Random Thoughts and Musings

I have written a couple of times about my old friend Aidan who has been working with a group of his comrades while stationed in Iraq. They have been involved in a school rebuilding project, and are now trying to provide as many school supply packets as possible (10,000 needed) to the children.

My friend Claudia has, in turn, set up a Paypal donation page, and will work with her company to do the shopping and shipping of supplies.

A complete packet costs approximately $17, but any amount of money you can donate would help to provide more packets, even if it is just a few dollars.

Please read about Aidan’s involvement, and help in any way possible!

Thank you!!!!

xoxoxoxoxooxoxo

Several months ago, I shared a link to “Let’s Say Thanks,” a Xerox-partnered website that allows you to send a post-card to a random military member serving overseas.

They could not have made it any easier: choose a card design, give your name, select a pre-created message OR type one of your own, and click “submit.” Your personal information cannot/will not be shared, and there is ABSOLUTELY NO COST to you.

The postcards are printed in batches and mailed out in care packages put together by their partner. There are several things I love about this:

• many people who do think about sending a note out to military members serving overseas do not know where to start;
• some generous-hearted people do not have the funds to show their generosity;
• well-intentioned people are not always organized enough to follow through with their intentions;
• and most of all, each of the postcards designs (mostly patriotic scenes) was submitted by a child.

These things all make me happy.

I encourage all of you to please, please, please take a moment out of your day to send a card (or 20!). Thanking our military members is not something to be done only on holidays. They are dedicated to sacrificing everything in their lives, daily.

Please remember to take time out throughout the year to do something thoughtful in return.

xoxo

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P.S. Don’t forget to stop by and donate a few buckaroos to help my friend Aidan and the rest of Team Taji in their efforts to collect enough school supplies for children to be able to attend the school they are helping to rebuild.

xoox

A few weeks ago, I brought to your attention a friend of mine (close friend, we went to high school together) who is part of a school rebuilding project where he is currently stationed in Taji, Iraq. Aidan - my friend - and his comrades are trying to gather together enough supplies that the children can attend school. They need the supplies before October 10th.

Aidan and I have known each other for nearly 20 years now. His father (and mine) were in the Air Force, and due to our last names, we were in the same  homeroom classes. Aidan has always been one of the most generous and open-hearted people I have ever known. We have a long (somewhat complicated) history together, and I take pride in calling him my friend. He has a beautiful wife and amazing daughter at home in Texas, who he misses terribly. Since he cannot be a part of his daughter’s first grade school year, he is attempting to alleviate some of the sadness by helping other schoolchildren attend school.

My friend Claudia has started a campaign and set up a donation page. One complete set of school supplies for one child is approximately $17.00. The group of soldiers in Iraq (Team Taji) have purchased all of the school supplies available through the military stores and put together as many school packets as they could. Now, supplies will need to be shipped into Iraq. They’ll put the packets together, if we can get the supplies together and get them to Taji on time. Our goal is to raise as much money as possible, and then Claudia and her team will do the shopping and get the supplies shipped out.

If you can help, even with one or two dollars, it will help us achieve our overall goal.

My personal promise: I am not just trying to get *other* people to help - I am trying to be a part of this mission as much as possible, as well. I myself have donated enough for one packet of supplies ($17). If I am able to pay my rent before the end date of this campaign, I will donate enough money for a second packet of supplies. I try to get involved when anyone I know reaches out for help in a fundraising effort. I am asking all of you to do the same, if you are able.

Thank you, in advance, for your support in this effort. Once the supplies are shipped, we will try to get Team Taji to send us photos or video of the supplies being delivered.

Claudia and I will follow up when the campaign ends, so we can all share in the success!

We all know that I do not *like* conflict. I’ll stand up and loudly state my opinion when I know people will respect it whether or not they agree with it, but if I know something is going to possibly bring on conflict, I do try to avoid it. So, it is with care and conscious that I write this blog. Most of my posts tend to be for my friends and the few family members I invite to read it - it keeps all of you updated on what is happening in the world of Devyl. So, this post will take a step away from that trend for a day.

I ran across this blog post, and found myself strangely hopeful. I, too, am pro-choice without being pro-abortion. I believe in ANY woman’s right to choose, and while I may personally feel that abortion is not a choice … I have supported several people through the struggle of having their own abortions.

I do not understand (because I have not been in the position of needing to understand) the desperation involved in the choice of performing a home abortion, birthing a baby and killing (s)him before anyone knows what happened, or abandoning a baby in an obscure place where (s)he cannot be found and helped.

Babies are helpless, completely innocent of any crime you may try to charge them with, and fully dependent on the people around them. Choosing to take advantage of this state of being, exploit this power, or deny this responsibility is cruel, monstrous behavior.

My first choice for any baby would be for the mother AND father to find a way to raise their child with love and compassion and discipline. My second choice would be for one of the birth parents to accept full sole responsibility for the child and raise him/her with love, compassion, and discipline. My third would be  the mother and/or father (working together whenever possible) to seek out and adopt to her/his/their choice of families to raise the child with love, compassion, and discipline.

(Do we see a trend here at all?)

A very good friend of mine is stationed overseas right now, in the desert. I received the following email from him the other day, and would like to share it with all of you, in case you would like to participate.

I, personally, cannot do this. Maybe later, but not right now. However, if any of you would like to send a box of these supplies, I’ll be more than happy to share the address with you - please just comment, contact me via private message on one of our social websites, or email me directly (angeleyesw at gmail dot com).

I asked about being able to send money, but he and his buddies have already cleaned out the store at their location & so money doesn’t help them - they truly need the supplies.

Note: the huge ziplocks he speaks of are not as common as the 1-gallon, but they’re sturdy and will hold everything all in one place. I think they’re called “big bags” or something. They’re storage-type bags, but zip up tight!

Thanks!

Hey everyone, Ive decided to get involved with a school rebuildling project here and was hoping some of you would help too. Ive put together back to school kits as many as I could afford but we still need alot more. Below is a list of back to school supplies the kids need. If you are willing, I’d appreciate it if you could take the time to put together one or two (more if you like) of these kits and mail em too me so I can distribute them. I need them by 10 Oct 09. Despite all the horrible things I’ve seen here and even the ungratefullness of some of the people I still believe in trying to help whenever I can and the kids here really do enjoy and apprectiate these things.

1 composition notebook
1 small box colored pencils (Not crayons, they melt)
3 plain folders w/ pockets
1 blunt tip scissors
1 ruler
1 small pencil sharpener
1 large eraser
1 sipper pencil pouch
1 dozen pencils

If you could include a 2.5 gallon ziploc bag it would make packaging and delivering these kits alot easier. Also please no religious or political messages. Again if you choose to help I really apprectiate it and if not Im sure you have your reasons.

And, because I adore him, I will point out that spelling has never been his strong suit … but I love him anyway.

Again, if you would like to help out, please contact me. I’ll give you the info.
xo

It has been a while since I spoke of my friend, Alison L, whom I admire very much. I do not get to speak to her very often, as we’re not usually online at the same time. However, she does show up in my timeline now and then, and she is always extremely sweet and supportive and all-around wonderful.

I first heard of Alison L’s blog when she sent a link out through one of our social networks. Since then, I have spent an hour every couple of months catching up on all of her posts. They always make me smile or laugh, and sometimes tear up.

I definitely think her blog, 300sixtyfive [Searching out and documenting 365 amazing people in the world - one person at a time.], is worth checking out … so please hop on over and read a post … or 200.

xoxo

On April 30th, I talked a little bit about how cancer had touched my life, and introduced you to a friend’s effors to raise money for the American Cancer Society. I would like to remind you all of these efforts and ask you to please donate a few dollars if you can. I made a small donation in the name of my stepmother and aunt, and will make another donation in Baby S’s name as soon as I am able.

If you have a few dollars - even ONE dollar - you can contribute to this effort, please stop by Miss Riss’s Relay for Life page. Thank you!

Have you been touched by cancer? Those of you that have read my blog for more than a couple of months are well aware of my most recent encounter with the big “C.” Baby S, thankfully, is in remission and doing well. She is a SURVIVOR. Some of you have read my blog long enough to have heard of my stepmother and aunt who passed away within a year of each other - both having lost their lives to cancer.

My stepmother had been battling breast cancer (both breasts) for a few years, and had tried both homeopathic and traditional medical cancer treatments. When she died, she was undergoing radiation and chemotherapy, and was trying to get her appointment at the H. Lee Moffet Center moved up a few months.

My Aunt - my stepmother’s sister - was devastated when her sister died. She had been having a pain in her shoulder for a couple of months, but put aside her own pain to help care for my stepmother. We were devastated to learn that she had a golfball-size mass in her shoulder, and that her diagnosis was immediately set at terminal, with less than a year to live.

Cancer has touched my life in a more personal, but far less drastic, manner as well.

If you are interested in helping raise money for the American Cancer Society, I ask you to please consider supporting my friend, Miss Riss, in her efforts. She has a donation page, and has set an (initial) goal of raising $200. I would like to see her meet AND exceed this goal!

I am not all talk here - I submitted a small amount in memory of my Stepmother and my Aunt, which started her donation counter at 18%. If I manage to earn more money prior to the close of her Relay for Life page, I will submit an equal amount in honor of Baby S and other survivors I know.

That is my pledge … will you (pretty please with sugar on top) make one too?

xoxo

My search for ways to help that do not necessarily cost money should have included this organization, because it is one that both Tween and I have supported for several years now. Anytime either of us has more than a few inches of hair to spare when we go in for a new ‘do, we chop our hair and donate the ‘tail to Locks of Love.

I am proud to say that Tween did this first, when she was only 4 years old. She was able to donate nearly 22 inches that first time, and the hair was thick and had beautiful long spiral curls.

As her hair continued to grow out, she would measure it to find out when she had 10 inches of “extra” hair so she could donate again. The next time she donated, I surprised her by chopping off my carefully cultivated spirals too. Between the two of us, we donated 45 inches of hair. It was spectacular!

We have both donated four times each, approximately every two years, since 2000. I think Tween will be less willing to part with her hair for the next five or so years, but I hope she will continue to do so throughout her life.

So, if you have long hair and are considering cutting it … please consider donating 10 inches (or more) to Locks of Love. It takes us approximately 2 years to grow it out to the point where we can donate (and keep long-ish locks on our heads!) … so i understand slow growth and time-consumption. I guarantee, though, you will feel great about it if you do this!

xoxo

Life is a roller coaster of twists, turns, ups, and downs. Fate throws us curve balls. Karma brings to us what we have dealt out. Opportunity knocks. Chance opens windows.

Our worlds are filled with change: some we implement, some is forced upon us. You can own the change, and make it your own, or you can sit back and let life happen. Better yet, you can instigate change that will benefit someone else, and better their lives temporarily or permanently. If you are truly successful, that change will be paid forward and continue to grow, blossom, and shine.

Many people talk about what “could” be done to help a situation, but not so many people act upon those ideas. If everyone in the world took a moment out of their day to do something positive for someone else, without benefit to themselves, the world would be filled much happier, more peaceful people.

What can YOU do to implement change for someone else? Here are some easy ideas:

Do you have some time to spare?

• Why not help encourage children to read through a foundation such as the one I wrote about before, called In2Books?
• Or maybe help build a home and/or community with my favorite cause, Habitat for Humanity? You can show up for a few hours, or a few days … the camaraderie of the builds is amazing, and the organization is worldwide.
• Perhaps you could set up a small (or large) fund-raising drive, or blanket-and-food drive (for people AND pet shelters!), or coat collection drive, or scarf-and-gloves drive …
• Volunteer at a food bank: the food has to be sorted, shelved, bagged, and distributed somehow; they rely on volunteers to do much of this!
• If you need more ideas, check out DoSomething.org

Do you have an abundance of love to share?

• Find a local children’s ward or hospital and see if they need volunteers for craft time, reading stories, or even tutoring.
• Stop by a senior home and offer assistance.
• Check out your local animal shelters and see if they need volunteer dog walkers or kitty cuddlers.

Have a little (or a lot) of $$ to spare?

• Do you buy bottled water for yourself? If so, every time you buy a case (or even a bottle), set aside the same amount of money to donate water to a person, family, or community who does not have such easy access to clean water. In one year, you could provide a person with clean water for life ($70), a small group of people could provide a whole family with clean water for life ($400), and a full-fledge fund-raising effort could provide a whole community with water for life ($5000).
• Purchase food for a local pantry, supplies for a local shelter (personal hygiene products are always needed!), an interview-worthy set of clothing for a person struggling to get off welfare, or help a random person with their rent/mortgage payment in a month when they just cannot make ends meet.
• Forgo your daily coffee run one or two times a week, and sponsor a child (or two!) a month. I did not link to anything here because I have been sponsoring children through my local Churches, rather than outsourcing to other countries. Please consider this if you are in the position to sponsor!)
• Donate gas cards, bus passes, or train tokens to people through the unemployment office. It is frustrating to have to walk to an interview, because you feel hot and icky by the time you get there. Not to mention, some towns do not lend themselves to walking because of safety issues.

Need Inspiration?
Check out this blog post: http://roshanthomas.blogspot.com/2008/12/power-of-one.html
Do not limit yourself to my list. Use your imagination, expand on the ideas I have here and fit them into your lifestyle and means. The world is yours to change, just as it is mine, and hers, and his, and theirs. Together, we can make a difference.