Six days until the official “What do these three things have in common” contest starts. As of now eligible participants for the contest starting at 7 AM Pacific Daylight Time on June 15, 2009 right here on The Dahn Report are Mary, Mary Z, Bev, Dona, Pat, DR, Kaye, Red Whistle, Kim, and Connie. Post a comment any where on The Dahn Report between now and the time the contest starts and you will become an eligible participant too!
What do a storm, a needle, and a potato have in common? They all have eyes. What do Princeton University, Exxon Oil, and Frosted Flakes have in common? They all have tigers as a mascot. Today’s questions? Two really hard ones. What do a Cape Lion, A Labrador Duck, and a Dodo bird have in common? What do Tweedledee & Tweedledum, Castor & Pollux, & Minneapolis-St. Paul have in common.
I really couldn’t find the entire column where I got the idea for what I want for my birthday but you can read a partial column here:
http://www.oregonlive.com/weblogs/pacifictrail/index.ssf?/news/oregonian/margie_boule/index.ssf?/base/living/1237938909121070.xml&coll=7
One hundred acts of kindness. My birthday is coming up June 21. Every year Mom gives me money, sis & bro give me clothes, and friends give me gift cards. This year I don't want any gifts and am informing friends and family that for my birthday I want them to perform one act of kindness. And I am asking all of you here to do the same to help me have a very happy birthday, perform one act of kindness between now and June 21. Help me reach a goal of one hundred acts of kindness being performed for my birthday. It doesn’t have to be anything major and I would prefer it not be a cash donation. It can be something like any of the following:
Calling a friend that you haven’t heard of for a while just to check on them.
Stop by a nursing home and give a rose to a resident that usually doesn’t have visitors, you can ask at the nursing station what patient needs a pick up.
Pay for the coffee of the person behind you in the line at Starbucks or for the meal of the person behind you in the drive-up window at a fast food restaurant.
It can be something simple like saying hi to a stranger that you wouldn’t normally speak too.
Cook an extra desert and take it to your neighbor.
Have a neighbor that isn’t able to do yard work? Get a couple of friends and pull the weeds for them.
You choose what you want to do. Remember it doesn’t have to be big, it just has to be kind. One hundred acts of kindness between now and June 21. Then email me at williamjdahn@aol.com or post on the blog here what you did and how it made you feel.
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What a lovely idea, Bill. I have an idea for what to do, but it may take longer than until the 21st. Stay tuned...
Answers for today in email.
Hi Pat
Now you really got my curiousity way up there!
As long as I know what it is by the 21st even it it isn't done, it counts towards the 100!
Bill
Okay, here it is, and it's not a big thing. One of the residents where my mother lives has become very intrigued with my little traveling cup. It's very cute, a small cup, aluminum with a red handle that can clip to a belt or backpack. I take it with me when I visit, since I'm always hitting their coffeepot and don't want to make another cup for them to wash when they just finished the dishes. Irene is 104, and keeps asking me about my cup and whether coffee tastes different in it. So I'm going to order another cup just for her, but catalog orders can take a little time, so she'll get a belated b'day present from you.
Hi Pat
THAT IS PERFECT!!!! Exactly the type of thing I was hoping for.
While it may not be a big thing for her, I will guarantee you that it will be a big thing for her!!
Bill
Two acts of kindness in the past week I hadn't thought of as such, for a woman who does PT with me at the pool at noon.
I printed off the exercise routine I do, for her to have on days when I'm not there, and she says it's made a huge difference, between my doing the exercises with her and her having the routines when I'm not there.
Told this same woman (who has trouble with her knees and back) about "lasagna" gardening and she's put in a garden for the first time in several years and has both veggies and some flowers and says it's the first time she's been able to enjoy doing this since her knee surgeries.
I didn't do anything but share ideas, but she considers them to be blessings in her life. Sometimes, I think we don't realize how much it means to another to share ideas and give them a new direction. Btw, she's a lovely lady who started coming to the pool to encourage her husband to get out of the house and do what little exercise he can, as he's suffering from congestive heart failure and there's nothing more they can do for him. Yet, she's always cheerful and I consider her a near saint for her patience and her faith that God will see them through. She's another caregiver, just like all of us are.
Hi DR
That was one of the reasons for asking about acts of kindness to get us all thinking about the kind things we do because all of us do kind things everyday. Your two are perfect examples of what I am looking for. However, I can't count them towards the 100 because they were done before today! I'm going for 100 acts of kindness in twelve days!
Bill
First off Bill what a great idea! I sure wish more people would do Random Acts of Kindness for one another more often. This world is becoming to Self-aborbed. This so refreshing to see you and others who have posted to take the time to do this and make someone's day better!
I guess my random act of kindness would be I received an email from a friend stating that her elderly neighbor had passed away....no one found her for a week.....laying by her side was her faithful companion her German Shepherd(Paige) whom had not left her side for a week...being an Animal lover and Huge Animal Rescue Volunteer plus owning a German Shepherd myself I could not stop thinking about what would happen to the dog. Well ofcourse as some family members that are survived by her turned the dog into the High Killer Shelter. After being a loyal and faithful companion to their Mother for 8 years. They dishonor her this, her last wish to take care of her dog. I and a friend made arrangements and payment to the Shelter to get the GSD (Paige) out of the Shelter and find her a home if it was the last thing I did! After several days of networking, cross-posting and emailing every person I knew in the State of Texas and asking them to do the same thing with the History attached! I had a Vet contact me about the GSD. She had asked me what she could do to help...I said find a wonderful home for this lost and grieving girl for she did not deserve what her surviving family did to her after all the years of loyalty she had given them! Mind you she is old for a dog (8 years) GSD's average life span is 10-12 yrs if your lucky! And only has a few years to go herself. Knowing that many people do not like or want older dogs I was just so worried and upset that no one would step up to the plate. But low and behold the Vet said let me go meet her and see what I can do....that afternoon I got a phone call saying "I will adopt her" you have found this special girl a forever home!!! I cannot tell you how excited and utterly happy I was! Those words were pure joy and comfort to my ears and heart! I was able to do this all with just a computer and emails~ the power of a plea for help in words is the most amazing gift if someone just takes the time to open that email and really read what is in it!
I am happy to say she is now with a loving family ready to live out her golden dog years with dignity,love and Respect for all the years of service she provided her previous Owner. I can't help but wonder if her Owner in Heaven knows that even though it was NOT asked of me to keep the promise to take care of her but of her surviving family made to her, if she knows that I did it for them and she can now truly Rest in Peace........
"Of all the creatures, man is the most detestable. Of the entire brood, he is the only one that possesses malice. He is the only creature that inflicts pain for sport, knowing it to be pain. The fact the man knows right from wrong proves his intellectual superiority to the other creatures; but the fact that he can do wrong proves his moral inferiority to any creature that cannot." Mark Twain
"Until one has loved an animal, part of their soul remains un awakened".
Never believe that animals suffer less than humans. Pain is the same for them that it is for us. Even worse, because they cannot help themselves.
"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated". -- Mohandas Ghandi"
Hi Suzie!!
What an awful story about not finding the elderly neighbor for a week. That is actually my worst nightmare.
I don't like what the family members did with her German Shepherd. She probably gave the elderly lady more companionship then they did over the last few years.
You and your friend are to be commnended. Thank God for animal lovers. I am so glad you found her a home!!
You helped a lot of people, not only the dog but the family that adopted her.
I have no doubt that the elderly lady not only knows what you did but watched the whole process!
Bill
HI, Suzie, and welcome! Good to see another animal lover here (there are a bunch of us). I think you get credit for two acts of kindness, at least. One to the dog and one to the family who received her. Maybe another one for the kindness to the woman who died.
You posted some great quotes and I'm glad Bill told us where to "find you" on the blog. I especially like the Mark Twain. I suspect there's also a great deal of truth in the one about knowing a population by the way they treat their animals.
Hope we'll see on Bill's blog often.
Hi Dr
Thanks for welcoming Suzie to the blog. She lives near where you mom is moving!
Bill
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