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