RAK

Dear Future Me

/ Jodi / 53 Comments

Dear future me

Dear 73-Year Old Jodi:

I’ve written a letter to us in the past before (Dear 13-Year Old Me), but I thought it might be fun to write a letter to future us this time.

It was one thing to look back and give wisdom to young Jodi, even though we couldn’t do anything about it “then,” but what would I like to say to the future Jodi 20 years from now at 73 years old?

53 is a good age.  How is 73 treating us?

At 13, I thought 53 was ancient, but guess what?  It really doesn’t feel that way.

Nick asked me just last week, when time turned  the number up a notch to 53, how it felt to be 53 years old.  I think he expected me to complain about getting “old,” but I surprised him (and hubby, who literally laughed out loud) when I told him it felt pretty darned great!  “53!  It’s the number to be,” I said smiling and raising my arms as if I’d won an Olympic gold medal.

Do we still feel that way about being 73?  I hope so.

Right now, I know that on the inside, we are still the same person  at 53 that we were at 43 or 33 or 23 or 13 or 3.  Who cares if the skin is a bit saggier, we have more wrinkles, more gray hair, rounder bellies?!  We’ve earned it!  If we made it this far, we have had the privilege of experiencing and enjoying every other one of those numbers, so let’s not waste our life wanting to go back to them.  Let’s embrace right now and what the present offers us.  We only get one chance – 365 days – to be this age – so let’s make the best of it.  Let’s use all the experience and wisdom we gained in the last 72 years to make this the best year yet.

When you read this, dear 73-yearold Jodi, lift your arms in victory, smile, and boldly declare, “73!  It’s the number to be!”

Love,

jodi christmas eve 2015

53-year old Jodi

 

 

 

 

Have you heard of FutureMe.org?  Apparently it has been around since 2004, but I’ve just learned about it.  According to their site,  over 4 million letters have been written to the future by people just like you and me.  Wouldn’t it be fun to receive a surprise letter from the past you some day you choose in the future?

Usually it is the future that will reflect back on the present, but FutureMe.org decided to flip that around based on the principle that memories are less accurate than emails.

So why not give it a go?  Send your future self “some words of inspiration, or maybe a swift kick in the pants!”  “Share some thoughts on where you’ll be or what you’ll be up to in a year, three years.. more?”  FutureMe.org will do the travel magic and deliver the letter (via email) to you – Future YOU!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Pay it Forward Christmas Gift & Challenge

/ Jodi / 20 Comments

If you are looking for the ABSOLUTE MOST AMAZING Holiday Gift, look no further.  I am SO excited to share this idea!  This is a gift that is suitable for ANY and EVERYone on your Holiday / Christmas List!

My BFF, Jill, nailed it this year!  She is the most creative, generous, kind, caring, loving person ever, and I am so lucky to have her in my life.

So here is what arrived on our doorstep Friday afternoon…

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a box filled with a variety of Pay it Forward Random Acts of Christmas Kindness activities – – complete with an “instruction booklet,” story about why Jill and Todd wanted to do this, and even every little gift card and item needed to fulfill each act of kindness!

Let me walk you through it page by page.  It started out with an introduction…

RACK Pay it Forward 2014 2and short story (which included us! 🙂  YAY!  Our families have been BFFs since our first babies, and our kids have grown up together like one big batch of brothers and sisters.  We LOVE it!  And we love all of them.

“Happy Holidays,  In the spirit of the holidays, Todd and I decided to try to engage you in a “Pay it Forward Challenge” this year.  Years ago, our best friends, the McKinney’s, asked their elf Sammy to send us our own elf for the holidays.  Sammy sent Jingle so we could share in the tradition.  Jingle spent years making sure Jackie, Jayme, Julie and Jake were behaving.  But now Jingle has a new plan…”

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“We are hoping that you will join Jingle in the movement and take the opportunity to participate in a few of the Pay it Forward challenges.  If possible, we would like you to document the activities with pictures, posts and hashtags.  Send pictures to [Jill’s email], upload on Instagram or post to your Facebook page and tag me.”

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“Every Act of Kindness Grows the Spirit and Strengthens the Soul”

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For the first challenge, Jill included a $2 bill, chalk, glitter, and even an itty bitty dispenser of tape!  Directions:  Tape the $2 bill to the sidewalk, sprinkle some glitter, and add a note for the unsuspecting recipient.

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Next was a bright yellow tennis ball with the word “Fetch” written on it.  Directions:  Locate a dog that appears to be missing the element of fun in their life.  Throw them the fetch ball and capture the sheer joy.”

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Next was a bottle of Coke with a tag saying, “You are So-Da Bomb!”  Directions:  Let someone in your life know they are “DA BOMB” and important part of your life.  Cheers!”

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Next was a box of M&M’s with a note on it for our mail carrier saying, “Thanks for driving Miles & Miles to bring us our mail.”  Directions:  Place this package in your mailbox to let your mail carrier know that you appreciate their dedication in the rain, snow, sleet and hail!”

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This was followed by one that I was extremely touched by.  Jill hand addressed an envelope to her “adopted soldier,” put a stamp on it, and included a blank note card.  Directions:  Take a few moments to write Christian Granada a personal note.  He is the soldier I have adopted as my Home Front Hugs Hero.  Christian is part of Operation Enduring Freedom and involved in some dangerous work clearing roads of bombs, so support is critical.  Just mention me in your note.  This is one I’d like to ask all of my readers to participate in with us if you could.  Would you send a note or card to Christian Granada, Homefront Hugs Hero, 43d CEC / 3 CR, 00 Fenty, APO AE  09354?  Just let him know you are sending it from Jill’s Pay it Forward Challenge.”  We’d be so grateful!

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The next one included a sparkly bottle of bright red nail polish.  Directions:  Find a friend or relative to pamper and pain your ‘mistle toes’ together.

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Next came a bag of Mistletoe labeled, “Christmas Kiss.”  Directions:  Can you get anyone to partake in the traditional kiss under the mistletoe?”

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And how sweet is this idea?  A quarter tapes to a star saying, “Have a Great Day!”  Directions:  Tape a quarter to a bubblegum machine to brighten a child’s day!

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This was followed by a bag of microwave popcorn with a note saying, “Movies shouldn’t be watched without popcorn.  Enjoy this treat with your movie.”  Directions:  Find a Red Box in your neighborhood to place the popcorn on and see if anyone is brave enough to take it. 

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Another great activity included a $5 Little Caesar’s gift certificate.  Directions:  Think about providing a homeless person with a pizza or take a few moments to share a pizza with a friend.

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The next one included a $5 McDonald’s gift card.  Directions:  Visit a McDonald’s drive thru and tape the Arch Card to the ordering speaker to provide a surprise to one of the next cars in line.RACK Pay it Forward 2014 16

The last one contained a box of candy canes, streamers, and a sign that says, “You’ve been RACKed!”  Directions:  Pick a random location and let the candy cane bomb explode and bring minty happiness.

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Now is this not the BEST gift idea ever?!!

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I have Jill’s permission and blessing to share this idea with you.

She actually made and shipped 25 of these to her family and friends.  Did I not tell you she is quite amazing?!!!

Our hope and desire is that you may want to try this or create one yourself.  Let’s #PayItForward and spread some #RACK – Random Acts of Christmas Kindness!  Please feel free to reblog, tweet, post on your Facebook page, and spread the love!  🙂

Cheers & Kind Hugs,

Jodi

P.S.   Be watching for some future posts where I will be sharing some of our experiences with this Pay it Forward Random Acts of Christmas Kindness Challenge.  I hope you will share yours also!

Cheers! (or in our case John’s Bar!) – There ARE good people in this world!

/ Jodi / 13 Comments

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This past Thursday evening, Marty and I went on our regular weekly “date” to John’s Bar.
John’s Bar is our CHEERS.
It’s our “where everybody knows your name.”
It’s an everyone-gets-a-hug-when-you-leave kinda place.
It’s NOT classy.
It’s NOT fancy.
Dare I say it is a bit of a “dive” (in the most flattering way you can call something a dive).

Don’t ask for a Cosmo at John’s Bar.
Brad (the bartender) laughed when I asked for Bombay Gin instead of Tangueray.
No frozen fru fru drinks.
Appetizers are packs of saltine crackers (if you’re lucky!)
The menu never changes – as many times as I ask to look at it – and even when I try writing something different on the menu pad, like Belgium waffles with fresh strawberries and whipped cream or a chicken quesadilla.
But you can always count on a grilled chicken salad (with French fries),
Or a bowl of cheeseburger mac soup,
Or some pretty darn good wings.

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Our bill for the evening rarely exceeds $30 – for dinner and drinks!
And we have made lifetime friends we would have never known if not for our regular Thursday evenings at John’s bar.
We get invited to pig roasts and picnics and parties.
We celebrate birthdays and weddings and anniversaries.
We laugh – and laugh – and laugh.
Sometimes we talk politics… and even though my views are a bit more liberal than most at John’s on Thursday nights – they love me anyway.

Well – When we got home this past Thursday evening from our “date,” I realized I had lost my debit card.

ARRRRRGGGGHHHH!!!!!
(Dang that Marty for having me pay this week!)

Nick said I looked distraught…
I felt like I lost my left arm (I’m a leftie – so right arm does ME NO good!)…
I called our friends that were still there.
They checked the bar, the bathroom, the parking lot….
No luck.

So Friday morning I called the bank, cancelled the debit card, and ordered a new one.
What a long 5-7 days it will be waiting!  (seriously Mars Bank!?)

Then about an hour later, the bank called me.
Someone had returned my debit card TO THE BANK!
They told the nice lady on the phone that called me that they found it in a – ahem – bar (or maybe restaurant she said kindly) parking lot.

So see! There are good, kind people in the world!
Everywhere!
Doing kind little random things every day.
If you just pay attention.

Thank you to whoever was so kind to return my debit card to the bank! I appreciate you!
(even though the bank doesn’t – ahem – trust – and said they have to destroy it since “someone else touched it!” and issue me a new one)

YOU tried, and I love ya!

pink hello doiley victorian thank you

Hello Doily SU Stamp on Distressed Victorian Thank You Note

Cheers and Hugs,
Jodi