Celebrate the Small Things

I love this blog hop!

Each Friday, we post what we're celebrating - those small achievements for our week!  It can be about writing, family, school or general life.  Then we hop around other blogs, offering congratulations to other people. To be part of this blog hop, all you have to do is put your name on the linky list on Lexa's Cain's Blog.


Thank you to our co-hosts:

Lexa Cain's Blog ~

LG Keltner ~ Writing Off the Edge

Katie ~ TheCyborgMom

What am I celebrating? 

1 - My home town had an ice storm, but when I look at what others are experiencing, I feel less like complaining.  Even though there is ice still on the ground, streets are clear. Life is manageable.

2 - Getting back to my exercise routine, since my leg is so much better.

3 - On my street, the city cleared all tree limbs that crossed power lines. I don't know how those men stood the cold, but I'm grateful.

I hope everyone has a fun celebration day! Thank you for hopping over here.  I'll hop over to see you (smile).  And now ~  the linky vehicle we travel on... hop forth and celebrate!

Rain ~ sleet ~ maybe snow ~ you never know

Drifting down one by one  ~
Afternoon flakes are small ~
They always are, in the city ~
Pretty.

But I'm in the countryside ~
Where snow is rare ~
I watch with care ~ 
Hoping.

Only moments, snow turns to rain ~
Rain turns to sleet ~
The road becomes a sheet  ~
Icing.

Candles wait ready, in the night  ~
Water streams from the tap ~
In time for a Winter's nap ~
Dreaming.

Bear-ly Talking

Saturday was a fun day. I was trying out a new volunteer position. We visit the children in local hospitals, and rehabilitation centers. This event we were allowed to wear costumes, and I went as a bear. My stage name is "Daisy." (Of course there's always someone who has seen the old movie, "2001 A Space Odyssey." You might remember the computer used to sing the song, "Daisy." If not, never mind.)

As it turned out, there was another bear, a rabbit, and three Raggedy Anns, who had to quickly, make up different names to keep up with them. (Please don't ask - I'm sure next time things will be better, if there's a next time. Those Anns really can be raggedy.) It's hard enough being introduced and hear one name but then go into costume and you're another name. I suspect my new name is... "Dixie, Daisy, Dammit," bear.

The time with the children worked out well. They were so much fun. At times it's nice to have a big, fake bear head on. It hides a lot of emotion. Then again it worked against me in the late afternoon. One of the facilities we visited had a wing for elderly. They wanted us to stop by, if we had time. Me, the other bear, and the rabbit were game. (No pun intended.)

We arrived just as they were pushing tables and chairs out of the way. They planned a little dance. Yep, coupled up, and the guy handling the music had a list of requests. The bear, the rabbit, and I walked through the double swinging doors... and basically, there's little I remember after that. Oh I do remember one thing. I kept saying, "I'm not dancing ... I have a pulled muscle... I'm not dancing." If I said it once I said it a bunch of times. Then finally, "I'm not a dancing bear!" Now I could hear all of this very clearly in my head... and my bear head too. I was talking, and I was talking out loud. 

In fact I got very loud. "I'M NOT A DANCING BEAR!" Did they stop? No. Why? I discovered the answer later. When you're standing on the outside of a bear with a big, fake head, what you hear is this:

Rah-rot, rah aro-aw rearh. You understand that... right? Yeah.