Sharing for Charity. It’s a “Feel Good” thing.

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Howdy ya’ll!

I’ve been struggling with life in this “hole”. Today, however, I want to share a ray of goodness. Not something that is transferred from me to you but something that you can transfer to another. The word for it is CHARITY. So, did you cringe? Were you expecting the offering plate shoved in your face? Never fear. I’m not doing that here. No hands held out asking for alms. No junk mail stuffing out the more important things (like the heating bill?).

At the start of the year somebody on another blog had asked about a word to set the pace for my year. The word that came to my mind, immediately I might add, was “SHARE”. I am supposed to share more this year. And yet I’ve been failing to share here. My deepest apologies. Forgive me please?

Now don’t misunderstand me. I HAVE been sharing. Spring is the time of year that I get loaded with requests from various charities for handmade items. And I have been gracious to accept their requests and donate. But that isn’t really “charity”. Yes, it is giving of my abilities and resources but I was ASKED to comply. Charity, true Christian charity, comes from within, from that “whole” in your heart, because you WANT to do so.

With that thought in mind I wish to share this blog with all of you. I have been checked in myself once again to Share. I need to learn that sharing when depression sets in is a form of healing.

I am an avid crocheter. Even when my hands hurt and my fingers go numb I still can be found with crochet work close by. So for all my crochet and kitting friends I wish to share.

I found this list of 10 charities to be the broadest and most appealing. My own granddaughter is a recipient of a Linus blanket! Please take a look and see if there’s anything that stirs your “whole”. Do it for yourself. I have done some. I need to do more. The words echo in my mind to “do what I can”. So with that I share the following blog.

http://startingchain.com/2014/01/10-charities-that-need-crocheted-items.html

Sharing the Lost

http://http://theenchantedtree.blogspot.com/2015/02/missing-person-grand-rapids-michigan.html?showComment=1423458152809#c7767135432241764353

timg

I follow the blog “The Enchanted Tree”. These sweet people put out a cry to help find his childhood friend. Please read and if you know ANYTHING, or even THINK you might please call the number provided. Thanks ever so much. As they keep me posted so shall I do the same for ya’ll.

http://theenchantedtree.blogspot.com/2015/02/missing-person-grand-rapids-michigan.html?showComment=1423458152809#c7767135432241764353

“Mosey” Cottage proves to be the Perfect name!

Greetings to all who are reading! I can scarce believe it is already into February of 2015. Did I say Happy New Year?

Some time back I had shared about what is, or was, to eventually become my new home. I had dubbed it as “Mosey Cottage” after my late husband. His heir, our daughter, along with her husband, bought me this house with some of her inheritance money. (I always had said that her dad would buy me a house someday. I never expected it to be by proxy after he was gone!).

Anyhow,  this entire past summer and well into fall was spent on everything BUT the house. My kids bought new cabinets and a counter top for the kitchen back in September for a steal! BUT…..we never could get the electric people there until well into October or November. Then we were well into our busy Holiday time and it was way too cold to really do much work on the house. The poor kitchen sat looking like this for a long time:

One view of the "before" kitchen

One view of the “before” kitchen

Pitiful, isn’t it? You can see that the flooring is taking quite some effort to get torn up and out. You wouldn’t think that water logged wood and such would be so hard!

Ok. Now comes a new twist in the adventures of Mosey Cottage. My oldest daughter and her new husband found themselves in a life situation that has landed them into the front two rooms of the house! The original bedroom is now a bedroom/kitchen combination.

Making good use of space.

Making good use of space.

The bedroom side

Working fridge and useless stove

They’ve done fine with the living room. Not how I would decorate but it suits them. We scrambled to get some kind of heat going. That’s when I found out that son in law #1 had turned on the ventless gas wall mounted heater.

Gas wall mount is just to left of picture.

Gas wall mount is just to left of picture.

That thing scares me and I don’t trust how the gas lines are run into the house but when you need heat you go with it. I also sent over my electric fireplace/heater. I have to say that between both heat sources it hasn’t been too bad for a two room living arrangement.

Electric fireplace in far corner.

Electric fireplace in far corner.

Remember the undone kitchen? The bathroom is part of the problem too. It is also rotted out. My kids have to cross the street/intersection to run to my youngest girl’s house for bathroom facilities and water. I guess they are camping in the best tent possible!

YESTERDAY, while son in law #2, the one living there, was working on tearing out flooring at son in law #1’s request, he nearly fell into a WELL!!! Or a cistern. Not sure what exactly it is and not sure if the previous owners or even realty people knew this was there!

It's in this corner

It’s in this corner

Evil eye of well

Evil eye of well

Looking into the abyss

Looking into the abyss

covered in brick and caving

covered in brick and caving

Yep. He was tearing up flooring and having to use a shovel in places. When he turned I guess this is what he found! Frightening! We aren’t sure how deep. The flash from my camera shows some kind of metal rods or piping down there. It also shows some kind of algae on the water. I’m just glad it is too cold for snakes!!! >SHUDDER<

I suppose now son in law #1 will have to bring in people to assess what we have to legally do with this new find. I’m sure the city has some laws about old houses built with cisterns and such. I don’t have a clue what the insurance people will think about this! And I really don’t believe the original owner knew it was there! House was built in the 1930’s is what I was told. Were houses built over cisterns during the Great Depression? I KNOW they were built this way at the turn of the century (1900’s). Another twist to all of this is the fact that a major Marathon oil refinery lies about three blocks to the east! >sigh<

Mosey Cottage appears to have taken on a life of it’s own. And for now my daughter is enjoying the adventure first hand as I can’t begin to live primitive.

I would LOVE to hear all your feedback on this one! Anybody else ever have such an experience?

Haha! Life in the Whole has taken on a whole new meaning. THIS hole has water in it!

Enjoy your life. And all it’s holes!

~  Bonnie

Timeless Encouragement

cast your bread

Here we are between holidays and I am finding myself cleaning out my emails. Sadly there are a great many pages of unread emails from two years ago! One such email I want to share with you. I find the words of this blogger to be as fresh for me as if she had written them yesterday. There can always be a renewal, a regeneration, if you will, of reading words with a fresh approach. Much like re-reading a well loved book. You always enjoy it and every time you turn a page you find a renewing of the words.

The words of this blogger left me with a realization for my life. I feel so much of the time that I have so very little to share. But when I share with others then we are both enriched and have more than when we started. In compliance with the words of that email I do believe my word for this new year to come is “SHARE”. I must do more sharing in 2015. Much more sharing than I ever have. And that sharing begins here.

Enjoy…..

http://www.faithbarista.com/2013/01/why-you-must-write-when-you-have-very-little-to-offer/#comment-58033

Christmas 2014

Merry Christmas to all who come across my little blog and blessings abundant I pray for you!

10 ft tree in a 12 ft ceiling

10 ft tree in a 12 ft ceiling

I was lamenting earlier this evening, the eve of the Eve, about the fact that to many I am just an old lady. Lamenting because I have been feeling the loneliness of the elderly. Thus far this year I have not been to a single party. I have not yet tasted any of the Seasonal foods and sweets except for a small bit of store bought fruitcake. Yeah, I’m one of those odd people that LIKES fruitcake. I haven’t had occasion to dress in festive clothing. I could dress up here at home but my dog really doesn’t care and I really don’t want to clean the dog hair off the good stuff. I’ve wrapped a handful of gifts and bagged the rest. Made loads of items that I just didn’t have the energy or desire to wrap. Haven’t decorated. All the bagged gifts are hanging out of my bedroom closet. And to top everything off I’ve been under the weather. >sigh<

In my melancholy I’ve had much opportunity to watch the world hustle and bustle along, all in a frenzy, over-spending and over-eating and some even over-drinking. I watch at how the “Christmas” shows on TV are now considered “holiday” and how so many of them don’t point to the real cause of Christmas. Save Charlie Brown. But he was tucked away on odd nights when most people wouldn’t watch.

I watch. And then I began to marvel. What would the world have done if Jesus had not been born at that time, or even at all for that matter? I wonder what concoction or abhorition would have been devised to occupy people’s minds. Christmas is a HOLY day. It is celebrated world wide, warm and cold weather, regardless of belief.

I shan’t get “preachy”. Don’t you just despise “preachy” people? I will just sit back and watch the world go by. Later in the morning, for it is Christmas day now, I will load up the car with all the bags and gifts and begin my trek about two counties delivering presents to friends and family and to many who can’t get out. I come in my red car. Can’t say I will be wearing a red suit but I will dress up for the occasion. Santa comes in all forms don’t you know.

Do you have an elderly friend or neighbor? Why not consider a brief visit with a plate of cookies or even a plate of your leftovers? (Many times I’ve been THRILLED to get my daughter’s leftovers….).  Share your festive spirit with others and don’t forget to wish them a very MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Let’s Write!

Many years ago I had a pen pal.  Since my youth I have enjoyed writing letters and sending cards. But a few years ago I went through such a dark time in my life that I wasn’t even getting junk mail! It was a horrific feeling, to not even be recognized as an “occupant”. With this said I invite you to read the following forwarded post and at least consider mailing out those Christmas cards. It doesn’t matter if the recipient gets it “on time”. It matters that somebody thought enough to write.

postcards

Postcards, Letters & Love Notes

A Wonderful Love Story

I haven’t been on here for quite a while. I know. Many things have happened.

In order to get myself hopefully back on track I would like to share this with you.

It’s beautiful. And right now this is almost how I feel. Only the first part. My end of the story hasn’t arrived yet.

Enjoy!

http://sfglobe.com/?id=16809&src=share_fb_new_16809&m=0&btn=popup_endvideo&grp=do_91