Things that make my day better

I have had a rough couple of days. The kind of day that you sigh with relief when you can finally go to bed, hoping that the next day is better. In this frame of mind I began paying attention to simple things that made me smile or lifted my spirits. I'm not the only one who has down days so I figured I would list the things I noticed and some others that I thought of while thinking about writing this post. Don't be discouraged readers who are having a fantastic day, this post is for you as well. We can always use a little bit of cheer.

1. Watching a father and son throwing a baseball in the street.
2. Receiving an unexpected visit from good friends.
3. Getting your hair washed in a salon.
4. Bacon, bacon and more bacon.
5. Crocheting and watching movies with friends.
6. Trying new candy bars.
7. Being invited to a pajama party, you're never to old to have pillow fights with your friends.
8. A steamy hot bath, a glass of wine, and a good book.
9. Feeling deliciously sore after doing a type of exercise that you love like a good hike.
10. The perfect pen.
11. Unrestrained laugh of a child.
12. Reading a book you would never buy at Barnes and Noble. (I have an ongoing bookstore book that I read when I am between places and a B&N is nearby)
13. Watching a favorite movie for the nth time and quoting all the lines.
14. Trying on ridiculous shoes or crazy outfits just because you can.
15. Chocolate: eating, smelling, looking at, scarfing, savoring, thinking about, talking about....
16. Just the right comeback and just the right moment
17. Lying on your back and contemplating the heavens
18. Sunsets
19. A cuddly pet
20. Hot cup of tea

This list can go on and on, but I don't want to do all the work for you. What are some of your favorite simple pleasures?

No Longer a Slumdog

I'm back! It has been a while since my last post. When my life gets busy, thinking up and taking time to write my blog seems to be one of the first things to fly out the window.
The last couple of weeks I have been thinking a lot about children who grow up in places with no access to education, little access to food, and who need to begin working or begging at a young age to survive. I know I haven't written in 20 days and I come back with a heavy topic. I recently read a book called "No Longer a Slumdog" by K. P. Yohannan about the Dalit (untouchable) children in Southeast Asia. K. P. Yohannan is the founder and director of Gospel For Asia. This book shares some stories about children who come from the bottom most castes, children without hope or a chance to better their lives. In Southeast Asia there are 50 million children who work from age 4 on. This is a devastating statistic. What does this number even mean? I can grasp 500 and even 5,000, but 50,000,000. The population California and Pennsylvania combined comes to about 50 million.
What kind of work do children so young do? Many of these children are scavengers. They spend hours in the dumps searching through scraps to find something that can be sold or used some how to get some money. The lucky children toil in fields and the more unfortunate become sex slaves. Parents with little to no education sell or give their children to shady business people because they are promised that their child will be fed and clothed. The reality is the child is often sold into slavery. Girls are often sold into prostitution and have a life expectancy of 15 years.
These children have no hope of any kind. What can they possibly do to better themselves? K. P. Yohannan writes about a solution, a solution that you and I can be a part of. Gospel For Asia is setting up Bridge of Hope centers amongst the Dalit populations. These centers provide food, clothes and education for the children who are entered. These children take what they have learned, educationally, hygienically, and spiritually back to their families and communities. Entire communities are being transformed by the influence of young children who are learning that they have value. These children for the first time will have opportunities that were never available to their parents.
 After reading about humanitarian problems, I'm usually depressed. What can I possibly do? There is so much to be done and I don't see how anything I do can make any difference. There is a simple solution, I can sponsor a child so they can have regular meals, go to school, and learn how to rise above their situation. You might say, but that is just one person among millions, what difference can that really make? I have a question for you. How many people do you come in contact with every day? Over the course of your lifetime how many people have you knowingly or unknowingly influenced? In the same way, a child given the chance at life can be a pebble thrown into the lake. Gospel For Asia is only one organization that has a child sponsorship program, there are others such as Compassion International and Children's Hope Chest. What can you do to help beat back the tides of poverty, disease, and starvation? You can educate yourself by reading books like "No Longer a Slumdog" and you can spread awareness. If you want to serve more hands on you can sponsor one child. That child can then go on and realize dreams that were not possible before and, thus, change the world.

Mineral Mask or Bag of Dirt

In one of my stores we sell a bag of red Utah dirt in a small burlap bag. It costs $8.99. You might be wondering why anyone would buy a bag of Utah dirt. I wonder the same thing myself, but let me give you the sales pitch and you too might decide you want or in fact need a bag of Utah dirt of your own.
Red dirt from Utah is rich in minerals. These minerals are in just the right proportions, roasted in the hot sun, with just the right amount of rain fall to create a rich rejuvenating and refreshing mixture. Mix your dirt with just enough water to make a thick paste. Spread the paste evenly across your face making sure to not get it in your mouth or too close to your eyes. Let the paste dry into a hard mask and leave on for 10 minutes. Wash your face in warm water and moisturize. Enjoy freshly exfoliated and younger skin with every use. This is a great product to sell to people who want all natural remedies and also desire to support the local economy. Now I know you too want a bag of dirt.
It is possible that you are more skeptical in nature and may tell me that you still wouldn't buy a bag of dirt especially for $8.99. After all, why this dirt over dirt of all other kinds? I definitely don't want to put dirt all over my face. Well my friend, I have a sales pitch for you too. It might be known as a bag of dirt, but switch the words around and you get a dirt bag. So if you need a joke or are angry with someone you can buy them a dirt bag. So if you need a nice present or a gag gift this simple bag of dirt will suffice. Fret no more this is the perfect gift, you can buy one for you girlfriend as a nice facial mask and buy one for your best friend as a joke.