Hope Phones

I was watching Good Morning America yesterday while I was getting ready for the day. They have a lot of great stories day to day, but this one about Hope Phones kept popping into my head all day today.

Hope phones takes your old phone and uses it to help save lives in developing countries.

Josh Nesbit, a Standford University, volunteered at an AIDS clinic in Malawi. While there he reported to abcnews.com that;

"This particular hospital was serving about a quarter million people, spread a hundred miles in every direction. So you literally had patients walking 60, 80, a hundred miles to access care. Basically one nurse would get onto a motorcycle and drive 10 hours a day trying to track down patients,"

He figured that if these people had the ability to text or call for help a lot of lives could be saved. He worked on software to get his idea in gear. But still didn't have enough phones for the high demand. This turned into Hope Phones. Josh says; 

"I was hit with this statistic, that we're discarding 500,000 cell phones every single day. That means half a million phones are going into trash cans, and desk drawers daily."

 

That  looks something like this!

Each phone is worth between $15 and $50. Nesbit realized that by recycling  just 1 percent of those phones, he could raise money to buy new phones for a million health workers.

Nesbit Says, "Your old phone will turn into two or three phones for health workers. Every one of those phones will connect another 50 to 100 families to emergency services and essential services."

With the money from old phones in the United States, 50 million people in Africa and across the globe can get better healthcare. 

The best thing about this is that the shipping for the phone you send is totally free! It is paid for by sponsors related to HopePhones. All you have to do is go to HopePhones.org, click the red Donate Phones button, follow the directions, print up a shipping label and put it in the mail. You have just helped save lives all over the world! Simple as that!

You can also set up a collection campaign at your school, corporation, town, etc. If you decide to do this, you fill out a quick form at HopePhones.org and they will send you all of the collection materials-free! The materials include a poster, collection box, shipping box for all the phones you’ll collect, and prepaid shipping labels.

HopePhones has a FAQ's part of the site that answers all of the questions that I had. Such as, does the phone condition matter? What happens to the phone once I send it in? And how do I delete information on my phone before sending it in?

I have three phones that the kids play with once in a blue moon or they get just put into a drawer when the are in the way. Why not send them to a better place? I will be sending mine in tomorrow. You can put yours to good use too. It only takes a few minutes.

 

photo courtesy of act.mtv.org

photo courtesy of pih.org

*all italicized comments courtesy of abcnews.go.com

How To Lead A Happy Life

  My previous post on being happier has got my brain trying to work in a different way. I mean, I have a lot to be happy for. But when something so sad happens to you, it's hard to get back to that happy person you were before.

  I like to just grab books off the shelf at the library that look interesting to me. Sometimes I read the whole book when I get home, sometimes I just browse thru it. I picked up this book called "The Experts Guide to Life at Home" created by Samanthe Ettus.

It gives lots of information that would be good for a first time home buyer or someone who might need something light to read and still learn something. I was suprised that they had a section on How to Lead a Happy Life. It is the very last section of the book and I wanted to share some of what it said because it really made sense to me and feel it can make sense to anyone. Maybe it can steer me, and maybe you, in the right direction towards happiness.

Every section of the book is written by a different expert in the subject that is being presented. The section on lead a happy life , is written by Alexandra Stoddard who has written twenty four books. On of which is called Choosing Happiness.

The first part says "Happiness can be self diagnosed. ...you can increase your set point of happiness by 50%. Here's how:

1. Live in the Moment. ...Focus your energy on what is true and positive in all that you think, say, and do.

2. Take responsibility for your personal happiness. Begin today to never blame anyone for your sadness....Don't make excuses...Outside circumstances should not define you.

*This one really hit home with me. It made me think about all the times I say "well so and so did this to me, so and so did that to me." Well, that shouldn't define my mood. Whatever the situation is or was, doesn't mean that I have to blame them for my mood. I am in control of my own happiness and my thoughts. Why should they be to blame for how I am feeling? I do understand feeling hurt in a situation, but you can move beyond that and learn from it.

3. Value your lasting happiness as your greatest accomplishment. Happiness comes first-everything else follows. Ask yourself what will elevate your mood. It could be more sleep...reading more, take a class, or go on a spiritual retreat. Do what feels good. A happy life must include a careful balance between serving the needs of other and taking time to nurtue your own mind, heart, body, and spirit.

4. Identify what you love. Write down words that make you smile. Record what you enjoy doing, food you like to eat, your favorite music, colors, places to visit, people you love, writers, and poets who inspire you....Incorporate more of them into your life every day.

5. Be inner directed What makes you happy could make someone else miserable. Don't look around at what others are thinking or doing to help yourself become happy.

6. Never feel guilty. ...Guilt is easy to feel but useless and negative. Postive thinkers are clear thinkers.

*This is one that I will definantly have to work on. Being a stay at home mom you are always doing for others. So when I take time for something for myself, in my mind, that is taking time away from the others in my life. But in reality how can I be happy when I am always doing for others and never nourishing my own spirit?

7. Choose happiness. Choice by choice, step by step, you can walk toward a greater awareness of what truly creates your genuine happiness. By making a commitment to lead a a happy life now, you will light your path...Look for the good....always seek sunlight.

The time and place to lead a happy life is now and here. Say yes to the invitation and you will be rewarded with personal transformation.

I will leave with these words that are part of my mantra lately. To me it is about the energy we surround ourselves with.

Positive energy in, Positive energy out. Negative energy in, Negative energy out.

These words will be a starting point for me. I am going to copy this and read it as much as possible to remind myself of the steps I should be taking to become a happier me. If these words have helped you. I would love to hear about it.

Birthdays From The Grave

January 9th. This Sunday. My mom would have been 54.


What do you do on the first birthday of someone who has passed? Throw a mini party? Look for a card you will never send? Cry?

I am not sure since this is the first time I have ever experienced it.


Things have been going good on the aspect of my Mom lately. Too good, at least that is how I feel. After awhile, things just kinda seem normal without her now. That sounds terrible, but I am just trying to be real. How can I dwell on the time without her, when I really did have a lot of time with her?
Don't get me wrong, I miss her A LOT. But after awhile, I realize, I am alive. I have living to do.
There will always be a lingering of my Mom everywhere in my life, but what good does it do me to be sad about it all the time?

Now, it does seem like I am so casually saying these comments like I am over the whole my Mom passing away thing. It is not like that. I am not like this all time. Shoot, not even the majority of the time! These words and phrases are something I feel I should to be telling myself.
There is always something in my life to remind me of her. But I feel like, why be sad about those things? Why not take that memory, scent, picture-whatever it may be-and store it in your memory, or better yet, a journal? That way you will always have something to turn to when you are down and miss her.


My beliefs are being tested from this past year until now. I know my opinions on life and death may offend some people, but I do not apologize for what I believe. Nor should anyone else, but I also do not look down on others for their beliefs, nor should anyone else. 
For a long time I have not believed there was a heaven or there was a hell. My belief in God has not been in my mind for a long time. I am not trying to push buttons by saying this, this is honestly something that I have just felt to my core being for a long time.


Seeing someone pass is nothing like I thought it would be. I thought it would be like a movie. Deep dramatic breathes, tearful goodbyes-but it was nothing like that. Simply, just the stopping of breathe. No sad music, no angels appearing, just silence.


Most believe she is an angel in heaven. Which I do tell my kids. I tell them this because as a kid, when someone passed away and my mom told me they were in heaven, it made me feel a lot better. Whether I believed it at the time or not. The kids and I even send balloons up to Oma on special occasions so she knows what is happening down here (or so my kids say). That is a comfort thing for them.
But I also tell my kids that everyone has a soul. And that the soul is who you are. That soul is an energy and energy never dies. Which, to me, is also spirit. A spirit can manifest itself into whatever it's next life is to be. Part of me believes in this, part of me doesn't. But right now I find comfort in this for some reason. When they get older, I will get into the deeper stuff. At 6 and 3, this is all they can handle right now.

I also believe your body is not made up to live forever. That is just life. Accidents happen, disease happens, cancer happens. This is the body you live in and once your heart is not beating to sustain it's life, then you are gone. That is why viewings at funeral's are a little creepy to me. That is a just a body. Not that actual "person" you are missing. But I do understand, for some, a viewing is seeing the person for the last time and remembering their time with them. 

Some may say your energy, or spirit, moves onto heaven. My previous thought of your spirit moving into another being or life force can probably be seen as the same thing. But as I said, I really only half believe that.


I have a mish mosh of things swirling in my head! (Confusing? I know!) I still can't say that I have a concrete belief in what happens to you after you pass. Or if anything even does happen. But does anyone really? I think what someone believes has to do a lot with personal comfort. The comfort in believing that we have some place after earth is helpful to people in times of sadness and stress.

We all will pass (which has been more of an in-your-face-reality to me this past year). Maybe it is helpful to just have the comfort in knowing something will happen to you. But it is actually more comforting to me, to know that I do not have to be a saint, or if I am considered a sinner the only one to be able to judge me, is me.

When I pass, maybe my soul will just become love and whenever you think of me and feel that love, you know I am there. That is what my Mom has become. That feeling of Love. Because in the end you are who are and the mark you have left on other's will be the most lasting memory after you are gone.

There is no real ending to these thoughts. Maybe I am just having them and being tested because I do need to do some research as to what I believe. I just know what feels comfortable to me and what doesn't. I am not ashamed of my beliefs and I am not saying I am right or wrong. They feel right to me and that is all that matters. Because in the end all there is, is me and my thoughts.

Yet, I will probably still get a Happy Birthday balloon to send up to Oma. Just so my kids will always have something to remember her birthday by.

Everything isn't always cupcakes and unicorns

Don't get me wrong, I am a busy body. I love staying busy. And I may stay busy taking care of my family or doing crafts or other projects, but sometimes I think I do these just to keep my mind off of some of the sadness I have towards my mom passing. The littlest things just send me into cry mode! For instance...

After having what seemed like only condiments, Greek yogurt, and beer in my fridge getting back from our trip to Arizona, I headed up to the good ol' trusty Aldi's. Now, you do get some creepers and weirdos there, but this time was different. Every aisle I went down I seemed to run into a 40 something woman and her mother shopping together. They ended up in line after me also. They were just talking back and forth on the deals they had gotten and what they did and didn't need in their carts, but they were going to get anyways. I paid for my things, and starting packing it up when it was their turn at the cashier. The mother said "You can just put all of this on my bill." And the daughter protested "Mom! No, I can pay for my own!" And the mom just told her "It's fine! You can spend your money on something else." Then they both looked at each other and gave a sort of "You are silly, but I still love you" sort of smile. I almost lost it! I was holding back the tears so much I had to bite my lip. I know this seems so trivial, but the littlest daughter to mother reactions I see lately just make me miss my mom so much. I know I won't have that Mother-daughter banter anymore. Little old ladies held up by their daughters when they walk into stores or even daughters getting annoyed by the way their older mom is taking forever to make a decision, just really make me miss my mom. She passed away too young for me to enjoy her when she as a cute old lady :).

I am one to hold my head up high and not let anyone see me cry. I like to deal with my feelings when I want to and with whom I want to. Maybe I am keeping it in too much and that is why I bawl at the slightest little old lady interaction. Maybe I need to let it out more, or maybe this is just normal? Either way I have my down days too. Everything isn't always cupcakes and unicorns over here!

Memories will always be there, but they are painful for me right now. I will never see her act goofy again, be silly with my kids, dress up crazy, or even hear her confide in me or tell me something that is on her mind. That is what I am really missing now. So, if you see me pulling out my tissue at the grocery store, library, or a restaurant, know that I will be ok. Even if I don't want to talk about it at that moment. I am just missing Crazy Mary a lot right now.

To end, I thought I would add a mom type comfort treat with a twist!

I know we all love rice krispie treats! But have you tired fruity pebble rice krispie treats?

YUUUUMMMMYYYY!

You make them the same way you make regular rice krispie treats but replace the regular krispies with tasty fruity pebble krispies! This is the recipe I used:

Fruity Pebble Krispie Treats

• 1/4 Cup Butter
• 1 pkg. Regular Marshmallows
• 5 Cups Fruity Pebbles

 Start by melting butter in 3 qt. saucepan. Once butter in melted add marshmallows and stir constantly on medium/low heat until marshmallows are melted as below.

Next dump in the fruity pebbles and stir.

 *One tip I have learned thru the years is to butter the spoon or spatula that you will be stirring the krispies with BEFORE you begin to stir. Believe me-you will thank me when you don't have krispies stuck everywhere!

Last step, smoosh into buttered square pan, let cool, and munch!

No matter what is going on in your day, these will definitely brighten it!