Tag: Gratitude

Word Equations

“Taking time to appreciate three beautiful moments in your day instead of one can be extremely meaningful. In my mom’s famous words, let’s make the most of our time here.“

Paris Rosenthal

You know how algebra includes letters with numbers? (I was never good at algebra.) These equations require words. The idea comes from Paris Rosenthal’s book, Project 1. 2. 3. A Daily Creativity Journal for Expressing Yourself in Lists of Three. Write a list of three, prompts are provided, every day. It was a project she continued resulting from her late mother’s work, children’s author Amy Krouse Rosenthal. She posted her list at 1:23 p.m. every day and began the project on 12/3. Her intention was to post for 123 days, but due to her illness, she stopped on day 61.

Like all other things requiring daily discipline to maintain, I faltered and only completed a few pages. Picking up the book for inspiration this afternoon, I took a look at previous entires (I got the book in 2019) and found this one titled Creative Calculations with the following:

__________x__________ = __________

__________+__________ = __________

__________–__________ = __________

My responses on 11/7/19

ideas x solitude = creativity

pen + journal= story

reading – social media = ideas

Today’s responses:

stories + Spotify = podcast

shopping x teen – money = thrifting

(observation + blog) x (community + comments) = SOL

I don’t know if I’ll continue to go through the book every day. I most certainly won’t have my list completed by 1:23 p.m. because I’ll be bogged down with a million other things at that time. I can toss it in my bag. If I get to it, fine, if not, the world moves on. However, I plan to pop in and use it as needed. At the bottom of each page, there’s space to document the date, which my brain likes for keeping track.

Thank you, Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Paris, for brining this project to life, and helping us focus on gratitude and creativity with simple lists of three.

Saturday, March 30, 2024

Porch Pick Up Freebies

I joined my local Buy Nothing group several years ago. The official group changed some, so now it’s my community gifting group. The idea is the same. When posting a gift, it’s best to explain why you need it or how you plan to use it. People get creative on selecting a recipient. Some people use number generators, name generators, tell a story regarding the item up for grabs and someone in the family chooses, the possibilities are endless.

Over the years, I have received the following:

  • Press on nails for my teen with a Mary Kay lotion thrown in because the other person never picked it up
  • A new roll of upholstery fabric, beige with green flowers, for our kitchen chairs
  • Wandering jew clippings that looked like they wouldn’t make it, but are doing well
  • An original painting by a non-famous artist that teen daughter snatched from me for her her bedroom but was supposed to go in my craft room
  • A Frida Kahlo print–the one one with monkeys–for the same craft room because she’s my spirit artist
  • Eight pound dumbbells because five pounders aren’t heavy enough
  • Fresh thyme to make thyme-infused simple syrup for my Thanksgiving cocktail
  • Fredrik Backman’s A Man Called Ove, because this was a rare for me case of having watched both movies before reading the book and that’s one I haven’t read yet
  • Two new chew toys because the puppy didn’t have any and we just got into town from picking him up
  • Calligraphy set consisting of a quill with a jar of ink because not only am I a Potter Head, but I’m also a librarian and enjoy writing
  • A WORKING PORTABLE VINTAGE TYPEWRITER because I’m a writer, learned to type on a typewriter, I need it in my life, and I can also use it to teach lessons at my school library

I like to think my writing skills have helped me receive these items. I have actually used each gift and appreciate them. The book is on my TBR pile, but you know, TBRs are works in progress.

I have also gifted items: a shadow box style end table for a baby’s room, girl’s rain boots with white daisies, Spider-Man sleeping bag, cardboard egg cartons fresh from the recycling bin, a tie-dyed backpack, Easy Bake Oven-only used twice, new black steel-toed work shoes, bag of women’s clothes, bags of kids’ clothes, bedding, fluorescent light bulbs, a sparkly mermaid fish tail blanket, other items I can’t remember.

They say it’s better to give than to receive, but in this case, I think it’s both.

Two Gifts for My Teacher

I can’t remember the occasion. Were we nearing winter break? Or did I merely want to show her my appreciation? This was before teacher appreciation day became the norm, at least at my school. However, I desperately wanted to give Mrs. Nafzger a gift.

Shopping around the house, I found a cheap gold velvet ring box and a hefty service station pen my dad brought home.  I loved that pen and it was the fanciest complimentary pen I ever saw.  It was burgundy with a gold pocket clip, the brand lettered in calligraphy.  It read Alexander with a large square-trimmed letter A at the bottom of the clip. Blue ink. Smooth.

Learning cursive, I practiced at home, feeling special. By the end of the year, we’d all reach a milestone: cursive handwriting, one of my favorite subjects. She had to have this pen. I imagined how she’d use it to write her perfectly looped and connected letters to write Nice Work! atop one of my spelling papers.

I had a pack of orange flavored Hubba-Bubba bubblegum, (when you blew bubbles with that gum, it didn’t stick to your face) and I stuffed two pieces into the box. Not a ring, but presentation is important.

I wrote her a note in my best cursive handwriting. The pen was Scotch-taped to the box. It didn’t stick well to the velvet box. She accepted it with a smile. Later, I felt embarrassed because it was a stupid gift. Who gives someone two pieces of bubble gum and a free pen from a gas station?

The next day, stopped at my desk and placed an envelope in front of me, my name was written in cursive on the front. I flipped it over and carefully tugged it open. On real stationery, I read a heartfelt handwritten note thanking me for the gift, telling me how orange was her favorite flavor and how she enjoyed using the pen.  It was the first thank you note I ever received, penned in her own beautiful cursive handwriting. I kept that note and read it often. 

Thank you, Mrs. Nafzger!

Friday, March 22, 2024