Typecast

Sometimes I worry about the way in which people use social media and how far it can reach. About a week ago a Facebook post "went viral" (i.e. was shared beyond the immediate friendship group and gained a lot of interest); it told of a young mum who wanted to track down a kind stranger after receiving a note from him on a train .   [Quick recap: a man handed a young mum a note scribbled on a scrap of paper congratulating her on the way in which she was raising her child after watching her encourage his manners, her interaction with him and the way in which she offered up his seat to someone on the train when her son fell asleep. The kindly stranger also included a £5 note with his message and told her to buy herself a drink.  It's important to understand that he gave her this gift as he was leaving the train and made every effort not to identify himself] The media quickly became involved with reports of the Facebook post appearing in many digital versions of onl...

...for randomness like this! Don't concentrate on the negative  live for the positive What a wonderful RAOK / PIF!! (RAK = random act of kindness.  PIF = pay it forward)

When I think of projects like this, it is then that I bemoan the loss of the one pound note. Anyway... I saw this article on Huffington Post Parents this week.  Basically a lovely retired couple occasionally take to the streets and offer random acts of kindness. This time they are offering one dollar to drivers at a crossroads in their home town (and check out the video further down that article - it makes me want to head to a roller disco right now ).  So the question is, if someone offered you a pound, would you take it? What if it was offered by a known and respected member of the community? What if it was offered by a teenager wearing low-slung jeans, trainers and a hoodie? What if it was offered by me? Are we automatically suspicious and want to know what the catch is?  Do you get 'something for nothing' in this day and age?  Because you don't need that pound, does it make it immoral to accept it? If you accepted the pound, what woul...

I saw such a cool blog post the other day from " Clara Unravelled ".  In return for some kindness she received last year, she has decided to send something crafty (not a fox, I hope) to six random commenters on her blog post. What a fab idea! This totally fits in with my own personal ethos of "paying it forward".  Now that I have rediscovered my crafting mojo I can join in and send all the crap that I make  some crass-stitch ( not a typo ) or a small knitted project onto other people.  Do you want a bit of that?  I'm going to send something to Clara for coming up with such a fab idea and I'm going to send something to the first five   twenty people to comment on this post (please click through if you're reading elsewhere).  If I get more comments than that I may extend it, depending on how many fabulous (!) things I can make over the next few months.  If I know you well enough I may make something bespoke! If you are lined up to ...

Picture the scene.  I am packing up after work and I realise I can't find my car park ticket (a credit card sized piece of flimsy cardboard that was spat at me from a machine three hours earlier).  I panic because this isn't like me at all.   Normally I have everything in its place however I had extra bags; a suitcase full of equipment for my training session, a projector for my presentation over one shoulder and my handbag over another.  My phone was in my hand logged onto Google Maps for walking directions from the car park to the venue...   My colleague soothes my brow and says that we will check my car when we return to the car park.  He already has the measure of me and suggests it may be on the passenger seat of my car displayed for all to see! The car park ticket isn't there.  I heave a despondent sigh and head off toward the ticket machine to find out how much a 'lost ticket' will cost me.  I have a small argument with mys...

Today the roses, tomorrow the wine! Flowers always seem to brighten a room up, don't they?  Especially when they are PINK ! Not so long ago, Interflora sent me a bunch of flowers because I am very special * ahem * The Interflora fairy has struck again - an early Mother's Day present - on the proviso that I "pay it forward" - a concept that I absolutely love.  I have to nominate another "special" person... but I don't think they mean my kind of special. My nomination goes to a blogger who lives too far away for a quick squeeze so I hope a bunch of flowers cheers her up.  When she's on Twitter she's bright and cheerful and downright funny so it breaks my heart to read about the "bad days" (triggered by her disability) on her blog. Interflora, you're just brilliant! Big thanks to Easthams Secret Garden who created my bouquet again. This year, Mother's Day in the UK is on 3rd April.