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December 2008
What’s your new year resolution and do you share?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
With all this talk about making a New Year’s resolution for yourself, I thought I’d put a spin on the idea.
What if your best friend, spouse, in-law, or some other significant person in your life asked you to suggest a resolution for them. Would you do it? And what if that person really wanted your help with that resolution. Would you be willing?
If the issue was about losing weight, would you be willing to be a nagging Nellie to help keep the resolution on task? Or, do you believe like me, that whatever changes people want to make, they have to really want to make on their own. I’m always willing to help people with issues they are grappling with, but in the end…change, in my opinion, really has to come from within.
So, what about you? If someone asked for a New Year’s resolution suggestion, would you offer one?
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How do you ring in the new year?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
How do you prefer to bring in the new year? Some will prefer to spend a hefty sum and have a dinner, enjoy some dancing and of course some pretty pricey drinks.
Maybe they will be joined by friends, but for the most part it’s a room full of strangers. The next level of celebrating is a large party, maybe with lots of neighbors, but it’s at a clubhouse. Usually, the drive is minimal, if at all.
Then there’s a small gathering at someone’s house with possibly three other couples. And lastly, it’s just you and the bottle of whatever you want to ring in the new year. There are some, like me, who generally just fall asleep and wake up to the new year.
So what about you? How do you enjoy bringing in the new year? Lots of people in a public setting? A fairly large group in a subdivision setting? Or does staying at home work just fine for you? Or is it you and the Sandman? However you choose to celebrate make sure it’s a safe one and Happy New Year!
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Telling the truth about a unwanted gift
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The subject today is “gift-receiving-honesty.”
If you receive a gift and you absolutely, positively know you will never ever use it, can you, would you tell the person that gave it to you?
And if you did decide to be perfectly truthful to the gift-giver, how did you start the sentence? Did you say…um, listen, this is really hard to tell you, but… Or are you the blunt type that just comes right out with it?
I think it depends on who has given you the gift. For instance, I can always tell my husband, honestly, if I like it or not. I try very hard to make sure I’m as diplomatic as possible. In some 25 years, so far so good. Now, what about you?
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How much for presents between teens?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
When I was a teenager many many years ago, the whole gift-giving-to-friends issue always seemed to end in an argument. It wasn’t so much about what I bought, but rather how much I spent. I had my own money from babysitting jobs and felt perfectly justified using my hard earned dollars on my closest friends. But a shouting match always ensued with my parents because they thought $25 dollars was just too much to spend, even if it was my money.
We’d go back and forth and usually I gave in and wound up finding some chintzy $10 item. I would fume for days. How times have changed? These days, it seems $25 is nothing to teenagers. They spend it at the drop of a hat and don’t think twice. Since my teen does make her own money I’ve decided she can spend it how she wants on friends. I’d rather not get into that argument with her. I’ll find another battle. Trust me. So, while I might think a $120 dollar concert ticket is really ridiculous to spend on a friend for a gift, it is her money.
What about you? Do you have a dollar amount your teen can spend on a friend or relative? And who holds the purse strings when teenagers make their own dinero?
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What gift would you give to your community?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
As I drive around Fayette County these days, I realize, much to my surprise, that it’s a county that has given me…well, actually quite a bit.
I have a wonderful doctor, dentist, and car mechanic here. My friends and neighbors are jewels and community, in general, has always been there for me. So, as my way of giving back, I think it might be nice if I could give my county a little gift. You know, a gesture to show my appreciation. I was thinking a good gift might be to drive less so that the air would be a little cleaner.
Maybe I could volunteer to pick up trash in a particular area to spruce things up. Maybe plant a tree. What about you? If you could give a gift to your community, what would it be? A service? Something tangible?
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Inspiring church message boards
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Here in Fayette County, I once counted some 90 plus churches.
And many of those churches have signs in front of their buildings that typically have some kind of inspiring message.
I once saw a sign that said “Got Faith?” I saw another that said: “Praying does a body good.”
Recently, however, I saw a message that quite frankly has me scratching my head. It said: Evolution is a fairy tale for adults.” I have some idea what this means, but I don’t want to color whatever you might be thinking.
So, take a shot at this. What do you think they are trying to say in that statement? And can you think of other witty or unusual church messages?
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How do you avoid the holiday traffic mess?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
During this hectic time of year one of the most irritating things is the traffic.
Here in Fayetteville, when November rolled around I could see a longer line of cars heading south on Ga. 85. By December, the space between each car seemed to disappear and the line of cars looked like a solid line rather than a dotted one.
Now that Christmas is just weeks away, I’ve learned to avoid certain intersections no matter what the time of day. In my opinion two of the worst are the intersections of Ga. 74 and 54 in Peachtree City and Ga. 54 and 85 in Fayetteville. I know they are major roads that are heavily traveled throughout the year, but by the holidays it just seems like it takes forever to drive through them.
Do you have any intersections you avoid like the plague during this time of year?
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Is your neighborhood spruced up for the season?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
There are so many things I love about this time of year: Store windows are glowing with colorful lights, pine-smelling wreaths hang from front doors, and city streets get all dressed up with lights and decorations.
But one of my favorite sights is how homeowners dress up their own front yards. Every year I try to remind myself to take a drive around my 350-plus subdivision to see how my neighbors have gotten creative.
One neighbor goes all out by placing three lighted-gently rocking deer on the front lawn, putting a folksy-looking snowman by the front door, and draping white icicle lights on all the eaves. I hope it doesn’t sound garish, because it isn’t. It’s absolutely beautiful to look at year after year.
Our neighborhood also has it share of classy one-spotlight-lit wreaths on the front door. Every once in a while I see nativity scenes, but they are far and few between. In years past, I’ve seen some home displays that were a little over the top, at least lighting-wise.
And I knew that because I peeked at the electric meter that was spinning wildly out of control. (Can you imagine that electric bill?) What do you think of your neighborhood holiday decorations? Is there one home you can’t wait to see each year? Or do you wish your neighborhood would get a little more spruced up for the season?
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Holiday season offers another opportunity to give
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Unless you live under a rock you know the holiday season is in full swing.
We are being reminded to buy for others and give to others. No where is this idea of “brother can you spare a dime?” more obvious than those that ring the bell for the Salvation Army. You can see them in front of grocery stores, Target and Wal-mart, standing by their trusty red kettle.
Just the other day I was at my local Kroger grocery store and there he was…smiling…warmly greeting me with his eyes. Of course I made a contribution. No matter how hard I tried not to meet his gaze, I just couldn’t look away.
Even that red kettle seemed to be giving me the once over. Once my shopping was over and I walked out, I hoped he would remember that I gave. He nodded at me. I took that as a “don’t worry, I know you’ve helped.” But several days later, there was again. And once again I dropped some more money into the red kettle. This time I think the red kettle actually smiled at me!
My guilty conscious is really doing a number on me. I can’t seem to pass by those two without making a contribution. And truth be told, giving every single time isn’t going to break the bank. As a matter of fact, it really does feel good to give to others.
What about you? Do you feel obligated to donate every single time you see the Salvation Army people standing by their red kettle? Do you have a cutoff number regarding how many times you donate? Or can you walk by without feeling a twinge of guilt?
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A season of giving and receiving
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
During this holiday season of giving and receiving I’d like all of you to take the time to give to the often-forgotten shopping-cart person.
He/she is the one that takes the time (when you don’t) to gather the shopping carts from what sometimes seems like miles away.
On a regular basis I see these poor folks scurrying about, sometimes in the rain and cold, trying their best to gather all the orphaned-carts that are cast to the ends of the lot. I’ve seen it at Walmart, Kroger, Publix and Target. And if you tell me “that’s what they’re paid to do,” I’d say “you’re right.” But would it hurt to help someone out? Could you take that extra two minutes to put the cart in the coral where it belongs?
What I find really irritating is when someone leaves the cart in a parking space when the cart coral is literally a parking space away! So if you think this is the season of giving a little extra, practice a random act of kindness by putting the cart where it belongs.
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