A Blind Man Taught Me To See

When you GIVE, do you also expect to RECEIVE? My Product Favorite for today's blog is unselfish giving.

I was applying for a job downtown Chicago on Michigan Avenue just north of the Chicago River. My train took me to Chicago's lower level where I would have to climb the stairs to get to street level.

One day, as I was leaving the train, a blind man grabbed me by my elbow and asked me if I would mind taking him up the stairs and across the street. Though he had a white cane, I was suspicious.

"I have a job interview," I told him. "I might be late, and I'm not sure where I'm going."

"I'll point you in the right direction if you'll just take me up to street level," he offered.

With some hesitation, I agreed to take him.

Lower Michigan Avenue was filled with potholes and my blind partner, clinging gently to my elbow, warned me of each impending hole before we got to it. I was surprised by how easily he maneuvered his way through lower Michigan Avenue and was beginning to wonder if he was scamming me. I thought maybe he had an ulterior motive.

But we reached Michigan Avenue and he pointed to a building across the street, my destination. He walked away with a smile and a wave after thanking me and left me standing in place for a while as I watched him tap his cane from side to side on the pavement in front of him while he walked away.

A stranger had asked me to extend him some time and I had tried to brush him off with an excuse that I didn't think I had enough time to give to him – all because I was afraid I would miss my appointment. 

In the decades since that event, I have found myself giving my time to other people – people I love, people who mean something to me, and sometimes, again, to complete strangers. All I ever hope to get is a simple thank you, and I get it.

But I know others who are filled with rage because they feel they are giving more than they are receiving. They complain about giving, giving, and giving some more when they receive nothing in return.

They often overextend themselves and regret giving without receiving. But maybe they are giving more than they are capable of giving, and they are disappointed when they don't "receive" in the same measure as they give.

My mother always taught me never to extend cash or gifts if I expected to receive anything in return. If somebody asked to borrow something, Mom instructed me to give it without expecting it back. I have lived by her wise words.

Then again, because of my financial situation, the ONLY thing I can give is my time, and I find that though giving my time to somebody else takes away time from myself, the people who benefit from my act of giving are not only the receivers of my time, but also of myself.

I spend the majority of my days watching children, but those children provide me with the bulk of my blogs. Also, while I was raising my children, my parents and one of my sisters helped me every week for several years so that my children would have a home, clothing, and food to eat.

They never expected anything in return and I am eternally grateful to them for allowing me to stay in my home and to raise my children.

Lots of people gave to me and my family in the name of love. The following email, which I received from a friend of mine, Cathy Hyman, is an example of someone who gave something and received something unexpected in return. The next time you give of yourself, remember this email:

"There was a blind girl who hated herself because she was blind. She hated everyone, except her loving boyfriend.  He was always there for her. She told her boyfriend, 'If I could only see the world, I will marry you.'

One day, someone donated a pair of eyes to her. When the bandages came off, she was able to see everything, including her boyfriend.

He asked her, 'Now that you can see the world, will you marry me?' The girl looked at her boyfriend and saw that he was blind. The sight of his closed eyelids shocked her. She hadn't expected that. The thought of looking at them the rest of her life led her to refuse to marry him.

Her boyfriend left in tears and days later wrote a note to her saying: 'Take good care of your eyes, my dear, for before they were yours, they were mine.'"

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Softsoap Pink Grapefruit Splash Body Wash

As somebody who likes to try new products, I have discovered that no matter how many products I try, I tend to go back to my favorites.

And so it is with body washes. My favorite Spring and Summer body wash is Softsoap's Pink Grapefruit Splash. My oldest daughter introduced me to it years ago, and though I try others every now and then, and though I use a different one during the winter, I always go back to the Pink Grapefruit Splash Body Wash every Spring.

Word of caution: when you shop for it, don't ask for Softscrub – as I did – it's a completely different product with a completely different purpose.

Softsoap's Pink Grapefruit Splash Body Wash is the most refreshing body wash I've ever tried. And it truly does smell like pink grapefruit. If you're looking for a refreshing body wash, you have got to try Softsoap's Pink Grapefruit Splash Body Wash. (I'm starting to sound like a commercial.)

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Crocheted Necklaces

As I passed the magazine section at Barnes and Noble a few weeks ago, I stopped by the magazines section to find writing and crocheting magazines. I love to crochet, but I make mostly afghans and scarves. Over the years I've made afghans for my parents, my sisters, my children, all of my grandchildren, and others.

While I was standing in the magazine aisle, I searched through all the crochet magazines to locate one that included instructions on how to make crocheted necklaces. Barnes and Noble had one magazine with one crocheted necklace that was similar in style to the one I wanted to create, but it wasn't exactly what I had pictured.

And then I encountered some problems –


Problem number one: I didn't have a clue about how to make a crocheted necklace, and I didn't want to buy the whole magazine for instructions on how to make the crocheted necklace pictured in the magazine. I wanted my crocheted necklace to be a choker type necklace with beads dangling in  front.

Problem number two: How do I attach beads to a crochet project? I had never used beads before.

Problem number three: What size crochet hook do I need? I have about 20 different crochet hooks, but I didn't have one the size my grandmother used for making her doilies.

(I could have saved myself a lot of time and trouble if only I had read Marie Anne St. Jean's blog, Crochet Jewelry, but I figured it out, and now I have her link for future reference.)

And now for the solutions – 

Solution number one: I measured my neck, and created a chain that was long enough to fit around it. I then placed markers (I use baby hair clips) at the spots where I wanted to designate the drop part of the necklace. I had to figure out how to attach a clasp, so I crocheted a chain to hook on a clasp.

Solution number two: I learned how to attach beads. You have to string them onto the thread before you begin – not always easy if you plan to use different beads, because you have to attach them in the order in which you will use them.

Solution number three: I purchased a 4/2.00 mm crochet hook, a ball of cranberry thread, beads, clasps, and earring hooks, created my own design,  and through a series of mishaps, finally came up with the crocheted necklace you see above.

I still have to attach a clasp to the crocheted necklace and I want to figure out how to make matching earrings, so this crocheted necklace with its matching earrings is a work in progress.

While I considered making my own beads, I was eager to begin this project, so I purchased mine from Hobby Lobby (another favorite store of mine). You can learn how to Make Your Own Beads from Household Items (a Marie Anne St. Jean article) if you want. Just click the link and you'll learn how.

My biggest problem crocheting a necklace? 

Holding onto that microscopic crochet hook. I don't know how my grandmother mastered it, but I plan on practicing until I get it right, because I'm already getting requests for more crocheted necklaces.




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The BEST FACE CREAM I've Found – Avon Anew

As someone who will be celebrating her 60th birthday this year, wrinkles are a big deal for me. Finding the right product to hide the wrinkles is an even bigger deal for me. And the cost – oh, the cost – the cost is a HUGE deal for me.

Unfortunately after trying Avon Anew, I have NEVER been able to find a product that comes close to hiding the wrinkles, as well, or even half as well, as Avon Anew. I will not mention the plethora of other products I used in an effort to save money, but I feel that I have to tell you what a dramatic difference it made, no matter what product I used, when I STOPPED using Avon Anew.

I HATE the ENORMOUS amount of money Avon charges for so little product. Their jars are deceitfully large, and what sits inside them is not nearly as much as what the size of the jar would lead you to believe it holds.

The sad truth is, though, Avon Anew actually works, and I find myself spending a month's worth of McDonald's dollar menu meals every time I run out.

Toyota Prius Hybrid Provides the Best Gas Mileage

We all know that the cost of gas is OUTRAGEOUS! So what are we supposed to do – stay in our homes all day – every day?

While I drive back and forth from Urbana to Bourbonnais to care for my grandchildren every week, my son and his wife are absorbing the cost of gas three out of the four weeks I drive there (I didn't think it was fair to charge them for the fourth week since I drive there at least once a month anyway).

My old 2002 Saturn with its over 120,000 miles currently costs me about $25 a week to get back and forth. According to figures I got from the fueleconomy.gov web site, the 2002 Saturn gets anywhere from 22 - 32 miles per gallon.

So I've been looking for a Toyota Prius, because, according to the same site, the Prius is the most fuel efficient car. The Toyota Prius hybrid would give me about 50 miles per gallon, and cost me nearly half of what I'm currently paying in gas.

But I can't afford to purchase a new Prius, and I need one that hasn't been recalled and doesn't carry any warnings.

Research time.

Research done. I found a site that tells me which vehicles (not just Toyota) have been recalled. Knowing I can rely on this source will prepare me for any questions I may have about my purchase. And I'll be able to ask if the recall issue has been resolved.

It appears that one problem the Toyota Prius has had is with tire selection and rims for cars sold between September 1, 2005 and June 2, 2008. And the site offers information on other recalls as well.

If you are curious about whether or not your car has been recalled, click HERE for car information, questions and answers, recalls, and reviews.

And for people like me who, after three years of living in the same home, still don't know where their local dealerships are, THIS SITE provide a button that says, "Find a Dealership Near You." Looks like I'll be shopping in Danville (the birth place of Dick Van Dyke).

I should probably go with the oldest Prius.  The earliest Toyota Prius I could find on this site was the 2001 model. Just for kicks I went on craigslist to find out if anybody was selling a Toyota Prius. I found three of them and they were all sold. Looks like everybody is thinking the same way I am – go hybrid!


Photo from Edmunds Toyota.

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Finally! A Good Night's Sleep

Well, For Me Anyway

Don't you just hate hearing old people complain about all their aches and pains? Well, you're going to hate this blog.

Not really. At least I hope not. I'm not going to complain about my aches and pains, because I found a way to alleviate them – with the Simmons Beautyrest 19" Pilllowtop AIR Bed.

I had been sleeping on an old mattress, and every morning when I awoke, my hips hurt. I thought I was just getting old until I spent the night on a firmly blown air mattress.

So I threw out my old mattress (actually the kids use it to play on now), and plugged in my electric pump that came with my Simmons Beautyrest 19" Pilllowtop AIR Bed. Within minutes I had a COMFORTABLE bed that allows me to sleep for HOURS!

I still get up a lot at night, I will probably always get up a lot at night, but at least now my sleep is more restful and I don't wake up with all those previous aches and pains.

This bed is puncture proof, but I wouldn't test it by hammering nails into it. Also I top off mine with a pillow-top sheet cover and a foam cushion.

Why spend a thousand dollars for a bed that costs only $100?

The only downside about the Simmons Beautyrest 19" Pilllowtop AIR Bed is that I've noticed I have to put more air into it periodically. I never really know how much air it needs. It may be puncture proof, but I'll bet it can explode if you put too much air into it, so I'm cautious. Still I now look forward to sleeping on my Simmons Beautyrest 19" Pilllowtop AIR Bed.

I do have to climb up to get into it though, because I placed it on top of my box springs. When you look at the photo you'll realize what a task getting into bed has become, but it is SO WORTH IT!

Photo borrowed from csnstores.com


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Infested

My daughter, Lindsey, treated me to a television program I'd never seen before, entitled, Infested. The funny thing about a blog entitled, Product Favorites is that I can choose any product I've used, seen, or wanted – from items that condition my hair to programs I watch on TV.

To be honest, Infested was the most repulsive program I've ever seen. And repulsive makes for fascinating. I sat riveted to the television, unable to move. Had anybody been taping my reaction to what I had been watching, though, they would have seen sheer disgust mixed with shock splashed all over my face.

Probably the reason this particular program fascinated me was that I had personally witnessed an infestation before. Apartment hunting many years ago, I found one in my price range. After standing at the door and knocking for some time, a little woman finally came around the corner from the outside of the apartment. She looked me up and down and said, "I no think you gonna like it."

But I had made the trip and thought, "How bad could it be?"

She repeated, "I no think you gonna like it."

And I stupidly responded, "That's OK. I'm here. I might as well take a look."

What I should have said was, "My whole purpose in being here is to ingrain in my brain a nightmare I will have for the rest of my life," because I've learned over the years that when you ask a question that begs an answer, you discover the answer quickly. "How bad could it be?"

Let me tell you.

The front door was locked from the inside and she didn't have a key so we had to climb in through the window. You would think that alone would have been a giant red flag, but it wasn't. Because it was dark inside, after I stepped over the window ledge and into the darkness, she told me, "Stay. I gonna turn on light."

So I obediently stood still. When she turned on the light, I felt as if I were in the midst of an acid trip. The walls, ceiling, and floor were moving. No, actually, the walls weren't moving. The millions of cockroaches, measuring probably from microscopic to three inches long and all sizes in between, were moving – EVERYWHERE.

Looking back I don't know why I didn't just run out of the window, but because I was trying to be polite, I followed her from room to room, watching the cockroaches span out from my shoes with every step. I don't remember the layout of the apartment. I don't remember what the woman look like. I don't even remember exactly where this apartment was located.

What I do remember is getting out of that apartment and shaking my limbs so violently that I thought I would lose one. I remember the terror of thinking I might have brought one of them home. I remember examining my car thoroughly before I exited it, and I remember removing my clothing IN the shower.

That nightmare returned the day I sat in my daughter's apartment watching the show, Infested (which airs on Animal Planet), where I watched millions of mice swarming walls, cockroaches crawling across butter, raccoons confiscating a family home, and bed bugs biting little babies.

Yes, this program is both repulsive and fascinating. But I have to ask, why do infestations always involve ugly bugs and rodents? I would rather see the world infested with butterflies.

If you are as fascinated by the bizarre as I am and you want to watch something truly revolting, check out Animal Planet's program, Infested. Don't – I repeat DON'T eat dinner while you watch that program. (Clicking the links to Infested will take you to Animal Planet's web site for the program.)

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