SHEsaysWITHaSMILE.blogspot.com

Brain PlumBing ... II.. for (me!) sandra, tvgp

   ~sometimes you have to flush twice; yes..

***
 pictures to come..

THE RING  -several months ago my mom bequeathed to me her "mother's ring"    -which has the 3 birthstones of her children:   two amethysts (my brother and I, both February aquarian babies) and an alexandrite in the middle (my sister, a june cancer baby).  a ring she gifted herself in ...(year?).   -and, may I say, at the time, her ring finger must have been.. well, I believe it to be about a size 5.  much too small for my ring finger now.

"thank you! so much...   it is now a sibling ring then!"    and I placed it on the pinkie finger of my write hand     /which is my left.


and so it has been my morning jewelry ritual for some time now..  the mother/daughter necklace gifted to me by my daughter on my 50th, the courage/strength bracelet gifted to me by my daughter on a past mother's day I believe, a few color coordinated sparkly bracelets from rick's picks, and a pair of earrings..   and my new sibling ring

and, then..  

I looked one day and it was gone; my sibling ring   -just gone.  I never even felt it leave my finger, I just put in on in the morning, and then at the end of the work day

?

and of course I prayed to the saints of lost things  -whose names I still have not memorized, and who show nothing but mercy and understanding..

but simultaneously     I may never see it again..  and I know it is only a symbol, that the true love for my brother and sister...    etc.

and several weeks passed.    and in the meantime my mom received a new ring from her husband for their anniversary, and as she shared it with me..

well, that would have been     -well, germane to the topic to have mentioned what happen to the mother's ring she gifted me, which became the sibling ring..

and it is not that I didn't trust that she would understand and forgive me..  of course she would..

but I couldn't get the words to come out.   I skipped the topic all together

and,

how this is sequenced may be off some, but..   that very morning, as I walked through the employee room there was a conversation about some customer/item in the lost and found at alden lane

  -sunglasses?

and when ava went to look for this item..   she had seen a ring in the lost and found box

she mentioned it to me..     does it have two bands, like multiple bands?

I said no..   disappointed..   but it has 3 birthstones...

but just to double check on the maybe..     sue brought me and showed me the lost and found box

and

don't you know!    there was my ring;   my sibling ring!

and I stood stunned for quite a bit..   looked at sue saying,   I never thought I would see this ring again.    who turned it in?   who do I thank?

and I do not have a name of the person who turned it in..     someone just handed it in at the information desk

but, whoever you are...   "THANK YOU!"        it means the world to me.

***

and I have long noticed and claimed and shared:   alden lane not only has the best customer service of any place I have ever worked

they have the best customers of any place ive ever worked also!

    -correlation?     when you treat your customers so wonderful, with such care and attention..

they give the same back to you.

i.e.,

just yesterday a customer who had   -accidentally-  received a couple extra bags of soil LAST SPRING    -insisted!-   on paying for it upon her next visit, which was yesterday    -months later..

and alex, management..  he tried insisting she not even worry about..   it was not necessary for her to pay, we could just let it go,

but she INSISTED.

and doesn't that just do two things

[1.]   make you ponder the internal difference between a person who will launder/steal from all kinds of people without any regard for the consequence on others   -vs. the person who had been excused from an accidental oversight, but insists on making it  -write, where the actual dollar amount is of no great consequence to the individual or business..

I'm so wow'd by the moral/conscience/integrity spectrum in human beings..



-this customer, she mentioned while at the register      "we answer to a higher authority"

and I was like,   YES!   and  [2.]  THANK YOU for restoring my faith in all of humanity!

and she is only an example!   so many of our customers share this value system..

and I have already mentioned, yes..   how the young people I work with give me such hope!

outside of alden lane, I hear such concern and criticism of the young people today..

but, what I see vs. what I hear..

the world is in very good, capable hands...

***

that said,  I want to add on to what I see as the greatest challenge of our time

I have already mentioned   -technology out-evolving human beings, and how we need to HELP HUMANS EVOLVE

and, look to the example of the customer above vs. the criminal to see an unevolved and very highly evolved human being

but, also..

getting more people out of poverty...    closing, shrinking the exponentially growing gap between rich and poor.    I believe this generation and the next can address this

it is internal and cultural      -not race culture..    attitude culture!

        -what makes you proud?      owning slaves..    having way more than others...   and the less others have that are around you the better you feel about yourself?    look how many little people compared to ME!


or,   -helping people UP..   helping others thrive?   the more people you can bring into livable, thriving circumstances..    look how many people I have helped!

so,   -remember I said culture is malleable..  don't ever forget it..       apply.   and culture is everywhere!   nationality, race, geographic,  cultural dance, food, celebrations, traditions  -that is just one

every home, every workplace, every neighborhood..   there is a culture.  and that culture is malleable, and if you don't like the results..

BE THE CHANGE   ~maker.

***


SWEET PEA    -oh! I was provided an opportunity to rescue a toddler.    and it was such a sweet moment

but it started out not sweet at all.   it started out with a child screaming, crying..

and that sometimes happens just about anywhere children go.. but it is usually pretty short lived.  in this case..   the crying, screaming seemed to be lasting longer..

I was working with Daniel.. who I just love!  so funny..  hardworking..   and he had visual access from his side of the kiosk, I said,

what happen, did a kid fall?      can't have a pumpkin he wants?

and pretty casual Daniel says, "no.  a kid just got his head stuck in a hole."

I was like, "STUCK IN A HOLE  -HIS HEAD IS STUCK IN A HOLE?!?"

and so speed walked toward the sound of the crying and screaming which was increasing in intensity and volume

"oh...   you're just nervous..   that's okay"  I said,

as I landed upon the planet's cutest little blond two or three year old (?) boy with his parent holding him up so he could put his precious face through one of the cut out circles of a painted wood board which allow up to two people at a time to poke their heads through and become part of a sweet pea painting

and don't they make the cutest memories and pictures!

the problem was..   the cut-out for the sweet pea is not exactly a perfect circle.  it is oblong, and tilted slightly.   very easy to see you need to tilt your head slightly to enter through; you have visual access going in

-but not memory.   and while the back of all mom's heads have eyes, this is not so for our children.

  -the instinct and nature then of a toddler:  pull your face and head straight back out.

by the time I reached the scene this effort had been tried several times unsuccessfully, and the little boy was in a very big panic   -trapped for life! with his head on one side of the world and his parent on the other

and the parents..   their efforts to guide and help..   well, he was just a little too panicked to hear or take instruction

I touched his cheek very gently, and he immediately calmed and quieted   -such a beautiful moment! and I said with a smile, I said,

"honey.. if your head went through the hole this way.. it will for 100% certain go back out too!  but what I'm noticing is that..

well, I'm going to need to turn your head a little bit, would that be okay?"

and in under one second..

out! safe and sound, quiet and calm.  

and now, did I a little bit expect a gesture of gratitude from this precious toddler I had just calmed and rescued from having his head stuck for life; the toddler I spared from becoming a permanent sweet pea picture icon

from being separated from his parents...  being fed and read and talked to through a hole at alden lane into his middle age

I did.

but, you know what he did instead..  he brushed me off and clung to his parents like he may never see them again; ever! he held on so tight.  very quiet.   -recovering.

but on my way home, I said to Jesus..

"thank you!"     I'm so glad that kid got his head stuck in that board..

and that's not write is it..  but, did it ever feel good to help calm and rescue someone.

***

DID YOU JUST SAY RESCUE?

there is no counting how many customers pass through alden lane with dogs, that will share in conversation that their dog is a rescue

just yesterday a customer said she and her husband will go to the pound and determine just what dog is in the most need out of all of them..  and that's the one the take home and nurture..

and these rescues are not overnight adventures.. in many cases..   it took three years before..

or longer.

and, alden lane's famous dog..  haley..   she herself was rescued by the general manager, cyndee..  at 6 months..   and what a win/win that has turned out to be..

but,

so often I want to share..  I want to say in response,

and only one time I did

"I'm a rescue."    -because that's how I feel:    rescued and restored by Jesus.

do we refer to humans this same way?   children in foster care, that were abandoned, but placed eventually with healthy families..  people who care

the lost or lonely or addicted..     who eventually are found, loved, made free..

I like this word:  rescue.     and I love this pairing:   rescued and restored.

"to human restoration!"     amen

***

SKITS!   it's my favorite night as a parent of the school year!   -save of course, proms & balls..  when I turn into mama~razzi     -but, skits!   so entertaining, funny, light-hearted jabbing from one class to the next.  non-stop smiles

and to see my son this year..   animated, dancing, singing, being silly and having fun
-to see my friend's young adult children.. ive watched since..   in some cases, pre-school
-to see kids I don't know, but..   just enjoy watch being young and having fun

/he can dance!   he's got some moves, that one...

highlight!   and if I can figure a way to share clips of video..    "treasure!"





you can't tell we're proud or anything, can you?

and so happens, we went to the 5 o'clock show, which allowed us to get back in time for



***

it's WARRIOR season again..    !    oh!  just painful watching them lose by one, home court, opening night..    and I know, I know..

everyone thinks it has something to do with the way they were..   playing.   but I know..

well, I had my shirt on.

my mom had her shirt on.

   -her husband rick   -he did not have his shirt on!    and they lost by one.

please

do not underestimate your contribution as fans

***

Robert and my entertaining vision    -k,

he works out.  he has muscles..     he has the kind of muscles you can see,   /and can't wait to touch..

and!  more importantly he has exercised the kind of muscle you cannot readily see or touch

  -flesh and spirit muscle.    in our conversation he shared about how he trains the younger men who will be working in the jails.    and the criminals; inmates..  they will instigate, provoke, irritate..

and he explains to the young recruits..   you have to know it is in you..   the natural instinct to react

but you cannot react   -you have to rise above..  you have to take it and rise above..

and that muscle!

everyone should be trained this way.

***

and I really appreciate how he acknowledges,  it is in you..  

because it seems true about temptations of every kind..

          -if you are committed to another person in a romantic relationship..   but, a he or she comes along that can potentially distract/destroy..   the instinct to take bait; it is in you..

it's not always that it isn't there.. doesn't surface..

it is in you..   but you do not react; don't take the bait!    -rise above..

same, if you are committed to a diet, or studies, or any goal..

the opportunities for distractions..    to be tempted by this or that

the ability, the cerebral and spiritual muscles you must know and work and exercise daily in order to keep your eye on the game..  on the prize...  higher goals; noble

that's the muscle I'm most interested in learning about when I meet people     -and it may very well be the ignorance and/or neglect of that very muscle that lands people in jail in the first place.  the ignorance and neglect of that muscle that ='s divorce, drop out, addictions, unemployment, etc.

that's the muscle ive been learning about and exercising for  -ever!;

and quite to the exclusion of any of my physical muscles,

so I had to say to Robert..      who does a physical work out every day..    " I'm much more familiar with nestle crunches than the kind of crunches you are doing.."

and my entertaining vision was of the two of us standing in front of a mirror naked..

 " you are not allowed to laugh or grimace; promise!  swear on a stack of bibles!"

i'm like,   -"what can be done with me from this point?   can you help?"

and,

this explains why   -I so often look like a crazy person

so randomly giggling out loud while I stand somewhere all by myself    -no one near, only in the distance

you've seen people like (me!), yes..

walking down the street, talking to no one, laughing..  


it's all in our head.


do I hear an amen?      why yes I do!   even when no one else is around...

***

my art pricing experiment:   lots of compliments  -no gamblers.    but I have incredible patience..

I want to really explore how we place monetary value on art..

and, a part of me..  

well, the price is only going to go up!    and in the near future I'm going to bullet point out things, and let people determine how much one of my California wine poppy bottles is worth at what bullet point..

top dollar based on....

tbc.

but overall:  the ignite event  -a very successful launch!   a great joy to see the community out and about, good people traffic..

and, not living or working in Pleasanton anymore..   what a good number of familiar faces I got to re-see..  visit..  say hi

climate was perfect     -and that's been key to the level of success for the quilt show and fall fest at alden lane too.

***

on my list to do a prayer flag picture for northern California fire victims..

          -surrounded by tragedy and trauma - everyone/everywhere write now..  all parts of the world; visible  -hyper media attention and the ongoing but unseen

so, grateful to be attending a potluck  -contributing to raising funds..  helping even in a small way


overwhelmed; yes..

but trained with ability to compartmentalize; cast cares.. so I can be present and of value at work, with family, friends, etc.

Praise God!

**

details later:     full understanding of God in us; full understanding of God is good all the time

   -waiting for full of understanding of  omnipresence..  that one word or phrase which locks in the understanding..  makes it all perfectly clear.


***

your mind is the battlefield..  title of a joyce meyer book

 -true.

working on analogy:

with computer hackers vs. helpers..

the enemy   -hacks.   breaks in..  against will, with ill intention..

the holy spirit   -must be invited..  welcomed..     like when you provide the password info and someone from remote location can  -with your permission,   take control of your cursor..

posted by SHE @ 9:38 AM