Internet Connection Blues.........and a puzzle connection......

Yesterday afternoon, I met Jo and her sister to hand over quilts and other items that will go off to Iowa flood victims (the final photos of our efforts will be posted in the next few days). I came home to make some calls and to check my e-mail. Did the e-mail thing first and then in the middle of answering an e-mail, I realize that nothing is happening - it won't send, won't save, nothing. I reached for the phone - no dial tone. Clicked on the TV and nothing but fuzzy buzzing. Grrrr! I knew this would be a long break as all three of our services are provided by Mediacom and when they all go at once, it takes several hours to "come back". It feels like the electricity has gone off and I need to go get a candle to provide some light but when the communication link is broken, there is no quick-fix or substitute. Well, there is, sort of, as I could have started writing letters because that's what I used to do before I discovered the computer. Sometimes I think perhaps we are a little too dependent on the computer and yet I would not change this. I love that the Internet takes me to places that I cannot visit, to friends that I will never be able to meet (although you never know about that one), that I can read about things that make me wiser (not smarter, per se, just wiser) and see new quilts or artwork, photographs, etc. that inspire me. The Internet is a great place! If not for the Internet, I would not have "connected" with several of the quilters that shared quilts and other items to donate to Iowa flood victims and so many others whose "company" I have enjoyed since I started blogging.

Not all aspects of the Internet are great but as with everything, it is what you make it. I didn't like it when I checked the news on-line early yesterday morning and saw that first the international markets were sliding down and then later the US markets followed. I read some e-mails and got some good news - more on that in a minute - and then went off to have breakfast. As I drank my coffee, I picked up our church bulletin and began working the "word search" puzzle. There's one in every issue and each has a theme and the words connect to it. The theme was "the Prodigal Son". I began searching............the first word to find was "country"......there it was and I thought to myself "our country is in a lot of trouble". The second word was "compassion".............look for the double s's.........ah, there it is and I thought "we are all going to have to have a lot of compassion for our friends and neighbors here and all over the world". The third word was "celebrate"...........for some reason, I just couldn't find it.............up, down and checking all the c's I went.............down, up and checking all the c's again............then back through the letters again and there it was ....."celebrate" and I thought that as hard as times are, or may become, we all still have much to celebrate. Sometimes it's just hard to find what needs celebrating because the house payment is due but no job makes it impossible to pay, or a family member is sick and in pain so it is hard to find joy. I think that most of us have more than we can use of a whole lot of stuff in even two lifetimes. If money is tight, maybe we just don't need more stuff. The real stuff of life is family, it's friends, it's watching a little child smile when they see a new kitten and the same if someone is in a nursing home - it's an elderly patient who melts at the sight of a puppy that a visitor has brought in for the day. We are all more blessed than we realize and so we have much to celebrate. I'm no motivational speaker nor am I a psychologist (I can barely spell it) but take just a minute and think about what you could celebrate, a positive spin about something in these days of negative news. And when you know what you could celebrate, then let others know because if something brings joy to you and you share it, then it spreads and brings joy to others!

I have a little something to celebrate and it happened yesterday morning, just after I read the bad news about the financial market. Here's the good news that I received that made me want to jump for joy! I got an e-mail from Nihal in Turkey that I had won one of two gifts that she had offered in celebration of her one year blogging anniversary. The book is called "Turkish Delights" and I am thrilled. I've already mentioned that this is our 40th anniversary coming up in November and that I'll be sharing memories of our anniversary trip to Turkey, etc. but I also made a small quilt a few years ago that I will be sharing and the name of that little quilt is "Turkish Delight"! I am excited just thinking about all that I have to share and celebrate. Life is good. We just have to remind ourselves sometimes that it truly is good. We live in a great country, and enjoy freedoms many others do not have, and so there is much to celebrate!

No photos to post, just thoughts today! Have a good one!
Blessings to all of you!
Sandi

***Winner of the little gift basket in celebration of my 100th post will be announced late this afternoon. I am headed out to join my "Tuesday Crazies" friends for lunch and some stitching and will have one of them draw the winner. I'll share it as soon as I get home. And let's hope there is no loss of Internet service!