Many Mindless Monday Musings

Happy Monday!

The last Monday in February!

Whew! No complaints here! *wink*

I usually enjoy the month of February...but I have to say it dragged this year. Way too many gray days, I think.

Another of the list of many things I enjoyed the most about living in England was the abundance of flowers at all times of year. Being a more moderate climate helps with this. But even if it gets cold, you always see people buying flowers in the marketplace...just to keep the house and home cheerful.

I used to keep this tradition when I first began "keeping house," but it got a little pricey. I began to see that small bouquet of flowers as a loaf of bread and gallon of milk... Still, what's it worth to keep your sanity?

*sigh*

Note to self: Never, ever, ever proclaim "all is well" or "life is getting back to normal" until all members of the same household have had a stomach bug.

Just after such a proclamation -- when only half of our family had been ill -- I thought (completely naively) that we were free and clear...germ-free, as free as the wind blows...

Hmmm...far from it.

Nearly a week later, I think it's safe to say that the germs are thoroughly vanquished. Gotta love that bleach and Clorox wipes.

* * *

We had a quiet weekend. Stuart spent yesterday morning in bed with a cold...while I braved the wilds of our Sunday School class alone with my trusty sidekick Emily and another helper.

Actually, it was a quiet group. And we did fine. And Stuart felt much better by the afternoon.

Speaking of my hubby, he begins (we hope) his new position at his company today...as a (drumroll, please) Product Manager. It seems like a perfect-fit position to me and the many others who know and love him. I think it will utilize his skills and clever brain very well. (Proud wife moment.)

* * *

A puzzler from our Mensa Daily Calendar:

Find a five-digit number in which the first digit is double the second, the third digit is two less than the second, the fourth digit is the sum of the second and third, and the last digit is one less than the first. The sum of all the digits is 19.

Have fun!

* * *

5 THINGS TO BE HAPPY ABOUT
• playing Twister
• a raucous celebration
• pails of flowers
• a smile from a stranger
• sculpting with clay

* * *

Did you ever notice how people seem to smile less and less?

Is it the stress of our time? Worries about money? Family woes?

Or is it just shyness...

Or that people seemingly care less and less about each other...

No matter what the reason, all people love friendliness...they need it really.

Having travelled around a bit in life, I've noticed that people in different parts of the country (and the world, for that matter) handle friendliness in their own unique way. Some are much friendlier than others, while some are more reserved.

But friendliness doesn't take much. Just a split-second actually. Because no matter where you are, you can make a difference by smiling at a stranger.

If every person smiled at just one person during the day, I'll bet nearly everyone everywhere would receive a smile each day.

Wow! That makes me smile!

Give it a try!