Dreary days, an old wives’ tale, and hope for some

Oh my gosh – can you believe it? I’m posting two days in row here.  Maybe it’s because I’m just so darn excited to have seen the sunshine this afternoon, and maybe it’s because I just feel like I have something to say.

The sunshine ~ after more than a week of mist and rain and humidity so thick you could slice it and serve it on a plate, the sun burst forth this afternoon. But these are photos taken throughout the week.

 

It has been so dreary lately and to top it off, all sorts of things seemed to be going wrong. Fortunately, they’ve turned around and gone right again.

After shelling out a little money.

 

It all started when my left palm started itching earlier this week. I’m not a huge believer in old wives' tales, but more often than not when my left palm itches, I know I’m going to end up shelling out money for something.

My phone broke almost immediately.

It began doing crazy things and not letting me unlock its touch screen. Removing the battery made it work only for about 10 seconds so it was a trip to the Verizon store where I broke down and bought . . .

 

A Droid X2.

At first I couldn’t figure it out, but I’ve since fallen in love with it. So that was a good thing.

The next day, I dropped the Honda Element off at the dealer for a scheduled evaluation on a couple of noises we’d been hearing lately. To my complete and utter joy (not), I found out that the torque converter needed replacing among several other things to the tune of . . . well, let’s just say it’s going to cost a lot.

 

But not as much as a new car would cost. And I’m driving a nice loaner car – a 2011 Acura TL in a rich chocolate brown color with a leather interior the color of butter. It’s a beautiful car and all, but I really miss the ole Element.

Now I’m hoping that my right palm starts to itch because everyone knows that this means money coming in.

Please don’t tell me you’ve never heard of this superstition.

 

Look how soggy the poor morning glories look. But better days are coming ~ the sun is making an appearance and the dank, moist air has departed.

: : :

On the national news tonight on NBC’s ‘Making A Difference’ segment, I heard a story about a food bank in Potland, OR that asks people to step up and not just take hand-outs. I found this really interesting.

Struggling families in the Portland/Vancouver area are getting some help from an organization called Birch Community Services, a food & clothing donation center for the working poor. Families buy a membership at a cost of $50 per month and in exchange for free food are required to take courses in money management and nutrition as well as volunteering regularly at the warehouse.

What a great idea this is.

The program was created by Larry and Suzanne Birch, who believe that people are in the predicament they are sometimes because they just don’t have the tools they need to get by in the world. The poor are taught to be better stewards of what they have and to gain confidence and hope.

The organization began in 1992 when a bag of squished bread was left on the Birch’s doorstep, distributed to two single mothers who were in need of help – and today over 600 families are enrolled in the program. I just love hearing about this sort of thing.

Birch Community Services

I’m just so chatty this evening, aren’t I? Have a great weekend, all ~