Pirattitude: Get Your Name On

Ahoy Thar, Me Hearties!  Only four days until National Talk Like a Pirate Day and our fun-filled night of Pirate Bingo.  Oh... to attend me party is one thing, but to host ye own party... now that would really be something!

Hosting a celebration can be as involved as inviting people over to your home or as simple - as showing up to your weekly meeting with a special treat.  This is one of those celebrations so unexpected and with so little expectation (if any), that you can't help but be a big hit.  Besides... Highlowaha is about slowing down long enough to celebrate life's simple pleasures - especially when the simple pleasure is as silly as talking like a pirate.  

So don't tune me out, thinking I'm talking to some veteran highlowaha reader or to a more involved reader.  I'm not.  I'm actually talking to you both.  Entertain the idea.  Hear me out and consider organizing some kind of celebrati

on... big or small.  All you have to do today is decide who you would like to invite/involve.

Take a second and think.  Who's someone simple you can invite over?  You know what I'm talking about... someone low maintenance, but who will appreciate your fun side.  The point isn't to create unnecessary work for yourself.  Instead, the point is to use National Talk Like a Pirate Day as excuse to connect with a friend(s), help raise money for Highlowaha's Helping Hand Christmas Project, or as an excuse to exercise your creativity.  

As for who I'll invite?  Nan Anderson, my neighbor.  She also has three kids and a husband who travels.  If I invite Nan and her kids, she'll understand that our gathering is meant to be casual and that anything I provide will be considered "over-delivering."  It'll be a simple chance for our kids to eat dinner together and they'll be gone before Pirate Bingo starts at 8:00 CST. Perfect.

How about you?

Invitations.  That's the only thing we need to do today in order to assure we have people at our gatherings.  If we have to choose between a no-frills invitation and no invitation, we'll go no-frills.  Sure, we could make some elaborate invitations on tea stained paper, with burned edges, and a gothic looking font.  But, we're into no-frills because that's what we have time for. Instead we'll opt for an email, an evite, a handwritten note, knocking on people's doors with a verbal invitation, or leave a simple voice mail message.  

The most creative invitation we can create in the least amount of time.  That's our goal.

Here's the good news...

So big is this underworld of pirate-lovers that there are websites you can visit to access a Pirate Dictionary AND websites you can visit to get your very own Pirate Name!  Imagine how much more fun your (written or verbal) invitation will be if done in Pirate-ese.

So, here's what we'll do to start building excitement for Friday's Pirate Bingo and hopefully to motivate you to do host your own gathering in celebration of National Talk Like a Pirate Day (with our Pirate Bingo game as part of your evening activity).

First, visit http://www.piratequiz.com/ to get your very own pirate name.  Next, visit http://www.io.com/~sj/Pirate Talk.html to brush up on your pirate lingo.  Use what you learn to make a post sharing your plans for Friday.  

Hosting a Pirate Bingo Party?  Delivering a pirate party favor?  Dressing in red and black? Signing all your memos in ye pirate name?  Whatever it is, make a post today using your best pirate lingo, signed in your new pirate name and your name will automatically go in the drawing for one of the SIX prizes that don't get claimed by Friday night's Virtual Bingo winners!  

Announcements:

• Virtual Pirate Bingo:  Come one, come all to highlowaha's Friday night fundraiser.  In an effort to raise money for the family we adopted this holiday season, highlowaha readers will play three rounds of Bingo.  And, in honor of National Talk Like A Pirate Day, we'll add a twist... Pirate Bingo.  In this exciting version, prizes get won and prizes get plundered.  Where the booty finally lands, nobody quite knows.  Check out yesterday's post (9/15) to get the details.  I need Bingo cards by Friday at 3:00.  
  
• Virtual Pirate Bingo Prizes:  Also outlined yesterday are the nine great gifts that can be won.  A few more details about Spa-in-a-Box.  It includes... Bath and Body Works gel; a candle; Oil of Olay Bath Products; the ever appropriate chocolate; and two books written by Nicholas Sparks.  Also, below is a picture of the Limited Edition Highlowaha t-shirt that can be yours.  
  

• Countdown to the Super Bowl:  This week's secret ingredient is garlic.  Tera and Stacie are facing off in the Half Time Snack Throw Down.  Hopefully their entries are in the making and will be shipped off in the next couple of days.  Friday we will make predictions about Sunday's score, so that the person who comes closest can win a gold star (just like Cheryl did last week!).
  
• Reading Raynbow:  I've been told there will be some sort of update on the Reading Raynbow blog today.  Click on the link in the top right hand side of my blog.  
  
• Helping Hand:  Speaking of updates, Brian sent an email today letting me know the Helping Hand blog has been updated.  Check it out.
  
• Paint the Town Red: Remember to save your Coke Reward Codes, so we can donate them to Heather's friend, Julie who is sick with a terminal disease.  We have Regional Director for all regions except, MAAHLA (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin) and GLAHLA (South Dakota, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota).  If you live in any of the states listed and want to help with this initiative, please contact me (cbeeny@lslog.com) or post a comment.  The time commitment is minimal, but the impact BIG!   Once I have all Regional Directors in place, I will post contact information and the specific process we will use for collecting Coke Reward Numbers. 
  

This is Dirty Charity Flint signing off until tomorrow, me buckos...

Arrrrr...... Pirate Bingo!

Some announcements at the end.

Ahoy there matey and welcome to Highlowaha's week long celebration of pirates.  Friday marks the thirteenth anniversary of National Talk Like a Pirate Day and we have lots of prepping to do.

We're going to spend part of the week looking at all the fun ways we can celebrate with our friends, our kids, our neighbors, our colleagues, our workout partners, and anyone else with whom we might come in in contact on Friday.  This is a holiday far too much fun to pass over without any recognition on the part of a readership as fun as Highlowaha.  

But, we're fun and busy.  That's why each day this week, we'll look at a different thing we can do/plan for the big day.  Plan a little bit each day and maybe, just maybe you can pull off a little bit of fun.  Wait until the very end and the chances are slim to none.  Plan along side of me.  I plan to host a few neighborhood kids for an early pirate dinner and activity on Friday night, so we can plot and plan together.

Did I say Friday night?  That's right.  We will host a pirate party in anticipation of... not just Virtual Bingo, but...  Virtual PIRATE Bingo!!!!!  It is my hope that you might also consider hosting a small pirate party at your house (5 or more earns you a patch for your Patch Work denim) in conjunction with Highlowaha's Virtual Pirate Bingo party.

Virtual Pirate Bingo...  

Here's EVERYTHING you need to know:

Prior to Play:

• Pirate Bingo will take place this Friday night, beginning at 8:00 (CST).
  
• We will play three rounds.
  
• A Patchwork Patch will be awarded to anyone who hosts 5 people or more.
  
• You will create your own Bingo card by putting letters B-I-N-G-O on a sheet of paper and listing 5 numbers under each letter (except "N" which has the free spot).
  
• Number choices are as follows: B = 1-15; I= 16- 30; N = 31-45; G = 45-60; O = 61-75
  
• Cards must be emailed or mailed to me by Friday at 3:00 CST.
  
• This is a fundraiser for our Helping Hand family, so one card will cost $3.00 and 3 cards for $5.00.
  
• My preference is to have all money and all cards in hand by Friday.
  
• My mailing address is: Claudia K. Beeny, 4012 Harvestwood Court, Grapevine, TX, 76051
• If you take 10 minutes and do it TODAY, I will most certainly have everything by Friday.
• Pass today's post along to everyone you know!

Rules of Play

• Log onto www.highlowaha.com at 8:00 CST.  Read the short welcome to our party and then go to the section labeled "comments."
  
• Every 30 seconds a different ball will be posted.
  
• The first person to post "Bingo" (and whose card can be verified as the winning card) will be declared the winner.
• I will verify winners based on the cards I have received by 3:00 on Friday.  I have already received two cards.
• The winner will get to select which of the six prizes he/she wants.
  
• Repeat process until we get a second winner.
  
• Now the fun begins...  Pirates plunder and so do we on National Talk Like a Pirate Day!
• The second winner then has the choice... choose a different prize or steal the prize from winner #1.
  
• If winner #2 steals winner #1's prize, then winner #1 may select something new from the table of prizes.
• A prize may be stolen three times, before it is off limits.
  
• Repeat process again until we get a third winner.
  
• Winner #3 may also either... steal the prizes from Winner #2 or Winner #1.  
  
• Same rules apply...
  
• Once all three rounds have been played, remaining prizes will be awarded... in some fun way.  TBD.

Post Play 

• Celebrate and pat yourself on the back, knowing you did a good thing!
  
• Winners, make sure Claudia has your mailing address so prizes can be shipped out on Monday.  Prizes will be coming from our generous donors from around the country.

Prizes... or "booty" as pirates would call it...

We don't mess around at highlowaha.  The booty for which we are competing is good!  Check it out.    

 A Spooktacular Party in a Box

Cake pan, cookie cutters, sprinkles, plates, and napkins

A Night at the Movies

Featuring... Popcorn, candy, and $10.00 gift card to Blockbuster!

A Card for All Seasons 

12 Pack of Handmade Cards by Peggy at PRDesigns

Valued at $25.00

Think Inside the Box!

The Ultimate Craft Box, including 16 Edgers, 16 Hole Punchers, and 6 Corner Cutters

His and Hers... or All Yours

Target Gift Cards  - $20.00 each 

Trick and Treat, Smell My Feet, Give You Something Good To Eat!

There are still three items for which I do not have pictures.  They are:

Spa In a Box - Lotions and potions to pamper yourself

***

Rainy Day Activity Box - This treat will have your kids doing a Rain Dance!

***

Limited Edition (only second printed) Highlowaha t-shirt, ordered to your specifications

***

Announcements:

National Cream Filled Donut Day:  All the gift cards went out early last week, so if you passed a name along, I mailed a card.  AZLori... I didn't mail your suggested person hers until Saturday.  It will get their after the fact, but it will get there!  I hope your celebration was as good as ours.  We went to Krispy Kreme and got these great looking donuts.  

Project Paint Your Town Red:  If you haven't read Saturday's post, please make time to read it some time this week.  Highlowaha is working with long-time reader, Heather, to support her long-time friend, Julie.  Julie has been diagnosed with a fatal disease.  We, the readers of highlowaha, are saving Coke Reward Codes to give Julie and Julie's mother.  The Coke Reward Codes will allow Julie's mother to purchase items for Julie that exorbitant medical bills would make otherwise impossible.  We are still looking for Regional Directors to help organize this effort for four "regions" in the country.  The regions are SWAHLA; GLAHLA; MAAHLA; PAHLA.  Don't be intimidated by the acronyms.  One look back at Saturday's post (9/13-Paint the Town Red) and it will all make sense. 

Paint Your Town Red!

I was feeling especially tired this morning, so thanks for indulging me and allowing this post to go up later than normal.

Lots of announcements at the end.

I had a plan for today's post, but after the story Heather shared about her friend Julie yesterday, I've decided to switch gears.  We'll save "Just Say Yes" for another day.

Heather explained that one of her oldest and dearest friends has been diagnosed something called, called Pick's Disease.  The disease is the slow atrophy of Julie's brain.  It began with Julie having small lapses in speech.  It then progressed to her forgetting simple motor skills and, over time, her condition will degenerate to the point that Julie will die because her brain will not remember to perform essential bodily functions. 

Julie is by all accounts one of us.  She is in her late twenties, married, college-educated and was a writer for a magazine (before her disease rendered her unable to think coherently or to write). Julie is the girl next door.  No signs, no warnings.  Just one day enjoying the status quo and the next... changes so life altering that she, nor her family, will ever have the normalcy they once knew.

But Julie loves Coco-Cola and and their is something we can do.  In yesterday's comments, Heather asked us to save our Coke Caps, so we can give the Coke Reward Codes to Julie's mom, Joy.  Joy uses the Reward Points to purchase items for Julie that she otherwise would not be able to afford, due to exorbitant medical costs.  Katie (loyal reader) posted soon after challenging the readers to collect more Coke Reward Points than the residents of her building at James Madison University.

Points are awarded as follows: 3 points for every bottle cap; 10 points for a 12 pack (on inside of cardboard carton); and 20 points for every 24 pack (also on inside of carton).  

I like the idea of this, so I began milling it over in my head some more...

• Julie=Coke
• Coke = red
  
• Red = Paint Your Town
  
• Paint Your Town = Mobilize the people in your area for a contest to collect Reward Points
  
• Reward Points = Coke
  
• Coke = Red
  
• Red = Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's, Valentine's Day
  
• Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Valentine's Day = Parties and Family Gatherings
  
• Parties and Family Gatherings = beverages to serve
  
• Beverages to serve = coke (and all coke products)
  
• Coke products = Julie
  

So that's it.  We will run a contest to see how many Coke Reward Points we can collect between today (September 13) and February 14.  That is almost five months to the day and only FOUR days before our one-year anniversary of the start of Highlowaha.  What a nice way to celebrate.

Taste of USA participants... you will recognize the next portion of the idea, as it was a suggestion that came out of last week's Taste of USA trip.  Highlowaha will appoint 8 Regional Directors to gather points in their "region" and to actually try to garner support for the idea.  

This represents the first official opportunity to run for Highlowaha political office.  Only, I probably won't make you run.  I will select you on sheer desire to make a difference.

My long-standing involvement in Residence Life programs around the country made the National Association of College and University Residence Halls (NACURH) the natural place to go for my break down of regions.  I remember them and the seemed (and still do) to work fine.  If the acronym held true, that would make us the National Association of High, Low, Aha (NAHLA).  Below is the breakdown.  Look for your state and more importantly, consider running for office.  I have placed some names in throughout.  If you see your name bolded, consider it an invitation to serve as your Regional Director.

Those of you who accept the challenge, it will not be an exorbitant amount of work.  People will send you their codes and you'll pass them along to Heather once a month, via email.  Also... if you're motivated by collecting patches for your PATCH WORK jeans (or denim), they will most assuredly be a patch in it for you.

Intermountain Association of High, Low, Aha (IAHLA):

• Arizona  = Lori (though she is an avid Pepsi fan)
  
• Colorado
  
• Idaho
  
• Montana
  
• New Mexico
  
• Utah
  
• Wyoming

Southwestern Association of High, Low, Aha (SWAHLA)

• Arkansas = Ashlee
  
• Louisiana
  
• Oklahoma
  
• Texas = (Toni, Chaotic, or Heather herself)
  

Great Lakes Association of High, Low, Aha (GLAHLA)

• Illinois = Peggy or Cristine
  
• Indiana = Cassie P
  
• Michigan
  
• Wisconsin
  

Northeastern Association of High, Low, Aha (NEAHLA)

• Vermont
  
• New York = Layne or Maureen
  
• Connecticut
  
• Massachusetts
  
• Maine
  
• New Hampshire
  
• Rhode Island
  

Central Atlantic Association of High, Low, Aha (CAAHLA)

• Delaware
  
• Maryland
  
• New Jersey
  
• Ohio = Tera
  
• Pennsylvania = Heidi or Brian
  
• Washington D.C.
  
• West Virginia
  

Mid-Atlantic Association of High, Low, Aha (MAAHLA)

• South Dakota
  
• Iowa = Katie or Ashley
  
• Kansas
  
• Minnesota
  
• Missouri
  
• Montana = Kelly
  
• Nebraska
  
• North Dakota
  

Pacific Association of High, Low, Aha (PAHLA)

• Alaska
  
• California = Alden
  
• Hawaii
  
• Nevada
  
• Oregon
  
• Washington
  

Southern Association of High, Low, Aha (SAHLA)

• Alabama
  
• Florida = Sandy
  
• Georgia = Susan
  
• Kentucky = Melanie, Emily S., or Nicole
  
• Mississippi
  
• North Carolina
  
• South Carolina = Tracey
  
• Tennessee
  
• Virginia = Katie, Funsies, or Kristen
  

Announcements:

• Countdown to the Superbowl:  Garlic was the voted the secret ingredient for this week.  Good luck Tera and Stacie as you brainstorm your Throw Down entries.  Remember, Sunday, September 21, Struble Suds, and your entry can be anything that fits in a bowl!
  
• Virtual Bingo: Next Friday night, 8:00 CST.  Create your own card and send it to me snail mail or electronically.  One card is $3.00 or get three cards for $5.00.  My mailing address is 4012 Harvestwood Court, Grapevine, Texas 76051.  ALL the money goes to our Helping Hand Christmas Project.
  
• Anyone who offered to make a donation to Sue's HLA Creativity Basket, to be raffled off at upcoming high school volleyball game, please know... the game is next Friday.  To get something to her on time probably means mailing it by Monday at the latest.

 

Free For All Friday: Buckets, Bowls, and Bingo

T.G.I.F.  Today is the kind of day I bound out of bed, excited to make my daily post.  We have lots of things to look forward to and I can't wait to share!  Sit up straight and get an extra cup of coffee.  You'll need it to get through all the excitement.

You didn't think I would launch right into our Free For All without first sharing the final blog idea generated by our creative and loyal Taste of USA participants?  Did you?  

Not a chance.  

In fact, one of the topics for today's Free For All is actually compliments of an idea that emanated from the women taking two random items and combining them to see what they could come up with.  First the items...

Julie and Katie

Message in a bottle and some kind of physical therapy tool of pain 

The message in a bottle was, for them, a symbol of new adventures.  The tool of pain, they decided, resembled a bridge with detours (or decision points) along the way.  So short, sweet, and to the point was their analysis, that it's almost poetic....

Pursuing adventures while traveling the twists and turns of the road called, "Life."

Their suggestion was made more perfect when the duo likened their idea to the notion of The Bucket List.  The idea, based on the movie, The Bucket List, simply suggests making a list of things you want to do before you, "kick the bucket."

Julie has actually already given thought to her bucket list and shared some of the items on her list with the rest of the group.  The item I most remember, and on which I was invited to to follow up, later in life, is... 

"Own land with a willow tree and a stone fence."

So I thought one of our Free For All topics for today could be items we might include on our "Bucket List."  I will share some of mine, but first more exciting news and Highlowaha adventure.

Countdown to the Super Bowl:  It is the time in the week when we must warm up our taste buds and let our voices be heard.  What will the secret ingredient be for next week's Half-time Snack Throw Down?  Stacie and Tera will go head to head for this competition, scheduled for Sunday, September 21.  The ingredients you are choosing between this week are... 

Cinnamon or Garlic

Highlowaha Plays BINGO for a Cause:  Mark Your Calendars!  Next Friday night Highlowaha will host its second Virtual Party.  Virtual Bingo!  Goal...  raise money for the family we adopted for our Holiday Helping Hand Project.  We have committed to supplying this Pennsylvania family with enough money to cook a holiday dinner, have a tree, and to purchase presents for the five children.  Now we need to get busy making good on our word.  Here's are some important things to know in preparation of next Friday's fun.

• Mark you calendar... Friday, September 19 at 8:00 CST 
  
• We will play three rounds of Bingo.
• Each person will create their own Bingo card and then send it to me either electronically or by mail.  To create your own card all you do is: (1) write the letters B-I-N-G-O at the top of your page; (2) Select five numbers for each letter.  Numbers are as follows: B, between 1-15; I, between 16-30; N, between 31-45; G, between 46-60; 0, between 61-75; (3) Remember the "free spot" in column "N" center spot. 
  
• You can enter one card for $3.00 or enter 3 cards for $5.00.  Money should be mailed to me at 4012 Harvestwood Court, Grapevine, TX. 76051.  Every dime will go toward our Helping Hand initiative. 
• Create Your Invite List and Think Big:  If you're a hall director, consider a hall program (or at least a staff team builder).  If you're a mom, consider inviting your children's friends over for an extra special night of staying up late and helping this cause.  If you're single or married without kids... even easier.  How about inviting your friends and neighbors over?  This is the perfect opportunity to build your own community while helping our community.  We must use this as an opportunity to expand our reach.
• Prizes.  The winner of each round will win a prize.  That's where you all come in.  I am looking for generous people to donate prizes or money.  The better the prizes, the more likely people are to play.  I need five great prizes.  Please email me at cbeeny@lslog.com if you are able/willing to donate something.  I will donate one.  That leaves four more. If necessary, I will combine a few items into a gift basket.  Everything is appreciated. 
• More info coming your way as the week progresses.

Lurkers... this means you too!  I respect your interest in reading our site and not posting comments.  Not a problem.  This time around, however, it will take a village to make good on our commitment to this family.  We need your help.  You can remain a lurker and still participate in Virtual Bingo (unless of course you win... at which point you can use an alias)!

Spread the word!!!  There's even more fun, but I can't spill the beans all at once.  Oh, are we going to have a good week next week?!?!

Back to my Bucket List.  Some of the items on include: 

• Read a biography of each former president
  
• Attend an Olympic event
  
• Write a book
  
• Host a black tie affair
  
• Visit New Zealand
  
• Learn how to wear eye makeup
  
• Own a cabin in the mountains, and...
• Make $150.00 next Friday night for our Helping Hand family.
  

Let's hear from you today...

• What's on your bucket list?
  
• Which do you vote... Cinnamon or Garlic?
  
• Who will you invite to Virtual Bingo, or... 
  
• Whatever other topic you want to throw our way...
  

Signing off until tomorrow...

Flags, More Flags, and Red Flags

A Moment of Reflection

highs, lows, and ahas

Tuesday creative playing cards, yesterday lost and found friends, so you ask... what's on the docket for today?

We shall see.  But, first the items with which our Taste of USA participants were working...

Tera and Funsies (a.k.a. Nicole)

Blue graduation sash, denoting study abroad and a lint roller

Their first suggestion... write about the lintiest country!  A quick peek into cyberspace and I quickly learn the formal definition of "lint" is:

"particles and short fibers that fall from a textile product during the stresses of use."

Alright.  Well, if that's the definition does anyone want to take a chance at guessing the lintiest country?  I'm not sure, but I'm guessing it's got to be a place where more clothing, not less, is worn (cold climate) and where the clothing is more stressed by use, not less.  The lines are open.  Name me a country and I'll add it to my list of creative topics worth writing about.

Tera and Funsies, not quite sure where to go from there, decided to move on.  They suggested writing about traveling "must-haves."  We kind of did this when some of the readers of highlowaha engaged in a game of, "I'm going on a trip and I'm bringing..."  In the true spirit of Highlowaha, we try never to repeat the same idea twice.  Though... I do agree, a lint roller ranks right up there as a must-have item.  Moving on...

Then came von Oech's Whack Pack card.  Add to the mix a recent dream that either Tera or Funsies has had (see Tuesday 9/9 for full text).  How could a recent dream help improve their idea for writing about lintiest country, must-haves?  As it turns out, while other groups couldn't remember a single dream... Tera and Funsies both have recurring dreams!  Interesting, right?  First, no recollection of dreams and now... two recurring dreams.

Tera's recurring dream... getting bitten by a snake on the fleshy part of her hand, between the thumb and her pointer finger.

Funsies recurring dream... falling of a sidewalk.

You think I'm kidding.  This is what I'm working with today... and it's not even 5:00 a.m. yet!  

Who's working harder than I am right now?  No one.

I have no choice.  I'm going to the book of 10,000 dreams in desperate search of something I can sink my teeth into (other than Tera's hand... since, by the way, I am - according to the Chinese Zodiac - a snake).

First snakes.  "To dream of snakes is a foreboding of evil in its various forms and stages.  To dream of a bite also omens ill.".  According to this crazy book... "...to dream of a bite implies a wish to undo work that is past undoing."

Don't know what that means, Tera... but I wish it sounded more promising.

Now Funsies.  To dream of stepping on a curb denotes your rapid rise in business circles, and that you will be held in high esteem by your friends and public.  For lovers to dream of stepping together on a curb, denotes an early marriage and consequent fidelity; but if in your dream you step or fall from a curb, your fortunes will be reversed. 

Neither of their dreams sound great.

I have an idea.  It seems we need to switch gears in an effort to get as far away from this gloom and doom as possible.  Let's talk about traveling on a vacation.  In fact... check this out.

It says:

Highlowaha Taste of USA 2009

It's Up To You

Stay Tuned!

We've been milling over an idea for next year's Taste of USA trip.  This year's participants suggested that, instead of visiting the state whose residents cast the most votes, we would go to the place most people voted as their ideal vacation destination.  So... live in New York, but always wanted to visit Montana?  Vote Montana and, if enough people agree then Montana Kelly... here we come!

So... if you were to cast your vote, as of this very minute, where would you want to go?  IMPORTANT:  We are NOT voting for next year's destination.  I am just desperately trying to get out from under this horrible "lintiest city-travel-must-have-bad recurring dreams"... nightmare that I'm in!

You might be interested to know... where ever we end up, we should travel by limousine to a ship, where we will be met by space aliens.  According to my trusty book of dreams...

The dream of riding in a limousine, means that, "sudden good fortune will soon be imminent."  Ships "foretell honor and unexpected elevation to ranks above your mode of life," and encountering space aliens means that "you will meet people whom you consider bizarre and strange.  You will at first feel uncomfortable with them, but they will soon become very positive influences in your life."

Signing off until tomorrow... but not fast enough...

Lost and Found

Happy Birthday 

J-9 Restaino!  Read On...

Announcements at the end, including an important announcement about our Holiday Helping Hand project.

Today represents Day #2 of our Taste of USA blog topics.  Remember, participants of Taste of USA were tasked with selecting two random items from a brown bag and then using those items to create a topic about which we could blog.  

Today's topic strikes a special cord with me, but first the items...

Treye and a Stand-in of Heidi

(she had to leave early, but her smile really is that big!)

Boxing Gloves and a Koosh Ball

(Challenge yourself... what topic might you come up with?)

Treye and Heidi wasted no time filling up their page with ideas.  In fact, this dynamic duo developed an overarching theme for their topic.... Everlasting Connections.  Let's go with it.  Initially it conjured up images for them of, "manifesting one's ideas and bringing things full circle."  When asked to "whack" their idea with von Oech's Dream Card (everyone was whacked with the same card.  See yesterday's post for full text), Treye and Heidi immediately gravitated toward people.  They posed a series of questions.  Here they are:

• Are there people you know who have shown up in your dreams lately?
  
• Have any of these people lost touch with you?
  
• How do you respond to  seeing them in your dreams?
  
• Might you use HLA as a way to reconnect with people in your dreams?  
  
• How did you become connected with your best friend?
  
• How did you hear about Highlowaha?
  
• Do you have a fun story about how you became connected with a friend?

I love all of these topics and, if I signed off this minute, we could have still have a full day's activity using their thoughtful questions. 

 

But... their topic got me thinking and consequently, I have a fun story to tell.  One of my best friends growing up was a girl named Janine.  Janine and I met at Junior High 67 (all the public schools in New York are numbers).  We played volleyball on the same team (along with Maureen), for a somewhat creepy coach whose name was Mr. Schneider.  Boy, did we have fun.  We met every day after school, walked down to the local deli for an after school snack and then came back for practice.  We were a close group of friends.  When it came time to order our uniforms we each decided, rather than put our own last name on the back of our uniforms, that we would wear the names of famous tennis players.  I think I was McEnroe, Janine was Borg, and maybe Maureen was Gerulaitis.

After junior high, Janinie and I continued playing volleyball together in high school.  We met every morning for practice and then played again in the afternoons.  We traveled to games together and to volleyball summer camps together.  When not bumping and spiking volleyballs, we worked together at the Samuel Field Y summer camp and at the Haagen Dazs, in Great Neck, New York.  We spent many a night at one another's houses watching scary movies like, Dr. Butcher M.D. and eating left over pints of ice cream from our closing shifts at the ice cream store.  My favorite flavor at the time.... Vanilla Swiss Almond.  

I remember distinctly going over to Janine's on a weekend night for a sleepover.  It was right before Christmas and my parents dropped me off, after taking me to a local department store for a new winter coat.  Janine's mother greeted me at the door with a surprised look on her face, but immediately welcomed me inside, as she and Janine's dad zipped passed us on their way out.  Janine, like most of us, couldn't resist the urge to peek at her Christmas packages trying to guess what they were.  The only difference was that Janine and her two brothers had perfected the art of snooping to a science.  And, her parents were gone for the night, making the coast perfectly clear.  Janine picked up a fairly large box and shook it.  Still not able to determine what it was, she aptly began peeling back the tape until the wrapping paper fell open.  Janine opened the box and imagine our surprise when inside was the EXACT SAME WINTER COAT my parents just bought for me.  We laughed the rest of the night.  We were best friends and we were in high school.  Nothing could have been better.

I went off to Arizona for college and Janine went to a rigorous school on Long Island.  We promised always to be best friends, but as time and distance sometimes has it, we eventually lost touch.  Not a single September 10th has passed without me thinking about Janine and wondering what she is up to.  I heard through the grapevine she moved to Florida and even tried tracking her down a few times.  Columbo, I am not.

Not even a month ago, Maureen informed me that she thought she knew how to get hold of Janine and passed along Janine's information.  I immediately mailed Janine a letter and she replied promptly with an email.  Back together after literally not talking for more than TWENTY years!  For the past three weeks, Janine and I have continued exchanging emails back and forth, taking turns filling one another in on all the gaps from twenty years of being out of touch.  

It is nothing short of a gift to know that Janine, this close childhood friend, is back in my life.  And, in some small - maybe even self serving - way, I attribute some of it to Highlowaha.  

Maureen is the one and only friend I have consistently been in touch with since high school.  Yet, even we have struggled to keep our contact regular, with the competing demands of family and work obligations.  Our contact was reduced to four or five great conversations a year.  It was not until I was "Reaching for 5,000" views of highlowaha that I contacted Maureen in a desperate attempt to have her make even a single post.  Maureen is the epitome of loyal and so you know the rest of the story.  She has not only loyally checked in to highlowaha each day since her original post, but she has become one of our most active community members.

So you see, highlowaha - a blog committed to creativity and community building - has given me the gift of friendship in innumerable ways.  First it put me in closer contact with two of my oldest high school friends and second it brought me all of you. For that I am grateful.  If I shut my shop doors today, I would have gotten more than I expected from this experience.

So that's my story of reconnecting with friends, old and new.  How about you?  

I might add, we have some VERY resourceful and creative-thinking people here.  Is there someone you are trying to find?  Maybe one of our readers can point you in the right direction.  It worked for me.

Announcements:

• Helping Hand:  Thanks to the work of Sue, Brian, and Maureen a family has been identified to serve as the recipient of our thoughtful holiday gesture.  Tera's mother knows of a family in Ohio and is willing to serve as our liaison.  Check out the Helping Hand site in the next couple of days to learn more about the family.  Next task.  Fundraising.  This brings me to my next announcement.
  
• Bring Your Calendar:  In the next couple of weeks, I will be unveiling two fun fundraiser opportunities for our highlowaha readers - lurkers and posters alike (it will take a village to pull off this service project)!  Bring your calendar this Friday when I announce plans for the first!  You won't want to miss it.
  
• Reading Raynbow:  Did you see?  We are going to wrap up discussion on Randy Pausch's book, The Last Lecture.  Discussion is scheduled to take place this Saturday or Sunday.  We will wait to hear from Julie or Melanie about which day.
  

Signing off until tomorrow...

Back-Hand

Congratulations Richard for winning the Football Snack Throw Down and advancing to the next round.  Your next snack won't need to be prepared until December 30.  Check out Struble Suds later on today to see what the judges had to say about each of the dishes.  It will help future competitors with menu planning. 

More announcements at the end!

So here was my challenge... develop a week's worth of posts based on topics provided to me by our Taste of USA participants.  

Here was their challenge... develop potential blog topics using two random items, drawn from a paper bag.  Then... perfect the idea using a Whack on the Side of the Head from von Oech 

After mulling over the four topics provided me, I have found some sort of loose connection between them.  I don't want to give it all away on Day #1, so I'll generally introduce the first of four topics and later in the week we'll see how they fit together.

Play along at home.  What kind of topic might you have come up with given today's items?  Let me know in today's post.  Maybe, just maybe, I'll add it to my list.

First up, Amy and Kristen.

 

A deck of cards and a bison vertebrae

Their idea...  develop decks of cards using things far more interesting than hearts, spades, clubs, diamonds, and Aces and Kings.  Instead, Amy and Kristen proposed decks of cards that pictured friends, along with reasons each friend is special.  Or how about presenting a deck of cards to a bride-to-be, sharing tips for a successful marriage?  Going to grad school?  Create a deck of cards bearing ideas of things you can do on a budget.  Have a friend going on vacation?  How about some "Go-Fish" cards, each bearing a different suggestion of something to do while on vacation.  

von Oech challenged participants to "Listen to Your Dreams," leading to additionally creative ideas on the parts of  Amy and Kristen.  The card said...

Greek philosopher Heraclitus: "To those who are awake, there is one ordered universe, whereas in sleep each man turns away from this world to one of his own."  Your dreams can help resolve conflicts, refresh thinking, inspire solutions, and suggest new approaches.  Example: chemist August Kekule's dream of six circling snakes inspired his discovery of the benzene molecule ring.  How can you relate a recent dream to a current problem?  

Though neither of them could remember a recent dream, both Amy and Kristen were inspired to develop a deck of cards shaped like thought bubbles and revealing dream definitions on the faces.

That's what they came up with.  How about you?  How might you use a deck of cards and part of a bison vertebrae to develop a creative topic for a future highlowaha post?

Or... based on a recent dream... what suggestion might you have for a creative deck of cards?

Tune in tomorrow to see what Group #2 came up with.

Announcements:

• Patchwork Gold Star: Congratulations to Cheryl AND Matt who won this week's gold stars for coming closest to guessing the final Packer score.  Cheryl guessed 24-21, while Matt guessed 24-17.  Matt PROMISED to sew his gold star to his "Packer Pants,"so we will expect to see it featured in next week's photograph.  Don't know what I'm talking about?  Check out the post from August 7, 2008 (Patchwork) to learn more about how you can get in on the Patchwork fun. 
• Countdown to the Super Bowl:  Next up, Stacie and Tera on Sunday, September 21.  Don't forget to tune in on Friday when we vote for the next secret ingredient.  Last time, bacon.  Next round... only you can decide.   
  
• National Cream Filled Donut Day:  This Sunday, September 14 is National Cream-Filled Donut Day.  We have nine great National Cream Filled Donut Day cards thanks to our decathletes.  I have designs on four of them, but I am looking for the names of five other people to whom we can send the cards AND a $5.00 gift card to Krispy Kreme Donuts.  I'm pulling five names from the Random Acts of Kindness (RAK) box.  If I pull your name, send me the name of a friend or family member who you would like to receive the treat.  I'm waiting to hear from: Layne, Erica, Sue K., Peggy, and Cheryl.  Please send me an email with the name and the address of one person you would like to receive the donut treat.  Added bonus if it goes to a person who might actually enjoy the highlowaha community.
• Packages:  Yesterday I mailed six packages to various winners of Cupcakes Make the World Go Round Week.  I mailed them parcel post, however, so it'll be six days or so before they hit your mailbox.  

Signing off until tomorrow...