Bubbles

I recently spent some time with a friend's daughter and one of the toys she had to play with was bubbles!  It is interesting that amid all the fads and expensive toys some of the best are the simple ones like bubbles, frisbees and tennis balls.  Bubbles can now be found scented and in various colors in addition to the old favorites.  

I bought a few two can packages of bubbles.  Today I went for a lovely two hour walk at a local arboretum I had not been to since I was a middle schooler on a field trip.  Many of the lilacs in bloom filled the air with beautiful scent, and there were so many people out enjoying the day....young and old....in groups and alone....exercising and picnicking.  Hopefully a few joyful children found and enjoyed the bubbles! 

Bright Frames

A couple weekends ago I walked into a home furnishing store that was all bright colors.  Everywhere I looked there were bold colored pillows, vases, chairs, etc.  It got me thinking that a bit of color especially with spring arriving can be uplifting.  I found some brightly colored frames for random finders to add a bright pop of color to their living room, office space or maybe even kitchen counter.

Calling Cards

Since I began this project I have written each and every note by hand which has been necessary since each gift has been different.  Recently I have decided buying meals for random strangers in a restaurant will be one of my frequent acts, and, as a result, I have purchased some new calling cards.  Below is a picture of the front and back of the cards.

Very excited to use them for the first time today!

A Week that Saw the Worst and the Best of Humanity

Last Sunday, I took a day trip to Portland, Maine and had a list of all the things I wanted to do and the places I wanted to see in my one day there.  The first stop was a place for breakfast.  As soon as we parked and got out of the car to walk the block back to the restaurant a man walked by us alone.  He appeared to possibly be down on his luck.  I looked right at him and smiled and said good morning. He smiled back and after we passed each other he turned around and yelled back to me, "Mam, thank you for saying that."  He had the most genuine smile and I could tell that the simple act of saying hello had made his day and in turn he had made mine.

Just one day later, I was at two blocks from the finish line of the Boston Marathon when I heard the bombs go off and witnessed people running in fear.  The terrorist act was followed by so many acts of kindness with strangers helping strangers and the city coming together at a terribly sad time.  I saw comfort dogs walking the city and restaurants opening their doors to help people evacuated from their homes.  Most amazing of all were the first responders who ran toward the danger and saved so many lives.

The kindnesses of strangers over this past week should make all of Boston and all of America so proud.     

To Do List Notepads

This time of year is a particularly busy one for me at work so I usually have just have one day a week off.  As a result on that one day my mind races with the things I need to get done.  The list ranges from the everyday tasks like laundry and washing dishes to other activities that are important to me like this blog and sending cards to friends.

In order to keep track of the items I want to accomplish I always have a notepad close by to keep my running to do list.  My newest notepad is a Post-it pad with a turtle drawn on the bottom.  It is the small things like the turtle that just make me smile.

I have a few similar notepads to leave for random finders!

Photo Albums

Tonight I am going with a friend to see his son in a high school play.  I am positive there will be many cameras in the crowd as parents, grandparents, and classmates aim to preserve the memories.  The photos will surely be posted online and saved on home computers.  However, I imagine very few will be printed and framed.

Over the years I have made an effort to print photos from certain times (trips, graduations, etc.) and put them into albums.  It makes them easy to leave on a coffee table and flip through from time to time.  It is likely that these albums will increasingly matter to me as more time passes.  I remember how I loved looking through old family albums at my grandparents' homes when I was a child.  

So my gifts tonight are some photo albums hoping the finders print a few photos from an important time or day.  Maybe they even choose to make an album of the play hoping that one day when the play is long since in the rear view mirror of their lives they flip back through the book and smile at the memories that are tangible and in their hands.

Macaroon Magnets

Macaroons must be popular right now or maybe it is just that I have started noticing them.  You know how that happens sometimes when you learn or become aware of something new and then you seem to see it everywhere!  Well, I have seen macaroons in all sorts of amazing colors and flavors in the bakery, in advertisements, a recipe for them in the paper, etc.

Today I was in a favorite store and I saw a whole line of products with colorful macaroon pictures.  Given that March 1st is Friday and spring is drawing closer, I could not help but he drawn to the vibrant colors and picked up a bunch of magnets.

I will have to keep one or two for my own refrigerator and office magnetic board.   The rest will be left for various recipients.  Now I just need to think of some new places to leave them so they are found and enjoyed.