I recently read an article somewhere that talks about how some elderly people can go for weeks without talking to another person. Then it hit me, no wonder they are getting taken in by phone scammers. They are lonely and just want to talk with someone. Most of us if we are honest have sometimes looked at the phone, recognized the number and just let it go to voice mail. Most of us have more than enough human contact.
Last year I got an idea, and it stemmed from an idea that my sister told me about. Her church makes Easter Baskets for the sick and shut in at their church. You know the ones that can’t make it to church because they are ill, don’t drive anymore or for any number of reasons. They even made the decorated baskets a contest–the most creative.
Inside of each basket were things that they thought the people would like such as candy, coffee, even the coffeemaker, a pair of slippers and so much more. It seemed that my sister had so much fun gathering the items, and creating her masterpiece. The church would then deliver the baskets to the members.
So I decided that we would do an Angel Tree for Christmas at my church. We would do it for the sick and shut in. It would be the same as a regular Angel Tree, and similar to my sister’s church Easter Baskets with a few exceptions.
After I gathered all the names, phone numbers and addresses it was announced to the church, and to my great surprise the first Sunday all of the names were taken. The instructions to participate in the Angel Tree were:
- Select a name
- Call and talk with the person
- Ask what they would like for Christmas
- Ask if you could come over–if they said no which some might for several reasons including a) not looking their best b) house not kept the way they want it to be kept c) just don’t want any company.
- If they didn’t want any visitors, then ask could you call them from time to time
- If they agreed a visit was okay you were then to go out and purchase the items
- You were to take the gift to the person, and sit and talk for a while. Even though you were purchasing a gift, you a were the greatest gift.
It was a great success. I was able to go on two visits, one with a friend. We visited a member in a nursing home. We sat and talked with her. The gift she loved, but she asked for a cold glass of orange juice. The gift basket had wonderful things in it that she had said she wanted, but our conversation and that cold glass of orange juice made her day.
My next stop was the name I had chosen. She wanted magazines and chocolate candy. I decided to give her a sugar high with all the chocolate I bought. After inviting me into her home, we talked about family, church, careers and more. She showed me pictures of her in her younger years, and so many family pictures. Some of the pictures were of her dancing–she said she loved to dance. When others would call her, she would tell them about my visit, not about the candy. My presence was better than candy.
Both of these beautiful people are no longer with us, but they have inspired me to do the Angel Tree again, and expand it a little. This time the names will be on a tree along with the Angel Tree wishes of our adopt a school. So we don’t get them mixed up, we will color code them.
This year I’ve added one more requirement to our Angel Tree. Each gift giver is asked to call and/or send a card to their Angel Tree person at least once or more a month. I’m hoping they will continue to visit the person. Gifts are great, but the gift of conversation and maybe a hug is so much more. Maybe when they visit they will take their children and/or grandchildren with them.
Most of us will be paying for Christmas gifts until Easter, but the gift of conversation and human touch cost nothing. Remember “thisisyourbestyear” and make someones holiday merry because all they want for any holiday is just a little time with you.
So when I heard that we would become grandparents 9 years ago I was excited. I could just image combing the little girls hair, putting in pretty bows, buying cute little dresses, dolls and more. Then they told us they were going to give us a grandson. I told them to give him back because we didn’t do boys–just girls. We now do boys.
always find the one power line, but it was fun. We decided to make a cake and decorate for his moms birthday. He used this mixer, decorated the cake and the table.
Remember “thisisyourbestyear”. You can love your grandchildren, give them love and send them home to be with their parents. Grandparents need rest after visits. Enjoy your day.
don’t let the spouse know. They know. Put it in an account with your name on it and move on.
One of my pet peeves is the word organic. What exactly is organic? What is the difference between Whole Foods and Wal-Mart’s organic? The price is different so does that mean the quality is different? What are the requirements for something to be considered organic? Do we believe 
them? I can tell you that I can tell the difference in cage-free eggs and regular eggs. That’s about it though. To be sure that our fruits and veggies are organic we need to plant and grow our own.
remember going to visit relatives once and seeing what they call a yard chicken. I told my mom they needed to feed him, and that’s when she told me that was the size he should be. And another thing, how many wings does a chicken have? Where are the other parts of the chicken? Seriously every restaurant has “wings” on the menu, but they don’t have thighs, breast or the other part of the wing on the menu. So where are the other parts–mutant chickens with 10 wings?
I have a lot of other pet peeves when it comes to food, but you would be reading a novel. My last one is expiration dates. I don’t do a lot of cans or boxes, but when I do I look at the dates. A recent report said they just put any date on the cans and boxes even the eggs and milk. So when do I throw it out? At one time I could tell you if an egg was good just by holding it in my hand–out of practice now.
