a local dealer (one of them was even black - the perfect Prius color) and I almost cried.

Imagine the cake you could make to remember this occasion and maybe when it does not hurt quite so much I will look back on this and laugh?

Ouch

Picture is worth 1000 words . . .

Time Flies . . .

Remember when you were a kid - summers were so short - school days were soooo long

Christmas Day was over in an instant, the minister's sermon lasted FOREVER

It is an old, tired expression but a truism, time flies when you are having fun.

Talk to any parent - they will tell you, "treasure each moment" - because those moments go by so quickly. 

Today Patrick started High School and Catherine started Middle School.  Naw they are just babies, right?  Where did the time go?  I know how quickly to me these last years of childhood are going to disappear, how much they will experience.  I will try and treasure every second.  Time flies because I am having fun.  Watching them grow and try new things.  Seeing them grow in confidence and independence and a sense of self.  No, they are not perfect or self reliant.  Thank goodness for that, they would not need a Mom then. 

I have often said that I can think of 100 practical reasons not to have kids but have not been able to put into words the priceless gift that a child brings into your life.  Saying that it is more fun than you can ever imagine just is the tip of it, I know.  Never forget that raising kids is about pure joy.  You still have to discipline and guide and it is often hard work yet the reward is exhilaration.

But it does not get any better than this.