Let's Get Red!

Heather and friend, Julie

Maple syrup it is, by one measly vote.  Good luck Heather and Susan in your Super Bowl Snack Throw Down.  We are anxious to see what each of you comes up with for your winning recipe.

Today we finish the first ever, Highlowaha Friendship Party.  It has been fun getting to know Laura, Mary Beth, Jessie, Jenny, Mandy, Marie, and Amber and, we hope in the process, allowing this fun group of women to get to know us.  Heather and "The Snowflakes" experienced the daily exchange of creative ideas, participated in our monthly Highlowaha ritual, were invited to our next Virtual Party (Sunday, December 14), shared the excitement of Highlowaha Patchwork, and have even had their voices heard in yesterday's vote for our next secret ingredient.  

But, in the words of Dr. Seuss... "That is not all. Oh, no.  That is not all."

Two more things.  

First, a giveaway to go to one of the six party goers mentioned above.  This giveaway is based on two things.  First, while we have all adopted some new forms of technology for staying in touch with friends, nothing beats Snail Mail.  I heard that repeated a lot last week.  The second thing on which the giveaway is based is my belief that one of the reasons we don't send more Snail Mail is because is because we don't have easy access to the necessary supplies.  If you have to rummage around for paper, pen, and stamps forget about it.  Not going to happen.

I have a caddy similar to the two I am giving away today.  It is chock full of pens, note cards, stickers, and stamps, making it easy to grab the caddy and go.  Sometimes I bring it to Starbucks and sit and have a coffee, while I write a note or two.  Sometimes I bring it to my kitchen table and spread out for thirty minutes or so.  One caddy will go to Heather, the host of last week's party.  The other caddy will go to the "Snow Flake" who volunteers first to host her own Highlowaha party.  Hosting is easy.  Identify six other people you think might enjoy the Highlowaha blog community and pick a party topic!  The party would be scheduled for February.

Next.

Today we introduce our new friends to the thing about our community for which I am probably most proud - the the use of our creativity to help others.  In an effort not to make today's post too long, I won't go in to great description about all the service and fundraising we've done since the blog started ten months ago.  Suffice it to say, that since the first service project opportunity presented itself in April, we've never not been working on serving someone.

I like to say this blog is about where creativity and community meet and l love the idea that we live that concept by putting our money where our mouth.  We, in a sense, help community by employing our creativity.  AND, in the process of creatively working together to help others... build a stronger Highlowaha community.  Hopefully the cycle is as evident to you as it seems to me.

With no further ado, let me get on with Painting the Town Red - a service project for, and in honor of, Heather's long time friend, Julie.  Phase one of this service project has already been launched and you can read all about it by going back to the post labeled, Paint Your Town Red (9/13) .  In that earlier post you will read how we have eight "Regional Directors" spread throughout the country in order to help make our project a success.  You will also see a website you can go to in order to learn more about the illness with which Heather's friend has been diagnosed.

Thanks to Julie S. another Highlowaha reader... today we will roll out Phase II of our service initiative.  Months ago Julie sent me a generous check, supporting another service project.  In that check she sent a little extra money.  She told me to hold onto it and spend it on Highlowaha, however I saw best fit.  Well today Julie, you will see how I've decided the $15.00.

Heather's friend, Julie loves Coke.  In fact our whole service initiative to this point is centered around gathering as many Coke Reward Codes as possible, so Julie can use them to purchase items she couldn't afford to buy.  Julie loves Coke like the readers of Highlowaha love performing Random Acts of Kindness.  Today, the perfect blending of both.

Each of the eight Paint the Town Red Regional Directors will receive in the mail $1.00 plus one set of these hang tags.  The goal... start a Kindness Chain.  The Hang Tags instructs readers to enjoy the Coke left for them, but then to keep the chain going by purchasing someone else a Coke and placing the hang tag over the new bottle.  The hang tag, in turn, instructs recipients to email the Coke Reward number in the top of their lid to Heather.  Goal: Keep the chain going from now until February 14!

So easy and such fun does this idea seem to me, I want to give anyone who is interested the chance to start a Coke Kindness Chain.  If you are interested, just drop me an email at cbeeny@lslog.com and I will forward you the PDF file of the hang tag graphic (special thanks to Sherry for making the hang tag happen, better than I ever could have imagined).  You can then print it off, (laminate it, if you feel so inclined), punch a hole in each of the bottles, and put a metal ring or piece of string through the holes.  Finally, hang it over the bottle and then you are ready for the real fun... deliver it for the person of your choice!

Colored copies at Alphagraphics ($6.72) +  Start-up Cokes $1.00 x 8 Regional Directors ($8.00) = $14.72.  I think, a pretty good use of Julie's money.  So let's do it.  Let's go out and teach the world to sing.

Signing off until Monday...