Three More...

Just as I clicked "publish post", I received another email. One just in and two overlooked! I swear it's so much fun to get these continuous emails!

Sue let her husband go to the grocery store. He thinks she spends too much money when she goes. She also put four things on Ebay and donated the money she made to the Red Cross and Casa.

Bill gave money to a Baptist Men's group helping in Haiti and the Relay for Life in Port Aransas in memory of three people we've lost to cancer.

And Carole says what she did to scatter joy was to get out of bed...after all when you are 70 it is a joyous occasion to wake up and realize you are alive another day.

Okay...I'll keep you posted as more come in...

And the Scattering Continues...

My mother always said if you do something nice for someone and you talk about it, it doesn't count. I didn't argue with Sweet Fern very often, but i have to with that. I think sharing these stories encourages others to think of ways to pay it forward. And I don't know about you, but I like to think there's a lot more of "being nice" going on out there than we hear about on the news. I also think everybody that participated in Little Judi's birthday wish has thoroughly enjoyed it. At least they have according to the emails and notes I've been getting.

And just imagine how the people who were on the receiving end of this little project enjoyed it!

Now some people have remained very quiet and I haven't heard a peep out of them...but there's still time. And I'm just assuming they're a little slow reporting in. Yeah, that's what I'm thinking...

Pam helped her favorite checker at her neighborhood grocery store when she spotted her stranded with a stalled car in the parking lot...even though it made her late for bridge!

Donna unexpectedly spent three days last weekend in a hospice center in Houston as a family member took a turn for the worse in a battle with cancer. When she took a shower in the family facility, she noticed they were out of shower caps and toothbrushes. She provided a fresh supply of those needed items in partial payment for the love and support she and her family felt while there.

Nell made a special lunch and invited two young mothers from her church to join her in her new home.

Julie helped a friend plan a luncheon and then planned a night out for her family because it had been since Thanksgiving that they were all together at the same time. And in true Julie fashion, she helped spread the word about the "scatter joy" idea and created a chain reaction from people I don't even know. Todd talked about it on his radio show. And Pam wants to have it printed in her church newsletter, hoping the idea of celebrating birthdays this way will spread.

A friend of Julie's in California paid for someone's dinner behind her in line at Taco Cabana.

Mary Ann gave six tickets to a young mother to take her family to see The Wizard of Oz play.

Kiley and her college roommate bought supplies to make Valentines for the Children's Hospital in Lubbock.

Hartlee bought lunch for a girl with no money at school.

Kathy took her elderly widowed aunt to lunch and spent the afternoon with her.

Barbara has invited two blocks of neighbors to her house this coming weekend for cookies and punch so they can welcome new neighbors and get reacquainted with old ones...and she included Rick the mailman!

Janet invited our tennis group over for a 5-course dinner party and as party favors, gave each of us a blooming plant to give away. Debby helped her with that delicious undertaking and brought the beautiful roses in the huge apothacary jar you see at the top of this post for me to bring home.

Caroline made her sister a full-sized breakfast then went to the grocery store where they were collecting donations for Haiti and wrote a check.

Now that brings us to St. Wayne. He's quite the clever guy and always puts lots of thought into everything he does. He apparently planned this for some time. He bought twenty $3 scratch-off lottery tickets and attached a note to each one that said, "Today is Judi's birthday and I'm helping her scatter a little joy. Call or text her and wish her a happy day. Good luck!" Now the man drives 180 miles roundtrip to get to work every day so all the way up and all the way back he scattered lottery tickets with my phone number! I started getting calls at 7:25 Friday morning from people saying odd things. Some were in English and some were in other languages! I was puzzled but I knew he had to be behind it. And I got texts...which my phone plan doesn't allow for, so he'll be paying for that. The interesting thing is...nobody mentioned how much money they won with those scratch-offs. I did read in the paper yesterday some man in Sinton won $3,000 with a scratch-off, so I like to think that was one of Wayne's.

For now, that's all the kind acts I have to tell you about, but I'll let you know when I hear more. I sincerely hope I didn't forget someone. On Friday, calls were coming in one after another and I tried to jot them down. So if I forget just how kind you were, shoot me an email so I can let everyone know.

It was such a fun thing that continued to blossom, and I guarantee, you all made it one birthday I'll never forget! Thanks from the bottom of my heart...

"The heart that gives, gathers."

Marianne Moore

Scattering Joy...Chapter 2

It's really funny how some people really got into this and some people didn't at all. One family took it and ran. Lori took donuts to the nursery workers at her Friday bible study and her 5 year-old daughter Blaire hosted a play date and served pink cupcakes to all her friends who came. Her husband Richard took a friend to lunch, and their two year-old Case, well, he got through the whole day without biting anybody!

Mary might have gotten the prize for creativity as she started the day by putting her neighbor's trash container away and then drove to a butcher shop and carefully picked out six really nice rib eyes and delivered them to fire station #11 for their Friday night meal. Gotta love somebody who thinks of those unsung heroes!

Sara hosted a house concert for her singing friend from California to give her exposure to the Austin crowd. She planned and executed the whole event, paying close attention to every detail.

Barbara kept her cool when a client was 45 minutes late for a cut and color when it's about the umpteenth time it's happened with this client.

Cindy gave a friend whose husband recently died a movie gift card for her and her kids so they could have a night out. She also spent the day helping two "at risk" high school students look for and apply to colleges.

Sandy packed a friend's kitchen who had to move right after surgery.

My Aunt Mattie and her husband taped the sermon at her church for shut-ins.

Laurel paid for breakfast for the person in the car behind her at the Whatburger drive-through and helped a woman she met get in touch with the Women's Shelter so she can leave an abusive husband. She also helped her pay a utility bill, filled her car up with gas, and got her in touch with an attorney to help with some legal problems.

And my 4th grade teacher friend Barbara danced during a halftime show of a high school basketball game all in the name of entertainment.

Rhonda says she spent all day Friday scattering joy in little ways and sent me the flowers pictured above as her final act of kindness. Another beautiful surprise delivery.

Tomorrow I'll tell you how thoughtful others were including St. Wayne and how he helped scatter joy all over South Texas...and I mean that literally!

Til then...

Birthday Fun

Well, that birthday that I've been dreading has come and gone and I really don't feel any different...except my heart may be pumped up a little more than it was, thanks to all my generous friends and family.

If you've read the previous post, you'll know what I'm talking about. If not, we'll give you a minute to go back and get caught up to speed.

A few people were so excited about what they were going to do, they called before Friday to tell me their plans. I got some wonderful messages on voicemail. And some just couldn't wait until Friday. Cathie and Sharon donated coats to the homeless on Wednesday and decided it would be fun to treat the recipients to lunch so they put $5 bills in each pocket.

Friday was a fun day from start to finish and the calls about kind deeds started coming in early. Lisa in Bastrop called to say she had already been up and to the grocery store and put an envelope with $60 in the hands of her favorite sacker...a young man who is deaf and could use the extra money.

I checked the emails and Facebook messages and found out Kim sent a check to our local Women's Shelter, Tommy gave his wife a back and neck rub and made her favorite pancake breakfast, then wrote a check to the Red Cross for the Haiti Relief Fund. Annie and Eric also mailed a check to the Red Cross.

Sylvia called to say it was also her late dad's birthday and to celebrate she mailed a check to the Palmer Home for Children in Columbus, Mississippi. She went on to say what a wonderful place it is for children up to the age of 21 who can't live with their parents for one reason or another.

The doorbell rang before I could get out of my jammies and I opened the door to the beautiful bouquet you see above. What a fun surprise that was. Who doesn't love receiving flowers?

I went to lunch with Susan who left a $10 tip on a $20 lunch. She also gave a woman carrying a baby into a washateria $10 to help with her laundry. And gave a small blooming plant to a woman walking down the street of public housing.

Andrea babysat for a baby with special needs so her foster mom could slip away to the grocery store and enjoy a coffee break at Starbucks.

Debby donated six big bags of dog food to the local dog fostering program.

My Aunt Faye called and said she was taking a senior citizen out to dinner...I think that was her way of getting out of cooking for her husband on Friday night...but hey, it works.

I'll post tomorrow about the reports I got Friday night. Some of them made me laugh and some put lumps in my throat...and I think they'll affect you the same way. I was overwhelmed with all the emails I was getting. As I was reading one, another was coming in. Stay tuned to learn about the kind hearted people I know...

Birthday Time!

My inner child, Little Judi, and I are sending an announcement to family and friends for my birthday. There's a picture of her at 6 years of age on the front. I've always toyed with the idea of a birthday announcement before the big event because I'm always disappointed when people say, "Oh it was your birthday? I missed it." Excuse me, why isn't January 22 circled in red on every calendar across the country? I've never figured that out.

When I was a child growing up in the Dallas area, sometimes my birthday fell on a day of snow and ice. I distinctly remember my 5th birthday standing at the frosted window all day looking for cars to turn into our icy driveway. It made my mother cry, but i was so sure somebody would brave the weather to don a paper hat. But, it never happened. I was crushed. I think that must have been my turning point.

Every year I love my birthday. I hum "happy birthday to you" all day long and I let everyone know it's coming. I've even been known to bake my own cake. There's not much chance of anyone forgetting my birthday. So the announcement makes alot of sense.

This year I was inspired by my friend Sherry. Let me tell you the story about Sherry's 40th birthday this past summer. Her son Jack was born with Down's Syndrome. Being the "take charge" girl she is, she started Rise School in Corpus Christi for children with special needs. When her birthday rolled around, her friends sent out an announcement asking for $40 donations to help the school. They ended up raising over $40,000! When I received my card, it put a huge lump in my throat. I thought to myself, "This will be one birthday Sherry never forgets."

So with that inspiration, I decided I'd ask my friends to "pay it forward" on my next birthday. Well, the time is here. I'll be turning 60 next Friday, January 22. So you have a few days to decide what you'd like to do to celebrate with me and Little Judi. The inside of the little announcement says:

Despite her youthful appearance,

she'll be 60 years old January 22nd

and she needs your help to celebrate.

She wants no party, no gifts...

just 60 family and friends to

Scatter Joy.

Her birthday wish

is for the world to be a happier place

and this is where you come in.

On Friday, January 22nd

perform a random act of kindness...

go out and make someone's day!

It can be in a big way or a small way...

but she wants to hear about it.

Leave a comment here or email her at invitickles@stx.rr.com and let her know what you did on January 22 to Scatter Joy. She'll love you for it!

After mailing out a big stack of these, I've decided to blog about it and maybe you could help me spread the word. Even though I always love and appreciate a sweet little wrapped gift, I really don't need anything...and there's so many people out there in need of a lift in their day. So, think of Little Judi next Friday and help her put a smile on someone's face!

Easy Kolaches

Unusually cold weather is headed our way and it makes me want to bake. I thought I'd share a great recipe for kolaches or pigs in the blanket. The bread is just a tad sweet and also makes great dinner rolls. You just layer seven ingredients into a stand mixer and go from there.

I gave these for Christmas gifts to a couple of friends, packing a dozen into a cute little brown box. And I let St. Wayne take several dozen to work. But I have to tell you, it's hard to turn loose of these little jewels because they make a great, quick breakfast when you're on the run and they're really handy and delicious to have on hand when we have houseguests.

My favorite thing is to bake these with someone as a group effort. This recipe came from my friend Jan in Dripping Spring, Texas. She came down and stayed a few days last fall and brought all the ingredients to make four batches. We made every kind imaginable that day and we were pooped! But there were enough in my freezer to last a long while. And I must tell you, you'll make a mess. Flour everywhere! But there's something theraputic about sitting around the table making these with your friends or family. Even St. Wayne helps me wrap the sausages because he knows he'll be rewarded in the end with a freezer full of his favorite breakfast snacks.

It's not a quick thing because it makes a lot of dough...it's a time-consuming endeavor, but so worth the effort.

Let me know what you think of these...just remember to keep your hands coated with flour because the dough is very sticky! Enjoy!

Kolaches

3 cups evaporated milk, heated

1-1/2 sticks butter, melted

3/4 cup sugar

1 Tablespoon salt (yes, that's not a typo)

3 egg yolks

7 cups flour

3 Tablespoons dry yeast

(I put the evaporated milk and butter in a large glass measuring cup and microwave for 3 minutes to heat the milk and melt the butter all in one step)

Place ingredients in a stand mixer in the order listed above. Mix slowly with a dough hook and then scrape down the sides. Mix on medium speed for ten minutes.

Cover the dough in the bowl with a towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for one hour.

Flour hands well as the dough is very sticky. (I keep a small bowl of flour nearby and dip my hands each time I tear a portion of the dough.) Tear small portions (about the size of a golf ball) of the dough and stretch and shape into balls, and place on a pan sprayed with Baker's Joy or lined with parchment. Allow about an inch between for rising (it's okay if they touch when risen). Make a cavity using your thumb or the bottom of a small shot glass for the fruit or cheese fillings. Spoon fruit pie filling or one of the cheese mixtures below into cavity and top with crumb topping. For pigs in the blanket, wrap sausages. (I use Ekrich "original," fully-cooked, sausages.) Let rise again while oven preheats. Bake 20-25 minutes at 375 degrees.

Yields about 4-5 dozen, depending on size.

Crumb Topping

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup flour

3-4 Tablespoons butter

Cream Cheese Topping

16 ounces cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg, beaten

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla

Cheese Topping

24 ounces cottage cheese

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup dry tapioca

Concerns for Twenty-Ten

I'm just a little uneasy about the coming new year. I just found out L.L. Bean no longer sells my favorite jeans, Paul Mitchell has quit making my hair product, and Merle Norman has discontinued my favorite shade of lipstick. It's just too much to take all at once. I'm worried...

I Hope You Enjoyed Your Holidays This Much...

Where did December go? I'm so embarrassed that I never posted at all. I had "post on blog" on every list I made, so I can't figure out what happened.

This photo is of the top of my tv cabinet and these little santas greeted me every morning during Christmas with a chorus of "Hey Judi...we love you this much!"

And on some mornings they'd say, "Hey Judi, if you don't quit eating those Christmas cookies, you're going to be this wide!"

I do love them up there. They make me smile. The photo really doesn't do them justice. They're too cute.

But now they're up in the rafters of the garage where the rest of Christmas is...safe and sound for another year. If you're still interested...I will be posting again soon.