Wow only 24 days until Christmas.  I hope you are well during these trying times and starting to get into the holiday spirit.  Christmas decorations are going up a lot earlier this year in my neighborhood.  This season will probably break records for on line sales as I know for many of us, in-person shopping has its challenges for consumers due to health concerns and social distance rules.  I think we can all agree that when we complete our on-line orders, we look forward to our deliveries being on time and in one piece.

My father was a UPS man for many years and this was his most stressful time of the year.  That was back in the 60s and 70s.  UPS had very strict time constraints back then and I’m sure it’s even more so today with all delivery services.  I have always had a special place in my heart for the UPS drivers for obvious reasons.  When I’m driving, I make it a point to stop to let those brown trucks enter traffic or turn in front of me.   I also do it for Fed-Ex, USPS and Amazon trucks.

I think of how many times one of those drivers has stopped in front of my home or office to unload my packages in all kinds of weather.   Occasionally I get beeped at because someone behind me is impatient but the wave from the truck driver I just let into traffic makes me smile  and I know my father is pleased looking down at me.    Since March of this year,  because of the pandemic, our delivery services can barely keep up with the workload.  The drivers work ridiculous hours each day and through the weekends.  Unfortunately this year, the drivers probably don’t see a light at the end of the tunnel…because normally there is a slow down after Christmas.  So next time you see that delivery truck waiting to get back on their route, I hope you take a minute to let them go. Merry Christmas!

I have a few suggestions for gift ideas for really anyone. These 3 items were given to me and I love them, but never would have thought of it myself. Have you heard of Skylight? I hadn’t until my husband and daughter gave me Skylight for Mother’s Day this year and I LOVE IT!   It’s a digital picture frame that is so easy to set up and enjoy right away.   You send pictures to an email address via a computer, cell phone or iPad and they will pop up in the picture frame. You can give the email address to anyone so they can also send pictures directly to the frame. The photos appear as a slideshow, but you can freeze it on a specific photo that you like. It’s so much better than just a regular photo frame that you would have to take the picture and replace it with another one. I like to change the photos with the holidays. Right now, I have last year’s family Christmas photo up, which I just changed from a Thanksgiving photo. It would be great at home and at the office.

The next gift idea is Raddish – a cooking club for kids. My mother gave this to my daughter for her birthday and it has been a great help getting us in the kitchen. I am not a very good cook, nor can I cook from scratch, but this is really helping me in the kitchen while also teaching my daughter how to cook. A new “kit” arrives every month, depending on the plan that you choose. You can pick 1 month, 3 months, 6 months or 12 months.   The kit includes 3 recipes, a kitchen tool to be used with one of the recipes, a game for table fun, kitchen techniques and conversation starters. The first kit also included an apron. We also get an email when the kit has shipped letting us know what is on the way. I love the step by step instructions as well as the complete list of groceries you will need. I think the Strawberry Shortcake recipe has to be my favorite so far. My daughter really enjoys getting the kitchen tool. When the pastry blender came in the kit, I had no idea what it was. Luckily the recipe card told us. I really should have spent more time in the kitchen with my mom when I was younger. I regret that now but am enjoying this time with my daughter.

The last gift was given to me by Auntie JoJo. Keep our Sea Plastic Free t-shirt is the softest, most comfortable t-shirt I have ever worn. I get compliments on it all the time. I’m not sure exactly where she purchased it, but I found it at Wholesome Culture.com and I’m sure you can find it on Amazon. Wholesome Culture has a nice mission statement and they also donate 10% of profits to animal rescue and environmental organizations.

Don’t you just love surprising someone?  I love doing something for someone when they least expect it; the joy it brings tends to lift spirits, for both the giver of the surprise and the recipient.

The other day I returned some cans and bottles at the recycle location near my home, and left the slips in the machine.  I hid and watched the joy on the person who came after me.  A smile came over his face and you could tell that his day was going in the right direction.

Surprises can come in all forms, from showing up on the doorstep of a lonely person, to sending a card or a note, doing a job that has been on hold for a long time and surprising the boss or spouse with the completed project.  They can be spur of the moment surprises from paying for coffee for the person standing behind you in the line, or the careful planning of a surprise birthday or anniversary party.

I know that some people will say “I hate surprises”, but studies have shown that surprises can boost memory, and pleasant surprises make us happier and surprises can add spark to a relationship.

Recently I planned a surprise.  It took careful planning and the help of others.  My daughter and her husband had been training for four months in preparation to run The Chicago Marathon on October 13, 2019.  I have been a runner off and on, and wanted to surprise them to cheer them along the grueling 26 miles.  My daughter even invited my husband and I to come out, but I told them they would be to preoccupied that weekend.   I flew to Chicago on October 12 (my husband home sick with pneumonia) and spent the night at the home of my son and daughter-in-law.  We had a great day with the grandchildren.  Early in the evening I called Jennie and Jeff to wish them luck. My daughter in-law had texted my daughter to tell her exactly where they would be along the course.   Jennie was “looking” for them.  She was not looking for me.  The video you will see shows the joy and excitement when she saw me.

Planned or unplanned, look out for those opportunities to surprise someone else..and enjoy the look on their face.

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I cannot wait until this Thanksgiving to see Morgan Neville’s new movie, “A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood“ starring Tom Hanks (a perfect choice for this role).    The movie is based on one of my most favorite childhood shows, “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood” which first aired on February 19, 1968.

When I watched the trailer for this new movie, it brought me back to when I was a little girl, who loved to hear his opening song, “It’s a Beautiful Day in The Neighborhood.”  His voice was soft and soothing and I remember feeling sad when he would begin to say goodbye by taking off his sneakers and cardigan sweater to change into his street clothes.  With his magical neighborhood complete with a neighborhood trolley, puppets, special guests and songs, he talked about so many topics,  happy and sad.   I have been watching some of the ” you-tube” clips and a lot of his segments touched on some intense stuff  – he would talk about these subjects and he had a gift of making us feel like we were the only one he was talking to and in a manner that a young child could relate to.    He talked about death and how sad he was when as young boy his beloved dog Mitsy died and how he had cried.  During that show, he brought out an old black and white picture of his adorable dog Mitsy – then he sang a song about being glad and sad, telling us it takes time to heal before we can talk about the loss of a loved one or a beloved pet with fond memories rather than tears.   One of the clips that really hit home for me was that for an entire week, he devoted a segment on divorce.  He tried to explain to us youngsters what divorce is and reasons it may happen and that we were not alone.   Mr. Rogers introduced us to a young boy in an electric wheelchair, who because of a tumor,  could not use his hands or legs.  He taught us that Jeff was just like us and we should treat him just like any other kid and not a handicapped boy in a scary wheelchair.  Years later, that boy Jeff in a wheelchair, now a grown man in a wheelchair, made an on-stage appearance when Mr. Rogers was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame. Mr. Rogers and the audience was brought to tears.

There are so many videos that come up when you “google” Mr. Rogers.  Mr. Rogers’ widow Joanne Rogers made a fascinating documentary about her late husband in 2018.   As I watch these videos, as a grown woman, it still brings me back into that safe place I felt in “his”  neighborhood.   I wish that young children in this day and age had a show like this for entertainment and to help them with difficult times in their childhood…well, actually they do, parents just need to introduce their children to Mr. Rogers  through the internet.

I hope you enjoy the movie…and Happy Thanksgiving!

https://www.google.com/search?source=hp&ei=JA6zXcy-HO6Oggeti664Cw&q=tom+hanks+mr+rogers+trailer&oq=tom+hanks+mr+rogers&gs_l=psy-ab.1.1.0l10.643.4344..6650…0.0..2.632.2681.12j3j2j0j1j1……0….1..gws-wiz…….0i131.-31C3dMzEa4#spf=1572015657148.

About 32 years ago, I was invited to attend a Rotary meeting in Osterville.  Little did I know that some 32 years later, Rotary would be an integral part of my life.

Rotary was the world’s first service Club.  Founded in 1905 when a lawyer from Chicago, Paul Harris and three friends got together; they wanted to reinvigorate the spirit of friendliness they had known from their own home towns.  Word of this small group spread, and other were invited to be part of the club.  They met in “rotation” at the members’ various places of business; so it would be only fitting to call this club “ROTARY”.  Soon the group was using the talents and resources of its members to serve throughout the community.  As time went on, more clubs were formed throughout the United States, and by 1911 a Club had been established in Canada, and in 1912, across the “pond”, in Ireland.  Before 1925 there were 200 clubs across the globe.  Today, membership is over 1.2 million, with over 35,000 Clubs.  Rotary works to promote peace, fight disease, provide clean water, support education and many other things.

I was invited to join the Osterville Rotary Club and was inducted as a member in August of 1987.  It was on May 4, 1987, that Rotary first allowed women to join!  Not only was I the first woman in the Osterville Club, but I became the first woman President in 1993.

Rotary’s motto is “Service Above Self”.  Osterville Rotary participates in service projects throughout the community, and some of our efforts are worldwide.  In 1985 Rotary undertook a project to eradicate polio throughout the world.  Today (2019) it remains endemic in only three countries.  Rotary’s structure has changed over the years, but the goals of Rotary have not changed.

For the last 25 years the Osterville Rotary Club has held a Bluefish/Striper Tournament to raise funds to support the good works the Club embarks on.  Our efforts range from 2 $1,000 Scholarships awarded to Barnstable HS Seniors for 4 consecutive years, to picking up Trash along Route 28 from Centerville to Osterville, providing journals to all 5th graders in Barnstable, joint efforts with other Rotary Clubs on Cape Cod to help purchase a Bloodmobile, to working on a Habitat home, to various projects at CHIPs House in Centerville.  This is a small sampling of what the Club accomplishes.

Our meetings are fun, we have fascinating speakers and we do so much good!  We are always inspired to “be the good”.  Osterville Rotary is always looking for members and it has been nothing but rewarding for me.

The pictures are a few of our recent projects.

Over Thanksgiving on a trip to Chicago, we were with our grandchildren (ages 7 and 5). The weather was nasty and cold, and we needed something to do. Jimmy brought out a jigsaw puzzle. For the next several hours we had such fun doing jigsaw puzzles; there was one picture of the city of Chicago, and another was a map of the world, mermaids was another, and even another, a map of the United States. Oh, how I remember when our own children were young and enjoyed puzzles. More memories came to mind when I was a child and my Mother would bring out the card table to do a jig saw puzzle; it was such fun.

Christmas brought us back to Chicago and the first thing I asked Jimmy to do was to get out the puzzles. After the holidays were over and we returned to Cape Cod, I got to thinking about jig saw puzzles. Simply put, it is good, old fashioned entertainment. I have since done several (pictures below) puzzles and have thoroughly enjoyed each one.

The thing about jig saw puzzles is they are a great source of cheap entertainment, you can always find them on sale, you can find them with big pieces, little pieces, thousands of pieces or hundreds of pieces. You can determine how challenging you want the puzzle to be..all blue sky, sandy beaches, different colors, and even different themes. They are a great activity to keep your brain sharp; I have found that it helps to improve my concentration. And more importantly, you don’t need an electronic device to play. And if you especially like your accomplishment, puzzle glue and a frame or a mounting board can be used.

So, turn off the TV, shut down the electronic device and enjoy a good old fashioned jigsaw puzzle!!

My 7 year old daughter loves acting and drama and for the last 3 years she has participated in the Creative Drama & Dance class held at Dramafun in Sandwich.  She and I both absolutely love Courtenay Harrington-Bailey, who is the founding director and teacher.  She is amazing with the kids and always puts on a great performance with the children at the end of the session. In addition she produces “Broadway Jr.” productions three times a year with her children’s theatre company.  We went to the most recent show in December called A Ghost Tale for Mr. Dickens.  The almost all kids cast brought us back in time to the Victorian streets of London where the characters Jack and Annie helped save Charles Dickens from his past and the memories that haunted him. I certainly felt like I was at a Broadway show!

If you have a chance I would suggest checking out their next big show, Mary Poppins Jr, which will run on Saturday, April 7 @ 2pm & 7pm and also on Sunday, April 8 @ 2pm in the Mashpee High School Auditorium.  Tickets are $15 a person, kids 4 and under are free.