12 Tenets for 2008

I hate forward emails but today I got one that had something interesting in it: 12 Tenets for living, from Tony Robbins. I took a minute to watch the short video and it made me think about how I want to live in the coming 12 months. Live a life of service. Be humble. Do unto others. It's not rocket science.

Check it out here.

Anysoldier.com update

As you know I sent packages to Iraq and Afghanistan a few weeks ago. I got a note in the mail from one of the soldiers, which was super cool. He thanked me for the care package, and especially the DVDs since they spend a lot of down time watching movies. I have some more to send.

I went back to the Anysoldier.com site to see if the other soldiers had posted any updates and found one had been dropped from the program because he hadn't been heard from for more than 60 days, another hadn't posted an update, and the last had been airlifted back to the US because of an injury to his head.

That soldier never got the package - he was probably in the air as I was at the post office - so I hope someone opened it and used the stuff inside. I hope he's OK.

I don't know any of these soldiers but the minute I requested their addresses they became "mine" so I'm praying for them and keeping up with them via their blogs.

As I end 2007, I think I can say with honesty that one of the highlights has been helping others. I volunteered at a soup kitchen, rang a Salvation Army bell, sent care packages, did an at home mission project. It helped me keep my sanity when the roller coaster was running at warp speed.

Adios to another year

I was packing away Miniville the other day and as I was marking dates on the boxes for new pieces I purchased this year I realized I was writing "2006". I'm not sure what kind of time warp I was caught in but I'm clearly a year behind.

Maybe that's because 2007 started out fine but the last six months, for the most part, were a roller coaster of turmoil. It's better to just pretend it never happened, I guess. But I did learn a few things:

I learned that watching someone cause harm to themselves or someone else is just as upsetting as if they're doing it to you, especially if they've already done it to you.

I learned that no one is going to do for you what you can do yourself, and just because you can or should do something doesn't mean you will.

I learned that a little bit of exercise is a great thing, and that the more you move the less you hurt.

I learned that if you want to hear from God you need to talk to him.

I learned that Phillipians 2:3,4 is good for your own mental health.

I learned that I don't want to know everything.

I'm looking forward to 2008. My goals are much simpler - read the entire Bible, travel, write (more specifically finish those book proposals!), volunteer and serve on a regular basis, be healthy physically and mentally, expect less from other people. I have three work-related trips scheduled (Nashville, Ohio and Portland Oregon) and have plans to take a trip with my sister and to SC to see Ray and Tanya (I WILL do that this year!).

So goodbye 2007. Take your death and depression and turmoil and oppressive little self and shove off.

Owl murder

I killed an owl tonight. Not on purpose.

I was driving down Golf Rd, my mind in the clouds, when in the darkness I noticed that the car ahead of me stirred up something on the side of the road. Before I could realize that it was a bird of some sort, it started flapping its wings, flew right into my front bumper and up onto my windshield, then fell down the drivers side window.

I drove right home and got David to come and see what I hit - "I think I hit a hawk or an owl or something" - and when we got back to the spot, sure enough there was a beautiful owl lying in the middle of the road. I'd been trying to hold back tears but when I saw the bird I burst out crying.

David took it into the woods and laid it under a tree. We're pretty sure it was injured before I hit it, but that doesn't change the fact that I killed an owl. It feels horrible.

AnySoldier.com update

I got a card the other day from one of the soldiers that received the care package I sent a couple of weeks ago via www.anysoldier.com.

He said the troops were thankful for the goodies, especially the DVDs, since watching movies is how they pass much of their down time.I checked the blogs for two of the other soldiers and found that they've been dropped from the program because no one has heard from them in 60 days. That could mean they just forgot to post something, but it could be much worse. I'm praying for them.

Anyway, I trust that God will do something with those packages. I'll write back to the soldier and send some more movies.

Goodbye 2007

I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and enjoyed the time with family and friends as we celebrated the birth of Jesus.

Typically, I spend the week between Christmas and New Years on the couch battling a cold and reading books. Last year and this year I've been healthy, thank God, and the weather isn't conducive to snuggling on the couch (although snow is in the forecast) so maybe I'll catch up on some writing. Dali requires constant supervision (and even then she's peed and pooped inside more than outside) and since she's not allowed in my office I can't get any work done.

Anyway, I'm glad to say goodbye to this year. It's been filled with sadness and it's share of turmoil, and I'm glad to turn toss the old calendar and start fresh. I have a few projects in view for January and if I can get the puppy to stay at her own house I can get back to work.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

The benefits of puppies

With 12 paws tramping through snow, mud, and whatever else the cat is finding in the basement cleaning is a no win situation. But one of the benefits of having a puppy around is that my kitchen floor is getting mopped a little at a time as I clean up after this peeing machine.

Meet Dali

Meet Dali, Cassie's new puppy! Dali is 6 wks old (or 10 wks old, depending on which day you ask the guy they bought her from; he says she's 6 wks old but based on the birthday he gave she'd be closer to 10 wks). She's a lab/rotweiller mix and is going to be about 120 pounds when fully grown.

I puppy-sat yesterday because Cassie didn't want to leave her alone while she went to work. Scout didn't want anything to do with the puppy, and after giving her a few sniffs went upstairs to spend the day on our bed.

When she wasn't sleeping (or peeing on the floor) Dali spent the day teasing the cat. Murphy hissed and batted at her, and hopefully has exerted his dominance in the situation, because it won't be long before Dali with be bullying all of us around.

It's nice having a puppy around, for a little while. But Scout, Murphy and I like our little trio. I complain a lot about being alone too much, but the truth is that I'm used to it now. I write, Scout sleeps at my feet, Murphy tears Miniville apart. It's a great arrangement.

The news from Miniville

I came home the other day to find that Murphy had rampaged through my Christmas house village.

I didn't think to take a picture of the damage until I'd put everything to right and realized that several pieces were missing. The trees and shrubs have been scattered throughout the house. The waitress from the diner was found under the recliner with her legs broken. The bride and groom were found in the stream, the covered bridge and fences were torn down, and the townspeople were scattered all across the hills. (The photo above is before Catzilla stormed through town.)

The fountain in front of the nursery is Murphy's favorite thing to steal; I've found that under the table, in the living room, in my office and in the dog's bed (where the cat sleeps).

David thinks the cat is climbing up the village to get to the window, which makes sense. We haven't put the Christmas tree up yet, and I'm a little concerned that we'll come home to find the cat perched on the top with the angel.

What good does doing good really do?

I spent the day today putting together care packages to send to soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. As I took the last of them to the post office, a thought occurred to me while I was standing in line: Why am I doing this?

There's no question that I like to do things for other people. I got a warm fuzzy feeling boxing up hygiene products and dry goods and magazines, knowing that someone a world away might enjoy a gift from home. I had a blast ringing the Salvation Army bell last week. I'm glad I stopped and gave my neighbor a ride the week before.

Why do I like doing things for other people? Is it because I know they'll appreciate it, or because it makes me feel good? And if it's a little bit of the latter, is that wrong?

I once saw an author on TV talking about how when we do good things for other people it causes a chemical reaction in our bodies that actually makes us feel good. Being unselfish actually does us physical good.

There's even a research project called The Institute for Research on Unlimited Love, focusing on the effects of unconditional love and compassion for humanity. The researchers claim that "Participation in this love is the pinnacle of spirituality, inspiring inner peace, abiding kindness and effective action in the world."

So loving people brings me peace and passes on kindness in the world. But isn't loving so that I feel good itself a bit self serving? Or is feeling good the blessing I get from being obedient to Jesus' command to love my neighbor?

And what eternal good is passing along kindness? If my good service brings earthly benefits to the recipient - food, shelter, financial assistance, clean water - but not a spiritual connection with an eternal Savior, have I really done any good at all?

AnySoldier.com

As some of you know, my husband I "adopted" our mailman's son, Jimmy, who is serving in Iraq.

If you don't know, let me give you a little background:

My mailman, Jim, used to work for my dad years ago and so did my husband. It was a natural choice to write to Jimmy and send care packages, since we had a connection with his dad. I didn't know what to write in the first letter, never having met Jimmy, so I just rambled about what was happening in Rochester, the Lilac Festival, being at Lake Ontario, and ended by telling him I'm a writer and that my husband works for his family's restaurant, Schallers.

A month later, my husband comes home and says, "Guess who came to visit me today at work? Right from the airport and in his uniform?" I had no idea; he's had a lot of his employees go into the service after high school. Turns out, it was Jimmy! He was home for a two week leave and went right from the airport to Schallers because, as it turns out, he used to work there in high school!! My husband never connected Jim our mailman with Jimmy his former employee, even with the last names.

Apparently Jimmy was sitting in Iraq, thankful to get a letter even if it was from a stranger, and he almost fell over when he realized it was from David and me! He said it was the greatest thing, to get any letter, but to have that surprise was a real gift. He also said the soldiers love to get any mail at all so keep writing.

You need to know how exciting that was, to know that a simple (rambling) letter touched Jimmy, and his comment about how the soldiers love mail, to know why I did what I did yesterday.

I've been sending Jimmy packages with enough candy and treats to share, but felt like I wanted to do something else, so I yesterday I went to http://www.anysoldier.com/ to see if I could send a random package to any soldier.

Here's how it works: this organization has soldier contacts in Iraq and Afghanistan who volunteer to get packages addressed to "any soldier" and hand them out to fellow troops who don't get mail from home. (Read the website; there's a lot of info but it's really interesting.)

I used the "generate a random contact" and got a Marine in Iraq who has contact with about 250 males and 12 women. Yeesh, what must it be like to be a woman among all of those guys?

With that in mind, I packed a large box with girly stuff (addressed to Any Female Marine), taking tips from some of the lists made by other soldiers and seeing what's included in the pre-packed care packages you can buy. I put in shampoo/conditioner, body wash, a loofa, dental floss, toothpaste, toothbrush, deodorant, razors, ponytail holders, barrettes, a variety of feminine hygiene products, foot powder, pink & red nail polish (I am a toenail polish addict), pre-soaked and individually wrapped nail polish remover pads, nail files, nail clippers, tweezers, cotton swabs, gum, chocolate, handiwipes, granola bars, tea, cocoa, Oreos, goldfish crackers, Milano cookies, hand lotion, hand sanitizer, trail mix, and an Oprah magazine. Phew. It was FUN shopping!

I prayed over the items as I packed them, asking God to keep the soldier(s) who get these items safe and to watch over their families. I wrote a letter and, taking a suggestion on the AnySoldier site, included a self-addressed envelope and a few sheets of paper with a note to let her know if she needed anything else to let me know and I'd be happy to send another care package with specific items, but explaining that I didn't need or expect a response.

I'm sure at this time of year the soldiers are getting packages from home, and everyone is sending a little extra. But keep this site in mind, because the rest of the time I wonder how much mail or packages these soldiers get. And especially in Afghanistan. I was reading in "The Sandbox" a post from a soldier in Afghanistan who said that they feel like the American people have forgotten them, with all of the attention focused on Iraq. I'm going to find a contact in Afghanistan today.

For more information, visit http://www.anysoldier.com/.

Writings from The Sandbox

I'm reading a book called "The Sandbox" (thanks, Todd, for recommending it), a collection of writings from soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The essays and stories are pulled from the milblog at Doonesbury.com. I expected a book filled with commentary about the war, Bush and the current political situation, but instead the book offers a first person look at daily military life, the Iraq people, the dangers of war and mud.

I've stayed out of any debate about the war; I feel like we're there and we're not coming home tomorrow so we need to do what we can to support the troops and their families. We've adopted our mailman's son, stationed in Iraq, sending letters and care packages. We pray for the troops.

But having an actual picture of military life overseas shows how much we don't see on the nightly news. Regardless of your thoughts on the war, you need to check out "The Sandbox" for a complete picture of what's really going on in Iraq and Afghanistan.