Happy Times

One full week has passed since my first day of unemployment and I can honestly say that I never thought I'd be this happy about the situation. I've been more productive in the last week than I think I've been all year! (Okay, maybe not all year, but very productive nonetheless.)  Life is good!

So here's a snapshot of the Christmas lights that I hung up on the house last week. The picture is a little dark, but you get the point. I just love white Christmas lights. Don't you?

And these are a few of the holiday sugar cookies I baked for a charity auction over the weekend. I made 60 of these babies!

Oh, and then there's the book I finally finished. If you haven't read Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand, I highly recommend it. While I'm a sucker for World War II stories, this one is particularly inspirational.

Lastly, here's a preview of one of my next projects. I know it doesn't look like much, but this has basically been our recipe box for the last 4 years. You heard correctly - I keep my most prized recipes in an old Nordstrom shoe box! Well, the time has come to get a little more organized. I'll keep you posted on what I come up with next!

The Practice of Kindness

Have you heard this story yet?  Karen Klein is a 68-year-old middle school bus monitor in New York who was verbally assaulted and brutally threatened by a group of young bus riders. The incident was caught on video and is making it's way around the web. It sounds horrifying, doesn't it?

But that's not why I'm sharing the story.

Since the video footage leaked, the school has launched an investigation and the kids responsible are under fire from the school district. (Rightfully so).  What's more, an anonymous fund was set-up online on Karen's behalf and so far, kind strangers have donated over $150,000! The initial hope was to raise enough money to send Karen on a nice, long vacation, but it appears those expectations have been exceeded by a landslide.

It just goes to show that for all the evil, terrible things out there in the world, kindness still exists. Thank God!

Bunny Wheels

A young boy named Liam designed this A.T.B. (all terrain bunny) vehicle for a rabbit he rescued that had lame legs.  The cart was designed specifically to improve the little bunny's mobility and lo and behold, it works!  As a lover of all animals, I'm inspired by Liam's kindness and ingenuity.  What a great kid.

You can watch Liam's bunny in action here.

A Good Deed Goes Punished

I'm a few days late with this one since it's been floating around the web for a while, but I only came across it this morning.

The equivalent of the Supreme Court in the U.K. has ruled that "gay rights take precedence" over Christian beliefs.  The ruling stems from a case involving foster parents who were brought to the high courts over charges that their religious beliefs were interfering with their foster children's upbringing.  Namely, the couple believes that marriage should only be between a man and a woman, as many Christians tend to believe.  As such, the court wants to enforce a ban which prevents the couple from ever being able to take foster children into their home again.

I'm not posting this to make my views known on gay marriage, though I'm sure that post will come at some point.  I'm posting this because it is absolutely deplorable that a high court should have any control over how parents get to raise their children! When the government controls individual, domestic issues like parenting without consideration of the will of it's people, the idea of living in a free society quickly perishes.

I feel so blessed to be a citizen of a country where my freedom and individual rights are protected under the law, but the U.K. does not have a Constitution, so unfortunately, these foster parents have no recourse.  Even though they have successfully helped to raise 15 foster children over the course of their lives, their good deeds have been stripped away with the drop of an unrighteous gavel.  It's all so unfortunate...

Miracle Puppy

Wall-E looks like your average three-month old puppy, but there is something about this little guy's story that makes him very special.

Last Saturday, he was euthanized at an animal shelter in Oklahoma.  After a shelter worker confirmed the absence of vital signs, the dog was then placed in a trash bin per procedure.

The following day, an animal control worker happened to pass by the trash bin and found a happy, healthy and very excited Wall-E inside. Somehow, he'd survived being euthanized!

Since the story broke, hundreds of families have expressed interest in adopting him. What a lucky guy!

No Task Is Too Small

This makes my heart melt!  Watch as a police officer stops to save a stranded group of little ducklings from danger.  (hat tip:  Neatorama)

This makes my heart melt!  Watch as a police officer on duty stops his car in the middle of the road to save a lost little bunch of ducklings.

In The Company of Heroes

It's years old by now, but if you haven't watched HBO's Emmy Award-winning mini-series, Band of Brothers, you're missing out.  It follows the story of Major Dick Winters, a decorated American military officer, who bravely leads his men through D-Day and temporary occupation of the Eagle's Nest,  Hitler's secret retreat in the mountains of Germany.  I highly recommend renting this series through Netflix or what have you.  I guarantee you will laugh, you will cry, and you will likely more fully understand what our men had to endure during World War II.  I know I certainly did.

Sadly, the Washington Post reports today that Major Dick Winters has passed away at the age of 92.

He is and always will be one of America's finest...


(Clip provided by Band of Brothers/YouTube; Major Winters weights in on whether or not he's a hero.)

Second Chances

The story of Ted Williams is all over the internet this week.  He's the homeless, ex-radio announcer from Ohio who fell into hard times with alcohol and drugs over the last few years. I've read several stories covering Ted's plight, but this one by CBS News digs the deepest into Ted's past and the struggles he has ahead of him.  It's always uplifting to read a real-life story of redemption and I hope he sticks with this newer, cleaner way of living. 

Lending Hands

After a bicyclist was hit and run over by a car in Atlantic City last month, at least 40 bystanders immediately sprang into action, joining forces to lift up the car and free him.  With so many instances of Genovese syndrome being covered in the news today, it was touching to come across a stand-out story like this. 

So Shines A Good Deed

**Kleenex Alert**  

Here's a great little piece about a simple act of kindness. This high school kid has a heart of gold.