Wednesday, September 15, 2010

For Half of My Life


Have you ever had a day that meant so much that you marked it on your mental calendar and quietly remember it each year?  Today is one of those days for me.

20 years ago today, I met DH.  Yes, 20 years.  Half of my life ago.

On September 15, 1990, the fraternity I belonged to at my college boarded a bus and headed for St. Louis.  At the same time, the chapter of the same fraternity at his college did the same.  It was actually DH that spearheaded the event between three schools so I guess he can say he took control of his fate that day.  Never would I have imagined that a baseball game between the Cubs and the Cardinals could have such a profound impact on my life.

I could recount the entire story about how we were introduced or how he was actually on a date at the time. but I won't.  This post isn't for everyone else as much as it is for DH.

You see, what do you get for the man who doesn't want anything?  The one thing that I call my own is my writing... so this post is for him.  It's to let him know that 20 years ago he changed my life.  He put me on a path that I never expected to be on.  We've traveled and have a beautiful family.  He has given me material possessions more than I ever expected I would have in my life.  

But most of all, he has made me happy.  He cheers me up when I am down.  He helps me when I am stressed.  He loves me even when I am at my worst.

He's wonderful and I'm glad to have spent half my life with him... look forward to spending the rest of my life with him.

DH - I love you and thank you for planning that trip so many years ago.

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Call Me The Bag Lady


No, you aren't seeing things. This isn't a duplicate of my prior post. You know how I previously said that DaySpring is giving money to Adopt-A-Classroom for each blog post and Facebook note? Well, they aren't the only ones. So is Elmer's - up to $10,000.  That's a LOT of money. And since it's for a good cause, I might as well spend a few minutes to ensure another $10 goes into the till for Adopt-A-Classroom.

Just like before, all it takes is a post or a comment by you to help this worthy cause. I'm doing my part by posting right here. If you feel like it's an intrusion, I apologize but it's for charity... on someone else's dime and I'm totally okay with that. Of course, since I know a few people who I think would help with this project, I'm calling them out! Julee and Marismom... think you can spare a minute to help with the virtual bag-it-forward program?

And YOU. Yes, YOU. If you have a few minutes, you can help too. Here's all you need to do:

ELMER’S VIRTUAL BAG IT FORWARD RULES
* Copy and paste these rules into your blog post or Facebook note.
* Create a post giving a “virtual bag of school supplies” to other bloggers or write about your Back to School shopping trip at Walmart.
* Link back to the person who gave you a bag of school supplies.
* Let each person you are giving a virtual bag of school supplies know you have given them a bag.
* Leave your link in the Elmer’s Virtual Bag It Forward comment section. You can also find the official rules of this virtual #bagitforward program there.
* Elmer’s is donating $10 for each blog participating in the Virtual Bag It Forward Donation to Adopt-A-Classroom (up to total of $10,000 for blog posts written by September 10,2010).
* Please note that only one blog post per blog url will count towards the donation.

So there you have it. That's all there is to it.  $10 for Adopt-A-Classroom, thanks to Elmer's.  I'm starting to feel like a bag lady with all these bags I'm giving away!

Disclosure: No compensation was received for this post other than the donation being made by Elmer's on my behalf. My name will be put in a drawing for a chance to win a computer.

Monday, September 6, 2010

Purpose - An Important Thing to Learn


Last month, in preparation for back-to-school, we had the opportunity to participate in a service campaign for DaySpring, the faith-based division of Hallmark. Essentially we received a stipend to purchase a backpack full of supplies for a family who might be having trouble affording school supplies for their school-bound child.   Here's a sampling from my post:
From the time I was in sixth grade until I graduated from college, I attended a Catholic school. Through high school, we had dress codes so that all kids have a foundation of equality.

Equality. It's an important thing to learn.

We had rules there that we didn't have when I was at a public school. In 6th-8th grade, when the principal came to the classroom door, we were required to stand beside our desks and greet him. "Good morning, Father (principal)." When he responded, we were allowed to sit back down and resume our studies.

Respect. It's an important thing to learn.

I remember a lot about those years because it was so different than what we did at the public school. We started each day with a prayer and the Pledge.

Faith and allegiance. Important things to learn.
I'm not going to rehash the project but ask that you please read my post at SahmReviews.com highlighting how important it is to have purpose in our lives.

I was provided a stipend to participate and completed the task with great pride in my children. Aside from the charitable shopping trip campaign, DaySpring also has a public campaign running that includes a Virtual Bag-it-Forward. Something that everyone, people like you, can help with. And it doesn't cost you anything. DaySpring has agreed to donate up to $5,000 to Adopt-a-Classroom and all it takes is people like you going "Back-to-School with Purpose" by supplying a virtual bag of school supplies.

Huh? A what?

Seriously, it's easy. For each blog or Facebook note that is created for the Back-to-School with Purpose campaign, DaySpring will donate $10. All you need to do is write a Facebook note or a blog post that includes the following details:

DAYSPRING’S BACK TO SCHOOL WITH PURPOSE BLOG CAMPAIGN RULES:
* Copy and paste these rules to your blog post.
* Create a blog post or Facebook note about what it means to you to go Back to School WithPurpose and identify others who you feel are Living With Purpose in their lives – you can recognize as many individuals as you want.
* Link back to person who gave you a DaySpring Award
* Let each person you are recognizing know you have recognized them.
* Leave your link at btswithpurpose comment section. You can also find the official rules of this #WithPurpose blog campaign, and more information about Back to School with Purpose with DaySpring there.
* DaySpring is donating $10 for each blog or Facebook note participating in the Virtual Bag It Forward Donation to Adopt-A-Classroom (up to total of $5,000 for blog posts written by September 08, 2010).
* Please note that only one blog post per blog url will count towards the donation

When you're done, leave a comment on this post at DaySpring to ensure that your post is counted. No matter how good Google and Bing searches may be, DaySpring cannot possibly find all the posts. So to get your $10 virtual bag of supplies donated, you'll need to make sure you leave the link to it. If you create a Facebook post, just make sure you change the sharing option to "public" so that everyone can read it.

Yeah. It's THAT easy. This post - the one that you are reading right now - means $10 for Adopt-the-Classroom and I'm proud to say that I made a difference to someone.


Disclosure: I did not personally receive any compensation for creating this post. However, as a result of this, DaySpring is donating $10 to Adopt-a-Classroom.

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