Saturday, March 20, 2010

LINDSEY'S SIDE OF THE STREET


Our granddaughter Lindsey is very fortunate. She has the ability to always be smiling. Sometimes it confuses her, also. She stated to me a few weeks ago that she always happy and can't understand why she is that way. She commented that she's always positive and enjoys life. It's puzzling to her, and I'm sure it's puzzling to others who habitually walk on the dark side of life.
What she doesn't know is that she inherited some good genes, the happy gene that causes people to always see good, always laugh at things, always think positively. That is a wonderful heritage to have, the happy gene.
I was listening to her tell a story about being with friends at a new park and a photographer happened to drive up and walked directly to the four friends, asking if he could take a picture for the paper of them playing on the new playground equipment. She said that they performed on the equipment in different stances while the photographer took pictures.
We quickly found the picture in the paper and she glowed with joy, as always, delighted with another of life's unexpected surprises. Of course, she immediately began texting all of her friends, spreading her exuberance around, which is her normal habit. What she might not know is that people are attracting to "sunny" individuals and that photographer was attracted the the light in her.
I was thinking about her capacity for happiness and the words to an old song came to my mind which perfected describes Lindsey.

"Grab you coat and grab your hat,
Leave your worries at the doorstep,
Life can be so sweet
On the sunny side of the street.

Can't you hear the pitty-pat,
And that happy tune is your step.
Life can be complete
On the sunny side of the street.

I used to walk in the shade
with my blues on parade.
But I'm not afraid,
This rover crossed over.

If I never have a coat
I'll be as rich as Rockefeller,
Gold dust at my feet
On the sunny side of the street.

It's wonderful just to be in her presence, gleaning some of the joy and happiness, enjoying life like Lindsey does. I pray she will always stay that way. I know she will. She's a teenager and still continues to walk, "Gold dust at my feet on the sunny side of the street." She'll always leave her worries on the door step and cross to the sunny side of the street where she sees joy in everything and entertains positive thoughts, speaking loving words and glows with excitement at every turn of events.
Keep spreading it around, Lindsey. The world needs your sunshine!

Monday, March 15, 2010

THE ZERO DOLLAR MOVIE

Well, our mark-down-angel finally did it. He over did it, in fact.
You know that everyone has a mark-down-angel who goes ahead of them marking down every item they want to buy. It happens for me and it will happen for you, too, if you will begin looking for bargains, markdowns, etc. Then thank him every time and you will see more and more mark-downs come your way.
Several years ago our mark-down-angel showed us that he had provided movies for us at the Dollar Movie Theater in a nearby city. Gramps loves movies and I love to see Gramps happy, so I began to go with him every Sunday to the Dollar Movie Theater, whose price fits right in with my frugal nature. I get that from my father, who could make a dime stretch from here to Alaska. We get to see movies after they leave the first run theaters but before they are available on DVD. We have seen some really great movies that we wouldn't have chosen to see if they had cost us the going rate of eight bucks.
Our habit is that we go to see whatever movie is showing at the Dollar Movie Theater at 12:00 noon after we go to Sam's for their $1.80 meal of a hot dog and a 32 ounce pop. That really fits in with my frugal nature. The entire day of a meal and a movie only costs Gramps a little over five bucks. You know he calls me his cheap date; or, really, maybe he says that he takes me on a cheap date. Whatever.
The mark-down-angel surprised us with a real treat Sunday. Actually it was a very heart warming day because we saw trustworthiness personified in the attendants at the Dollar Movie.
We had arrived at the Theater early because the movie we wanted to see had an 11:00 showing. We had decided to go to Sam's for our hot dog/pop treat after the movie. I think our systems are glued together with the ingredients in those delicious Sam's hot dogs. In fact, we went to a funeral of a friend not long ago and his brother-in-law said during his eulogy tribute that at least Lewis got to have a Sam's hot dog before he died because his brother-in-law made sure of that. That was a very unique eulogy, but one we heartily agreed with.
Back to our story about the mark-down-angel. When we arrived at the Dollar Movie Theater the doors were locked but people were milling around outside waiting for the doors to be unlocked. This was a repeat of an experience from several months ago.
Suddenly a snack bar worker came to the door and said that the manager had to be there before paying customers could come in the door. She said that it would take twenty minutes for him to arrive. We decided to wait because we really wanted to see the movie. We're use to minor inconveniences at our movie adventures, and we make light of them, always getting a big laugh from them. We always say, "What can you expect for a dollar?"
Yesterday we started toward the car where we planned to read the Sunday paper and wait twenty minutes. We sat in the car, and as we gazed at the entrace to the Theater we saw a worker motioning people to come in the door. "That was a quick twenty minutes," Gramps remarked. It had really only been a few minutes but the worker had decided that since the scheduled movies were starting their early showings that all the waiting customers could go into the individual theaters and watch the movies. Then he told us that we could pay our dollar to the person at the cash register on the way out, after the movies were over. That was an unusual offer, that we could pay after the movie. What a guy, trusting ten or fifteen people not to walk out the door after seeing their choice of movies. How refreshing!
Gramps and I visited the rest rooms first (we're senior citizens, you know) and then went to Theater Number 7 where Blindside was showing. There were only a handful of people there because it was so early.
After seeing the great feel-good movie we left Theater Number 7 and headed to the man at the cash register where Gramps was prepared to give his couple of dollar bills to the attendant. Then the real surprise came. The manager said that we owed nothing, that it was the gift of the management for the inconvenience. We thanked him for his generosity and left the Dollar Movie Theater also thanking the mark-down-angel for the bargain of the day. We acted like the manager had forgiven us a hundred dollar fee instead of a dollar fee apiece. Generosity isn't measured by the size of the gift, only by the attitude behind the gift.
We are constantly amazed at the gifts we are given by God and his angels, who always keep us surprised and elated by gifts great and small.
Yesterday's surprising adventure came from the Dollar Movie Theater becoming the Zero Dollar Movie for an hour. Thank you, mark-down-angel. You topped yourself with that unexpected surprise! We eagerly await your next surprise. We are grateful for the anticipation of your unusual gifts. It keeps us expectant, like little kids. That's part of what keeps us so young.

Thursday, March 11, 2010

EDAN'S ENCOURAGEMENT




Edan and PopPop and MeMe had a good time making hand puppets out of a craft kit the last time we were visiting. We were amazed at the patience this little three year old had in putting the eyes, ears, noses and button stickers on the puppets. Some of the stickers were very small but she had the patience of an adult in handling them and putting them in the right places.
Eventually the activity grew boring and Edan announced that she didn't want to make the puppets any longer. PopPop remarked that he didn't want to do it alone, that he wanted some help from Edan.
In a voice laced with encouragement Edan said to PopPop, "You can do it by yourself," and turning to leave she finished the encouragement by saying, "Big Guy."
She is a loving and clever child, so much fun to be around. She's the best stress reliever we've found. She's a joy!